Changing of Employee Status from Permanent to Seasonal Workers

MEMORANDUM COASTAL TOWNS FISHING CRISIS GROUP ST.HELENA BAY BRANCH

We, the aggrieved, impoverished and enslaved communities, of the St Helena Bay and the surrounding areas, urge and request the undersigned to respect and honour this document. This document consists of the most serious concerns they have regarding their workplace and in how their employers deal with the bigger community, with regards to the social injustices within our community.

St Helena Bay is the area where the majority of the main stream commercial fishing companies are situated. Therefore implies that their contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) is of great significance. However, this industry is not playing a significant role in their immediate communities and the lives of their workers, therefore begs the question, why? Most of the existing companies has a rich history, some dating back 100 years, what social impact does this history have on the community.

This leads us to raise the following issues as major concerns, which will impact on the present and the future status of this industry.

EMPLOYEE ISSUES

 Changing of employee status from permanent to seasonal workers

 Dis -regard of transformation targets set by government in terms of management and ownership (BBBEE policies)

 No social security initiatives for those working on the sea

 Appointment of 95% of white skippers on their boats

 Mental enslavery through government funded learnerships, e.g. Fish packing training, which is limiting our people to the fishing industry and with no alternative exit opportunities, and also moulding a vicious cycle

 Creation of paper shareholders of employees, with promises of a "pot of gold" by 2020 .

 Still no transformation in management only white people dominate senior management positions.

LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

 White collar corruption - senior managers appointing their own, friends and family members companies, as service providers .

 95% of procurement still goes to white owned companies

 "Genocide" of social entrepreneurs- killing of young aspiring entrepreneurs

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

 Non existent Corporate Social Investment policy for the previously disadvantaged communities - only for the existing white organizations

 None investment in schools being attended by employees children

 No employee education fund for their children

 Absence from community development orientated projects

 No re- investment into alternative economic sustainability projects- alternative jobs The above mentioned concerns has grown over many years and today we are still confuse when our politicians are talking about freedom, we ask ourselves where is this freedom? It is therefore, that today, through this action, we proclaim a COASTAL COMMUNITY REVOLUTION. Because this day marks the beginning of a new era, for our people in all coastal communities, that after today, we will seriously engage on different revolutionary ventures to ensure development of our coastal communities. The revolution has started; it is within your powers as the industry, to determine whether this revolution will be peaceful or bloody. We are tired of your exploitation of our human resources and natural resources.

The ball is in your court and we urge you to take this opportunity and join us, within 7 days (weekends and public holidays included) at Laingville Community hall, on Thursday 30th September 2010, at 14h00.

If the Industry fails to adhere our plea we will be forced to continue with our struggle with the Industry; we will not stop until the Industry responds to our grievances.

Signed on this day 22nd September 2010 at St Helena Bay.

On behalf of the community On Behalf of Industry

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Thabiso Mosia West Point Fish Processors

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Gerald Cloete Pioneer Fishing Group

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Honourable Executive Mayor Oceana Group

Saldanha Bay Municipality