COSATU not surprised at the DA attempts to blame it for damage during unrest.
21st November 2012
The Democratic Alliance, which has been completely useless in the crisis that swept the Province, is now finally coming alive. Their late move to action is however not to contribute to a solution but instead a call for lawyers to act for farmers in suing COSATU for the damage to crops.
Besides being the champions of the farmers, the DA has shown that anyone who tries to assist the workers will be targeted. COSATU was the organisation that worked with other unions to bring peace to the areas and a return to work, when the DA was trying to make the problem a national government problem, with some story about the minimum wage.
COSATU calls for a public debate between Zille and Ehrenreich on the crisis in agriculture in the Western Cape. COSATU further calls on the Premier to forget about the spit in her face and the unceremonious eviction from De Doorns. The time is ripe for leadership and a new deal in the farms and in the country as the defence of the generational advantages of apartheid is no longer possible.
COSATU calls on police to arrest right wing vigilantes in agriculture in Western Cape
COSATU has reports that many of the bakkie loads of boere riding around in farming areas are assaulting and killing farm workers are not registered with the securities industry. It is from a bakkie like this that a farm worker was shot in the Ceres area.
We call on the police to arrest these vigilantes and check there compliance with the security industry. They are also not entitled to be shooting at farm workers with rubber bullets and the police should charge them and confiscate these firearms.
These continued assaults and right wing behaviour is contributing to a climate, which will spill over into a full scale civil war. The National Minister of Police must urgently intervene in the matter as the Provincial MEC for safety is defending the farmers, and sees no need to even mention the shooting of a farm worker by these right-wingers.
Open letter to retailers:
The following open letter was today sent to retailers:
21st November 2012
To the retailers
Attention: the Directors
Re: Open letter to all retailers
Dear Sir
Please receive correspondence from our offices in respect of the development on the farms and the demand for decent wages.
We are aware that many of the retailers are price setters and force the Farms into low payments for their produce. We are also aware that these low costs are not being passed on to the consumers. These price squeezes are a contributing factor for the slave wages paid on farms.
Retailers have had the highest profit levels of all economic activity in the country and their directors earn the highest salaries, like Whitey Basson's salary of more than R600 million rand in 2010. These excesses are in large measures the reasons for the skewed economic structure in South Africa, and it is unsustainable.
We hereby caution you that we will not accept your continued dominance of the SA economy and the manipulation of prices. You are urged to review the payments to farmers, which ensure a decent return on investments, whilst at the same time guaranteeing decent salaries and working and living conditions.
You are part of the problem and you have to commit to be part of the solution, which is being pursued with Agriculture. Should you not align yourselves with a more fair dispensation, then we will have no option but to advise consumers of your stance and call on then to reconsider their continued association with your Outlets.
We look forward to your cooperation
Yours faithfully
pp. E. B. Geswindt
Tony Ehrenreich
COSATU Western Cape Provincial Secretary
Statements issued by Tony Ehrenreich, COSATU Western Cape provincial secretary, November 21 2012
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
