Summaries in English and Afrikkans / The aim of this thesis is to investigate the labour law position of South African farm workers. For three
and a half centuries farm workers constituted the most neglected group in the South African labour force.
Consequently, an understanding of their present position can only be obtained by investigating their labour
history.
As in other parts of the world, farm workers in South Africa held a subordinate position to agricultural
employers. Discrimination against black persons added to the inferior socio-economic and political
position of South African farm workers. White farmers occupied a strong political position during most
of the time under investigation, which enabled them to institute and apply discriminatory legislation and
informal methods to overcome labour shortages. The freedom of movement of black people and their
access to land were restricted to create a cheap immobile labour force. During the 20th century farmers
prevented the inclusion of farm workers in labour legislation by exercising their political influence.
Pressure by industrial trade unions and encouragement by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
resulted in the adoption of the Agricultural Labour Act which made labour legislation applicable to farm
workers, but precluded them from striking and made allowance for longer working hours than for
industrial workers.
The new political dispensation facilitated the inclusion of farm workers in general labour legislation
without any discriminatory exceptions and land reform legislation now protects farm workers against
arbitrary evictions. A bill of rights furthermore guarantees the rights of farm workers which were
previously violated. It would superficially seem that farm workers' problems are something of the past.
Farm workers, however, remain handicapped in exercising their new rights by historical factors and
circumstances peculiar to the agricultural sector. Legal comparison with Ontario and California confirms
that legislation alone is insufficient to empower farm workers.
It is recommended that the government amend existing legislation to accommodate the special needs of
farm workers and that relevant ILO conventions, especially Convention 141 of 1975, be ratified to aid the
development of unions for farm workers. This will contribute to the empowerment of and social justice
for farm workers. / Die doel van hierdie tesis is om die arbeidsregtelike posisie van Suid-Afrikaanse plaaswerkers te
ondersoek. Plaaswerkers was vir drie en 'n half eeue die mees afgeskeepte groep in die Suid-Afrikaanse
werksmag. Om die huidige posisie van plaaswerkers te begryp is dus slegs moontlik deur 'n bestudering
van die regsgeskiedenis van plaaswerkers.
Soos in ander werelddele beklee plaaswerkers in Suid-Afrika 'n minderwaardige posisie teenoor
landbouwerkgewers. Diskriminasie teenoor swartpersonehet bygedra tot die sosio-ekonomiese en polities
minderwaardige posisie van Suid-Afrikaanse plaaswerkers.
Blanke boere het gedurende die grootste deel van die tydperk onder bespreking 'n sterk politiese posisie
beklee wat hulle in staat gestel het om diskriminerende wetgewing en informele metodes aan te wend om
arbeidstekorte te bowe te kom. Swart persone se bewegingsvryheid en toegang tot grond is beperk om 'n
goedkoop immobiele werksmag te vorm. Gedurende die 20ste eeu het boere se sterk politiese posisie hulle
in staat gestel om te verhoed dat plaaswerkers by arbeidswetgewing ingesluit word.
Druk deur industriele vakbonde en aanmoediging deur die Intemasionale Arbeidsorganisasie (IAO) het
gelei tot die Wet op Landbou-arbeid waardeur arbeidswetgewing op plaaswerkers van toepassing gemaak
is, maar wat plaaswerkers verbied het om te staak en wat voorsiening gemaak het vir langer werkure as
vir industriele werkers.
'n Nuwe politieke bedeling het gelei tot die insluiting van plaaswerkers in algemene arbeidswetgewing
sonder enige diskriminerende uitsonderings en grondhervormingswetgewing beskerm plaaswerkers nou
teen arbitrere uitsettings. 'n Handves van menseregte waarborg verder die regte van plaaswerkers wat
voorheen misken is. Oenskynlik is die probleme van plaaswerkers nou iets van die verlede.
Plaaswerkers word egter steeds in die uitoefening van hulle nuwe regte gestrem deur historiese faktore en
die eiesoortige omstandighede van die landbousektor. Regsvergelyking met Kalifomie en Ontario het
aangetoon <lat wetgewing alleen nie voldoende is om plaaswerkers te bemagtig nie.
Daar word aanbeveel dat die regering bestaande wetgewing wysig om voorsiening te maak vir die spesiale
behoeftes van plaaswerkers en dat relevante IA0 konvensies, veral Konvensie 141 van 197 5 geratifiseer
word om die ontwikkeling van vakbonde vir plaaswerkers te bevorder. Dit sal bydra tot die bemagtiging
van en tot sosiale geregtigheid vir plaaswerkers / Law / LL.D.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/16268 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Calitz, Karin Beatrix |
| Contributors | Landman, A. A. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
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