Court rejects union’s bid to halt job cuts at Tulbagh cannery
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Bizcommunity
South Africa’s Labour Court has rejected an urgent application by the Afadwu union to halt job cuts at the Tulbagh cannery of Premier FMCG. According to Biz-Community, the acting judge found that the company had followed a fair consultation process, and almost all employees have accepted voluntary severance packages.
The Labour Court has rejected an urgent application by the Afadwu union, the Democratic Union of Agricultural and Food Workers, which sought to suspend job cuts at the fruit cannery in Tulbagh, Western Cape, owned by Premier FMCG group. Acting Judge May found that the company had followed a fair consultation process. Almost all employees have already accepted voluntary severance packages.
The judge wrote: “On the facts, nothing supports this claim. On the contrary, the opposite seems to be true.” Negotiations began on 6 August, with Afadwu, the Solidarity union, the National Union of All Sectors (Nufas) and representatives of non-unionised employees. Afadwu is the only union to have taken the matter to court. Its representatives were demanding four weeks’ pay for each year of service, plus three months’ notice.
The ruling follows legal action brought by five fruit producers against Premier at the end of October to save their fruit contracts. The judgment does not settle the other challenges against the closure of the cannery, filed by these producers and by the Competition Commission.
