GEORGE NEWS - A group of striking farm workers employed by Haygrove Eden in George gathered at the Fourways crossing in Thembalethu on Tuesday 30 June to force their employer to shut down production for sanitising purposes after several workers tested positive for the coronavirus. A number of the workers downed tools on Saturday morning.
Clarence Mtyenele of the National Certificated Fishing and Allied Workers Union (NCFAWU) alleges that four of Haygrove's employees have tested positive during the past two weeks and that management has done nothing to ensure the safety of the remaining workers.
In a telephone interview with George Herald on Tuesday afternoon, Mtyenele said they want the workplace to be closed down for the recommended number of days and sanitised. "The people who were in direct contact with the infected must be placed in self-isolation. They have not shut down and sanitised. They sanitise while people are working. The people are fearing for their lives," he said.
Haygrove management emphatically denied the allegations and provided George Herald with two sanitation certificates as proof of their compliance with Covid-19 regulations.
Police on the scene during the strike on Tuesday morning, 30 June.
'In compliance'
However, Haygrove George management emphatically denies the allegations. The manager, Dirk Rabie, says they have indeed complied with all the Covid-19 regulations as stipulated by authorities. He supplied George Herald with two sanitation certificates, dated 16 and 28 June. According to Rabie the premises were sanitised by a hygiene company called Diversey, which was also employed to deep-clean and sanitise the pack-shed weekly, as well as other areas of the workplace.
"As the health and welfare of our workers is of paramount importance to us, Haygrove absolutely refutes the recent allegations made by Clarence Mtyenele with regards to our Covid-19 practices and protocols. To date, out of nearly 500 employees, three have tested positive, of which two have fully recovered and are now back at work. The third one was identified only yesterday [Monday 29 June]," he said.
He also said that tracking and tracing procedures are in place for any positive employees and subsequent testing and isolation is recommended as a result.
"All employees are screened for general health. Since 27 March, 20 people have been tested and 12 were put into self-isolation. We have since confirmed that mass testing, as demanded by NCFAWU, is not possible either through public or private laboratories."
Employees back at work
On Wednesday morning Rabie said all staff reported for duty and that operations were back to normal. But Mtyenele claims the only reason the workers went back to work was because they were intimidated and told they would lose their jobs if they didn't return.
"We will not let this go. The poor farm workers were intimidated with hearings if they did not report for duty. They even threatened my shop steward with charges if he failed to advise workers to return. We do not know how many people have been affected by now," he said.
Rabie refuted the allegations of intimidation. "We sympathise with the concern our employees may have with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic and we remain committed to their health and welfare whilst ensuring everything possible is being done to keep them safe. We refute the allegations of intimidation and stand by our employees during this difficult time."
'We bring you the latest George, Garden Route news'
