Champion of farm workers’ rights blasts Tesco’s ethics ‘apathy’

WOMEN on Farms, a catalyst for improved labour conditions in the agricultural sector, has fired a broadside at Tesco, the giant UK-based retail chain, asserting its contribution to addressing the situation has amounted to little more than words thus far. Despite evidence to the contrary, Tesco has stated “no evidence has been found to substantiate any of the claims” about the working conditions of employees on South African farms. It also committed to building the capacity of independent multistakeholder audit teams undertaking an audit of more than 150 farms in the Western Cape “by funding their training programmes.” In a recent war of words waged between the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and agriculture bodies including Agri SA, representing the interests of farmers, executive director of Women on Farms Fatima Shabodien questioned the commitment of Tesco to date. “It is fine for Tesco to claim its value chain in South Africa is being audited but what are they contributing to make it happen? At the moment we are not getting a single cent from them for the audit.” The audit, initiated by the Wine and Agricultural Industry Ethical Trade Association (Wieta), was of 154 Tescosupplier apple and pear farms, already paid for by the growers themselves in amounts ranging from R3 000 to R7 000 per unit. Says Shabodien: “Tesco has claimed for a long time it has never sourced product under unethical circumstances. But we came became aware of extensive labour violations on many of the farms supplying it, including minimum wage for workers, exposure to pesticides and women receiving lower remuneration than men for performing the same job. “We pointed it out to Tesco who insisted we provide the names of the farm workers supplying the information but they spoke to us on condition of anonymity.” However, one person was willing to speak out – Ceres seasonal apple picker, Gertruida Baartman. In 2006 and again last year she and Shabodien told the Tesco board and many shareholders at its AGM that she was aware allegations of poor labour conditions on farms had been dismissed as little more than untruths, going on to list the scale of the problem. Shabodien says apart from a public assurance by Tesco CEO, Sir Terry Leahy, that no harm would befall Baartman, its initial response was that blame for the situation could not be laid at its door, that this was a domestic affair. “Our point is if it’s not their business, if they are prepared to look the other way, then they cannot make any claims about ethical trade. (Tesco is a founding member of the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI). “Our expectation was simply if Tesco would come on board it would financially support the (farm) audits, which it has not done.” Shabodien says the upshot of Baartman’s London revelations, was that she not only received threats upon her return but lost her job. This was only rectified by Women on Farms with Tesco’s assistance. She is due to return to her job in October.