HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT

IIn January 2021, the Rural Development Programme of the WCDoA appointed Daleen Turner Consultancy as part of a provincial project roll-out to hold a two-day skills development session in Vleiland, Laingsburg. It focused on labour rights and the rights and responsibilities of agri-workers.

The Vleiland rural community is about 50 km from Laingsburg. It is known for its fertile land and peach orchards and could be described as unique because it is located in the Central Karoo. Unfortunately, this area was not spared the extreme drought that has plagued the district for many years. Farmers resorted to selling their sheep and cattle, no longer exporting fruit, and turning to agri-processing methods like selling dried peaches, to survive. Most of the agri-workers in the rural community have been there for many years and everyone knows one another.

The Laingsburg municipality, as the local government partner and key stakeholder with the department, provided the venue at Vleiland free of charge and one of the local community development workers, Gloria Coakley, assisted with the recruitment and logistical arrangements. Daleen Turner, a well-known expert in the field of labour relations, facilitated the workshops.

To comply with the Disaster Management Act regulations and COVID-19 protocols under alert level 3, the workshop was divided into two days to ensure compliance. Each participant, while observing all health and safety protocols, was trained on nine topics outlined in Working Together: A quick guide for agri-workers, a labour booklet on the rights and responsibilities of agricultural employees regarding legislation. Thirtythree agri-workers were reached, which included many youths and females. Most of the participants were seasonal workers.

Participants with masks and the necessary social distancing.

The training was well received and everyone agreed that the information shared was relevant. There were clearly some misunderstandings and/or different interpretations regarding some of the legislative aspects. Some of the questions raised were the following:

 “Why does the employer deduct UIF for the permanent workers, but not for the seasonal workers?”

 “Do we as seasonal workers also have the right to payment for public holidays?”

 “Can the employer deduct money from me if I receive meat (“slagding”) from the employer?”

 “What happens if there is a public holiday during my annual leave period?”

 “If I need to go to the clinic for regular check-ups or to pick up my medication, can I expect sick leave payment?”

 “Do I need to stay away from work if I am waiting for a disciplinary hearing?”

 “If I want to extend my house on the farm with an extra room, can I ask the farm owner?”

 “Does the minimum wage di er with regard to how many years’ service you have?”

The training facilitator was able to answer all the above questions and provided relevant examples. Some of the feedback to the questions may not have been received well; however, it was based on legislative prescripts and ultimately accepted as such. The agri-workers were provided with

 “Whose responsibility is it to make sure my children are transported to school?”

 “If my child is injured on the farm, whose responsibility is it to take my child to the doctor/hospital and to pay for medical bills?”

 “What happens if I get sick during my annual leave – will I get paid out for my sick leave?”

 “If my house on the farm is not in a good condition, is the farm owner obligated to maintain the house?”

 “How long after a miscarriage should an employee resume work?”

 “What happens to my years of service and other conditions of employment when a new owner takes over the farm?”

 “If I have the right to live in the house for as long as I live, can the owner move me to alternative housing without my consent?” additional booklets to share with co-workers and their employers (producers). An issue that came up during the training days was that there was a need for the same training for producers. Opportunities will be explored for joint training interventions on the same topics to both target groups in future. AP