Fruit worker strike ends

Workers picket outside Betko Fresh Produce in Villiersdorp during this week’s strike. They returned to work on Thursday after the National Union for All Sectors and Betko reached an agreement to end the strike. Photo: Greg Dor

Workers at Betko Fresh Produce in Villiersdorp resumed work on Thursday after the National Union for All Sectors (NUFAS) and the company reached an agreement. More than 250 workers went on strike on Monday, demanding a 10% pay increase, changes to the provident fund, bonuses and greater employment security.

The strike also centred on a dispute over whether NUFAS has sufficient members at Betko to negotiate wages and conditions.

NUFAS president Mzikayise Mawuwa said the union decided to accept the company’s offer after “reports of intimidation of workers”.

“We felt the strike was starting to get messy … Our members decided to end the strike to avoid any further violence,” he said.

Mawuwa said it was agreed that Betko would terminate its contract with the provident fund and refund workers. Employees with long service will also receive additional paid annual leave.

Betko’s labour consultant, Faizel Martin, confirmed the offer to terminate the provident fund and to implement a long-service award system, while maintaining the 5% wage increase of September 2025. Martin did not say whether additional paid annual leave was included as Mawuwa described. He did not confirm if workers would be refunded provident contributions.

Mawuwa said the union would table new wage demands for the next financial year, including a 10% wage increase and guaranteed bonuses.

The dispute over whether NUFAS has sufficient membership to negotiate with the company remains unresolved. Martin said NUFAS had been a minority union since it was recognised by the company in 2025. He said its membership had increased from 22% to about 28%, but had never reached a majority of the workforce.

The recognition agreement provides the union with access to the workplace and allows membership deductions, but does not provide for collective bargaining.

According to Martin, the disagreement that led to the strike was over NUFAS’s demand to negotiate wages and conditions for the 2026/27 financial year. He said this was a new demand that had not formed part of the original dispute.

Betko gave 48-hours’ notice that it would lock out workers in response to the strike. The lockout was due to begin at 8am on Wednesday.

Martin said that shortly before the deadline, Mawuwa contacted him to say the union wanted to end the strike and sign the agreement.

The agreement was signed and the lockout withdrawn.

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