The South African fruit sector is awaiting the resumption of a farm worker strike, amongst indications that trade unions are employing new tactics to further their demands for a dramatic demand in minimum wages in the South African agricultural sector.
Leading trade union Cosatu’s Cape provincial leader, Tony Ehrenreich, has launched a campaign to enlist the support of European supermarkets and other institutions to boycott South African fruit.
It will be interesting to see how the international fruit trade will react, with most countries potentially viewing the troubles on South Africa's farms as a domestic issue.
Over the past two decades international retailers have played major roles in promoting ethical practices in South Africa, and unlike in the past, they now know the true situation on South African farms – it is doubtful that the Cosatu leader’s calls will receive much more than a lukewarm response.
What will be worrying to the South African fruit sector is that there is another strike threat, which could cause much more disruption than last November and December’s labour unrest. In most of the fruit-growing regions the stonefruit and grape harvesting and packing campaigns are in full swing, while early pear harvesting has also started.
The South African season is also later than last year and most regions are hoping that, after a slow start, they will catch up as the harvesting season moves into January.
While Ehrenreich's call has already been dismissed by some as a move that will only benefit South Africa's competitors, observers say that this tactic may indicate that the trade union is becoming desperate to avoid a low turnout by workers during upcoming strikes.
Employers are much more prepared, says one labour consultant, and during the past month companies have been in direct negotiation with their employees, signing new contracts with both permanent and seasonal workers. It is reported that 95 per cent of grape growers in the Hex River Valley have signed new contracts.
December stikes were called off after only two days when it became clear that the majority of workers did not have much of a stomach for protesting during the start of their most important period of income generation.
"We will have to see what happens this time, but is clear that this resumption will not change the view of most parties that the process prescribed by accepted labour legislation be followed in setting new minimum wages," explains one labour expert.
This means that negotiations for a new minimum wages will effectively get going much later: "We know that no deal will be struck this week and most people in the fruit industry are determined to maintain their normal harvest and export activities this week."
The longer-term effect of the incidents of the past two months in the South Africa's fruit industry will take longer to surface, with leading sources having indicated that it could result in job losses, or even growers changing to less labour-intensive industries.
