04 DECEMBER 2009
EXECUTIVE NEWS
No news is good news – or we would certainly hope so anyway. As our political leaders battle it out together in the various boardrooms across the capital everything is being kept under wraps, which is actually very frustrating for us, just as it is for all Zimbabweans. Together we can only pray for a speedy and amicable solution to the political problems besetting this country at the moment and urge you all to get together in groups every Saturday to pray.
Although our team is making great strides on the compensation issue the fact remains that Government is the essential third partner and we are reliant on them coming in before anything meaningful can happen.
Where are we at the moment and what is our position? Well, on Wednesday this week we had one of the most positive CFU Council meetings in a number of years. Your new team has settled in and is working extremely hard on your behalf and have a definite goal and objectives. We fully realise that speed is of the essence and we will do everything in our power to achieve this as soon as possible.
It is absolutely essential that we, as a united community, show our unity and stability and move forward and disregard the current instability and finger pointing that is unfortunately going on in a very small sector of our community. We must all pull together and we must encourage everyone to come back on board to the mother body, being the CFU. There is no doubt in the minds of those that have been in to see us and are assisting that we are moving forward at a very fast pace.
Looking at our current paid up membership numbers at the moment they are extremely encouraging indeed especially when one considers the fact that many are having difficulty financially at the moment but still manage to come up with their membership dues. They have led the way, but although much of the Union’s work is being subsidised for the next two years it is still essential that the membership is increased and that members continue to finance the union, especially when the sponsorship period is over.
We must stick together, whether you are lucky enough to still be farming or not as we do cater for both (and in fact – all types) of membership. Our work is so intertwined that it is difficult to say exactly which type of farmers – or non-farmers – are receiving the most attention at the moment. We can assure we do our best to represent all sectors and there are no favourites.
It could almost be described as a case of needing the one hand to wash the other because unless we can get title respected and if property rights continue to be abused there will be no finance to continue. In fact this is the case at the moment where obtaining finance for agricultural projects is concerned is extremely difficult indeed.
Once your membership is renewed you will be updated weekly through this newsletter sent to you on your email and also please feel free at any time to come in and see us and have a chat and exchange ideas of how you think we should be doing things. We are never too old to learn from your valuable experience.
Last week we covered the successful court action in South Africa where we initially went there to block the signing of the (at that time) unseen BIPPA document between Pretoria and Harare. However, we were fortunate enough to have avoided the confrontational approach following an out of court settlement, which was later issued as a Consent Order in the court. The huge and positive implications of this document are far more than we originally realised and at this stage we are working feverishly behind the scenes. Let us see how sincere the parties involved are, but we do have a ‘phase two’ being planned.
Should there still be other (South African citizen farm owners in Zimbabwe) who have not registered their names with Vice President Louis Fick, please do so at the earliest opportunity on email [email protected] , or telephone the CFU offices. There is a stipulation that all people wishing to register must renew their CFU subscriptions when they register. We note that there are some South African farm owners in Zimbabwe who have previously registered but who have not paid their CFU subscriptions for2009/10. We kindly request that they do so at their earliest convenience
Zimbabwean citizen farm owners should not feel isolated or forgotten as the implications of this action are far reaching. Just bear with us as we cannot go into too much detail of our proposed strategy on this means. There are also people who are still farming that are spending valuable time and resources defending themselves in the courts where they are being prosecuted for farming.
However, we can say that we are currently canvassing affected farmers who may be able to assist us with a few planned court actions which may be initiated early in the New Year. There are so many good examples out there of people who have been adversely affected and also lost everything without being fairly compensated.
It has come to our notice that some farmers are being charged exorbitant amounts for ZESA, ZINWA and RDC Unit tax. Marc Cary-Wilson is preparing a legal action on this so farmers are advised to please contact him on [email protected] or telephone him at the Union. We would certainly like to hear as many different examples of exorbitant accounts being sent out as possible, especially where discriminatory accounts have been sent out whereby A2 and A1 farmers are being charged the total of what our farmers are being charged per individual hectare!
Prosecutions have continued this week but we are looking forward to having a break for most farmers during the month of December.
Communication is still definitely the key and the Top Team has already begun a tour of the country to speak to all farmers in the country, which will continue until early next year. Although we try our best to get the message across to farmers by this means it is still far better to speak to individuals directly because we are still quite limited in what we can put out on these means.
Please keep the reports coming in so that we can monitor what is going on out there.
The following report was sent in from the International Federation of Agricultural Producers by past-president Doug Taylor-Freeme, who ably represented us at the meeting:
“IFAP at the World Summit on Food Security
November 25, 2009 – At the World Summit on Food Security at the FAO headquarters in Rome, farmer leaders highlighted the critical role of farmers and farmers’ organizations in eradicating hunger from the world. For farmers, the fact that over a billion people are hungry is a tragic, unacceptable and unnecessary situation. IFAP believes that the planet is capable of feeding 6.5 billion people today and 9.1 billion people in 2050, but that the political will and a good global strategy to get the job done have been missing.
For farmers, the lesson is simple – neglect agriculture at your peril. The food price crisis was a wake-up call on the consequences of neglecting agriculture for decades, and especially neglecting the development of local food production in developing countries. During Round Table One, Minimizing the Negative Impact of Economic and Financial Crises on World Food Security, IFAP President Ajay Vashee challenged national governments to invest in the development of small-holder agriculture and local food markets in their countries with a long term perspective.
“The specific efforts that need to be made are well known,” said Ajay Vashee. “Investment must be focused on infrastructure, especially roads, drip irrigation, storage and processing facilities to reduce post-harvest losses, market information systems; extension services, credit and insurance and access to inputs. Farmers in developing countries were not able to take advantage of the higher commodity process in 2007-2008 because this infrastructure was not in place.”
IFAP is therefore pressing for much more investment to be directed to building up the capacity of farmers’ organizations, so that millions of small-holder farmers have structures in which to work together on self-help actions through commodity associations, farmer cooperatives, and farmers’ unions and federations.
A panellist in Round Table Four, Measures to Enhance Global Food Security: Rural Development, Smallholder Farmers and Trade Considerations, Karen Serres, President of the IFAP Committee of Women Farmers, asked if investments in small-scale agriculture in developing countries will be supported and protected under WTO rules. She also asked: “Will targets for reducing greenhouse gases in agriculture allow food production to increase by 70 percent by 2050?” and “How much of the increased development assistance will actually reach farm families, if it is not targeted to farmers’ organizations directly?”
Karen Serres emphasized that the key to food security is to increase coherent investment in agriculture in developing countries. Agricultural and trade policies must promote the inclusion of small farms in food webs and value chains.
“Measures to enhance global food security must be centred on local production for local markets in developing countries,” said the IFAP leader of women farmers. “Most often, small-holder farmers are women farmers. Their contribution must be recognized and facilitated in all investment plans, policies and programs.”
IFAP is the world farmers’ organization, representing 600 million family farmers grouped in 120 national organizations in 80 countries. It is a global network in which farmers from industrialized and developing countries exchange concerns and set common priorities. IFAP has been advocating farmers’ interests at the international level since 1946 and has General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.”
LABOUR REPORT (from the desk of Tongai Marodza)
The General Agriculture agreement which was negotiated at NEC expired in August 2009. Currently there is no new minimum wage for the General Agriculture sector. Employers are hereby advised to continue paying the August agreement of 32.00 until NEC has negotiated a new agreement. Please note the minimum wage of 50.00 is for the Agro and Horticulture sector and it does not apply to General Agriculture sector.
There are no indications to when the NEC will call for the meeting to negotiate a new agreement for the General Agriculture sector. The information at hand is other new employers are not keen to negotiate a new minimum wage at this point. Their point being no change to the economy therefore the minimum wage of 32.00 should continue until the situation calls for negotiations.
Our major challenge is back payments when NEC finally decides to negotiate a new minimum wage. I propose we take EMCOZ and CZI head on to take this matter to the Minister of Labour so that a directive can be given to NEC’s. Government is not happy with the way NEC Agriculture is negotiating and we are likely to get support from the Minister of labour on this issue.
AGRO and HORTICULTURE
The above two sectors minimum wage comes as a result of arbitration and the award of 50.00 minimum wage expired in November 2009. Meetings to negotiate a new minimum wage for the sector are not likely to be called soon. There is a need to address the frequency of the negotiations and in terms of the Labour Act section 74 (4) it is clear that collective bargaining agreements shall be renegotiated or amended after twelve months of its operation.
It is to the advantage of the employers for NEC to discuss this section and if it means declaring a deadlock then parties do so. The arbitrator will then interpret what the law says in terms of this section of the Act. Eventually this will put to rest these three months reviews and negotiations will be done every twelve months.
NEC DUES
The NEC has engaged Medco Debt Management on their behalf to collect NEC dues from CFU members who are not contributing to NEC. We have referred the matter to our lawyers and any of our members experiencing problems should contact CFU for advice.
EMCOZ
EMCOZ and ZCTU held a summit in Kadoma to discuss wages liked to PDL. EMCOZ position was to leave the wage negotiation to NEC’s. ZCTU then come up with PDL payment formula of 60% for 2009; 80% for 2010 and 100% for 2011. The summit ended in a deadlock as EMCOZ felt that none of the employers will be able to meet the ZCTU demands. A breakfast meeting and convention were held to discuss the PDL minimum wage and the amendment of the labour Act. On both meetings the position becomes clear that no discussion on PDL minimum wage and a position paper was done on the amendments to the Labour Act. The employer’s proposals to the amendments were sent to the Minister. Both employers and workers representatives are now waiting for the Minister of Labour’s position on both proposals.
CONCLUSION
We are receiving reports that most farmers are being put under pressure by members of Trade Unions to pay higher wages which do not apply to particular categories. Members are hereby advised to get hold of CFU for correct advice in the event you become a victim.
COMMODITY UPDATE
ZIMBABWE CROP PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION (from the desk of Richard Taylor)
STABEX FERTILIZER
As we all know the availability of AN has been non-existent until Monday this week. By the sounds of it farmers are now collecting, hopefully for most, it is not too late.
For those who are interested in urea companies that have in stock are Omnia at $580/t; Nutrichem at $625/t and ZFC at $1080/t or $54 per 50kg bag.
Local as at 4 December 2009 (US$)
Please email [email protected] for the full cfu calling with the graphs
South African Foreign Exchange (SAFEX) as at 4 December 2009
Please email [email protected] for the full cfu calling with the graphs
International Gulf
Please email [email protected] for the full cfu calling with the graphs
Source: South African Grain Information Service (SAGIS)
COMMENTS AND VIEWS
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