COSATU in WC fights for Sea Harvest fishermen who perished on duty
This follows the drowning of 11 fishermen off the Hout Bay coast in May this year. Nine others were rescued.
Picture: Pexels
CAPE TOWN - The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the Western Cape says it cannot keep quiet when workers continue to die on duty.
This follows the drowning of 11 fishermen off the Hout Bay coast in May this year.
The union has questioned what it terms the silence of the employer, Sea Harvest Group, over a way forward to compensate the families of the victims.
READ: Creecy: Survivors of fishing boat tragedy and families being offered support
According to COSATU, safety measures in the sunken vessel are in question as no loose life jackets were found on the scene during the search for the victims.
The trade union's provincial secretary, Malvern De Bruyn, said a memorandum of demands was dropped on the doorstep of the fishing company's headquarters at V&A Waterfront on Wednesday.
"Employer is to ensure that every fisherman onboard receives basic safety training approved by a competent authority. Employer must ensure that every fisherman onboard is provided with appropriate personnel clothing and equipment. We also want fishermen to be given regular rest periods because they are on shift sometimes for than a month or two to three months."