Plea for Basson to share his R100m pay bonanza

Cape Town - Shoprite CEO Whitey Basson's hefty pay package was not sitting well with demonstrators at Cosatu's march on Friday, which also marked International Day of Decent Work.

The federation garnered support in twelve cities in nine provinces for the strike and march as part of it's "Back to Basics" congress resolutions.

READ: Cosatu hits out at Pityana, Basson and e-tolls in peaceful protests

General secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said Cosatu is raising consciousness about issues affecting all workers as this will rally everyone to find solutions.

Cosatu said when workers want to discuss wage demands, they are told about inflation. However, it added that inflation doesn't seem to apply to Basson who pocketed almost R100m in the past financial year to June.

Basson’s remuneration included R49.7m in basic pay, in line with the previous year, and a R50m one-time performance-related bonus, the Cape Town-based company said in its annual report.

Basson's windfall was the subject of many posters carried during Cosatu's Cape Town leg of the march, including by his own employees in their turquoise work shirts.

READ: Shoprite doubles Whitey Basson’s pay after bonus

In a statement Cosatu denounced Basson's payment. "Shoprite is paying Mr Basson for his excellent work in exploiting workers on behalf of shareholders."

The largest shareholder in Shoprite is the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), which oversees government workers’ pensions. The PIC, Africa’s biggest money manager, has a 12.6% stake in the Shoprite.

"Workers will no longer tolerate slave wages and working conditions suitable for servants, while the senior executives like Mr Basson are living like medieval aristocrats," said Cosatu.

"While Mr Basson is being rewarded with over R100m; many workers at Shoprite have seen a reduction in incomes, benefits and job security."

READ: 290 years to earn what Shoprite boss got in one month

"Shoprite's strong growth including its expansion into Africa, has been carried by the thousands of workers, who are paid slave wages and forced to work even during non-trading holidays," said Cosatu.

Basson should have shared his R100m pay bonanza with his employees, said SA Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) general secretary Andre Kriel outside Parliament in Cape Town on Friday.

"The lowest paid worker earns R2 800 a month," he said.

"A worker at Checkers will have to work for 3 000 years to get that R100m," he said, to shouts of agreement from over 1 000 workers taking part in the march.

Sactwu said that its striking workers are making it clear that they demand decent work and improved public transport.

"They cannot feed and take care of their families with the low wages that they receive, especially if a large part of it is spent on public transport. Their situation is in sharp contrast to that of Whitey Basson, the CEO of Shoprite, who took home R100m in the past year. This is simply indecent in every way."

Shoprite's remuneration committee noted that Basson did not claim any increases in the past three years. In the past five years Basson also didn't get any short-term incentive payments or benefits from long-term incentive plans.

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