The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) plan to picket at a Dischem branch after three employees tested positive for COVID-19.
The union’s decision, according to a statement issued today, follows its discovery that nine of its members tested positive for the coronavirus at Dischem warehouse in Midrand last week.
The union was at loggerheads with Dischem management over its decision to call back employees at the warehouse to report for duty, a day after testing positive for COVID-19.
In its statement, NUPSAW Spokesperson, Kagiso Makoe, said despite their demand for a temporary shutdown of the warehouse and proper deep cleaning, they received the unfortunate news that three more stores have reported positive cases of the coronavirus at Krugersdorp; Rosebank and Norwood.
The union picketed at Dischem’s warehouse in Midrand last week Friday, but Makoe said they were not satisfied with the report they received from the inspectors from the Gauteng department of health and environment.
“What we discovered last week is that Dis-Chem has yet not formed a COVID-19 workplace committee, consisting of both employer & employees representatives, that would attend to issues relating to COVID-19 at Dischem’s workplace.
“NUPSAW has no choice but to intensify its campaign to protect members and the communities as their health and safety comes first. We will be picketing outside these three stores definitely on Thursday, 18th June 2020. We suspected that the Dis-Chem warehouse is distributing infected merchandises to their stores and customers. We are raising this because their competitors Clicks and others are not experiencing positive cases,” said Makoe in the statement.
Rosebank and Krugersdorp Branches have been shut down for disinfection. However, Norwood branch still remains open.
The union said they will now be picketing at Norwood branch.
