FAWU Strongly Supports SAFTU Stayaway 24February 2021

 

NATIONAL STAYAWAY - 24 FEBRUARY 2021

The Food and Allied Workers Union is one of the Unions who, together with many workers and the poor in the country, suffers the brutality of the capitalist greed system, worse, even in the post-colonial government. 

Over 10, 8 million unemployed and counting, no interest from the current government to take the word of the working class to reshape policies designed to accommodate the larger part of the South African society who are the lowest paid and the poor. We don’t agree with the government using a narrow definition of unemployment that exclude the disgruntled unemployed since they do not have resources to look for jobs. The government is responsible for having not created employment as committed, except temporary employment that take citizens back to hunger. 

Child hunger alone is said to have increased up to 16% in the last quarter. Household hunger still affect over 1,6 million while no program or initiatives that incorporate the position of the working class to address this major crisis.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has not been declared indefinite, employers have been on the other hand, dismissing workers permanently even when bosses opened businesses after the regulations were relaxed. All this chasing profit race, happens while the government is watching without any pronouncement to defend workers. 

The government has yet again made another mockery to workers particularly farm workers offering them a lousy R21,69 per hour to survive. This is the same working class that has been content in the liberation struggle, right from where Khoisan people were peacefully enjoying an exclusive agricultural economy as indigenous people of our country, until the racist colonisers took their land and property. Since then, each generation of the working class fought in each epoch for liberation of South Africa. Today, the current government that follows capitalism which has no morals, farm workers (in the same agricultural sector) are subjected into an indefinite waiting period for a living wage in a “democratic country”. FAWU does not believe in life after death and so we shall never wait but fight to enjoy a better life. We shall not to pass poverty to another generation without a fight. 

Despite all labour laws just after 1994, workers from all sectors of our economy fought for the transformational legislations in workplaces since some bosses had no interest on providing skills, educating, promoting and providing economic opportunities in line with the responsibility of our country to develop itself. 

Nothing the above, two laws were promulgated in 1998, the Skills Development Act and Employment Equity Act as a result of workers fighting for transformation. Instead of government obligating bosses to transform workplaces using these laws, the government invited bosses to pay fines for years. Today, the black majority of workers who are the previously disadvantaged group retired without a better life they fought for. Even those retrenched, they lost jobs without any economic alternatives. 

We therefore encourage the current, particularly young workers of our country to not keep hoping that their lives will change for the better for the rest of their working lives. They should rather mobilise the entire working class and fight against the government who has never brought workers on board in the distribution of wealth. 

Nothing can convince the working class to wait forever. The cruelty of apartheid has not benefited the working class what so ever. Workers and the poor must unite and must never negotiate with capital any more as it never addresses crisis it creates. We shall reclaim and advance workers’ rights against the status quo.

Capitalism will continue to resurface in various forms as it has been the case in many generations, pre-democratic and post-colonial government. The government will continue to defend neo-liberal policies in the name of developing the country, yet this has been justified for over two decades that there is no current policy that is able to address inequalities, unemployment and poverty. 

We call upon all workers and all people in South Africa to join the SAFTU STAY AWAY on the 24th February 2021 and not to touch any value chain of any sector of our economy for this government to listen to the same class that put them in power. 

FAWU DEMANDS THE FOLLOWING:

 REVIEW THE NMW BY CONSULTING LABOUR INCLUDING SAFTU; 

 ALLOW SAFTU TO NEDLAC;

 INTRODUCE WEALTH TAX;

 STOP EVICTIONS AND DEVELOP EQUITY STAKE FOR FARM WORKERS; 

 EMPLOYERS TO GIVE WORKERS A LIVING WAGE; 

 EMPLOYERS WHO VIOLATE ANY LABOUR LAW MUST GO TO JAIL; 

 PLACE MORATORIUM ON RETRENCHMENTS; 

 PROTECT SOUTH AFRICAN ECONOMY BY NOT SELLING SA COMPANIES;                       OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY;

 NATIONALISE STRATEGIC SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY;

 WE DEMAND CREATION OF DECENT JOBS;

 STOP VICTIMISATION AND EXPLOITATION OF MERCHANDISERS IN RETAIL,                   WORKERS IN HOSPITALITY AND FAST FOOD OUTLETS SECTOR INCLUDING                   FARM  WORKERS.  

SHUT DOWN THE COUNTRY – STAY AT HOME ON THE 24TH FEBRUARY 2021!!!!!!

For more information, feel free to contact Mayoyo Mngomezulu, FAWU General Secretary on 082 440 4039, mngomezulu.mayoyo@fawu.org.za or Vuka Chonco, FAWU Deputy General Secretary on 082 499 5854, vuka.chonco@fawu.org.za

FAWU Strike At INGRAIN (formerly known as Tongaat-Hulett Starch)

 

Hundreds of members of the Food and Allied Workers’ Union (FAWU) will embark on protected industrial action on Monday 22 February at 09h00 and will be demonstrating outside Ingrain Barloworld ( formerly Tongaat-Hulett's starch division) premises at the Kliprivier, Germiston and Meyerton mills in Gauteng and at the Bellville mills in Cape Town in demand of better wages and working conditions. The dispute arose after parties failed to reach an agreement in terms of the union’s demands as mandated by our members at a CCMA case held on 14 December 2020. Our members at the company’s starch division demand a 15 percent wage increase while the company offers a useless 3,5 percent.  Workers also seek a housing allowance, a covid-19 allowance for level 4 and 5, health insurance and an employee share-scheme. Our members were very clear that these demands must assist, raise or complement their standard of living under the difficult conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has ravaged lives. In far too many cases, breadwinners have lost their lives.

Workers in the food industry were classified as essential service to feed the nation during the level five Lockdown while we were all struggling to find new ways to deal with this pandemic. Now throughout all those difficult times of stress, fear, and uncertainties in terms of not knowing what will happen with their lives the next day- especially with the virus being all over and extremely contagious, workers had soldiered on in order to ensure that the production of the essential commodity to feed the nation continues and remain stable.  Our members did not say that they are not being paid danger allowance, and hence they will not work. They did not say that their lives come first but continued to prioritise their contractual obligation with the employer to produce and feed the nation.

The price of food was rising monthly due to supply and demand dynamics and most of the basic food basket was expensive to the extent that one needs to be selective on what should be in a basket of stable food requirements by the family. This was not the only challenge, transport to ferry workers to and from work has doubled in price, and what worsened the situation was the non-availability of other modes of public transport, which is still a problem even today. Trains are not there to complement the current modes of transport due to infrastructure challenges because of cable theft and vandalism of the rail. The escalating rate of unemployment has complicated the ability of adults to feed their families as most family members have lost their jobs and have to now rely on next of kin who are still employed. For this reason, our members have taken a firm position on what they have demanded from the beginning and being consistent on those demands despite the engagement at the level of CCMA where the commissioner has tried to reconcile both parties in vain. Therefore our demands are a product of a collective decision by all our members employed by Ingrain, they demand significant change in their livelihood as employees of this company. 

An online news article titled “Sweet ending for Tongaat- Hulett” reflects that the company has done well for the financial year that ended March 2020 published on 16 August 2020 on www.iol.co.za.

As a result, Tongaat -Hulett directors were rewarded with up to R 37.64 million in cash bonuses for their sterling performance in turning the company around for the agriculture and agri- processing business. This was published in another news article titled “Tongaat Hulett directors rewarded with R37.64 million in cash bonuses” on www.iol.co.za on 28 August 2020.

This in the same year in which the Company is alleging that they are operating under extreme difficult conditions, the very same year in which they allege that the COVID-19 outbreak and the imposed lockdown impacted negatively on their volumes. The very same year in which they claimed that the maize price increase to R3800v per ton, while on the one hand, they contradicted themselves by alleging domestic sales went down with no volume growth. Our members want to know how it was possible then to reward directors handsomely, while workers continued to be offered peanuts after all their hard work and dedication? This includes but is not limited to risking their lives as well as those of their loved one’s by working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the level five lockdown?

Our members strongly reject this situation of not being treated equally by the same employer, but at the same time facing the same environment outside where a basket of food is going up every month, e.g., in January 2021 it was R4 051, and increased by R 48, 78. This is unacceptable to all our members . We are not accepting exploitation of the workers’ class any longer.

For more information kindly call the FAWU General Secretary Mayoyo Mngomezulu on 082 440 4039 or Deputy General Secretary Vuka Chonco on 082 499 5854. Released by FAWU media officer, Dominique Martin - 082 498 5631

FAWU Commemorates 80th Anniversary

 

The Food and Allied Workers Union marks its 80^th year of existence since its establishment in 1941.

The union remains the largest organised trade union across the entire value chain in the agricultural sector food and beverage sector. In its 80^th year, FAWU remains at the forefront of organising and servicing workers in the food and related sectors.

The existence of FAWU is drawn from the historical background of a revolutionary cadre and a Communist from Russia, Rachel Ester Alexandrowich Simons, popular known as “Ma Ray” or Ray Alexander who is credited to have been the founder having been the resource behind the formation of FAWU. She worked with Lizzie Abrahams, Oscar Mpetha and many others soon after her arrival in the Cape when organising workers in the canning factories in the Boland area as well as the fishing workers in the West Coast. This was based on the exploitation by employers against workers in various forms, such as women being paid less than their male counterparts, worse working conditions, no benefits. With its successes, the union quickly built a name among workers and the success of the Fatti’s and Moni’s strike further enhanced its reputation as a militant union fighting for workers’ rights.

At the time of its launch on the 06^th February 1941, it was called Food & Canning Workers Union, launched as a socialist oriented Union to organise and represent the interest of workers and further drive the struggle through its campaign to address all ills of socio-political and economic matters that are directly or indirectly affecting workers and communities in pursuit for socialism that is accommodative to the majority of the people of South Africa. 

FAWU took its acronym after a merger of Sweet Food & Allied workers Union and Food & Canning workers Union and later RAWU being Retail & Allied Workers Union and many other Unions that handed over members to make one Union merged to form FAWU in pursuit of one industry, one Union. 

During its establishment, this was the time colonialism was at its best brutality by the racist government against black workers in its process toward reconstituting itself to apartheid machinery in 1948 and as a system that was even more exploitative towards workers who suffered various forms of discrimination including torture, imprisonment through the collaboration with employers against Shop stewards and leaders of the Union which were daily activities to crush the Unions in the country. Notwithstanding that this was a time when any moment could be the last for the life of a Shop steward and any leader of the Union, FAWU continued to raise the flag of the workers in the country.

FAWU stood the test of time despite many challenges as it is one of the Unions that witnessed having suffered from all forms of oppression in the country including laws that were designed to oppress the working class in general, such as, the Group Areas Act, the suppression of the Communism Act which saw Ray Alexander to jail with many leaders such as Josie Mpama, Dora Tamana, JB Marks, Albert Luthuli, Brian Bunting. Other legislations were the Population Registration Act, the unlawful organisation bill and many other discriminative laws.   

FAWU had a direct contact with SACTU (South African Congress of Trade Union) underground in Lusaka for political programs of advancing ANC publications as a political consciousness of workers across the country. This remained a strong connection between workers in the country and liberation fighters abroad.

FAWU has been vibrant even in the continent and at the international level in the context of international solidarity being an affiliate of the International Union of Food to advance the struggle of uniting workers across the globe.

Despite the above, FAWU continued to be part of many struggles of the working class such as the 1955 formation of the Freedom charter, the 1956 women march among others.

FAWU believed that women are not a separated section of community members, particularly in the community struggles and through again its leader Ray Alexender together with Hilda Bernstein formed the women movement called Federation of South African Women which advocated for the women equality in workplaces and in the society including children. This did not only argue for the voice and rights of women on equity perspective but also became a symbol of non-racialism as the members were coming from all race groups.

FAWU also played a pivotal role joining the mass democratic movement in later years with its Cadres as revolutionaries across formations including among others UDF, SASCO etc.

FAWU played an important role in the formation of COSATU to unite workers into one Federation and Chris Dlamini who was the President of FAWU became its founding Vice President and Jay Naidoo becoming its founding General Secretary. To date, FAWU remain principled to have together with other affiliates formed SAFTU (South African Federation of Trade Unions) as a Federation that is militant, campaigning, democratic and without any political relationship yet without being apolitical. 

FAWU will always be honoured to have worked with and took a baton from earlier generation of many revolutionary cadres in our labour movement such as Oscar Mpetha, Lizzie Abrahams, Chris Dlamini, Elizabeth Mafikeng, Frances Baard, Jay Naidoo, Lizzie Pike, David Maseko and many others in driving the liberation struggle

As a trade Union that is also responsible to respond to socio-economic challenges facing the working class, FAWU has in the current generation embarked on campaigns such as illicit trading, chicken dumping and all forms of unfair international trade, sugar tax etc. We shall continue to represent the risk members are faced with in workplaces during COVID-19 as they make profits for bosses through their labour without any compensation that matches their effort.

 

We salute all members of FAWU who remain as members in the struggle of workers in all our sectors against exploitation of bosses whose interest remain profit maximisation at the expense of members conforming to a capitalist greed system. 

FAWU acknowledges the challenges it has internally and externally. The unity and cohesion remains a test for the Union. Members are assured that the organisation will improve to be in its best efficiency for members to receive the best service they deserve including to ensure that there is respect of their constitution, policies and resolutions of FAWU. The affairs of the Union shall also improve to be in line with the exact mandate of the structures of the Union. The union officials will improve in defending the workers demands at all cost.

FAWU undertakes to take the struggle forward especially the vulnerable such as farm workers, workers in the restaurants and fast-food outlets, retail and hospitality and other sectors. The struggle will also continue against many challenges ranging from the crushing of Unions by the current government, such as new laws that makes it impossible for workers to go on strike, the minimum wage which entrenches more poverty, privatisation, refusing review neo-liberal policies to address poverty, unemployment and inequalities.

A day before the FAWU anniversary is the date FAWU lost one of the most selfless organiser in Cde Dr Neil Agget, who despite all forms of intimidation by the racist government,  remained determined to help the society and workers whose poor health condition through appalling working conditions in workplaces are given medical attention especially in black communities. A Cadre who never surrendered despite all forms of torture such as electric shock, assault but continued until his last moment on the 05^th February 1982. FAWU believes that Cde Dr Neil did not commit suicide but was assassinated. In this anniversary, we vow to continue with the campaign of ensuring that justice is served as the inquest is in progress in the South Gauteng High Court in that all those who contributed to his death are severely punished. 

FAWU will continue to drive the struggle of workers and to work with the working class in general in order to advocate for the liberation of the workers and the poor. 

 

Enquiries:Mayoyo Mngomezulu, FAWU General Secretary on 082 440 4039, mngomezulu.mayoyo@fawu.org.za or Vuka Chonco, FAWU Deputy General Secretary on 082 499 5854, vuka.chonco@fawu.org.za

FAWU National Office Bearers: President- Atwell Nazo, 1st Deputy President -Linda Ngqokoma, 2nd Deputy President-Patrick Maseko, Treasurer-Mark Oliver, General Secretary- Mayoyo Mngomezulu, Deputy General Secretary -Vuka Chonco

FAWU Salutes A Fallen Comrade ... Hamba Kahle Cde Serathi