Minister calls for restraint in farmworkers' protest

Friday, January 11, 2013

Pretoria - Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant has called on parties in the Western Cape agricultural sector to settle their industrial disputes through talking and negotiations.

Oliphant called on striking farmworkers and their leadership in the province to exercise their rights responsibly and to refrain from committing violent acts.

The minister's call follows attempts by the department's Director-General, Nkosinathi Nhleko, to broker a peace deal between trade unions and Agri-SA in Cape Town. The department said the attempt seems to have been rejected by the representatives of the farm owners.

Reports have indicated sporadic cases of violence, including the closing of national roads, since the industrial action began on Wednesday.

Oliphant said that while farmworkers had every right to demonstrate, violence destroyed their cause.

She called for exemplary display of good leadership on the part of the labour movement in the sector.

"Leaders really need to lead at this time. I would also like to remind the leadership in the province that the current action is unprocedural and therefore the workers are not protected by labour laws. They have to think carefully about what they are exposing workers to and whether in the end it is worth their while.

"I would also like to call on the farmers to engage their workers on the best way forward. At the end of the day, the main thing is negotiation between employer and employee and so far, I am not convinced that there is a serious attempt by farmers to negotiate," Oliphant said.

The workers are demanding a daily wage of R150. Currently, the minimum wage, as set out in the agricultural sector determination, is R69.

Agri-SA has said it has no mandate to negotiate in the matter and that the demands were "unrealistic" and would drive its members out of business.

At the same time, farmers in the Western Cape have not been forthcoming in terms of putting a counter offer on the table. Instead, they have been insisting on a sectoral determination process, which is underway by Labour Department.

The strike takes place parallel with the public hearings process through which the department is soliciting views from labour and business about the new sectoral determination due to kick in at the beginning of March.

The process will be consolidated by the Employment Conditions Commission (ECC) - the body which advises the minister on wages and conditions of employment - for her final decision.

Oliphant said it was unfortunate that farmers had sought to negate the principle of negotiations and collective bargaining. "This does not augur well for stability and industrial peace in the sector."

For their part, unions have said workers have "borne the brunt of economic violence" from employers in the form of "slave wages" and alleged that some workers had not being paid over the festive season.

During November's farmworker strikes, there were reports of damage to property, with 271 workers arrested for public violence and heightened tension on the farms as employers brought in private security on the farms. - SAnews.gov.za