FAWU Welcomes Portfolio Committee Findings On Farms In Western Cape

The Food and Allied Workers' Union wants to applaud the labour portfolio committee for exposing non-compliance on farms in the Western Cape as its findings are not surprising at all.

These specific areas Citrusdal, Worcester, Robertson and Paarl visited by the Portfolio committee are notorious for non- compliance with labour regulations as they rural areas and workers'  accommodation are often very well hidden on these farms.

For Mr. Ian Ollis of the Democratic Alliance to dismiss the report and suggesting that these findings are part of a "witch- hunt" and "political -point scoring" against the Western Cape government, shows that he is so busy defending farmers that he is oblivious to the realities of working and living conditions of farm workers.

 Non-compliance on farms are a national phenomenon as we as a union, are faced with this on a daily basis in all provinces across the country. To accuse the portfolio committee chairman of point-scoring is really absurd and deflects attention from the issue at hand.

The fact is there were violations of labour laws on several farms and these were exposed. Even if, as he claims, its only a "tiny minority" of farm owners that not adhere to the regulations, it is still wrong to make human beings live in containers without ventilation or windows or access to basic ablution facilities.

We strongly suggest that he stops defending farm owners and stop reduce the issue to petty politics but rather focus on improving conditions on farms so we can make this province work for the poor as well.

Statement issued by FAWU media officer, Dominique Swartz, February 2 2012

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