Boycott threat against farmer
2003-04-03 16:52
Duiwelskloof - Agricultural unionists are threatening to co-ordinate an international boycott of South Africa's largest tomato exporter, ZZ2, for allegedly paying "slave wages" to its 7 000 labourers.
The boycott threat follows ZZ2's dismissal of over 2 000 labourers who embarked on a wildcat strike last week Thursday.
The South African Agricultural Plantations and Allied Workers Union (Saapawu) affiliated workers downed tools in an ill-fated attempt to force ZZ2 management to increase their R520 monthly wage.
"The dismissal was, we believe, illegal. We are taking legal steps to appeal it, and will also be asking our foreign affiliates to launch an international boycott," said Limpopo spokesperson Robert Makhuvhele.
The R520 wage, Makhuvhele said, was subject to a R350 monthly food and accommodation deduction, leaving workers with just R260 as "take home" pay.
"This is no where near a living wage. How can people be expected to support their families on just R260 a month, especially when food prices are skyrocketing? We already have support for a boycott from Cosatu (Congress of SA Trade Unions) and expect wide support from similar international bodies," said Makhuvhele.
The boycott will, he added, attempt to force ZZ2 to comply with minimum wage requirements contained in South Africa's latest labour law amendments, which came into effect on March 1.
Conceding that ZZ2's basic wage of R520 was above the regulatory minimum wage, Makhuvhele insisted that deductions for accommodation and food were irregular.
$1 a day
"The wage only appears to be above the absolute minimum. In reality, these people are earning just R260 a month for often back-breaking labour. It's not as if export orientated companies can't afford to pay more. The relative weakness of the Rand helps them, especially when their earnings are in US dollars," said Makhuvhele.
"In dollar terms, these labourers are being paid just $32.5 a month, or slightly over $1 a day. I wonder how international consumers would react to that?"
ZZ2 management was consistently unavailable for comment on Thursday, and the country's largest commercial agriculture union, Agri-South Africa, declined to comment.
"I don't have firsthand knowledge of events at ZZ2 and cannot therefore, in all fairness, speak on the issue," said AgriSA spokesperson Kobus Kleynhans.
Kleynhans stressed that commercial farmers had not opposed the introduction of a minimum wage, but said there were widespread concerns on how this wage was "interpreted".
"We will have to clarify things like deductions with labour minister Membathisi Mdladlana," said Kleynhans.
Mdladlana's spokesperson, Snuki Zikalala, was unavailable for comment on either the strike or threatened boycott. - African Eye News Service