Thousands of workers employed by Festive Chicken, a division of Astral Foods, began an indefinite protected strike in Gauteng and Mpumalanga on Thursday, demanding a minimum monthly wage of R13 500.
According to a statement issued by the worker’s organisation Casual Workers Advice Office on 29 October, employees say many earn as little as R5 600 per month after several years of service, despite working 45-hour weeks.
Workers on some of the company’s poultry farms reportedly work 48-hour weeks for around R7 300 per month and claim they do not receive overtime pay for Sundays and public holidays.
The strike affects workers at Festive Chicken’s production facility in Olifantsfontein, Gauteng, which processes about 2.3 million chickens each week.
It also includes chicken catchers and live bird handling teams operating across Gauteng, Mpumalanga and other areas.
Festive Chicken produces Festive Fresh Chicken products, Goldi Frozen Chicken and County Fair products, supplying major supermarkets and fast-food chains across South Africa.
The workers say they intend approaching communities and members of the public to boycott Festive products during the strike.
The statement further alleges that after workers issued the required 48-hour strike notice, the employer distributed letters warning employees that participation in the strike could lead to dismissal and allegedly described the strike as “unprotected.”
Workers also claim supervisors and managers asked employees to sign documents stating they would not participate in the strike or accept possible dismissal if they did. The statement further alleges that similar notices were circulated through WhatsApp groups and that labour broker recruitment drives were held at some workplaces while the strike was pending.
According to the workers, these actions are unlawful because the strike is protected under the Labour Relations Act. They say Lawyers for Human Rights sent a letter to the company on Wednesday evening, warning it to stop allegedly intimidating workers or face an urgent application before the Labour Court.
The workers also highlighted Astral Foods’ financial performance, stating that the company paid R342 million in shareholder dividends during the six months from October 2025 to March 2026.
They further cited the company’s 2025 Annual Report, saying Chief Executive Officer Gary Arnold earned R27.9 million before tax for the financial year ending September 2025. The workers argue that this represents a significant gap between executive remuneration and employees’ wages.
“The workers deserve R13 500 per month and cannot continue to survive on R5 600 per month,” the statement by CWAO said.
Mapepeza News Media contacted Astral Foods for comment and provided the company with an opportunity to respond. The article will be updated if a response is received
