Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant yesterday urged agricultural sector unions to be less militant as an increasing number of Western Cape farmworkers swell their ranks.
Oliphant visited two farms in the Citrusdal area, assessing the conditions under which farmworkers operated.
Last year, the Western Cape was hit by a series of strikes, with workers demanding R150 a day, almost double the R79 per day they were usually paid. Workers are now given a daily minimum wage of R105 - and Oliphant said farmers were complying with the new salary standard.
"Out of the 189 farms that were inspected this week, 109 were compliant with the new [minimum wage] of R105 per day while 79 have not yet complied.
"I was also impressed with the accommodation of the workers at the two farms I visited today and the relations they have with their employers," said Oliphant.
Oliphant said that, during herinspections, farmworkers were represented by shop stewards.
"I want to appeal to the leadership of the unions not just to appeal to the workers to go on strike; the workers need to take this decision themselves. They have to decide whether they want to go on strike or not, not the leadership," said Oliphant.
But the Food and Allied Workers Union yesterday rejected her call, saying the "exploitative conditions" under which farmworkers and their families lived still required improvement.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
