Packaging firm Nampak is among several South African businesses hit by strike action over pay.
Only five Nampak plants have been affected by the strike – four tissue and one glass manufacturer – out of more than 100 in South Africa.
However, the company feels it has become an "unfair" target, since it and Kimberly Clark, which is also suffering from the strike, pay higher wages than some of those companies that have not been affected.
Group human resources director Fezekile Tshiqi said Nampak was now "forced to consider increasing its cost base".
"We are still hoping that our employees will come back to work," he added.
Tshiqi also laments the "violent and intimidating" attitude of some of the strikers. On Thursday, the company went to the South African labour court to obtain a court order asking workers not to disrupt the legitimate activity of the business.
The Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (Ceppwawu) has organised the strike in response to employers' failure to accept a 10% wage increase.
Ceppwawu has said that 20,000 workers in the glass, pharmaceuticals, tissue and cardboard industries have gone on strike.
Meanwhile, Nampak Rigid Plastics yesterday (2 August) opened its first manufacturing plant in Botswana.
The Nampak Liquid plant will initially produce HDPE bottles for the country's dairy and fruit juice markets, as well as chemicals and household goods.
In the longer term, the company envisages producing bottles to be exported to neighbouring countries.
Source: packingnews
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