COSATU's first deputy president, Mike Shingange, has called on the workers to defend the rights they obtained in 1994.
He spoke during the trade federation's day of action in Mpumalanga on Thursday, 6 July.
Shingange, with SACP national treasurer Joyce Moloi-Moropa and provincial leaders, marched to the AP Vos Farm in Hazyview to deliver a memorandum of grievances.
It is alleged that farm owners cut salaries and increased working hours while they don't provide PPE and are refusing workers to join trade unions.
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Shingange said the farm is a representative of what will happen to the worker's rights if and when the workers do not define themselves.
"Here is a demonstration of what it was before we attained democracy, during apartheid and colonialism. A demonstration of what workers before 1994 were living under. We have got child labour, the undermining of labour laws in this country, immigration laws, the rights of workers to join trade unions, and collective bargaining. These workers here are living under the conditions that millions in the country were living under before 1994," he said
Shingange said what is happening on the farm used to happen before Mzansi attained its democracy.
"This is what is going to happen if workers across the sectors are not standing up to defend the rights that they have attained through blood and sweat. This is what will happen if we don't unite as comrades," he said.
Pieter Vos, who is the owner of the farm, received the memorandum. He promised to respond within the given period.
However, Vos dismissed the allegations that the farm is practicing child labour.
Mpumalanga Agriculture MEC Busisiwe Shiba received and signed the memorandum on behalf of Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane.
She promised to take the memorandum to the premier, adding that investigations will be launched regarding the allegations made by the workers. Shiba further urged the owners to work in line with the labour law acts.
