Kraft Consumer Boycott 27- 07 - 06

FAWU MOBILISING SUPPORT FOR KRAFT CONSUMER BOYCOTT

About 384 workers employed by Kraft Foods, a division of the multinational Kraft corporation and who are members of the Food and Allied Workers’ Union [FAWU], have just entered the 10th week of strike action in pursuit of noble and reasonable demands.

Workers have accept a wage offer of 6,5 percent which management has withdrawn; they also accepted a three weeks severance pay for every completed year of service which management is now attaching a condition of impleting for those aged 50 years or more; and workers who are willing to negotiate on the demand to have the current moratorium on retrenchment extended by another year.

FAWU has now solicited the support of COSATU locally, and of International Union of Food workers Federation (IUF), globally. COSATU Gauteng Provincial Leadership is currently meeting to finalise solidarity support actions, including on calling for consumer boycott and secondary strikes by particularly SACCAWU retail and food service affiliated union. The national leadership of COSATU will soon explain how they will join this campaign.
The global leadership of the IUF has issued a 24 hour notice to Kraft Corporation United States Head Office, through its General Secretary Ron Oswald, to either get the dispute resolved or mount solidarity support actions, including limited strike actions and picketing.

As a union we are calling on all the citizens of our country to support the noble struggle of KRAFT workers in whatever form, including by not buying its products (i.e., consumer boycott).

We view and condemn the company’s intransigence as immoral for the following reasons:-

One, the 6.5 percent wage increment is in line if not below, the average wage settlement trend in the labour market for blue-collar workers. Two, the three weeks wages severance pay is less than the four weeks wages severance pay. FAWU has negotiated with other companies, some smaller than the multinational capitalization and/or asset values such as Distell Sprits Ltd. ABI Coke Ltd., etc. Thirdly, the moratorium on retrenchment has expired few weeks ago and workers want it to be extended for a year, noting the impending retrenchment of 50 workers in the light of a high unemployment rate (i.e. 42% using a broader definition) in South Africa.

Kraft ‘s local brands include Oreo Cookies, Jacobs Coffee, Royal Baking Powder, Manhattan Sweets, Toblerone and Côte d’Or chocolates.