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CAMPAIGNING AMONG AFRICAN FIELD
WORKERS
INDIAN WOMEN WORKERS IN THE
FIELD
THEY GROW YOUR SUGAR
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THEY GROW YOUR SUGARINTRODUCTION
The Natal Sii^ar Industry has on niinierous occasions hcen
criticised for various reasons. More recently the Hon. the Minister
of Lands, Senator A. M. Conroy, was the critic. Whilst ino-t of
these criticism have been ajjainst the shelter and protection
afforded by the State or afjainst the selfi.shness of the small
ntimi)er of owners of the Industry, etc., no one has yet laid
before the general public the facts rcj;ardin>j that section of
the Industry which is the real protluctive element.
The account published in the following patjes, whilst not making
references to any particular estate or the waires and conditions
obtaining; therecin. owinjr t-i the vastness of the Indiistrv and
the diversity of waj^cs and conditions on the different estates,
attempts to pive the reader an indication of the lives of those
that prow vour supar.
A|)proximateIy 70,000 workers are employed in the Industry. Of
these 60.000 are employed in the cane fields in connection with
field work. The remainder arc mill workers for whom protection is
provided under the Industrial Laws of the Country. The mill- inp
workers have won certain im))rovements throuph their Trade Union.
The unfortunate apricultural workers, however, live and work under
the most wretche.
These workers are not covered or protected under the labour
lepislation of the country. Instead of receivinp any assistance
from the state, they find that every attempt of theirs to improve
their common lot frustrated. I 'or instance, in 1642. when about
200 African workers refused to work unless they received 414 ))er
month instead of C2 and double pay for workinp on Sundavs, police
were rushed to the aid of the employers and e(piipped with arms and
tear pas they raided the conn)ounds. Subse(|uenlly these workers
were charped and had to pay a fine of C2 each.
Letters written to the employers to meet the representatives of
the workers have not even been acknowledped. W rit ten
ai>i>eals to various Cabinet Ministers who are connected with
the Supar Indiistrv and with Labour as such have been of no
avail.
'I'liis slate of affairs has pravely disturbed the workers and
they see no alternative but to take direct action. Such a course.
es])eci:il!v now. when supar is one of the first commodities about
to be ratiom d and when the country has just tiassed throuph a
st'vere droupht. is poinp to cause considerable inconvenience to
the common man.
It is si, til it the common man may understand the )iroblems of
the 'u p a r worker that I write this short i)amphlet. necessarily
sketdiv but as accurate as possible, 'riie reader will be enabled
til obtain a plimpse of the lives of the workers connected with the
.ipricultiiral oi^erations in the S.ipar Industry. It is my
fervent
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hope that after haviiiK read the contents of this pamphlet no
hlame will Ite attached to the Union for the difficulties that arc
hound to arise when shortaj^cs result from the action likely to he
taken hy the workers.
Further, I appeal to tho.se interested in the fate of those w
orkers and who wish to see some amelioration in their conditions
hrought about, to make endeavours to increase their knowledfje of
the conditions under which they live and toil, preferably hy
personal observation, and by assistiilR- the Trade Union that
represents them —The Agricultural Workers' Federation—both
financially and morally.
M. P. XA IC KFK ,General Secretary,
Agricultural W orkers ' Federation.
Durban,27/1/47,
THEY GROW YOUR SUGAR• A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE INDUSTRY.
The Xatal Sugar Industrv is composed of two main sections— grow
ing and milling. The milling side of the Industry is conducted hv
17 milling Companies, operating 21 sugar mills. Fifteen ot these
Milting Companies, of which one is non-lvuropean owned, are also
cane growers.
.•Mtogether there are ilhO Fuiropeans and 1.730 non-linropean
farmers sup)dying the mills with sugar cane.
The following table gives an indication of the total output of
sugar for the year 1043 :—
Class of Grow er Milling Conifianies Fuiropean Growers
Xon-F.uropcan Growers
Tons of Sucrose. 24.S.111 f.34.311 a\5(,7
The total yield at 013.1.^8 tons of sugar produced for the year
1943 was the greatest in the history of the Tndnstry.
The facts presented below show that South Africa is the cheapest
sugar-producing country in the world :—
Country. Cost of Production Type of Sugar.Per I on.
1. United Kingdojn .... .... £23 10 0 Reet•>
U.S.A.................... 18 18 93. Queensland .... 11 l.s 0 Cane4.
W est Indies .... 8 13 0.S. l.ouisana. U.S..\. .... 13 3 0 ,,r>.
Cuba .... f) 19 37. Puerto Rico .... .... 10 9 08. Xatal (S A.)
.... 0 US 0 ’•
According to the South .African Sugar ^’ear 1look the reasonfor
this low cost of production facts jjresented in this pamphlet
s “ agricultural efficiency." The ire a challenge to this
statement.
Is it efnciency that has lirought down costs ? Or the callous
dis-
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rcj^anl for the welfare of those whose toil, sweat and blood
have put the industry on its feet and made its hune pro'its
possible ?
• STARVATION WAGESThe average monthly wafje received by the Held
worker is
£ 2 /1 0 /- . A few of the milliujj companies pay a monthly wa^c
of £ 2 /1 5 / - to the labourers. Ou the other hand on some of
the
estates, workers actually receive as little as 17/6 per
month.Durinp the war when the cost of living' rose steeply and
the
Government had introduced a special allowance (cost of living'
allowance) for all industrial workers, the employers in the sugar
industry refused to increase the wages of the field workers or to
pay them any allowance to meet this increased cost of living. Even
now after the successful conclusion of the war the p4)sition is no
difTerent. The Government's failure to control prices effectively
and to introduce a system of rationing of essential foodstuffs has
permitte been purchased. It is almost an impossible task to obtain
enougii food. How these exjiloited workers manage to budget their
monthly obligations will forever remain a mystery.
• MEAGRE RATIONS.The rations issue
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• OVERCROWDED SHANTIESThe. workers are housed hy the einployers
on their pro]ierty
in the ditTercnt estate.;. The Imlian worker is jirovided.
except in very rare cases, witli one room and a kitchen
irrespective of the size of the family. In the majority of cases
these houses are m thiiifi hnt corniffated iron shanties, in a
state of nep;lect and disrepair that make them unfit even for
animals. A larjje nnmher of these houses are in .-nch a condition
tliat it is no rash statement to sav that any Health Inspector
would condemn most of tlie huildinps without an inspection " in
loco.” In one case, after much aijitation. new homes were huilt for
the workers recentlv and the old ones with very slifjht alterations
were converted into stahlcs.
The housimj of the African worker is infinitely worse than that
of the Indian. . \s matiy sleeping herths as possible are cramped
together in a larpe room where the workers are herded together.
These rooms are usually without a window. In rare cases where
windows are (irovided. these consist of crude wooden shutters which
have to he closed in rainy or windy weather, thus excludin>e
light and ventilation. The iron roofs of some of these buildings
are so perforated with holes that \\ henever it rains, the
occupants have to put out utensils and sacks to catch the water
that drips through.
• DiSEASE-RIDDEN SANITARY CONDITIONS.In 1939, as a result of a
Government itu|uiry into the health
and sanitary conditions of the workers in the entire Sugar
Industry the Department of Health was instructed to keep a check on
the health and sanitary conditions of the workers concerned, .\fter
seven years, however, the result of this “ check ing" is barel>-
noticeable.
W A T E R SUPPLYW ater is obtained from communal taps on most of
the estates.
Hut. on those estates where such taiis are not installed, it is
ob- tainetl from streams and wells. K'o special attem pt is made to
see that this water is protected or clean. How free from disease it
is possible for such water to be. may well be left to the
imagination of the reader. In both cases the women are confronted
with the tedious task of walking considerable distances to fetch
water. In
wet w ea t lu r this task becomes dangerous an
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Til some cases small wnod and iron rooms have Iieen converted
into private schools. Such schools are controlled hy " teachers ”
who have had no teachiiij^ ((nalifications whatsoever. 'riiese " te
ac h e rs" are maintained hy the fees they collect from the
children that attend. Fees are usually much hifjher than that paid
in Government schools.
Hecanse schoolinjf ha^ to he paid for only a very small percent-
ajje of the chihlren are in a position to attend, as their parents
arc unahle to meet the cost. Those children who ;c
number of the workers employed on various duties in the fields
are constantly in danjjer. Kspecially tho.se workers on locomotives
who perform arduous ami daii(>;erous jobs such as that of brake
boys. The task of a brake boy is. to aiMiIy brakes on a nninber of
trucks whilst they are in motion. He has to jump from one truck to
another ap)ilyinjj brakes rlown steeji hills, around dantrerous
corners which constantly threaten to throw him into a net of
accidents.
When workers are injured or Io.se a limb or even their lives
whilst on duty no compensation is paid to them or their dependants.
The reasons for this is because the a^fricultural workers are not
covered under the W orkm en’s Compensation Act. Recently, however,
a .small section of the workers handling machinery have been
included under this Act.
• THE WORKERS' UNION.In the two years of its existence the W
orkers’ Union, more
recently incorporated in the Agricultural W o rk e rs ’
Federation, has made trem endous progress in educating and
organising these workers. Constantly hampered bv intimidation and
th rea ts of prosecution, the organisers of this Union have
advanced the cause
of the workers a great deal. However, much remains to he
done.The warmth with which the workers receive .he orttanisers;
their readiness to join the L’liion and their willingness to
])a> dues regularly is an indication that the workers are
determined to juit an end to this callous e.xploitation and to win
for themselves a more decent life.
• THE V/ORKERS’ DEMANDS.The Reverend W. hAeleif^h. President of
the Methodist
Church, .'aid in 1941 :—“ . . . . South .Africa is far from
beiiit,' a Christian country. We have a Kuropean population of
about 2,000.000 peoiile jirotected by tariffs and subsidies and
colour bars. . . . . And there is a non-Ijuropean population of
S.OflO.OOO people and the vast number of them are underfed, badly
clothed, uneducated. . . ." Rejiorted in the " Ca()e T im e s"
12/S/41.
The la tter part of this statement by the Reverend is only too
true of the suf^ar workers and their families. I ’mioiibtedly the
greatest single step to rid the workers of poverty, ill-health and
illiteracv is an increase in wages. Hut. together with these
increases there must be a complete change through Legislation, in
their housing, health .ajid sanitary conditions. Therefore the
Ciovernment should
1. C.rant recognition to agricultural workers under the
Industrial Conciliation .Act. 19.47. W orkmen’s Compensation .Act
and all other laws that impose responsibility and afford
iirotection to workers in their legitimate endeavours to increase
wages and iirijirove working and living conditions:
2. Agree to give .Administrative recognition of the agricultural
workers by the Department of I.abour;
3. .Appoint an immediate Commission of empiiry into the housing.
health and sanitary conditions on the sugar estates with a view to
improving the .said conditions through legislation:
4. I'.stablish schools in all estates, with a view to providing
free and compulsorv education:
5. If the\ wish to avert a crisis in the industrv. siioiisor
imme- diatclv a meeting between representatives of the workers and
eniplovers with a view to improving all other conditions that do
not necessitate legislation.
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• NOT GUILTY !
These are the just deiuamls of the Avorkers. They have very
little to lose by cominp out on strike if their deinands arc not
met. Whilst it is true that some meaMirc of discomfort will be
caused to the employers by a strike in the Su^ar Imlustry it is the
fjeneral public thc,t will sufTer most.
The workers have a clear case. I ’̂ nder no circumstances can
blame for any inconvenience be attached to them if they strike.
Kvery possible elTort has been made to netjotiate an amicable
settlement. The employers have not even had the common courtesy of
acknowledpinfj letters of appeal sent to them. The responsible
Ministers on the other hand have been evasive and, on each occasion
a letter was written to them, tried to pass the responsibility on
to the shoulders of some other Department.
The patience of the workers has now been completely e.x-
hausted. The demands made are not impossible of fulfdment. They are
not even e.xhorbitant. .'\11 that is asked for is an opportunity to
live as decent human beiiipfs. And it is such a small thimr for the
rich and motmpoHstic su^jar industry t(» ))rovide.
This is the position. The workers need the help and assistance
both financial and moral of every person available in their
contemplated action to improve their lot.
Will you assist them ? If so. write to :—
'Phe General Secretary,
.Agricultural W orkers’ Federation,
I’.O. F.ox 2109. DURBAX.
m '■9SI
| 65|ItIssued by the
a g r ic u l t u r a l WORKERS’ FEDERATION 2, SAVILLE STREET - -
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T H e D U R B A N B H I N T I N G C O M O Q U P E N « T . D U R
B A N
II
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Collection Number: AD1710 Collection Name: Hassim Seedat
Collection, 1905-1961
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