Covid-19 Effect On Food Sector Members

MEDIA STATEMENT 28 MARCH 2020\ F.A.W.U. CallS On Food Sector Employers To Comply With Health And Safety & Stop Unfair Labour Practices During COVID-19 Pandemic We, the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) note and welcome the recent announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 23 March 2020 with regards to the 21-day lockdown from 26 March -16 April 2020 following the rapid spread of the COVID- 19 pandemic. FAWU further supports all advisory expressed by the relevant authorities for purpose of curbing the spread of the corona virus pandemic. The fact that workers in the food sectors will be at work to provide the nation with access to food, goes to show exactly how important their efforts are in the contribution towards our economy and the lives of the people of South Africa. In relation to this, we note the fact that our sector has since been misconstrued as an essential service. We wish to register that we will oppose this notion/expression as essential in its origin and in this context, more so that all sectors of our economy are important but are not all categorized as essential service including by Labour laws of our country. On the other hand, we invite the employers and government to note the efforts of workers in the food sectors which include among others distribution and retail, agriculture/forestry/fishing, hospitality, fast food and restaurant and most of the entire food value chain that it is a serious contradiction that they form part of the important main stream of our economy yet they receive such low salaries that most are deemed below living standard. We are receiving many calls from members complaining that some employers are taking initiatives to dismiss, introduce short hours, forced leave and unpaid leave, cutting salaries and benefits among others and some are even demanding workers to work without being paid during the 21- day lock down. In the process of protecting the working conditions in workplaces, we realize another shocking disregard of the measures designed for employees who are working in health and safety. The employers are expected to follow strict hygienic requirements rather than behave to the opposite to their employees to be safe. We also note with concern that workers in the food sector and others in the public sector who are working hard to save the nation, are the ones who are unfairly treated. This further shows the explicit brutal capitalist greed system that focuses on maximizing profit at the expense of labour and has no morals in the process who suffers including a risk to pay the ultimate price. We appreciate those employers who respect the instruction of the president. FAWU will continue to be visible to ascertain that members are not unfairly treated during the 21- day lock down period including amid corona virus and beyond. There are people in the country who are food street vendors and have since not been given clear terms in terms of their operation. It must be noted that people selling food on the street provide easy and affordable access to most lowly-paid South Africans as oppose to the big markets in operation . Access to food should be given to all levels of markets. This does not only pose a threat to food security, but it poses an unfair treatment to people whose business are not registered as it limits them to access relief from the government. Flowing from FAWU campaigning on illicit trading, we invite workers and all people in our country to be careful of counterfeit goods of which some of them have been made to believe that they are a remedy to curb the spread or cure of corona virus. It is important that the government address Illicit trading and cash outflows which would have mitigated the budget deficit for an advancement on the expansionary approach from the fiscal policy to fund various sectors of our economy such health, DTI, Employment and Labour department for workers among other departments. We note the announcement of the reduction of the interest rate of which ordinarily would have expected an increase in aggregate consumption spending. It should be noted that consumer behavioral patterns under the circumstances are not going to contribute positive inflation trends as the magnitude of such a reduction is less if ever found to be making a difference to the workers, particularly the lowest paid. We believe that there should be a 5% interest rate reduction to handle the major current crisis of COVID-19 as there is a major shift in the total spending. F.A.W.U. Calls On Employers To: - Respect and comply with the instruction of the President of the country; -Follow all basic requirements announced necessary and compliant as means to alleviate the spread of COVID-19 to keep the working environment hygienic and for employees to be safe; -Follow labour laws of the country in particular, Occupational and Safety Act no 85 of 1993 as mended and Basic Condition of Employment Act no 75 of 1997 as amended and their regulations among other predominant legislation in the business environment; -Invite specialists to educate all employees about the COVID-19 including medical advice on the how workers should handle the pandemic even outside the workplace; -Employers with employees who are in lockdown/at home must pay the employees all their salaries and benefits; -Impose any unfair working conditions mentioned above, before, during and after the announcement of the President of the countr; -Employers are expected to provide any form of assistance to workers such as company paid transportation, all safety gear etc. as announced by various Ministers’ detailing in their portfolios; -Provide paid medical attention and free tests to employees. FAWU Furthermore Calls On The South African Government To: *Take action on litigation against companies found to be violating the regulations/any law including the statement of the President of the country such as price gouging, selling counterfeit goods and any form of unfair trade to customers who most of them are the lowest paid workers and the poor. *Offer food parcels to the poorest South Africans and those who are living in the informal settlement to ensure access to food; *Review all existing legislation and/ sectoral determination such as farms workers and retail workers among others to better their salaries and conditions of employment; • Fast-track to allow informal traders (and the entire informal sectors) for them to access their segment to sell and live during the 21 days lockdown including an alternative special grant to assist them to survive; FAWU remains part of and supports all initiatives to curb the spread of corona virus and we endeavour to continue to protect the workers on the ground by demanding that they work in safe working conditions including support and work with formations who act on behalf of the poor people in South Africa who suffer during this pandemic. For more information, contact the writer. Mayoyo Mngomezulu FAWU General Secretary at 082 440 4039, mngomezulu.mayoyo@fawu.org.za