Dozens of Shoprite outlets in Nigeria have been shut down as employees begin industrial strike action.
Workers of the retail giant, Shoprite have embarked on a nationwide industrial strike seeking proper details on staff benefits as well as terms of sale to potential investors who are in the process of purchasing the Nigerian subsidiary of the South African retail outlet.
A statement by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) indicates that all 25 Shoprite outlets in Nigeria have been shut down by workers.
The report also revealed that staff engaged in industrial action on the selling claims of the retail business to Palms Mall owners, Tayo Amusan and Persianas Properties Limited, without sufficient details on the terms of the purchase and the effect of the acquisition on their contracts.
The national strike action, which saw 25 retail brand outlets closed today, was said to have been compounded by the improper treatment of company staff and issues related to the terms of their contract documents, as many of them had to work with Shoprite South Africa between 2035 and 2040.
What you should know:
Recall that the South African retailer, Shoprite International Limited in August of 2020 laid bare plans to discontinue its operations in Nigeria, and as a result, resolved to sell-off the majority of its stakes in the retail units in order to focus more on core operations and investment in Southern Africa.
The decision was taken at the back of the poor performance of the subsidiary driven by government policies such as border closures and tight competition from players like Spar, Justrite, Ebeano, Addide.
The report revealed that Tayo Amusan, a property developer and the promoter of the Palms Mall owned by Persianas Properties Limited is in talks with Shoprite to facilitate the acquisition of the leading retail company.
With a Nigerian company attempting a takeover from the South African retailer later this year, the staff of the retail unit has demanded to be paid off rather than run the risk of being dismissed under new management.
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