Audrey D’Angelo
Approximately 9 000 farm workers in the Hex River valley waited patiently outside the Worcester civic centre for most of yesterday, while Cosatu representatives Tony Ehrenreich and Mike Louw negotiated with farmers on their behalf for the daily rate of pay to be increased to R150 from R69.
This followed two days of violence, in which about 50 hectares of grape vines were burned.
Breede Valley municipality ward councillors said the workers, from about 250 farms, earned R69 for a nine hour day and had been offered R80, but were holding out for R150.
On Tuesday 8 000 workers had waited outside the community centre for an outcome to the talks and yesterday the number had swelled to about 9 000. But everything had been quiet.
Porchia Adams, the communications officer of Agri Wes-Cape, said the grapes would come to no harm from neglect during the protest because there were irrigation systems in place.
But the discussions ended after 5pm yesterday with no agreement being reached, according to ward councillor Pat Marran, who said the farmers had not agreed to continue today because one of their representatives could not be there.
According to Marran, they also said they had no mandate to reach an agreement.
“Our biggest fear now is that the workers will resort to violence,” he said.
“While negotiations were continuing they had hope.”
He suspected that the farmers wanted the negotiations to drag on as long as possible because they were saving money.
Before the discussions began, Ehrenreich commented: “The ill treatment and under-payment of workers by some farmers must stop or we will see a Marikana in De Doorns.”
Ehrenreich said later: “Negotiations will continue on Friday… Cosatu will be there, but Agri-West, with whom we were negotiating, will not take part because it is against collective bargaining.
“Some farmers are willing to pay the increase but we have been negotiating for all to benefit. If some of the farmers can afford to pay, then they must all be able to do so since their costs are the same.”