South African women farm workers lead the way
24 August 2011
After a year and a half of consistent pressure by members of Sikhula Sonke, a South African women-led trade union and War on Want partner, 19 workers in a citrus farm two hours drive north-east of Cape Town will finally see improvements to their precarious living conditions. After a protracted struggle, farm management have agreed to temporarily relocate workers from September this year to enable improvement on the houses to take place.
For more than four years the workers have been living in dire conditions. The houses allocated for them on the estate are dilapidated, prone to damp, with running water only provided for the toilet and with only a basic electric stove for cooking. Up to eight people share a small space divided into three rooms.
These changes started last year when workers began to join the women-led trade union Sikhula Sonke, War On Want partner inSouth Africa’s wine and fruit region. Workers were trained on their rights guaranteed by labour law and a shop steward was elected. Lusara, a woman worker in her 40s, expressed the benefits gained from the training: ‘I felt very good. I could feedback to others on the rights we have in the Labour Relations Act’.
Lusara, outside one of the houses provided for workers
Since then, the improvements have been noticeable: workers are no longer required to pay rent for their poor quality accommodation and they have received a 7.4% salary increase and bonus. Sikhula Sonke staff do however point out that they are still being paid below the national minimum wage and that the negotiations will continue.
Already workers are no longer afraid of speaking up about exploitative practices on the farm. In an one hour discussion, these issues stood out : workers mentioned that in September they have to work throughout the night and begin a day shift in the morning without rest; some women go without pay for three months after giving birth as the employer does not officially register them on the farm preventing them from accessing government benefits; workers wages are determined by the number of bags they fill in a day, but their payslips do not show that record, leaving space for tampering and under pay.
Workers now ask advice from the shop steward and can refer their case to the authorities with the support of Sikhula Sonke trained staff. Joanas, a father of four says: ‘I am sure this will get better. I am not afraid to speak to the employer about my rights’.
Please read also this recent Guardian article on the South African wine industry.
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