[:en]The stakeholders in the Laborie Dialogue Initiative (LDI) has reconfirmed their commitment to establishing a representative multi-stakeholder social dialogue platform. It invited like-minded civil society groups to join them in working towards sustainable transformation of the rural economy and to coordinate and share initiatives to improve the economic viability of the agricultural value-chain, including worker welfare and the livelihood of rural communities.
The LDI unanimously rejects the recent violent strikes and the destruction of property in the Ceres area. Stakeholders agreed that the opportunism and political exploitation for short-term gain that has been experienced in recent years during events like these, should be exposed and that those who make themselves guilty of intimidation, violence and damage of property should be held accountable for their actions. Continued violent and destructive actions are perpetuating historic stereotyping and misperceptions of the various stakeholders at the expense of workers and employers and cannot be condoned.
The LDI calls on the media to fairly report on events in a balanced way. Misinformation and exploitation of vulnerable workers by third parties via the media has been highly problematic in recent years.
The LDI encourages constructive workplace engagement and finding of constructive solutions. The LDI welcomes the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration’s (CCMA) proposed workplace mediation procedure for the agricultural sector which will be piloted in the next 3 – 4 months in the fruit sector in the Western Cape. This pilot forms part of the Fruit Industry Social Compact (FISC) developed by the Fruit Industry Value-Chain Round Table (FIVCRT) process under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and Fruit South Africa.
A similar round table has been established by the wine sector recently. Where appropriate common issues such as the development and implementation of best practices and procedures to deal with many rural challenges will be addressed jointly by the two round tables.
The LDI is considering approaches by various stakeholders to join the original group to work towards inclusiveness and fast track similar processes on a national, provincial and regional level. Stakeholders are convinced that joint and transparent initiatives such as the LDI is the only way to pave the way towards a new dispensation through which huge socio-economic challenges in rural areas could be addressed.
1 The LDI was formalised in June 2015 when the industry organisations Vinpro and HORTGRO representing the wine and deciduous fruit industries respectively, and FAWU (Food and Allied Workers’ Union) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The parties are committed to six focus areas, namely Economic Development; Social Development and Upliftment, Human Resource Development; Market Access, Development and Trade Promotion; Knowledge Management and Information Systems; and Technical Research, Transfer and Intelligence.The CCMA agreed to participate with the initiative, whilst AWETUC, representing several unaligned unions, are currently considering joining the LDI formally. AWETUC has attended a number of LDI meetings in recent months.[:za]Die belanghebbers in die Laborie Dialoog-inisiatief (LDI) het hul verbintenis tot die vestiging van ‘n verteenwoordigende multi-belangegroep sosiale dialoogplatform herbevestig. Die LDI het enersdenkende burgerlike samelewingsgroepe uitgenooi om by hulle aan te sluit om volhoubare transformasie van die landelike gemeenskap te bewerkstellig, asook in die koördinering en deel van inisiatiewe wat die ekonomiese lewensvatbaarheid van die landbouwaardeketting sal verbeter, insluitend die welsyn van werkers en die lewensomstandighede van landelike gemeenskappe.
Die LDI verwerp eenparig die gewelddadige stakings, asook die beskadiging van eiendom soos wat pas weer in die Ceres-area ondervind is. Belanghebbers het saamgestem dat die opportunisme en politieke uitbuiting vir korttermyn gewin wat in die onlangse jare tydens gebeurtenisse soos hierdie ervaar is, aan die kaak gestel moet word en dat diegene wat hulself skuldig maak aan intimidasie, geweld en beskadiging van eiendom aanspreeklik gehou moet word vir hul dade. Voortgesette gewelddadige en destruktiewe optrede hou historiese stereotipering en wanpersepsies van verskillende belangegroepe in stand ten koste van werkers en werkgewers, en kan nie goedgekeur word nie.
Die LDI doen ‘n beroep op die media om regverdig en gebalanseerd oor gebeure verslag te doen. Misinformasie en uitbuiting van kwesbare werkers deur derde partye via die media is ‘n hoogs problematiese verskynsel die afgelope paar jaar.
Die LDI moedig konstruktiewe gespreksvoering in die werksplek en die vind van konstruktiewe oplossings aan. Die LDI verwelkom die Kommissie vir Versoening, Bemiddeling en Arbitrasie (KVBA) se voorgestelde werksplekbemiddelingsprosedure vir die landbousektor, wat in die volgende 3-4 maande geloods gaan word in die vrugtesektor in die Wes-Kaap. Hierdie loodsprojek vorm deel van die Fruit Industry Social Compact (FISC), ontwikkel deur die Fruit Industry Value Chain Round Table-proses (FIVCRT) onder die beskerming van die Departement van Landbou, Bosbou en Visserye (DAFF) en Vrugte Suid-Afrika (FSA).
‘n Soortgelyke rondetafel-proses is onlangs deur die wynsektor in die lewe geroep. Toepaslike gemeenskaplike kwessies soos die ontwikkeling en implementering van beste praktyke en prosedures om verskeie landelike uitdagings aan te pak, sal gesamentlik deur die twee groeperinge ondersoek word.
Die LDI oorweeg tans toenadering deur verskeie belanghebbers om by die oorspronklike groep aan te sluit ten einde inklusiwiteit te bewerkstellig en soortgelyke prosesse op ‘n nasionale, provinsiale en streeksvlak te bespoedig. Belanghebbers is oortuig dat gesamentlike en deursigtige inisiatiewe soos die LDI, die enigste manier is om die weg te baan vir ‘n nuwe benadering tot dialoog waardeur omvangryke sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings in landelike areas die hoof gebied kan word.
1 Die LDI is in Junie 2015 geformaliseer nadat die bedryfsliggame VinPro en HORTGRO, wat onderskeidelik die wyn- en sagtevrugtebedryf verteenwoordig, en FAWU (Food and Allied Workers’ Union) ‘n Samewerkingsooreenkoms (MOU) onderteken het. Die partye is verbind tot ses fokusareas, naamlik Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling; Sosiale Ontwikkeling en Opheffing; Menslike Hulpbron Ontwikkeling; Marktoegang, -Ontwikkeling en Handelspromosie; Kennisbestuur en Inligtingstelsels; asook Tegniese Navorsing, Oordrag en Intelligensie. Die KVBA het ingestem om met die inisiatief saam te werk, terwyl AWETUC, wat verskeie ongeaffilieerde vakbonde verteenwoordig, tans formele aansluiting by die LDI oorweeg. AWETUC het ‘n aantal LDI-vergaderings in die afgelope paar maande bygewoon.
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