TESCO ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING
In partnership with ActionAid-UK, WFP acquired 3 shares at a cost of 4p (about 52 cents) each. The shares were acquired in the names of Fatima Shabodien (Executive Director), Wendy Pekeur (General Secretary of Sikhula Sonke) and Getruida Baartman, a seasonal fruitpacker on a Tesco-supplying farm in Ceres. At the Tesco AGM held in June in London, Gertruida stood up and told Tesco’s shareholders, its Board and the media of the unethical working conditions experienced by farm workers on certain Tesco-supplying farms. As a direct result, Tesco has since asked the Wine Industry Ethical Trust Association (WIETA) to undertake developmental social audits of all its supplying farms in the province.



ANTI-EVICTIONS CAMPAIGN
Evictions of farm workers are sweeping the countryside as farmers opt to replace permanent on farm workers with migrant workers who only live on the farm during the busy harvesting months. The majority of this new group of migrant workers are women who migrate alone, leaving their families behind.

With the support of the Alliance of the Land and Agrarian Reform Movements (ALARM) Western Cape and other land rights organisations, as well as trade unions, including the trade union federation, COSATU, WFP led a successful anti-evictions campaign together with the community of Jonkershoek in Stellenbosch.

A series of three mass demonstrations were held (1 April, 27 April and 16 June 2006), including a march targeting one of the farms from which workers were being evicted. As a result of the publicity generated through the mass actions, the key decision makers (Jonkershoek farmers, the MEC for Agriculture, the Director of the Provincial office of Department of Land Affairs, the Provincial Director of Agriculture, the Mayor of the Stellenbosch Municipality and the Director General of the Premier’s Office) signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing to an affective moratorium on evictions in Jonkershoek and a commitment to work together towards a long term solution around the question of tenure insecurity of farm dwellers in the area.

This historic first moratorium on evictions in South Africa was greeted with celebration and support from land rights groups and government throughout the country. Many view it as precedent setting in the struggle for tenure rights of farm workers.

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SECTORAL DETERMINATION FOR FARM WORKERS (SDFW) CAMPAIGN
WFP is committed to increasing awareness and building confidence of women farm workers and dwellers to access their labour rights. During 2006 and 2007, WFP developed various materials aimed at informing women farm workers of the provisions of the amended SDFW. Pamphlets, information sheets and T shirts with information about the minimum wage were distributed to farm workers at workshops and meetings.