UPDATE: EFF-assisted protest at the track disrupts horse-racing
Their biggest gripe is low wages, but an agreement has been reached and horses will now be cared for by their grooms again.
North Rand Training Centre employees protest outside the gates in Midrand, Johannesburg, 21 June 2018, demanding a wage increase. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Grooms at the North Rand Training Centre, Randjesfontein, Midrand, are expected to return to work today, after they blocked the entrance and refused to feed the horses for three days.
The striking grooms also led to yesterday’s Vaal race meeting being cancelled and one of the country’s leading trainers initially reportedly suffered a heart attack during negotiations, though his condition was later confirmed to be only as a result of high blood pressure.
It is alleged that a small number of grooms initially downed tools, but that they enlisted the help of the EFF, which led to their colleagues joining the protest.
According to the protesters, wages are extremely low and working conditions leave plenty to be desired. Their demand is that the employers “meet them halfway” in wage negotiations.
Employers at the centre met members of the EFF and the grooms yesterday and reached a temporary wage settlement that would allow its gates to reopen and horses to be attended to again.
It was alleged the centre’s about 700 horses had not been fed, watered or trained for three days, though management later confirmed they had taken other measures to ensure their care was not interrupted.
Solomon Makomo, one of the protesters outside the centre, said he liked the reaction the protest had caused and he hoped it would bear fruit.
He said: “These white people do not want to give us our money. They pay me R1 200 a fortnight … and I have three children and a wife. I can’t have my wife close to me in Johannesburg because I don’t have enough money to even support myself.”
Another protester, Pitso Naki, said: “I’m so sad because we’ve been working here for such a long time and we don’t get as much as we expect to get paid. The trainers have money to do many things. We don’t do anything because we can’t afford to do anything, so we are expecting them to raise our salaries to R7 000 from R2 000. If not, we will continue to protest.”
Zola Mabane, an immigrant from Zimbabwe, said: “I’ve been working since 2009 and [my employer] keeps saying she won’t give me anything because I am a foreigner. How can she hire someone and then tell them now that they’re a foreigner? Now you want to rob me of my money by telling me I’m a foreigner?”
Acclaimed trainer Mike de Kock was reported to have had a heart attack during the negotiations.
JSE-listed racing and betting company Phumelela’s racing manager Clyde Basel said De Kock was doing well and recovering. According to Basel wage negotiations had to be handled by the trainers and their respective grooms.
“Phumelela leases the stables to the trainers and we need to ensure they abide by the conditions.
“They are also licensed by the National Horseracing Authority (NHA) and it is up to the NHA to ensure that trainers abide by the conditions of the licence.”
He said the trainers had engaged with their grooms and it was his understanding they had reached an agreement.
“Trainers at Turffontein and the Vaal will now engage with their grooms and hopefully they, too, will come to an agreement.
“Even though we need to understand the situation is volatile, I am not under the impression that Sunday’s Turffontein meeting is at risk,” said Basel.
– jenniffero@citizen.co.za
– JackM@Phumelela.com
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NOTE: This story was updated at 10.20am on Friday to reflect De Kock did not suffer a heart attack and the horses were not left to go uncared for. The headline was also updated.
