Mister Sweet is punishing us for fighting for a living wage. It has locked us out of the factory and is demanding that we accept the three year wage deal it made with two minority sweetheart unions. The company also started reducing the 7% wage offer from the second day of the strike and will keep on reducing it by 0,5% for every week the strike continues until we are faced with a zero percent increase. Instead of negotiating in good faith, the company seeks to further divide workers by training casuals to replace striking workers. Mister Sweet is also making plans to shift production to Manhattan.
On 4 September 2024 Premier FMCG applied for an interdict against the strike. The interdict application will be heard on 10 September 2024.
We, the 23 below organisations, from six provinces, declare that we are boycotting Mister Sweet products because of the ongoing of workers at Mister Sweet.
The lowest paid workers at Mr Sweet are paid in the region of R6000 per month. The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity’s Household Affordability Index for August 2024 puts the cost of a basic food basket a month at R5227,14.
With just R6000, workers must struggle to pay for food, transport, healthcare, education, and everything else. The wages that the Mister Sweet bosses pay the workers condemn them to poverty and a struggle to meet their needs.
Workers are demanding R19 500 so that they and their children can lead a dignified life.
When workers wanted to negotiate for a living wage, Mister Sweet didn’t listen. Workers are on strike, and are forcing Mister Sweet to listen. We need to support this through a boycott. It is only united working class action that will pressure Mister Sweet to pay workers a living wage.
We ask you to to support our struggle for a living wage, lets unite in the bigger fight to defeat this capitalist system that brings only misery and suffering for the working class.
To contribute to the strike fund, do so by depositing using these bank details:
Account name: Mr Sweet Strike Solidarity Fund Account
Account number: 10231607308
Standard Bank
Issued by Simunye Workers Forum members.
.png)
