FAWU Stands With Hospitality Workers

Fawu defends members retrenchments at Hilton Hotel, Cpt

 

FAWU Condemns Government’s Disregard For Hospitality Sector Workers

 

Food and Allied Workers’ Union condemns the government’s total disregard for workers employed in  the  liquor and hospitality sectors especially those on wine farms and in restaurants as they are mostly vulnerable workers who already struggle to survive on abhorrently low wages. The COVID-19 lock down had a disastrous effect on tourism which brought the industry to its knees. The recent ban on alcohol served a double blow to the hospitality industry as local restaurants depend on alcohol sales to a large extent.

 

The government is failing thousands of workers whose employers have duly payed their UIF funds but is still waiting on outstanding payments from the last two months. The level of frustration among the workers’ class are at an all-time high and we see how these frustrations manifest in different protest actions like we have seen in Cape Town in recent days.

 

The people voted the government into power believing that it will create and protect jobs and now the very same government is destroying jobs by instituting bans that did not take into account the exact devastation it is bound to cause. As trade unions, we fight tooth and nail to protect jobs but this reckless ban is a complete let down by a government that is supposed to serve its people.

Workers in the hospitality industry were already looking losing out on income when the shutdown was initiated in late March this year. They just started working again on 1 June trying to provide for their families just to be dealt another harsh blow. How will these poor workers recover from one hardship after another.

 

As a government that purportedly cares for its people and believes in “Ubuntu” it is unjustifiable that these bizarre bans brings certain sectors to its knees and destroy so many lives while taking the country backward. As a labour union that joined in the struggle for freedom and democracy in South Africa, we demand that government listen and consult with affected industries and labour unions involved in order to come up with a holistic approach. Government consulted with the education and taxi unions and it is thus mind-baffling why the agriculture and hospitality related sectors are being side lined especially since it is the backbone of the South African economy.

We want government to engage with the sectors to discuss mitigating measures to curb the astronomical job losses due to the ban on alcohol and other products. We are currently dealing with a flurry of retrenchments across the food and beverage sectors as a result of these bans. When people lose their jobs we all lose as a country.

 

FAWU Stands With Workers In the liquor and hospitality sector!