CAPE TOWN – The Western Cape Department of Labour has served notices of non-compliance to five wine farms in the province relating to the poor working conditions of farm workers.
This comes after concern was raised by various groups, including the Department of Economic Opportunities and Tourism over a Danish documentary Bitter Grapes: Slavery in the Vineyards.
The department’s chief inspector David Esau says they served five wine farms in the Drakenstein and Robertson areas with notices of non-compliance of certain labour laws.
“Provision letters mean we are prohibiting a particular action to take place and the contravention notices relate to the supply of protective clothing of workers. In terms of the provision that related to he drinking water, it was tested and found not to be suitable for drinking.”
Esau says the farms will be given sixty days to comply with the notices or face possible prosecution.
“I heard the water has been shut down and new and fresh water has been supplied by the farmer. In terms of the contraventions, we have given them 60 days to correct those and we will be going back in 60 days to see if they had corrected whatever we found to be non-compliant.”