Groundup reports that a new dispute has arisen at Robertson Winery (RW), with workers accusing the company of not respecting the agreement signed in November after a long strike.  

Yet, the company says it is complying fully with the agreement.  In a deal reached after a 14-week strike, the Commercial, Stevedoring and Allied Workers’ Union (Csaawu) and the winery settled on a wage increase of R400 or 8%, whichever was the larger, backdated to 8 August 2016.  They also agreed on bonuses, to be calculated using a 12-month pay cycle.  According to Csaawu’s Karel Swart, the workers had expected that the backdated increase would cover the period of the strike, but it has not.  Also, the workers have apparently not received their full annual bonuses.  Swart said workers had started a new strike in protest against what they saw as a contravention of the agreement and some have been disciplined as a result.  Csaawu has recommended that workers return to work while it takes the matter up through lawyers.

• Read this report by Ashleigh Furlong in full at Groundup

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