Pretoria - Members of the regional EFF labour desk, who protested against alleged instances of “racism” at the Huis Herfsblaar old-age home in Queenswood, Pretoria, last week, have come under fire from civil rights organisations for allegedly turning a sore point into a “political point-scoring campaign”.
Among those saying they should have stayed out of the matter is the Action Society organisation, which blasted the party for what they called a cowardly act, saying it was a mere ploy to intimidate the elderly residents of the home during the protest last Wednesday.
Schools and businesses in the area were on high alert as hundreds of EFF members made their way through the community to the old age home to protest on behalf of workers and unions at the facility.
Organisational spokesperson Ian Cameron said that the EFF had no “locus standi” or the right or capacity to bring action, nor did they have the mandate as a political party to legally represent workers or act as a union.
Cameron said the labour desk’s antics were nothing more than a sugar-coated campaign to try to win votes.
If anything, the spokesperson said, the group applauded Neighbourhood Watch groups and community members for lawfully organising themselves to support law enforcement officials while the EFF members were intimidating the elderly in an apparent cheap publicity stunt.
“If communities want to organise and mobilise themselves within the framework of the law, which they are allowed to do, they can reach out to Action Society for assistance.”
He added: “The recent looting and riots experienced in South Africa are a threat to all communities and law-abiding citizens who are organising and mobilising themselves to fight crime within the framework of the law. Ordinary citizens should pave the way forward for a safer South Africa.”
Head of the EFF regional labour desk Phillip Makwala rubbished the allegations and accused the organisation of trying to ignore the crucial issues raised by workers at the home.
Makwala said the party would not wait for jurisdiction while workers were subjected daily to racist treatment and harassment such as having cameras installed in the bathrooms they used.
To make matters worse, he said, the three unions at the home had been cut off from representing workers effectively to the extent that the workers had all but lost faith in their ability to help them.
“The unions themselves have been sidelined and denied communication because they did not even know of an agreement for workers to receive a R450 increase, as claimed. We are also residents of Queenswood and so we stood up for the workers.
“These people are misinformed and don’t even want to know or see some of the conditions workers are being subjected to. We have also been denied access to the facility but we wanted to help workers have their voices heard without fear of victimisation or losing their jobs.”
Tensions at the home erupted two weeks before the protest after a manager of the old age home allegedly called security after employees protested, demanding an increase.
Baatseba Nchabeleng, co-ordinator of the labour desk, said the old age home had employed qualified nurses and yet only paid them R3 200 a month – way below the minimum wage for qualified nurses.
The home indicated that it had received the party’s memorandum. However, the home would not be speaking to the media yet.
The memorandum called for the home to comply with all the labour legislation, particularly the Employment Equity Act and the National Minimum Wage.
Secondly, they demanded the immediate termination of contracts of the security company that had allegedly been used against employees for exercising their rights.
And lastly they wanted open engagements with the employer on behalf of the employees on the basis of an alleged interdict against the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union, the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of South Africa, and The South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union, which are the three unions representing workers at Huis Herfsblaar.
Pretoria News