Farmworker Indaba Highlights Social Challenges on Wine Farms

The recent Agri Worker Indaba, hosted by Fairtrade Africa in the Western Cape, illuminated the pressing social issues facing wine farms in the region. Supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Department of Labour conducted workshops to address critical issues like child labour, alongside efforts to foster fair labour practices.

Covering a broad spectrum of topics, workshops delved into financial literacy, compliance, and the identification and impact of child labour. Ms. Unathi Ramabulana from the Department of Employment and Labour and emphasized the necessity of gender-inclusive solutions in tackling these challenges. Discussions led by Ramabulana also explored labour rights, encompassing working hours, leave policies, and minimum wage requirements.

Sipho Ndebele, chief director at the Department of Employment and Labour, highlighted the collaborative efforts between FairTrade, the ILO, and his department, particularly in combating child labou8r in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

The indaba didn't just stop at discussions; it took tangible steps to address these challenges:

• Capacity-building workshops were conducted to equip community-based organizations, workers, employers' organizations, and relevant government officials with tools and techniques to identify and combat child labour effectively.
• Awareness-raising information sessions were held for project stakeholders, focusing on South Africa's ratified international instruments, children's rights, and protections against child labour, including its worst forms.
• Information sessions centred on the contents of the Durban Call to Action on the elimination of child labour, emphasizing the roles civil society and children themselves can play in its implementation.
• Capacity-building workshops were provided for project stakeholders to integrate gender considerations into efforts to address and eradicate child labour.

Among the attendees, a journalist from “Food For Mzansi” was present, capturing the essence of the discussions and commitments made. Participants, highly engaged and interested in child labour prevention, were actively involved in the discussions and they expressed profound gratitude for the insights gained during the workshops, promising to serve as mouthpieces to spread awareness and share the knowledge they acquired with their employers, children, families, and farming colleagues.