Protesting workers at Mister Sweets Factory in Germiston are demanding a sweet-coated R19 500 wage increase. Picture: Supplied
The 11-week long strike by workers over wage increments at Mister Sweet has ended after they voted on Friday to settle on the increase of 7% for operators, and 6% for general workers for this year.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Simunye Workers Forum said they also voted on the 2025 increase of 6% for operators and 5% for general workers.
The 2026 increase would be 6% for operators and 5% for general workers.
The Mister Sweets Factory - known for producing gums, jellies, marshmallows, licorice, chocolate-coated treats, and other sweets - was bought by Premier FMCG in June 2021.
Premier FMCG managing executive for group strategy and marketing, Siobhan O’Sullivan confirmed that agreement has been reached on the wage increase for employees after extensive negotiations and a protected strike.
“The original wage offer, as agreed in April with the Ucimeshawu and Fawu unions, was agreed with representatives for the striking workers. The wage increase is back dated to January 2024,” O’Sullivan said.
“Striking workers will return to work on 11 November and will be onboarded to ensure a smooth and safe transition back into the business.”
This brings to an end the protest, which began in August and led by the Simunye Workers Forum, a union representing the workers.
More than 600 angry workers shut down operations at Mister Sweets Factory in Germiston, demanding a monthly wage increase to R19 500.
The workers forum said Mister Sweet lost a great deal of revenue during this strike in attempting unsuccessfully to maintain lost production.
“The only people who got rich were labour brokers, a lowly form of humanity, and a scourge on South Africa, whom the ANC has been falsely promising to ban outright since 2008,” Simunye said.
It said during this strike, Mister Sweet chose to hire labour brokers to bring in casual workers at about R3 000 per worker per week, amounting to R12 000 per month per worker, in a bid to replace the striking workers who earn between R6 000 and R7 000 per month.
The forum said this was capitalism gone mad.
“They were willing to spend this money in a failed attempt to break the strike. They could rather have sat down with the workers as equal partners, calculated what the strike would have cost, and instead allocated these funds to improving salaries and working conditions in the factory,” it said.
“We note that casual workers, who line up in the dark every morning and wait for labour brokers to ‘pick them’ for work that day, are among the most oppressed and exploited people. Often, female casual workers have to pay with sex for a few days of work at minimum wage.”
However, Premier FMCG or Mister Sweet could not be drawn to comment on these allegations.
Before the strike began, the Simunye Workers’ Forum said it took a decision that it would not prevent labour broker workers from working in the Mister Sweet factory during the strike.
It said this was a principled decision that cost the strikers dearly because they were unable to shut down production completely. It said it stood by this decision.
The workers and Simunye will continue to organise factories in South Africa and struggle for decent permanent jobs at a living wage.
“We thank the many organisations and individuals who supported the strike and consumer boycott of Mister Sweet products. The SWF will draw up a balance sheet of the strike and draw the necessary lessons. The struggle continues,” it said.
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