In line with the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), the Food and Allied Workers Union and the General Industrial Workers Union, along with the National Union of Metal Workers (Numsa) have resolved to pile pressure on Clover in a national and international day of action.
According to sources, the work unions are protesting Clover’s plans to close four factories in Gauteng, the Free State, and the North West, as well as the closure of two factories in the Western Cape.
Last year, 1 600 workers were retrenched and a further 822 will be retrenched by the end of February 2022.
“On January 25 is the national and international day of action when Saftu is calling on the working class to occupy shops stocking Clover products and to hold demonstrations at embassies.
“We are calling on all our members and all progressive working-class organizations to support this strike and to support the call to boycott Clover. Those who are able to attend the demonstrations are encouraged to do so in support of this just cause,” the unions said in a joint statement.
Adding that, Clover had planned to close a further four factories in Frankfort and Heilbron in the Free State, Lichtenburg in North West, and City Deep in Gauteng. “The inevitable outcome of these factory closures is loss of jobs. In 2021 alone, Clover retrenched more than 1 600 workers.
“It is planning to retrench a further 812 by the end of February 2022. This is even though in the authorization of the acquisition of Clover shares, the acquiring company, Milco, had promised not to retrench workers,” the statement said.
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