Police take action against striking Joubertina farm workers

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Police fired rubber bullets to disperse striking farm workers who barricaded the R-62 near Joubertina.

Around 300 farm workers employed by the Dut Toit Group embarked on a legal strike on Wednesday demanding a centralised bargaining process for farm workers in the Western and Eastern Cape.

The Eastern Cape Secretary of the Food and Allied Workers Union, Luyanda Matuntuta, says after engaging the company on the issue the matter was taken up with the CCMA.

He told Algoa FM News after no resolution could be found in the CCMA a strike notice was issued for a protected strike.

Meanwhile, commenting on the protest, Matuntuta condemned the police action against the striking workers, including wounding one worker in the head.

"Those workers were picketing and singing and the police did not want to listen, they were not posing any harm. The police just shot those workers, one worker was shot in the head." says Matuntuta.

Du Toit Agri's markeing director, Peter du Toit, told Algoa FM News that while they recognise the benefits of a national bargaining forum, Fawu only reperesents about 10% of the workers in Du Toit Agri.

He says the agricultural company does have recognition agreements with Fawu in two of its divisions, which he says Fawu should respect, until it has 50% plus representation in Du Toit Agri.

Dut Toit says about 300 workers at two packing houses in Ceres and Prince Alfred hamlet and one in Joubertina began their strike on Tuesday.

Commenting on Wednesday's police action, Du Toit had the following to say.

"I'm based in Ceres so I only hear second hand what's happening in Joubertina. We were very worried about that, although it's outside our gates, anywhere there is shooting is very unfortunate and we don't agree with that." says Du Toit.