Abstract
This chapter looks at worker actions occurring in these shops in the 1990s and 2000s, including wildcat strikes and go-slows. It traces how workers in different employment categories both reaffirmed the collective political subject abasebenzi and reproduced divisions. Workers protested by claiming belonging, skill and class in workplace relations. In the process of embarking on collective actions, they further localized their politics to branches.
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- 1.
Sara Dlamini, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Soweto, June 19, 1999.
- 2.
South African democratic labour law stipulates conditions which must be met by workers embarking on collective action. Wildcat actions per definition did not meet these conditions and were thus unprocedural. In such a case, workers could be disciplined or even dismissed.
- 3.
Adler and Webster (1995) suggested what this new order of labour relations should look like under democracy.
- 4.
Paul Mahlangu, SACCAWU shop steward, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, March 25 and 27, June 3 and 26, August 5 and 29, 2000.
- 5.
Paul Mahlangu, interview.
- 6.
Paul Mahlangu, interview.
- 7.
Paul Mahlangu, interview.
- 8.
- 9.
The branch manager reportedly joked with the shop steward about joining a union because of disaffection with Shoprite: “We need a union for managers now!” (Paul Mahlangu, interview).
- 10.
Paul Mahlangu, interview.
- 11.
Daniel Madonsela, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, May 13, 1999.
- 12.
In the survey I conducted in 2000, the average age of casual workers was approximately five years younger than that of permanent workers (see Kenny 2007, 490).
- 13.
Sara Dlamini, interview.
- 14.
Focus group interview with permanent workers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, May 18, 1999.
- 15.
Focus group interview with permanent workers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, May 18, 1999.
- 16.
Kethiwe Dlomo, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, August 1 and 8, 1999. Phineas Riba translated this passage from isiZulu, in detailed discussion with me.
- 17.
The assertive language used here stands in marked contrast to the passive manner in which casual workers were required to address payment problems (see Chap. 5).
- 18.
See Clive Glaser (2000) for a discussion of “youth ” in the South African context, with particular reference to experiences in urban townships : “For all its vagueness … the concept of youth coheres around the notion of transition between childhood and responsible adulthood” (4, italics added).
- 19.
Focus group interview with permanent workers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, March 2, 2000.
- 20.
Thandile Ziyane, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, February 22, 2000.
- 21.
Kethiwe Dlomo, interview.
- 22.
Kethiwe Dlomo, interview.
- 23.
Focus group interview with permanent workers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, February 7, 2000.
- 24.
Kethiwe Dlomo, interview.
- 25.
Kethiwe Dlomo, interview.
- 26.
Focus group interview with contract merchandisers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, February 7, 2000.
- 27.
Vuyo Nokabu, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, May 6, 2000.
- 28.
Stembiso Vilakazi, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, December 2, 1999.
- 29.
Thabo Phasha, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, March 28, 1999; Jabu Mbambisa, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, June 20, 1999, and August 31, 2000; Thabang Maloka, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, August 13, 1999; Themba Nyembe, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, August 14, 1999.
- 30.
Focus group interview with contract merchandisers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, February 7, 2000.
- 31.
Focus group interview with contract merchandisers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, February 7, 2000.
- 32.
Focus group interview with contract merchandisers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, February 7, 2000.
- 33.
“Skill ” itself is deeply gendered (see Cockburn 1983; Crompton and Jones 1984; Kaye 1994; Salzinger 2003), and in claiming the skill of product knowledge these merchandisers, mostly men, called on a masculine identity of merchant , not service worker. For a discussion of changing skill in front-line retail work, see Ikeler (2016b).
- 34.
Vuyo Nokabu, interview.
- 35.
Vuyo Nokabu, interview.
- 36.
Vuyo Nokabu, interview.
- 37.
A few of the large suppliers had their own employees merchandising their products in branches.
- 38.
Thabo Phasha, interview.
- 39.
Themba Nyembe, interview.
- 40.
Where a product is placed on the shelf relative to eye level has become a “science.” How store space is constructed – the size of aisles, the design of shelves and refrigerated display , et cetera – to present products is important (see Bowlby 2001). Merchandisers assisted with keeping shelves well tended, not only in terms of quantity of products but also keeping them neat and clean. They were responsible for moving older-dated items to the front of the shelf and packing newer ones at the back, so customers would first buy the older stock. They claimed that this work lowered stock returns.
- 41.
The popular name for such a pool cleaner is “kreepy-krauly.”
- 42.
Vuyo Nokabu, interview.
- 43.
While bar coding had been introduced in the stores in 1998, sometimes the computer systems listed incorrect prices.
- 44.
Themba Nyembe, interview.
- 45.
Jabu Mbambisa, interview.
- 46.
Jabu Mbambisa, interview.
- 47.
Jabu Mbambisa, interview. I did not encounter any actual examples of merchandisers striking with permanent workers.
- 48.
Themba Nyembe, interview.
- 49.
For example, Thabo Phasha, interview; Vuyo Nokabu, interview; Zodwa Zondi, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, May 7, 2000.
- 50.
Thabo Phasha, interview; Anele Ndlovu, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, June 15, 1999; Vuyo Nokabu, interview.
- 51.
In a survey I conducted in 2000 in these stores, casual workers’ average weekly hours were 19.7 (see Kenny 2001, 95).
- 52.
Thomas Guto, SACCAWU shop steward, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Benoni, February 16, 2000; focus group interviews with casual workers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, February 8 and 28, 2000.
- 53.
Wage Determination 478 for the Wholesale and Retail Trade.
- 54.
This became an issue in the SACCAWU strike in October of 2003, as we will see below.
- 55.
Paul Mahlangu, interview; Ayanda Nkosi, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, August 8, 1999; see also Nandipha Dlomo, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, July 31, 1999.
- 56.
Focus group interview with casual workers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, February 10, 2000.
- 57.
Some casual workers had joined the union, but many left again after not feeling represented (Focus group interviews with casual workers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, May 25, 1999, February 8, 10, 28, and 29, 2000).
- 58.
Focus group interview with casual workers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, June 5, 1998.
- 59.
Focus group interview with casual workers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, June 5, 1998.
- 60.
Basic Conditions of Employment Act , 1997.
- 61.
Focus group interview with casual workers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, May 25, 1999.
- 62.
Sfiso Shenge, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Germiston, July 28, 1999.
- 63.
Thembi Skhosana, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, August 18, 1999; see also Unathi Shabalala, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, August 21, 1999.
- 64.
Sfiso Shenge, interview.
- 65.
Thando Shabalala, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, October 12, 1999.
- 66.
Phindi Masango, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, July 29, 1999. Back-shopping means returning items that customers left at the tills to the shelves.
- 67.
Tsakane Baloi, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, August 3, 1999.
- 68.
Mandla Moyo, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, June 21, 1999, August 17, 24, and 31, September 7 and 14, 2000; Sfiso Shenge, interview; focus group interview with casual workers by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, May 25, 1999.
- 69.
Sarah Mahlangu, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Kempton Park, July 27, 1999.
- 70.
Palesa Bogasu, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, July 30, 1999; see also Mbali Gumede, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, June 12, 1999; Phindi Masango, interview; Nandipha Dlomo, interview.
- 71.
Thendeka Menzi, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, August 5, 1999.
- 72.
Zanele Mathebula, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Ekurhuleni, May 27, 1999.
- 73.
There were very small numbers of white workers who worked as casuals, but their employment under better conditions was highly symbolic to the regular casual workers.
- 74.
All names are pseudonyms.
- 75.
Mandla Moyo, interview.
- 76.
Mandla Moyo, interview.
- 77.
This statutory body deals with various disputes in sectors without bargaining councils , such as retail.
- 78.
All names are pseudonyms.
- 79.
Mandla Moyo, interview.
- 80.
Mandla Moyo, interview.
- 81.
Mandla Moyo, interview.
- 82.
Mandla Moyo interview.
- 83.
Mr. Pretorius had resigned after the previous event.
- 84.
In the stores that I studied, some permanent workers reportedly did strike with casual workers. By this time, however, the company had subcontracted out many of the former casual jobs, which were now filled by contract workers employed by labour brokers (Ruth Ngobeni, interviewed by Bridget Kenny, Daveyton, July 10, 2005).
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Kenny, B. (2018). “Tools Down, Everybody Out to the Canteen!”: Wildcats and Go-Slows, Political Subjects Reconfigured. In: Retail Worker Politics, Race and Consumption in South Africa. Rethinking International Development series. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69551-8_6
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