The National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) is extremely concerned and angered by the uncaring and openly selfish decision by Dischem to increase prices, while it has neglected the workers’ demands during the covid-19 crisis. It is embarrassing to see big companies beginning to be more and more greedy.

 

NUPSAW calls on the Department of Labour and Employment to intervene by conducting an immediate inspection at all Dischem shops and warehouses, more importantly to be held accountable, if found to be non-complying. We also appeal to SABC to currently remove all Dischem advertisements as they are not providing any good example of how a private sector business should operate during a crisis.

 

Dischem has pledged two million as a donation while it has failed to pay decent living wages and making a provision of personal protective equipment (PPE’s) available to its own workers. This is unfair, its greedy and criminal considering how the country is fighting tooth and nail to go with the current crisis.

 

NUPSAW demands:

 

  • An investigation to be conducted into the cause of the mass infection at Dischem Boksburg and if the infection was a results of Dischem negligence, Dischem must be held accountable and compensate all workers affected
  • Ensure provision of transport to reduce the risk of workers being infected
  • To decrease prices of the personal protective equipment (PPE) with immediate effect
  • Start the process of refunding all those customers who bought the essential equipment at an inflated price, if Dischem fail to act, Competition Commission should step in.
  • Be charged a fine for violation of the lockdown regulations.

 

We call on the public and workers to be very vigilant and report non-compliance going forward to ensure exploitation of consumers does not take place. We should ensure that we lend support to each other to overcome the crisis we see. NUPSAW also applaud the Competition Commission in a bid to protect the consumers and workers.  We are facing a crisis and one person cannot benefit and over benefit from the crisis that is being experienced by the country.

 

For more information:

Kagiso Makoe

NUPSAW Media Officer

083 712 1614

 

Solly Malema

NUPSAW National Organiser

082 323 2958