Planned Sunnyside, CBD protests highlight migrant worker issue
“I work six days a week and earn R2 000 a month. From the R2 000 salary, I am supposed to pay my rent, which costs me R1 800 a month, and use the remaining R200 to support my two children for a whole month.”
Two planned protests – one of them that took place in the city centre today – intend to highlight South Africa’s growing migrant worker problem.
The first protest, by the Put South Africa First civil movement, was originally scheduled to take place last Saturday.
It has, however, been postponed to a yet-to-be-confirmed date after the organisation was dissatisfied that the march’s approved route excluded Sunnyside.
Plans were to march to the Union Buildings to demand that the government address the high number of undocumented immigrants in the country.
According to one of the march’s organisers, Monica Bow, they want the government to put measures in place to solve the influx of illegal immigrants into the country.
Another civil movement organisation, named SebataKgomo, said it would picket outside the Department of Labour in the city centre today to demand that the department ensures that employers obey South Africa’s labour laws.
The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) said it is concerned about the exploitation of Zimbabwean workers at the hands of some South African businesses.
“The problem is that bosses are exploiting Zimbabwean workers to make more profit,” WFTU president Mzwandile Makwayiba said.
Makwayiba said for South African businesses to employ Zimbabwean workers was not a problem, adding that no worker should be denied an opportunity to work in any country – be it a Zimbabwean or South African or any other nationality.
He said such exploitation could easily be viewed as “a form of slavery”.
“It is a genuine problem that needs both locals and Zimbabweans to work together to fight against it.”
He urged Zimbabwe’s working class to unite and work with South Africa to solve the problem.
“It is worrying that some local business owners prefer Zimbabwean workers over South Africans because it is easier to exploit undocumented foreign nationals.
“Some South African employers prefer foreign workers without the right documentation because they know that they do not form unions to fight for justice.
“It is easy to exploit them because they do not have collective bargaining.”
A Zimbabwean national, who works in a restaurant in Sunnyside, whose identity cannot be revealed, said life was difficult for him.
“I work six days a week and earn R2 000 a month. From the R2 000 salary, I am supposed to pay my rent, which costs me R1 800 a month, and use the remaining R200 to support my two children for a whole month.”
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