The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West province is in full support of the workers on strike at the DairyBelle Factory in Bloemhof.

The strike has now entered the second month and the employer is not moving on the demands of the workers.

What is worrying is that the employer wants to offer the workers an increase below the inflation, which means that the workers would be basically taking a wage cut.

COSATU calls on the employers to come to their senses before the situation gets out of hand, and accede to the workers’ demands.

COSATU is in support of the program of action that our union FAWU will be embarking on and the provincial secretary of COSATU, comrade Solly Phetoe, will address the workers on the 15 January 2013 to start the intensification of the strike including the program that may include the solidarity action on the demand of R150 per which was suspended last year.

The program of action has the following activities:

15/01/2013: we will be at the place of the strike at Bloemhof from 08h00 in the morning

16/01/2013: we will march to DairyBelle from Boitumelong to the company, gathering from 09h00

17/01/2013: we will prepare to take our action to the head office of Dairy Belle in Pretoria and busses will leave at 07h00 in the morning

18/01/2013: the march will be joined by other members of FAWU in Pretoria to Dairy Belle Head Office.

We call the media to be at all activities that will start exposing the conduct of the company and that of the police.

For more information feel free to call COSATU NW Provincial Secretary Solly Phetoe [0823044055]