Letsitele farm workers demand to be paid

WORKERS of Batlhabine Farms in Letsitele, near Tzaneen vowed to take their grievances to the national offices of the department of rural development and land reform if they did not receive their salaries by Friday.

This came after the more than 170 workers returned to work last week Friday, following a four-day strike over unpaid salaries.

The workers are members of the National Union of Food Beverage Wine Spirits and Allied Workers (NUFBWSAW).

They downed tools last week demanding their August and September salaries.

NUFBWSAW Mopani regional organiser, Vincent Tiva, said the workers returned to work after officials in the provincial offices of the department gave their representatives assurance that a grant funding of about R5 million would be deposited into the bank account of the company running the farms on or before October 18.

“If we don’t get our salaries by this Friday, we are going straight to the office of the minister, Gugile Nkwinti, in Pretoria to present our grievances,” said shop steward, Anna Malatji.

The workers said they had not been paid for the past two months and whenever they asked about salaries, farm manager Bernie Stopforth kept on changing payment dates.

‘We went to the farm office to enquire about our September salaries, only to be told there was no money and we would be paid before the 15th of this month,” said one affected worker who preferred to remain anonymous.

Workers said they sent their representatives to the department in Polokwane after farm management failed to keep its promise to pay them.

“We have been patient with the farm’s management but we could no longer take it.

“Some of the children of the farm workers have stopped going to school due to lack of money for transport while our furniture are being repossessed due to non payment,’ said Malatji.

Stopforth conceded that the farm was experiencing a financial crisis, making them unable to pay workers, buy diesel or pay for municipal services.

He said that as soon as the grant funding was received from the department, workers would be paid all the money owed to them.