Masakona farm workers continue with their strike

The worker strike at the Masokona community-owned farm escalated this week and it seems as if negotiations between the workers and the farm management had reached a deadlock. Last Thursday, workers marched to the farm head office, wearing red attire, in the presence of a delegation from the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU).

Workers were marching while holding placards, some of them stating: ‘We demand protective clothes’ and ‘What about the 100% annual bonus, the 13th cheque?’ They were demanding nine working hours per day, a wage increment from R85 to R105, protective clothes whilst they are spraying chemicals and also that security guards be paid when they work during holidays and over weekends.

The negotiations between FAWU and the management in the four-hour-long meeting, held behind closed doors, did not produce any good results. Only the problems the security guards were experiencing were addressed, but the working hours and wage increment were not resolved.

The management and the union settled the dispute involving the security guards and they agreed to scrap security guards and absorb them into the farm's workforce. The union, however, insisted that the farm should not hire any private security company to guard the farm. “They have agreed to pay the guards a three-month-outstanding amount and absorb those guards to work at the farm,” said FAWU shop steward Mr Gabriel Masakona.

Some damaging allegations also surfaced last week. The farm management was accused of allowing workers to spray chemicals on plants without wearing protective clothing. “Some of our colleagues are at home, their feet are rotting so severely,” said another worker, who asked not to be named.

Even though the workers were paid their February salaries, they refused to return to work until the management had approved the nine-hour working day.

Limpopo Mirror attempted to get comment from members of the CPA, but could not reach any of them. None of their phones was functioning at the time of our going to press.

Date:07 March 2014

By: Phathutshedzo Luvhengo

Read: 1641