The Commercial Stevadoring and Allied Workers Union (CSAAWU) is supporting 50 workers against an illegal lockout by Robertson Abbatoirs, that started on Tuesday 26th November 2010. CASAAWU and the workers need support from activists, social movements and progressive organisations.
CSAAWU has been engaging the employer for a while in order to stop the illegal practice of demanding that workers work excessive number of hours as overtime under conditions that bear resemblance to slavery. At times workers had to work from 6am till midnight – “the company treated black workers not as human beings but as an extension of machinery”. According to pay slips some have had to work as many as 39 hours overtime in a week, in contravention of the basic Conditions of Employment Act of 1995 (BCEA) that stipulates that the maximum overtime a worker can be expected to work is 10 hours per week or 2 hours per day. The Department of Labour in Worcester has failed to enforce compliance with the law.
On the 19th of November CSAAW had a meeting with the employer where they reached an agreement that the company would adhere to the BCEA. The company claims that under these conditions it cannot meet production requirements – to slaughter 850 sheep per day. CSAAWU told the company that it would be prepared to negotiate a system to overcome bottlenecks in production. Instead of negotiating the company resorted to an illegal lockout and to bring in labour from the poor community in Paarl. The use of desperate labour from other communities is a way for owners to exploit the more and more desperate situation of the poor and unemployed in these times of economic crisis as a tool to create division within the working class and depress wages.
This is creating conditions that ‘have great potential for violence’ and CSAAWU is struggling to keep workers from entering the factory to force scab labour out. CSAAWU wants to prevent this, as it would only turn the poor against the poor and give employer the opportunity to bring in the police. CSAAWU is willing to explore any path that can resolve this conflict and secure proper working conditions for the abattoir workers currently under lock out.
CSAAWU and workers have sought political intervention by the Mayor from the Langeberg Municipality and the local councillor to facilitate workers’ return to work, but they did not manage to get the employer to agree. The mayor set up a subsequent meeting at his office but the employer failed to attend. Lawyers acting for CSAAWU have sent a letter to the employer demanding that he complies with the law and allows workers to return to work by Friday 3rd December, by 10 am. Otherwise an urgent appeal will be lodged with the Labour Court. Parallel to this the case is appearing before the CCMA (Commission for Conciliation, mediation and Arbitration) to deal with wages and working conditions.
Workers at the Robertson Abattoir who joins the CSAAWU are being penalized by the company. Previously there was another trade union with whom the employers said he had ‘good relations’. Workers had problems with this ‘sweet- heart’ union and chose to join CSAWWU.
What kind of support does CSAAWU and the workers need?
There are several ways in which we can act in solidarity with the CSAAWU and the workers being locked out of Robertson Abattoir.
1) CSAAWU and workers at the Robertson Abattoir need to make their struggle known and publicised amongst other communities. This we can achieve by mobilizing solidarity campaigns, and spreading the message throughout our networks and contacts in the media. A victory for CSAAW and workers will send a strong message to the employer and other farmers in the area who supply the animals to the abattoir. A victory for CSAAW and workers will strengthen the power of the working class and its unions throughout the region and it will be an important step in the struggle towards better working and living conditions for the rural working class.
2) If the workers have not been allowed to return to their work within […...] CSAAWU will take the Robertson Abattoir to the Labour Court on Monday 6th of December. When that happens CSAAWU will need your support on the day. In order to obtain more information join CSAAWU on facebook. “Defend CSAAWU Campaign”
2) Each worker is responsible for supporting and feeding, on average, 6 people. The appeal is for donations of food as at the moment there is no food in the 50 households, which are now facing starvation.
3) The main markets for the Robertson Abattoir meat are Woolworths and Excellent Meat. They need to be made aware that as citizens we will not put up with retailers who buy their commodities from companies that are treating their workers as slaves. We will start a campaign to expose this.
Their contact details are as follows:
1) Woolworths Head Office Details
Tel: (021) 407 9111, Fax: (021) 4073939
(International callers dial +27-21-407 9111)
Email: custserv woolworths.co.za
Physical Address
Woolworths House
93 Longmarket Street
Cape Town 8001, South Africa
2) Excellent Meat Corporation
Epping Close, Elsies River Industria, 7490,
Tel +27 (0)21 929 7300 | 021 929 7300, Fax +27 (0) 21 931 7331
reception excellentmeat.co.za
General Contact:
Jonathan Herbert
+27 (0) 21 929 7378, +27 (0) 83 252 0745
jonathan excellentmeat.co.za