FARM WORKER SUMMIT HELD AT GOUDINI

DORIANNE ARENDSE

The Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape held a 2 day summit this week at Goudini outside Rawsonville to look at various issues concerning farm workers. According to the spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Gerrit Van Rensburg even though the department of agriculture was hosting the summit, it included the departments of Education, Health, Rural Development and Housing is also present at the summit.

"We had the two day summit yesterday and today. The main aim of the summit was to give farm workers a direct opportunity to voice concerns affecting them towards all the government departments. Agriculture organized the summit but Health, Education, Housing and Rural Development was present as well," he said.

According to Kriel the main issues affecting farm workers is also the same issues affecting everyone living in rural areas in the province. "Issues were raised about education, transport for kids to schools, access to health care facilities and farm safety were raised."

Improving situation

Kriel said the MEC would also be looking at ways of providing adequate housing for farm workers as most of the time the labourers working on farms do not have a permanent residence outside of the farming environment. "Farm worker housing is always a contentious issue and the MEC feels very strong about this. His argument is that someone who works on a farm in the Western Cape and contributes towards the economy his whole working life and is then he retires, he does not have access to a government house in town as other workers who partake in the economy does," he explained.

He said that this has prompted the MEC to meet with the MEC for Human Settlements, Bongikosi Madikezela to look at ways of improving this situation. "The municipalities say that these workers have a house on the farm, but when a farm worker retires that house is needed for another worker who is working on the farm. These people end up being in the middle of no mans land.

The MEC has had discussion with the MEC for Housing on this issue and they are trying to work out a situation where farmers might donate or contribute towards financing municipal housing. In return the farm worker would get preference on the housing lists in towns. A house on farm in itself is not really worth anything whereas has monetary worth, it is something that you can sell or leave to your children," explained Kriel.

Protecting workers

Meanwhile, farm worker union Sikhule Sonke told VOC News that they have made a submission to the summit highlighting their concerns, particularly pertaining to the protection of farm workers. "There are a few things that have been raised by organization at this summit. There is no protection for the Agricultural sector and that we are competing with highly subsidized economies, which make it very difficult for a union to bargain for better conditions for farm workers. We are competing unequally with agricultural economies in the north," said Wendy Pekeur the spokeswoman for the trade union.

According to Pekeur they support President Jacob Zuma's call for a review of the willing buyer willing seller policy. "We support the President's call to review the willing by willing seller concept. We have also highlighted the issue of wages and the fact that farm workers are earning the lowest wages," she said.

When asked about the fact that the MEC for Agriculture will be looking at housing for farm workers, Pekeur replied that they had made some suggestions around housing for farm workers. "Government should also look at farm evictions and should ensure that farm workers have access to adequate housing. We also need a commitment from government when it comes to looking at ways of improving wages and housing for farm workers," said Pekeur