South African Press Association

South Africa: 2000 Farm Workers Retrenched - Report

7 February 2013
Photo: Sapa
Farmworkers march in Paarl, 4 December 2012

Johannesburg — At least 2000 farm workers were issued with retrenchment notices on Wednesday, Business Day reported on Thursday.

This, as the agricultural sector shed jobs ahead of thje implementation of a new minimum wage, and as mechanisation on farms gathered pace.

The paper reported analysts warning that thousands more would be shed when the new wage comes into effect at the beginning of next month.

Agricultuiral Machinery Association secretary Jim Rankin told Business Day he expected he expected farmers to look more closely at mechanisation "in the light of the last six months" -- during which workers went on strike and unions demanded big pay rises -- but said the process "started a long time ago".

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South Africa's Farm Workers to be Retrenched

At least 2000 farm workers in the Cape have been issued with retrenchment notices. The agricultural sector is shedding jobs ahead of the implementation of a new minimum daily wage ... Read more »