Anca Foods has fired 70 workers after they embarked on an unprotected strike.
The Stutterheim-based company, one of the biggest independent poultry producers in the Eastern Cape, took the action after the workers began protesting on Thursday last week.
The workers argued proper decontamination of the business was not undertaken after one of their colleagues tested positive for Covid-19.
Anca Foods MD Tony Isemonger said the group of 70 — about 12% of the company’s workforce — downed tools.
“We did co-ordinate with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) yesterday [Wednesday], which mediated the matter, but we didn’t reach an agreement,” he said.
“The CCMA then confirmed it was a wildcat unprotected strike.”
Isemonger said three people had tested positive for Covid-19 at the company.
“We did the necessary testing, and our doctor recommended that we send people for testing then decide what happens after that,” Isemonger said.
But the dismissed workers are adamant they were in the right.
Zuko Wawa, 22, said: “We want our jobs but we but couldn’t stay in such a situation. We’ve lost our jobs for fighting to protect our families who depend on us.”
Wawa said the company had not informed employees about a Covid-19 case, and it was only after they inquired with management that they got the truth.
“They said they had cleaned the area where the person worked, yet people who work there do so until 11pm.
“So when did they clean? There’s also no social distancing at work. They don’t care about us,” Wawa said.
Another worker, Sive Nyimbana, said they did down tools on June 18 and were told that if they did not return to work in 10 minutes, it would be considered an unlawful strike.
“We didn’t return to work. The next day they had hired casual workers to replace us,” he said.
The 27-year-old has been with the company since 2012.
“I’m married with a house and an 11-year-old daughter. I don’t know what we’ll do as my wife worked there [Anca] too.
“It’s better to get fired than die from something I could have prevented,” Nyimbana said.
Both former employees said they wanted their employer to take them for tests.
“My question is, why can’t he [Isemonger] close if those he supplies to can close because of Covid?
“We handle the chicken with our bare hands — what if we get test results back and they’re positive? What happens to the meat consumed by those people?”
Isemonger said the workers had drawn up a petition calling for the company to close for two weeks.
“We liaised with the relevant departments such as health and labour, who are extremely helpful and give guidance on health regulations.
“It’s difficult to maintain social distancing at a plant, and where we can’t, there’s all the necessary personal protective equipment and sanitising every 30 minutes,” Isemonger said.
He said they had taken on new staff.
“The new staff are being trained, which will take some time. It’s never nice to lose staff but I’m afraid it is what it is,” Isemonger said.
In May, Isemonger had said demand for Anca’s products was steady, mainly due to the fact that poultry was the cheapest live protein source.
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