Employer Bodies Must Acknowledge The Truth

Agri-Wes Cape and other employer bodies will always claim that the injustices on farms are not the true reflection and that the reports of abuses and violations against farm workers are unfounded. As usual, their claims on the recent research findings by Human Rights Watch on the condition of farm workers and farm dwellers in the Western Cape consisted of a defense strategy for themselves and their members instead of acknowledging the reality that the majority of farm workers are indeed suffering at the hand of callous employers.

FAWU is tired of these employer bodies attitude on the matter and their continuous denial of the reality. In North West recently, a farm worker was killed by a tractor and organization representing farmers does not even bother to comment about these type of situations while they are normally pretty quick to complain that reports of abuse against farm workers are "malicious" and "one-sided". 

The same happened at the farm worker and farm dweller summit last year where employers were not forthcoming in acknowledging violations against farm workers. During the flood disasters, no one referred to the farm workers but there were a lot of talk about how to assist farmers and no comment on the resultant damages suffered by the workers.

It is time for Agri-WesCape and others to swallow their pride and face the reality of violations against farm workers as they are very much aware of what is taking place on these farms but choose to remain silent. Only when these employer bodies and its members are willing to talk about the reality of the matter and agrees to name and shame those farmers who treat their workers in a inhumane fashion, can we hope to improve the lives of these vulnerable workers.

Let us all work together and implement the resolutions of the national summit on farm workers and farm dwellers.

Statement issued by FAWU General Secretary Katishi Masemola and FAWU President Atwell Nazo, September 1 2011

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