Farmworkers' strike to be renewed...

[DJ...]

http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Cosatu-fears-renewed-farmworker-strike-20130124

Cape Town - The suspended farmworkers' strike in the Western Cape could re-ignite because of farmers firing workers, Cosatu said on Thursday.

The provincial Congress of SA Trade Unions said farmers in De Doorns were taking "punitive action" against workers for saying they could not sustain their families on R69 a day.

"With the calling off of the strike, the entire country breathed a sigh of relief, but farmers have refused to take back workers who were party to the protest," provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich claimed in a statement.

Ehrenreich said renewed action would flare up in De Doorns on Friday and it could spread to nearby towns.

Cosatu announced on Tuesday that the strike had been called off, but said it would co-ordinate "the mother of all strikes against bad farmers" later in the year.

Farmworkers went on strike last year, demanding that the minimum daily wage be increased from R69 to R150, and that a cohesive land reform programme be implemented.

The strike was suspended on condition that Agri SA committed to "local-level" agreements and undertook not to victimise workers.

Agri SA president Johannes Mller was not immediately available for comment on the possibility of renewed strike action, or to confirm that workers had been fired.

Cosatu called on Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant to intervene.

"Should this matter not be resolved over the weekend, there is a bleak forecast for Monday, is all the workers would say," Ehrenreich said.

"Cosatu will be filing a section 77 notice against these farmers and will call [for a] boycott of grapes in the supermarkets, and also call on workers not to handle the grapes in any areas."

Section 77 of the Labour Relations Act relates to "protest action to promote or defend socio-economic interests of workers".

No, Tony. This isn't punitive damage. This is economic damage. I have no doubt that some farmers are being twats about taking back certain staff, but that is their choice, not yours. Moreover, when you destroy the industry for a month, expect the industry to mitigate the loss that you caused them. You won't find that calculation on your assistant's iPad - it's in a book - fundamentals of economics. This whole cause and effect concept appears to be lost on you Cosatu lower order batsmen...

 

[Messugga]

You have to draw the line somewhere as an employer though. Having your workers treat you with disrespect, whether it's warranted or not, and keeping you and your business hostage is simply unacceptable. Would I be happy having someone work for me that just last week took part in protests demanding the ruin of my livelihood? Probably not.

 

[TJ99]

These guys are really dedicated to becoming unemployed.

 

[Mila]

These guys are really dedicated to becoming unemployed.

The amount of effort put into it one would almost think they like to work hard at something.

If you are part of a crowd that burnt down my farm. Fak you. I would also find a way to get rid of you.

 

[(@) (@) twister]

1st off - they embarked on an unprotected strike.
2nd - most farmworkers don't belong to a labour union.
3rd - many farmworkers engaged in criminal behaviour.

What did they think was going to happen ??

From what I can see the farmers are in they full right to retrench these workers...

 

[grok]

They were told, and yet they still didn't see this coming? Or did the unions perhaps encourage them under the promise that they'll be protected?

Either way, I find it difficult to summon any sympathy towards people that threatened to burn down farms.
Now it's your turn to burn *******!

ps. Call a grape boycott I dare you. I will, and make sure all my people, buy lots of grapes this season to counter your boycott.

 

[Vrotappel]

Well from Sasolburg they learned that if you rampage hard enough you get your way.

I expect much more of this type of unrest to start happening. The rand (above R9 to the $) also expects it.

 

[TJ99]

Well from Sasolburg they learned that if you rampage hard enough you get your way.

I expect much more of this type of unrest to start happening. The rand (above R9 to the $) also expects it.

Sad but true. Giving in to those looters' demands was like negotiating with terrorists. In fact it was worse than negotiating, it was just giving them what they wanted on a silver plate.

Demand demand demand, ben ben ben = get whatever you want.

 

[BigBullBully]

When is "govameant" going to realise if you piss off all the farmers and they stop producing food there will be a food crisis. This food crisis will result in more looting and unrest untill the "masses" realise that "govameant" is powerless to stop them, what are they going to do then, board our taxpayer private jets and escape the country, sit in Europe and blame apartheid ?

 

[The_Ogre]

After opening this thread all I did was a ctrl+f and typed in Tony, when my browser found and highlighted the text, I jumped straight to the Quick Reply box to say:

FSCK YOU TONY! you retarded motherfscker!

 

[Kloofvreter]

1st off - they embarked on an unprotected strike.
2nd - most farmworkers don't belong to a labour union.
3rd - many farmworkers engaged in criminal behaviour.

What did they think was going to happen ??



From what I can see the farmers are in they full right to retrench these workers...

4th) Many of the rent-a-crowd thugs delivered by bus aren't even farm workers