EFF and fired workers protest at SAB’s ABI

The EFF and workers fired from an ABI owner-driver scheme protested at the company's offices in Sandton, Johannesburg on Wednesday.

"ABI can confirm that it responded to a group of EFF members and some of our terminated owner-drivers who arrived at our offices without formal appointment," said Amalgamated Beverage Industries spokeswoman Tshidi Ramogase in a statement.

She added that she had spoken to the group that arrived at the offices.

The Economic Freedom Fighters said it had intervened on Wednesday to help about 85 people involved in a truck owner-driver scheme but who had lost their contracts.

"SAB ABI terminated contracts of owner-drivers unlawfully," said EFF Gauteng convenor Mgcini Tshwaku.

An owner-driver scheme is one in which a vehicle driver is given the opportunity to own his transport and thus contract out his service to the main company.

Tshwaku said the contracts in question were meant to be for a five-year term -- but were apparently cancelled after a year.

Those left without a job had since been struggling financially for years.

Tshwaku said those protesting felt the contracts had been "unfair" and that they had been "ill-treated".

In reply to the claims made by the EFF, Ramogase said that ABI had "made every effort to respond to the allegations made by the terminated owner-drivers".

She said it had engaged in "good faith" with the department of trade and industry with regards to the matter at hand.

"It is unfortunate that the terminated owner-drivers have decided to undermine a process initiated by them with the DTI."

The ABI was due to give feedback to the DTI about the allegations at the end of the week.

Ramogase said the company was willing to "consider" a request by the EFF to meet its management to review the terminated contracts.

The company believed the owner-driver programme "complies with the legislated framework".

ABI is the soft drinks division of SA Breweries (SAB).