The African Democratic Change (ADEC) party has demanded that Cell C shuts its stores today.
The demand follows the breakdown of talks between management at Cell C and representatives of thousands of workers, who are facing retrenchment.
Cell C earlier announced plans to retrench 1,500 workers. The embattled cellphone company also said it intends to close down 150 stores.
ADEC says it wrote to the CEO of Cell C Douglas Craigie Stevenson and requested a meeting to discuss proposals to save jobs.
The political party said it never received any response from the company.
Spurned, members of ADEC and the Information Communications and Technology Union (ICTU) on Tuesday staged a protest outside the Cell C offices, which had been closed after a staff member was suspected of contracting the coronavirus.
However, Cell C management refused to accept the party’s “joint memorandum”.
Members of ADEC and ICTU then picketed outside the offices of Blue Label Telecom, the biggest Cell C shareholder.
ADEC is demanding that a moratorium be placed on all retrenchments. The party said failure to stop the retrenchments would lead to demands for the closure of all Cell C stores.
The party has labeled Cell C as being high-handed, insensitive, and ignorant of the plight of workers.
“We will not back down. Our call is a reasonable one and in the interest of the country as a whole. Cell C is arrogant and ignores the impact retrenchments will have on workers and their families,” ADEC said in a statement late on Thursday.
The party said Cell C management refused to meet them because they know that “we have details of how poor management in this company has contributed to the loss of over R6 billion”.
The ADEC statement further said: “The reality is that black workers are most affected. If companies are allowed to behave this way we are doomed.
“We call on all South Africans to stay away from Cell C stores tomorrow (Friday).”
ADEC said its members will be visiting the stores and will not hesitate to shut them down “forcefully” if they choose to open.
“Our President will be accompanied by our members in KZN and visit the Cell C stores in Westville and Ballito at 10 am,” said the statement.
It remains to be seen if members of ICTU will take part in the ADEC action.
Cell C was yet to comment on the matter.
1 Comment
Why do political parties think they get to make these decisions? Are they going to pay the salaries of the workers whixh the company needs to retrench? Why don’t these employees go out and look for work or study and find better work instead of hunchback on political party that feels they are entitled?