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City Press reports that the consumer health division of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), recently renamed Haleon, is slashing approximately 178 jobs at its Cape Town site due to the modernisation and automation of manufacturing processes that are to be implemented in the company.
The company recently concluded a section 189 consultation process with the CCMA to retrench about 300 workers, however, through further consensus-seeking processes, the number has been reduced to 178. The company produces consumer products such as Sensodyne, Med-lemon and Aquafresh. The workers who will be most impacted are said to be the machine operators. According to the firm, the onslaught has been reduced by 122 people because of joint consensus-seeking processes. There have been indications by some employees in the company that the 122 affected employees have accepted voluntary severance packages. Meanwhile, the SA Communist Party (SACP) released a statement pledging its full support to GSK workers affiliated with the Independent Commercial Hospitality and Allied Workers Union (Ichawu) and the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union. The SACP called on Haleon to reconsider its decision and implored it to look to other alternatives to save jobs. The SACP also called on the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, to intervene. Apparently workers affiliated with Ichawu have not yet signed their retrenchment letters and are still exploring other legal options.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Majavu at City Press
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