Real farm workers do not lose their jobs 2009-12-03
THE Paarl Post on 25 November ran an article titled “Concern over housing for evicted farmworkers”.
Telkom retrenches hundreds of workers, thousands of miners lose their jobs, companies close their doors to cut costs and fight bankruptcy, but if farmers cut on labour to save expenses in a faltering economy, the workers are “evicted”.
Where is the law that decrees that farmers must provide housing for their workers? Why only farmers? Why not factories, banks, schools, insurance companies, supermarkets etc?
If the municipality opposes farm evictions they must provide housing for farm residents who do not work or pay rental. Does the Council transport its employees to work, schools, and hospitals free of charge?
It is only those farm labourers who do not want to work, disobey orders, cause trouble, fight or steal ,who lose their jobs after being given warnings and ample notice.
They are treated much more humanely than thousands roaming the streets due to the general decline in business, overpopulation and laziness.
Farmers have tried for years to establish agricultural villages to supply housing for labourers away from their farms to make their diminishing property and profit more viable, but constant municipal council changes, indecision, backlog and lack of co-operation have prevented this from happening.Farmer’s wife
