Johannesburg - Soft drinks company ABI said on Sunday that it will be appealing to Cosatu and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to intervene in the wage labour dispute between itself and the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu).
The company said in a statement that two high level interventions will take place in the upcoming week in an attempt to halt violence and intimidation that have permeated the ongoing strike currently under way at some ABI depots.
On Monday, the company is expected to issue a formal request to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) to intervene.
This will be followed by a meeting at the CCMA on Tuesday.
ABI said it will go into discussions with Fawu at the CCMA meeting to get the union to adhere to strike rules and halt violence and intimidation tactics.
The meeting follows ABI's accusations against Fawu of unfair strike action, which included petrol bombing delivery vehicles and intimidation of non-striking employees.
These also included intimidating anonymous calls to employees' families and the stoning of ABI and private vehicles.
"We are appalled by this behaviour and our appeal to Fawu to ensure its members respect the law has had little apparent affect," said ABI managing director, John Ustas.
"We have now been granted legal protection by the courts and have increased our security precautions to ensure that non-striking employees are free to enjoy their right to work and to support their families," he said.
Hundreds of ABI employees downed tools in demanding a 9.5% wage increase, but the company responded with an offer of 8.3%.
"We and our customers have both suffered during South Africa's largest recession."
"The soft drinks business has been 'soft' over this period as a result of rising costs and, given the harsh economic circumstances, we reiterate that our offer is more than fair," Ustas said.
- Sapa