COSATU Eastern Cape:

COSATU Eastern Cape Press Statement in support of farm workers' strike

COSATU Eastern Cape would like to express its full support for farm workers in the Western Cape and elsewhere in their strike for a minimum wage of R150. The first three days of the resumed strike last week saw numerous violent confrontations between police and protesters, cars destroyed, motorists stoned, roads blockaded, numerous injuries and at least 125 arrests across the Boland. Two protestors in De Doorns died during the first round of the strike and several dozen were injured.

Farm workers are amongst the most exploited and downtrodden of all sections of the working class and are often forced to accept low-paid seasonal work, and despite being situated in some of the wealthiest farming areas in the country, often live in unsanitary and inadequate accommodation on and near farms. Many remain unorganised and subject to harsh and sometimes brutal working conditions. Despite the introduction of a new regime of labour legislation since 1994, conditions of employment on many farms continue to resemble those of some of the worst days of apartheid.

The context

The current strike takes place in the context of growing stress faced by workers in many communities across the country. With unemployment growing rapidly since 2008, every employed worker must support a larger and larger group of dependents. Workers are thus increasingly desperate and willing to take more radical steps to improve their wages and conditions.  In the light of this, we condemn the current sectoral determination of a minimum wage of R69 as an insult and little better than a slave wage.

Call for solidarity

To ensure the success of the current action and bring the confrontation to an early end, we call upon all unions organising workers involved in agricultural products not handle products from farms where workers are taking action. Effective solidarity will ensure an early victory. Should the strike drag on and the employers remain intransigent, we would like to warn employers on the farms that we will consider a broader boycott of their products.

We also call on other farm workers in other provinces to embark on similar strike actions to help broaden resistance to slave wages and bring a victorious end to the strike at the earliest point.

Communities in fruit-growing areas are directly affected by wage levels and conditions in the area and they already support local workers on strike. COSATU calls on communities more broadly to show their solidarity by supporting the strike through donations to strike funds and by boycotting products produce from the affected farms. Community members can also show solidarity by not crossing picket lines and by producing leaflets and organising meetings in support of the strikers.

Call for government intervention

COSATU also demands the urgent intervention of the Department of Labour to help bring this strike to an early end. The Department should establish a commission on the conditions of farm workers and ensure that the relevant labour laws are adhered to by all employers and that all transgressions are severely punished.

Implement Summit resolutions

In 2010 the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) working together with the Provincial Departments of Agriculture and other stakeholders, held farm workers` summits across the country.  The summits aimed to provide a platform for engagement and dialogue among the stakeholders on issues pertaining mainly to farm workers, farm owners and farm dwellers; to develop a common programme with clear goals; give voice to farm workers; and address the challenges they are faced with on daily basis. A national summit followed. Summit resolutions laid the basis for government policy and laws in addressing the plight of farm dwellers and farm workers.

COSATU calls on Government to ensure the rapid implementation of all summit resolutions. These included the need for new legislation to ensure a developmental vision; a moratorium on privatisation of state assets; charters to address transformation and skills development; and establishment at a national and provincial level of a Vulnerable Workers unit in DAFF.

Violence and intimidation

COSATU is concerned at the levels of violence and intimidation by security guards employed by farmers. We are informed that this is a major cause of current high levels of violence experienced during the strike. We must however also condemn intimidation of fellow workers by strikers and call for peaceful and militant action. It is always more effective to convince others to support a strike by peaceful and rational means rather than by use of violence.

We also caution SAPS not to use excessive force in maintaining stability. Several community members have claimed to have been the victims of police brutality during the course of the strike. A number of community members in De Doorns have alleged that police shot citizens not directly involved in the strike with rubber bullets in their own dwellings.

COSATU condemns the practice of deploying police from other regions in the area. This is because police who have to sleep in the same community at night are less likely to employ force than police who have no ties to the community.

Statement issued by Mandla Rayi, COSATU Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary, January 15 2013

COSATU Free State:

COSATU FREE STATE STATEMENT ON THE INDUSTRIAL ACTION TAKEN BY FARMWORKERS IN THE WESTERN CAPE

We have noted the ‘mixed bag' developments in terms of the wage dispute in the farming industry. We are perturbed by the spate of violence and brutality that seems to be engulfing the legitimate strike action by the workers who have mostly been subjected to lifelong dehumanising working and living conditions by circumstances. This situation has its roots in the controversial ‘dop-system' which was utilized mainly in the wine farms as a payment in kind. We have noted the unhelpful comments and retrogressive interference rendered by the Agri-SA. The latter has failed to lead its members who are farmers to reach an amicable solution to the matter. This incident reminded us of how they walked out of the Farm workers Summit in 2010 where possibly this situation could have been avoided.

It is our view that the current situation which most farm workers continue to be subjected to, are not acceptable and that there is a need to press for a complete overhaul  of the farm workers living and working conditions. As a matter of principle we support the struggle for workers in the farms for better working and living conditions.

We call on the Department of Labour to play a positive role to bring about an amicable solution between the farmers and the farm workers, our belief is that collective bargaining can resolve the matter for the long term.

We call on Agri-SA to assist the process in finding an amicable solution instead of engaging in a divide and rule tactic by saying something in the media and relating a completely different message to its members internally, like discouraging farmers to negotiate with Trade Unions.

Statement issued by Sam Mashinini, COSATU Free State Provincial Secretary, January 15 2013

COSATU Northern Cape:

COSATU N Cape backs farm workers

The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the Northern Cape supports the striking farm workers in the Western Cape.  Out unwavering support is as a result of the hardened attitude of the representatives of the employers. This is the real struggle against capitalist exploitation of the working class. We condemn the payment of a pittance by the farmers to the creators of their wealth.

We have noted that there are farmers who are willing to engage with the workers outside the confines of Agri-SA as they have seen the obsession of their counterparts with profit maximisation.  It is a shame that farm workers work tirelessly to produce food that they cannot afford to buy from the shelves in the shops.

Agri-SA must stop hiding behind the international markets and food prices when they exploit their members exploit the workers.  We wish to indicate that the crisis in the Western Cape is likely to spread to other provinces if not handled properly. Workers cannot be made to suffer the consequences of a failed system of capitalism while the capitalist bosses continue to enjoy the fruits of their toil that they are deprived of.

The forever loud Helen Zille and her girls are so quiet about the exploitation that is happening in their own backyard.  Instead of reprimanding brothers and sisters in the farming community, she wants to pass her responsibility to the National Government.  During the election campaign they will claim to be the liberators while they represent the exploiters of our people.

The intervention of COSATU and the alliance partners in the Western Cape in an attempt to resolve the matter should be commended.  Our Federation has done, and continues to do work that Zille entail could not do which is testimony to the fact that the Western Cape is in the wrong hands. Our federation has provided real leadership in support of the farm workers.

We call on Agri-SA to put aside their arrogance and face the reality before more lives are lost in this situation.  It is high time that the farm workers start benefiting from the wealth that they create by putting their lives in danger everyday in the farms. While we do not condone violence, we call on the farmers to stop provoking the workers by going into their communities to pick up the other workers in an attempt to divide the workers.

Workers must remain united and those that are sent to pick up the others must refuse because their lives are put in danger by those employers.

Statement issued by COSATU Northern Cape Provincial Secretary, Anele Gxoyiya, January 15 2013 

COSATU KZN:

COSATU KZN backs farm workers

COSATU KZN is extremely disturbed and dismayed by the stance by AgriSA and AgriWestern Cape towards the strike in the Western Cape by farmworkers.  We call on all farm owners to heed to the call and demands of farm workers.  Conditions of farm workers have been continuously undermined for so long time.  We must also warn those farm owners in other parts of the country, including KZN not see this as far from their own province(s) because the future cannot be predicted.  Workers have a right to demand improvement of their financial situation even if there is a sectoral determination in place.  There can be no freedom when farm workers are super exploited, let alone economic emancipation.

Statement issued by Zet Luzipo, COSATU KZN Provincial Secretary, January 15 2013

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