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Recent articles by Mandy Moussouris
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Recent Articles about Southern Africa Workplace strugglesΗ ταξική πάλη &... Nov 03 16 Alzamiento popular en Zimbabwe Sep 27 16 Why May Day matters to Botswana: radical roots, today's struggles Apr 24 15 Woman in the Robertson Winery strike southern africa |
workplace struggles |
opinion / analysis
 Friday December 16, 2016 22:19 by Mandy Moussouris - ILRIG
 Based on an interview with Shirley Davids In what will no doubt become known as a historic strike, women workers at Robertson Winery have played a key role, both because they form the majority of the striking workers but also as leaders of the strike. Women constitute more than 50% of workers at Robertson Winery. Traditionally, they have been employed to do the general work at the winery. This is because of patriarchal attitudes towards women and work that are strong in the rural areas of South Africa. Women are not employed as operators, forklift drivers or generally in higher paying jobs. Because women are generally employed to do non- skilled work they from the majority of lowest paid workers at the Winery making the struggle for a living wage even more important for them. The strike is particularly important for women not just because they earn the lowest wages but also because the mobilisation of workers has raised awareness not only around the issue of a just wage and better working conditions, but also around issues of equality. Women must be treated equally and given equal opportunities to do jobs like machine operators and fork lift drivers. Other unfair practices like people getting positions if their family work there are also issues that are coming to the fore as workers fight for a more just and equitable workplace. As leaders in the strike women have been at the forefront. Most of the committee leaders are women. The strike has set up different committees to deal with the different aspects that arise during strikes, these include fundraising committee, taxi/transport committee, education committee, lobbying committee and door to door mobilisation. This is ensuring that women’s voices are heard and their role in the strike, the workplace and the union is being valued. A strike is a huge sacrifice that workers make for justice now and in the future, none more so than for single mothers who have no other source of income. Their entire family relies solely on their low wages and whilst this is a huge hardship women have been very strong in the strike. Women more than most understand the importance of getting a living wage for them and their children’s futures. Any increase of R 6000 and above will at least be a living wage. Women are excited about getting a living wage and are willing to fight. The Commercial Stevedoring Agriculture and Allied Workers’ Union (CSAAWU) with support from other unions across the world and comrades in South Africa have been handing out food parcels which are helping. Women in the community are also showing strong solidarity to the striking workers, neighbours are helping and the community is making soup for hungry workers. One of the main purchases of the strike fund is nappies and milk to ensure that children do not suffer. The lesson that is coming out of the strike for women in particular is that we need to support each other in really hard times. Before the strike a lot of the women did not know each other and now they have learned from each other and are getting to know each other. Through workshops women are learning each other’s weaknesses and strengths. We are learning that it is important for women to work together and attend workshops because they build solidarity which keeps everyone going. Our Comrades at FOS SA interviewed Anell (29), a worker of Robertson Winery, who is demanding a living wage of R8 500, says: “I have been working for Robertson Winery for 8 years now. It is tough. We need to provide for our children. I am a single mother of a seven year old boy. I live with my sister because I cannot afford a home of my own. As a mother you sacrifice a lot. I will go hungry to bed if that means my son can have food for dinner.”
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Beginning on Sunday 28 August, Wits students have been littering parts of campus in solidarity with the cleaners’ strike. Cleaners throughout South Africa are demanding a living wage of R4 200 per month: this compares with less than R2 000 paid to cleaners at Wits, who are employed by outsourcing companies such as Supercare. The strike has been undermined, at Wits and elsewhere, by the presence of scab labour; Wits management and the outsourcing companies are striving for “business as usual”. This undermines the entire purpose of the strike, which is to compel exploiter-managers to meet workers’ demands by withdrawing their labour, by preventing the job from getting done – by making sure the campus is not clean.
A Melbourne Anarchist Commounist Group Statement in support of South African public sector strike
The Federation of Anarchists of Greece (OAE) is calling for a further action in terms of unity and organisation.
The Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Federation (southern Africa) supports the public sector strikers, not just in their demand for a wage increase of 12%, which has now been reduced to 10%, but also in their struggle to improve the standard of all public sector services.
The APF will be hosting a May Day Workers Rally in the community of Residensia (Sebokeng – Vaal Triangle) at Tshepo Themba School at 10h00 tomorrow in support of all the working class struggles in the country. more >> |
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