The Simunye Workers Forum is outraged at the unlawful behaviour of the Retail Logistics manager, Chris Visser, at Dischem Distribution Centre in Midrand.

He is creating a prison for workers, bringing back apartheid-style management, and flouting the Constitution!

1. A total ban on workers leaving the premises to buy food for lunch!!!

On 14 July 2025, the Distribution Management issued a briefing entitled “REQUIREMENTS FOR STAFF TO LEAVE PREMISES DURING DAY-SHIFTS”.

It says:

“No staff members will be allowed to leave the premises during their breaks for whatever reason, including cater for personal dietary needs”.

Lunch time is workers’ own time. They cannot be forced by management to stay within the company premises like prisoners. This is an unacceptable restriction on workers’ freedom of movement, just like apartheid-style management!

The ban also means workers are not allowed to meet their family members for lunch across the road or go out together or hold meetings! Management is banning freedom of association. If workers don’t bring food from home, they have to go without eating while doing hard manual labour for the whole day.

2. Banning workers from condolence collections in their breaks and from putting photos of deceased colleagues on the noticeboards!

Workers used to collect money for the families of deceased fellow workers. Management has banned this!!! Workers are banned from holding memorial services for their fellow workers!! They are banned from putting a photo of a deceased fellow-worker on the notice board. 

This apartheid-style management is not being practiced at other Dischem workplaces. Why is Dischem DC (Midrand) different? Is it because the management at Midrand is racist or what? 

3. Pregnant workers are not given light duty!!

Heavily pregnant women are not given any lighter duties. Instead, racist managers simply state that pregnant women are not “disabled” — and force them to continue with their normal duties, often lifting heavy boxes. Some women have lost babies as a result

Simunye Workers Forum (SWF) demands:

• That Dischem management remove these apartheid-style rules with immediate effect;

• Dischem DC (Midrand) must respect workers’ basic labour and constitutional rights.

• Pregnant workers must be given light duties.

Management has three days to remove these rules. If they do not, then these matters will be escalated. We will not rest until these rules are removed!!

Amandla!!

Contact person: Lengana Mnisi of Simunye Workers Forum on 083 729 6560