Minister to discuss De Doorns strike

Hundreds of protesting farmworkers gathering on the N1 near De Doorns. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus. (File picture).

Hundreds of protesting farmworkers gathering on the N1 near De Doorns. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus. (File picture).

Published Nov 12, 2012

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Agriculture Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson was expected to hold an urgent meeting in Pretoria on Monday to discuss the strike by De Doorns farmworkers, The Star reported.

On Tuesday, she planned to meet farmworker representatives in Cape Town.

Her spokeswoman Palesa Mokomele said she planned to meet with, among others, representatives of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, and AgriSA.

They would discuss the farmworkers' national minimum wage, currently R69.99 a day. The De Doorns farmworkers wanted R150.

Last week protesters in De Doorns blocked the N1 highway in the area and set vineyards alight.

They said they had heard the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) was representing them. Most said they had no formal representation.

Cosatu provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich said workers rejected an offer of R80 a day, and called on them to stay away from work on Monday. He said farmworkers in Mpumalanga had started striking.

Western Cape agriculture forum Agri Wes-Cape called on farmworkers to return to work as the table grape season was in full swing.

Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant is attending a conference abroad. - Sapa

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