| dc.description.abstract | Commercial farm workers in South Africa endured centuries of
exploitation and abuse until the 1990s, when progressive
legislation was promulgated that confers rights to workers aimed
at improving their living and working conditions, including
through a sector-specific statutory minimum wage. However,
violations of labour rights are widespread in the agriculture sector,
and farm workers are arguably more vulnerable than before as
they face ongoing evictions, casualisation and exploitation. This
research study, conducted among women farm workers in the
Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces, documents labour
rights violations in the areas of wages and contracts and
occupational health and safety. Apart from farmers themselves,
government is responsible for failing to enforce compliance with
pro-worker legislation, while trade unions have failed to represent
farm workers and hold farmers and government to account. | en_US |
