ABI: Wage offer won't change

Johannesburg - Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI) stands firm on its current wage offer to employees, the company, currently hit by industrial action, said on Tuesday.

"The offer made by management will not change," said ABI managing director John Ustas ahead of the resumption of wage negotiations on Wednesday.

ABI management and representatives of the Food Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) were set to meet at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration to try to resolve an impasse in wage negotiations which had seen just under 1 000 workers on strike since December.

"We are firm in our belief that our offer is both very fair and reasonable," said Ustas.

Fawu was calling for a 9.5% wage increase, while ABI had made a wage and benefits offer of 8.3%.

ABI's offer included an across-the-board wage offer of 7.8%, bringing the minimum wage to R7 235.

The package would also include an increase of the education grant from R275 to R350 and a Christmas voucher doubled to R400.

The cellphone allowance would be increased and a work week would be defined as a 45 hour period with Saturday work considered as overtime.

Fawu had requested that all agreements with labour brokers be nullified and that a moratorium be placed on the appointment of owner-drivers.

An owner-driver was a person who undertook road transport work using their own vehicle and skills.

ABI's spokesperson Robyn Chalmers said the use of labour brokers was legal.

"ABI has committed to working with the union to support the regulation of the industry and prevent any abuse."

She said that the owner-drivers programme formed an "integral part" of the company's black economic empowerment initiative.

On Monday, striking workers gathered in Sandton, Johannesburg to hand over a memorandum of demands to Ustas and SA Breweries managing director Norman Adami.

ABI insisted operations continued to run smoothly despite the protest action.

On Monday, Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola said three Gauteng beer plants had been shut down as a result of the march.

However, Chalmers denied this, saying only about 120 workers from the beer plants had attended the march.

On Tuesday all beer workers were back at work, said Chalmers.

"There has been absolutely no impact on our operations," she said.

- Sapa