OF THE challenges facing the governments of developing countries, there cannot be one starker than balancing the concerns of the producers, market and capital as well as the plight of the downtrodden.
Since we took office in June last year, we have elevated all our stakeholders to a priority level. To this effect, we have fine-tuned our relations with the farmers' unions and made sure that we increase the frequency of our meetings.
In the process we are continuously engaging sector players in all the three branches of this ministry and department - agriculture, forestry and fisheries - to not only understand and appreciate the issues but also to create strong relations with producers, researchers, markets, suppliers, exporters and so on.
It is against this background that we also decided that we need to urgently get to another critical, if not often-neglected constituency - the farm workers and farm dwellers.
Together with domestic workers, farm workers are among the most vulnerable sections of the South African working class. While a number of measures, including legislation, have been put in place to protect them, most still do not enjoy the most basic social achievements of the democratic dispensation, such as better wages and improved and fair conditions of employment.
Most farm workers depend on the sectoral determination to receive a minimum wage and other minimum standards. They do not feel connected to the sector in terms of job fulfilment and career paths.
The recent rise in food prices across the world in a context of continuous population growth further underscores the need to improve the overall performance of the agricultural sector. As with all other industries, labour is critical in such a pursuit.
Despite these challenges this government is committed to the creation of an agricultural sector that offers a future to all those who are involved in it. We would like to see an inclusive sector with a dynamic contribution by the workers as well as corresponding benefit by them.
In trying to address these challenges it is important for us to recall the perspectives and commitment that we made as South Africans at the National Land Summit of 2005. The summit called for, among other things, a moratorium on evictions and the need for effective legislation to combat this phenomenon. It raised the need for magistrates to improve their effectiveness and attention to the problems of farm workers.
It noted the daily difficulties encountered by evictees, most of whom did not have legal representation when faced by eviction. To address this, a number of recommendations were suggested, the sum of which would be the strengthening of the Labour Tenants Act of 1996 and the Extension of Security of Tenure Act of 1997.
Since the beginning of the year we have hosted provincial farm workers' summits and this will now culminate in a national summit to be held in the Western Cape on Friday and Saturday July 30 and31.
More than 1 000 farm workers will be in attendance at this summit where they will be expected to share with us testimonials of both success stories and recurring challenges that hamper the improvement of their lot.
Far from being a gripe session, the summit aims to take the best lessons and try to emulate them and spread them around the country. It is for this reason that farmers who have been very supportive in improving conditions of their workers will also share testimonials.
The summit will recognise some of the sterling work that has been done by some of our farmers in improving the conditions of their workers.
Over and above BBBEE, the summit will also focus on other burning issues of security of tenure, social conditions and security.
Our view - which should be located in the election manifesto of the ruling party, the ANC - is that for agriculture (and indeed fisheries and forestry) to prosper, it cannot be at the expense of any of the constituencies.
The manifesto committed the government to "work together with the farming community to improve the living conditions of farm dwellers, including the provision of subsidised houses and other basic services, provide support for organised labour to organise and unionise farm workers and increase the capacity of the Department of Labour to enforce labour legislation."
All this we can do if we work together as partners. And the farm workers summit will be geared to achieve this, by gathering information, studying best practices and developing strategies to improve the social conditions of our farm workers and farm dwellers.
The resolutions of this summit will be the basis for government policy and laws in addressing the plight of farm dwellers.
What we are called on to do is to act. We are ready to act, but not from above, but with all the constituencies. One of the cardinal precepts informing this government of the fourth parliament is not only a commitment to effective government but also an attention to the style of government. Therefore, as we raise the profile of the most vulnerable section of our people, we want to do so with them.
- The writer is Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Farm workers to set own future at indaba
OF THE challenges facing the governments of developing countries, there cannot be one starker than balancing the concerns of the producers, market and capital as well as the plight of the downtrodden.
Since we took office in June last year, we have elevated all our stakeholders to a priority level. To this effect, we have fine-tuned our relations with the farmers' unions and made sure that we increase the frequency of our meetings.
In the process we are continuously engaging sector players in all the three branches of this ministry and department - agriculture, forestry and fisheries - to not only understand and appreciate the issues but also to create strong relations with producers, researchers, markets, suppliers, exporters and so on.
It is against this background that we also decided that we need to urgently get to another critical, if not often-neglected constituency - the farm workers and farm dwellers.
Together with domestic workers, farm workers are among the most vulnerable sections of the South African working class. While a number of measures, including legislation, have been put in place to protect them, most still do not enjoy the most basic social achievements of the democratic dispensation, such as better wages and improved and fair conditions of employment.
Most farm workers depend on the sectoral determination to receive a minimum wage and other minimum standards. They do not feel connected to the sector in terms of job fulfilment and career paths.
The recent rise in food prices across the world in a context of continuous population growth further underscores the need to improve the overall performance of the agricultural sector. As with all other industries, labour is critical in such a pursuit.
Despite these challenges this government is committed to the creation of an agricultural sector that offers a future to all those who are involved in it. We would like to see an inclusive sector with a dynamic contribution by the workers as well as corresponding benefit by them.
In trying to address these challenges it is important for us to recall the perspectives and commitment that we made as South Africans at the National Land Summit of 2005. The summit called for, among other things, a moratorium on evictions and the need for effective legislation to combat this phenomenon. It raised the need for magistrates to improve their effectiveness and attention to the problems of farm workers.
It noted the daily difficulties encountered by evictees, most of whom did not have legal representation when faced by eviction. To address this, a number of recommendations were suggested, the sum of which would be the strengthening of the Labour Tenants Act of 1996 and the Extension of Security of Tenure Act of 1997.
Since the beginning of the year we have hosted provincial farm workers' summits and this will now culminate in a national summit to be held in the Western Cape on Friday and Saturday July 30 and31.
More than 1 000 farm workers will be in attendance at this summit where they will be expected to share with us testimonials of both success stories and recurring challenges that hamper the improvement of their lot.
Far from being a gripe session, the summit aims to take the best lessons and try to emulate them and spread them around the country. It is for this reason that farmers who have been very supportive in improving conditions of their workers will also share testimonials.
The summit will recognise some of the sterling work that has been done by some of our farmers in improving the conditions of their workers.
Over and above BBBEE, the summit will also focus on other burning issues of security of tenure, social conditions and security.
Our view - which should be located in the election manifesto of the ruling party, the ANC - is that for agriculture (and indeed fisheries and forestry) to prosper, it cannot be at the expense of any of the constituencies.
The manifesto committed the government to "work together with the farming community to improve the living conditions of farm dwellers, including the provision of subsidised houses and other basic services, provide support for organised labour to organise and unionise farm workers and increase the capacity of the Department of Labour to enforce labour legislation."
All this we can do if we work together as partners. And the farm workers summit will be geared to achieve this, by gathering information, studying best practices and developing strategies to improve the social conditions of our farm workers and farm dwellers.
The resolutions of this summit will be the basis for government policy and laws in addressing the plight of farm dwellers.
What we are called on to do is to act. We are ready to act, but not from above, but with all the constituencies. One of the cardinal precepts informing this government of the fourth parliament is not only a commitment to effective government but also an attention to the style of government. Therefore, as we raise the profile of the most vulnerable section of our people, we want to do so with them.
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