Exporters confident of meeting targets as strike is suspended

Farm workers in the Western Cape have suspended their industrial action to allow for parties to negotiate in an effort to bring an end to the ongoing strike. Tony Ehrenreich, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Western Cape provincial secretary, told FTW that talks with individual farmers as well as small groupings of farmers were proving to be extremely positive following the decision a week ago to suspend the strike. “We have concluded a deal in Clanwilliam with a significant number of farmers who have agreed to increase wages to R105 a day. They have also committed to no discipline and victimisation of any people who have participated in the strike.” But, said Ehrenreich, this did not include talks with Agri SA as a whole. “The negotiations with Agri SA are not very fruitful at this stage, which is why we are now focusing on meeting with individual and small groups of farmers instead.” Farm workers in the Western Cape have been on strike for the past two weeks in what is one of the busiest times in the fruit farming industry, calling for an increase in wages from R60 to R150 a day. The strike has been marred by incidents of violence with crops set alight, shops looted and roads blockaded to stop the movement of fruit from the farms. Ehrenreich said while the strike had been suspended across the Western Cape it did not include the De Doorns area where workers were adamant that they would remain on strike throughout the negotiation process. In the meantime Agri SA has said that only a handful of farms in the Western Cape are still being impacted severely by the strike with farmers saying packing of fruit is progressing well. The organisation also denied that a major “deal” had been done with Clanwilliam farmers saying it was an agreement with a single farmer who was highly dependent on temporary workers. Anton Rabe of Agri SA told FTW the organisation remained committed to talks to find a lasting solution to the situation in the Western Cape. Whilst exporting has been impacted in the Western Cape, farmers agree it could have been much worse. With the strike suspended, most will be able to still make their export targets, but are in agreement with Agri SA that the country’s reputation as a reliable supplier has taken a severe knock.