This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
Fin24 reports that members of the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) are to embark on a protest march in Cape Town on 10 September to voice their opposition against the planned closure of Oceana’s fish-meal factory in Hout Bay.
The union’s Zolani Mbanjwa said they would hand over a memorandum to City of Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille and Oceana CEO Francois Kuttel. Oceana announced the possible closure of the factory this month, saying it could not sustain its operation amid complaints that the factory was a smelly hindrance to residents in the community. The closure would affect 98 employees in Hout Bay, who would either lose their jobs or have to move to the St Helena Bay facility or anywhere else in the group where positions might be available. “The issue of the closure of Oceana’s fish-meal factory is a no go area for us as a union. We strongly believe it must stay in Hout Bay and operate there,” said Mbanjwa. Fawu said it would support an increase in annual production days from 60 to the historical 120 to 180 days if it meant the factory would remain in operation. Oceana said in a statement that it was concerned that they would receive an increase in complaints about the smell if they increased production days. “The company now finds itself in the position where it either has to ignore the growing levels of discontent from certain sections of the community and revert to the pre-2012 production levels to become financially viable again, or relocate the plant’s processing capacity,” it explained. Oceana is currently consulting with employees before making a final decision.
- Read this report by Matthew le Cordeur in full at Fin24
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page