The farm worker strike in South Africa's Western Cape has disrupted traffic despite sources in the agriculture industry claiming that up to 80 per cent of permanently employed workers turned up for work today (10 January).
In the main table grape growing region, police used rubber bullets to disperse strikers barricading the N-1 highway between Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Elsewhere, at Grabouw in the major apple growing region, the N-2 highway connecting Cape Town with Port Elizabeth was also closed, with traffic diverted for part of the day.
Farmers' group Agri Wes-Cape claimed that 80 per cent of permanently employed farm workers in the fruit-growing area turned up for work.
Spokesperson Porchia Adams said most of those who failed to turn up for work did not live on the farms, claiming that they had been coerced into staying away from work.
In the Hex River Valley growers initially reported good attendance, but said they advised their workers to rather go home for fear that they would be victimised.
'We asked them to stay at home while the situation remains volatile. We had many calls from workers in the Worcester area who wanted to work but we can unfortunately not guarantee their safety,' said one Hex grower.
Reports have also been received of strike action in Wolseley and Villiersdorp in the Western Cape, while leading growers in Ceres reported a near-normal situation at work.
Some packers reported that they had to abandon packing of their early pears due to the strike. The fruit was due to be packed and shipped this week, but if the strike continues the fruit may miss this weekend’s container vessel, meaning it will arrive in Europe eight days later than expected.
Growers in the Hex River Valley said that while the strike this week is an inconvenience, and is costly in terms of lost working hours, the season is not yet in full swing. The disruption will therefore be less than if the strike was held later in the month.
