FAWU PRESS STATEMENT ON SUPPORT FOR CITRUS INDUSTRY

The Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) is in full support to concerns raised by South Africa's citrus industry, especially the citrus growers, that the European Union is using the so-called black spot in oranges as nothing but non-tariff, if not technical, barrier to trade thereby excluding competitive, in quality and price, oranges and other citrus products from South Africa.

Given this, FAWU calls on South Africa government to leave no stone unturned in confronting the EU on its unfair trade protectionist stance in the name of health and safety standards because this black spot argument is not even taken serious by the United Kingdom.

As FAWU, we will call on our fraternal unions in the EU to put pressure on their EU member-states' governments to move away from such trade relations practices with South Africa and countries from the developing world.

Meanwhile, we do not rule out staging rolling mass action against the EU and its member-states in their embassies and consulate offices should this matter not be resolved in favour to our country.  

Statement issued by Katishi Masemola, FAWU General Secretary, July 1 2014

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