The looming retrenchment of workers at Pick ‘n Pay delayed
The looming retrenchment of more than 22 000 Pick 'n Pay workers has been delayed.
Black News 
The looming retrenchment of more than 22,000 Pick ‘n Pay workers has been delayed after the parties agreed to return to the bargaining table.
This comes after the Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, led the concerned parties to common ground, prioritising job security and economic stability, in a meeting held on Wednesday.
Meth convened the leadership of trade union federation COSATU, workers’ union SACCAWU and Pick n Pay’s executives, led by Group CEO Sean Summers.
The high-level meeting was preceded by the giant retailer’s submission of a Section 189 notice early last month, commencing the 60-day consultation process towards the retrenchments.
The department says confidential talks are currently at a highly delicate stage.
“The minister’s intervention successfully steered the parties toward common ground, prioritising job security and economic stability. The parties have agreed to return to the bargaining table with set timelines following an intensive six-hour engagement session yesterday, Wednesday 3 June. The meeting follows requests by both the Pick n Pay CEO and organised labour for the minister’s intervention in the matter. I want to highly commend the leadership of Pick n Pay, COSATU and SACCAWU for their maturity, patriotism and willingness to find each other by agreeing to actively look for alternative sustainable solutions through the collective bargaining negotiations, which is a positive step for workers, the retail sector and South Africans in general,” says Thobeka Magcai, Employment and Labour Department Spokesperson.
