Woolies workers get numbers for union

Workers aligned to the union had embarked on a four-week long strike after Woolworths refused to recognise the union unless it had sufficient membership numbers.

On Friday, a joint membership verification process showed that 30.29% of Woolworths' employees are members of the union, compared to a membership of less than 15% in November 2007.

The 30.29% membership now gives Saccawu access to company premises to recruit members and hold meetings, as well as for union subscriptions to be deducted from the salaries of workers who are union members.

Fiona Fewell, divisional director of human resources at Woolworths said: “This is a win-win outcome. ...It provides the platform for Saccawu and Woolworths to engage proactively within an agreed framework.”

During the strike action, Saccawu called for a consumer boycott of Woolworths.

Source: Daily Dispatch

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