News

UNI Global Union signed today a Global Agreement with Africa's largest supermarket retailer, the Shoprite Group. The agreement ensures core labour standards, including collective bargaining rights, are respected everywhere the company does business.



“This is an important breakthrough for UNI Africa because the company is present throughout the continent,” said UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings. “This is a good day for Shoprite Checkers, the workers and their unions.”



This is the first Global Agreement signed with an African company in the commerce sector and it is the result of almost three years of negotiations.



Besides the right to organise and bargain collectively, the agreement also includes other core labour standards, including prohibitions against forced labour, child labour and discrimination.



Jennings congratulated the South African Commercial and Catering Workers Union (SACCAWU), which has bargaining rights in South Africa, for their support and the active engagement of shop stewards in the process from South Africa and many African countries.



Unions in 15 African countries where Shoprite operates formed an alliance to push for the Global Agreement.



“This agreement was inspired by the grassroots membership,” Jennings said. “UNI Global Union looks forward to building a dialogue with the company.”



The agreement was signed at Shoprite’s headquarters in Cape Town. Shoprite Checkers is Africa's largest retailer with operations in 17 countries. It has 1300 stores and 8 different brands, with its main field of operations in food retail.





Present at the signing of the Global Agreement :



UNI: Philip Jennings, Bones Skulu, Keith Jacobs, Zakari Koudougou and Jakob Thiemann;



SACCAWU: Mike Tau, Zuzile Ramcwana:



SHOPRITE: Callie Berger, Zakhele Sibiya, Graham Farnell



You can read and download the agreement either by clicking HERE and download it from the attached files tab.