Moos has been working at the factory for a total of 35 years. "This place became my home and my family. My pain was their pain. If I cried, they cried, but when I laughed, our collective laughter rang up to the very top of the Outeniqua Mountains."
The McCain factory is still in production, but at the end of the current carrot packing season in mid-November the next group of workers will be leaving. Currently 35 permanent and 45 seasonal personnel are still at work. At the end of February the factory and the factory shop will be closed for the final time.
Table Top to rock bottom
Esmeralda Stoffels, safety, health and environment assistant, feels as if her heritage has been ripped out of her heart. "As long as I can remember there has been a Table Top in the town. Twenty-three years ago I got my first 'proper' job here, a job that included medical aid, pension and leave. I was chuffed as I thought my future was secured by my position and that one day I would retire comfortably. My plan was to retire at the age of 65. The working environment and support from the company was healthy and conducive to me improving my standard of living."
Stoffels' two children received bursaries through the company. "I believe that McCain's will continue upholding their commitment and that my daughter's bursary will be honoured until she completes her dentistry course, provided she keeps her side of the bargain."
Through the years Table Top, Pillsbury, I&J and McCain encouraged staff members to study further and qualify in the areas applicable to their working environment via bursaries or in-house courses. "Many of us grabbed the opportunity with both hands. I am pleased I did as this has improved my marketability for the job market which I now face."
When asked about the reaction when the staff first heard of the possibility of the plant closing, she answered, "When the staff first started hearing of the possibility of a complete shutdown they all thought it can't be and the expectation was that there would be a turn around. In the past this has always been the case. I will more than likely be the last to go as I do the 'exist medical examination' when the staff leave. It was good to be associated with the company in George."
Early retirement
Willem du Plessis started work at Table Top in 1989 as a fitter and turner. After a stint at the big factory in Springs he qualified as an ammonia refrigeration technician. "One thing for which I will be forever grateful is that I was given ample opportunity to improve my qualifications, knowledge and expertise by doing various courses through the company."
Having worked and maintained the equipment for many years he is heartbroken to see the superb quality stainless steel structures being dismantled. "The structures were superbly designed, mechanically sound and carefully built by dedicated skilled artisans, with hands-on knowledge, overseen by professionals with years of academic education under the belt." Most of the metal is loaded on large interlink trucks ready to be transported to the Springs and Delmas factories or else it will be carted away for scrap "or it will be siphoned off through the hole in the wall by the tik smokers in the community." The team of extremely knowledgeable people, the pool of expertise, is unfortunately being broken-up and dispersed and is swelling the ranks of 'the new generation of early retirement home sitters', a worrying pheno-menon that is growing by the day.
In 2004, when McCain took over from I&J, the McCain top brass addressed the staff at their new acquisition in George. A woman and mother humbly stood up and asked, "Are they going to sell us and close us down?" The heads of McCain virtually scoffed at the question saying, "We grow and expand, we don't close down. We are the worldwide market leaders in the frozen chip market. That is not our style."
They were right. Under McCain's leadership the factory grew and they proudly achieved the American Institute of Bakeries (AIB) gold status for the quality of their frozen vegetables.
Many reasons have been given as to why the factory is closing down. "Some are understandable such as the lowering of import taxes, which means that it is cheaper to bring in chips from Belgium and vegetables from China. Other reasons were illogical like the one that the George factory is too far from the farms."
Casuals will suffer
Du Plessis has built up a pension that will have to be supplemented, but he says he will survive. "The real losers are the casual labourers, the factory and farm hands. Life is a cycle and at some stage it is a nightmare, which is also unfortunately applicable to the rest of George. The municipality will miss the monthly service payments. I hope, but doubt they will be able to make it up."
Early in October two gentlemen arrived with the blessing of head office and asked lots of questions. Some thought that they were perhaps interested in taking over the plant until it was realised that they were looking for equipment to upgrade their plant somewhere upcountry.
The land is zoned industrial so without council's consent and rezoning the chance of another housing project is not an option. Council will have to act decisively or else the land, normally an asset, will become a financial nightmare that will sap its reserves.
Willem du Plessis started work at Table Top in 1989 as a fitter and turner.
The McCain factory will see its last working shift in mid-November.
ARTICLE: MYRON RABINOWITZ
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