WORKERS at Port Elizabeth’s Daku Spar have been striking outside the shop since Friday.
Yesterday they continued their protest.
They blocked the shop entrance with trolleys to prevent customers from entering.
They later moved to another Spar in New Brighton and closed it.
One of the workers said: “This strike comes as a result of management’s failure to respond to a memorandum we submitted three weeks ago.
“Today, we are fighting for a provident fund and fair treatment.
“We want better working conditions.
“Management doesn’t pay us enough.
“We only get R15 an hour and our tea time and lunch break are limited to 30 minutes.
“We are struggling to make ends meet while working with no benefits.
“We only get unemployment insurance. Management has taken away our right to join a union.
“If they don’t attend to our complaints, we will protest until our grievances are addressed.
“We can’t work like slaves from 7am to 7pm without getting what we deserve.
“We also want black people to be promoted to higher positions.
“The black managers are always questioned and accused of doing things wrong. We want that to come to an end.
“We want fair treatment for everyone.”
Customer Nolubabalo Juli (38) said the strike meant she couldn’t buy nappies for her sick father.
“I don’t have enough money to take a taxi to another shop. They should at least let us enter the shop,” she said.
Daku Spar manager Billy Bouncher said: “It’s an unprotected strike and I don’t know what they are talking about.
“I can’t comment on that.”
