Farmers are louting labour laws

Piet Liebenberg
THE Kouga branch of labour federation Cosatu has accused farmers in the Gamtoos Valley of flouting labour laws and violating the rights of their workers.
This follows meetings between Cosatu and farm workers in Weston, a township in the Hankey area and in Patensie recently.
According to their local chairman, Monde Ralo, they will now be meeting with the Labour Department to review the challenges facing farm workers and to plan the way forward for those farmers who do not comply with the law.
Cosatu vice-chairman Arnold Koester said they received information from Patensie ward councillor Vuyelwa Matodlana that farmers in the area were still illegally evicting workers from farms and that some are paying less than the minimum wage.
Ralo confirmed that workers at the meeting have highlighted various problems including poor housing, no pay for overtime, no transport and lack of proper protective clothing.
Matodlana was not available for comment.
A farmer who preferred to remain anonymous, acknowledged the situation and said he believes that there are still a few farmers in the area who do not comply fully with labour legislation.
"It is not easy to make a profit by farming nowadays, so some farmers might be taking shortcuts in an effort to reduce expenses.”
Ralo said: "What we discovered after the meeting was that workers rights were being violated by their employers.
"The visibility of the unions in their work place is a challenge. For the unions not to be visible at all times, the workers remain exposed and victims in a certain way and the employers are having a joy ride.”
He said that workers were too afraid to confront their employers directly for fear of being victimised. Some farmers actively discourage trade union involvement on their farms, he alleged.
Ralo said that they are currently campaigning for farm employees to know their rights as a worker at their place of work.
"Know your rights as a worker at all times, do not allow your employer to kill you while you have a firearm [the Constitution] in your hand which protects you at all times,” said Ralo.
He also said that they are working together with councillors of the wards they are visiting.
He said : "It is very sad and frustrating to hear that there are still employers who do not want to comply with the Labour Relations Act and respect the constitution of our country as if they are not South African citizens.
"Workers are the machinery of production in this country and they deserve to be treated equally, and with dignity, irrespective of whether they are farm workers or public sector workers.”