By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The wage strike at struggling retail giant Massmart Holdings has ended after parties reached an agreement.
According to the agreement, Saccawu staff members will receive an across the board increase of R400, or 4.5 % dependent on which is greater, as of 1 June 2022.
Massmart Holdings will also reimburse staff that are owed back pay during the December payroll.
The agreement represents a full and final settlement of all issues arising out of wage disputes between the date of the signed contract and 30 June 2022.
“Neither party shall be able to strike or institute lockout action to any other matter relating to wages,” reads the wage settlement.
In another agreement, Massmart said it would try to reinstate Game retrenched workers into vacant positions across the company.However, staff who opted to receive their voluntary severance package don’t qualify for reinstatement.
Employees will also not hold the same positions as before the restructuring process. Instead, they will be offered roles that match their skills and experience.
Saccawu also agreed to be flexible concerning the skills mapping principles, which guide employers to hire staff that live within a 50km radius. Massmart will not provide extra pay for transport costs as part of the flexibility agreement.
“This has been a challenging time for those involved and we are pleased that the decision to end the strike will enable participating SACCAWU members to return to work,” Massmart said in a statement.
SACCAWU said workers returned this afternoon.
The more than two-week strike had no impact on Massmart’s operations as it hired contract employees to its stores.