1. Freedom of Association, Collective Bargaining and the Struggle for a Minimum Wage FOR ILO WORKSHOP: AGRICULTURE SECTOR 13-17 August 2013 saliem patel labour research service saliem@lrs.org.za

2. LRS MEMBER UNIONS

3. Overview The Right to Freedom of Association, Organise and Collective Bargaining Is there a problem of low wages? The argument for a minimum wage But are we ready? Strategy and Tactics

4. GDP: All Components

5. Agriculture

6. Employment

7. Fundamental Conventions Adopted by SA C029 - Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) 05 Mar 1997. C087 - Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) 19 Feb 1996 C098 - Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) 19 Feb 1996 C100 - Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) 30 Mar 2000 C105 - Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) 05 Mar 1997 C111 - Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) 05 Mar 1997 C138 - Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)Minimum age specified: 15 years 30 Mar 2000 C182 - Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) 07 Jun 2000

8. Minimum Wage: Selected Industries (2012)

9. Distribution of Minimum Wages in 2012 Agreements

10. Poverty wages: 40% of workers and their families live on $2.50 a day

11. Sectoral Determinations

12. MEDIAN MINIMUM WAGES BY BARGAINING LEVEL, 2012 (RANDS PER MONTH)

13. Sectoral Determination 13 Farm Worker Sector

14. The Arguments Low wages contributes to poverty Low wages leads to ill-health, high turn over of labour, absenteeism – low productivity is a consequence of low pay rather than its cause. Low wages is a disincentive for companies to invest in tech and R&D to increase productivity. Low wages presents unfair competition to “good” employers and prevents them from long term planning as the “bad” employer is subsidised by paying low wages. A national minimum wage can alleviate poverty but has its limitations. Broader policies are required – Social Protection, National Development Plan – but wages and conditions which should be an integral part of this – is excluded.

15. ARE WE READY? Performance in sectoral determinations & CB Performance in social dialogue Performance in organising - decline in union density No effective strategies to build solidarity and unity. No campaign/process to determine the minimum and no agreement on the minimum Perhaps accusations that unions are aloof, out of touch, serving other interests is really guiding union strategies. Perhaps not – we just don’t know what to do – but then we better start trying!!

16. Strategy and Tactics New methods to do the following: A ttention to needs on the ground, A ctivism to mobilise mass campaigns A ccountability to constituency Draw from our history Draw from what other organisations are doing Draw from international experience Education, Education…..Theory and Practice

17. Group Discussion WHAT HAPPENED IN THE WESTERN CAPE AGRICULTURAL AREA DESCRIBE AND EXPLAIN 1.WHAT ACTIVITES OCCURRED? 2.HOW INTENSIVE AND EXTENSIVE WERE THE ACTIVIITES? 3.WHO PARTICIPATED, HOW DID DIFFERENT GROUPS/PEOPLE PARTICIPATE? 4.WHO SUPPORTED; WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT? 5.WHO DID NOT SUPPORT; WHY DID THEY NOT SUPPORT? 6.WHO WAS AGAINST; WHAT DID THEY DO AGAINST IT? WHY DID IT HAPPEN: EXPLAING THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTORS PROVIDE EVIDENCE 1.EXTERNAL /INTERNAL FACTORS? 2.CHANGES IN PEOPLE’S SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, POLICAL CONDITIONS? 3.CHANGES IN PEOPLES’ AWARENESS? 4.CHANGES IN PEOPLES’ RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER OR BETWEEN GROUPS OF PEOPLE? WHAT ARE THE LESSONS FOR UNIONS/MY UNION/MYSELF REASON/S1.WHAT IMPACT DID THE ACTIONS HAVE ON UNIONS/MY UNION/MYSELF 2.WHAT IMPACT DID IT HAVE ON RELATIONSHIPS AND WHY THIS IS SIGNIFICANT? 3.IS THIS IMPACT SUSTAINABLE?