Cosatu demands Sea Harvest be held liable for the disappearance of 11 fishermen

On Wednesday, members affiliated to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) protested outside the offices of Sea Harvest Corporation on Cape Town’s waterfront.

Cosatu was provoked by a 19 May 2024 sinking of a fishing trawler owned by Sea Harvest roughly 30 nautical miles (nearly 63 km) off Hout Bay. 11 fishermen were lost at sea, and are presumed drowned. A search for their bodies was launched on the same day but was called off by the following Sunday, according to Sea Harvest, without any of the 11 being recovered. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) is conducting an investigation into the incident.

11 crew members disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean after a fishing trawler sank about 34 nautical miles from Hout Bay. The search and rescue of the workers was suspended after 3 days.

Chanting struggle slogans, the workers held placards which read, “Stop the neglect: Fishermen deserve protection”, and “11 workers lost at sea / Families deserve justice.”

Cosatu Western Cape secretary general, Malvern de Bruyn told Elitsha that they are disappointed at employers like Sea Harvest: “We are of the view that companies are not doing enough to protect fishermen, when they are going off shore. We’re saying that companies must ensure that they have safety measures for their workers. It is their responsibility,” said de Bruyn.

Sea Harvest have expressed that they tried and failed to recover the missing bodies, he said, but that it was not satisfactory. “This is very sad for us, because it means that families can’t get closure. They will never know, if their loved ones have died or not. And we cannot accept that; the company should take some responsibility,” he told Elitsha.

‘Were there enough
life jackets on board?

He said that, workers should be medically assisted to ensure they are physically fit before they go to sea. In a 3-page memorandum that was read outside the company’s offices, the union federation states that while it is not certain what the cause of the sinking was, they are aware that the vessel sank fast without leaving a floating life jacket. “Which begs the question, did the vessel have enough life jackets to cater for all workers in the event of an emergency? While we respect the investigation process currently underway, the federation is interested to know if there was any form of negligence or non-compliance from the side of the employer that compromised the lives of workers,” their memorandum reads.

Amongst the demands made by Cosatu are that: fishers undergo periodic examinations of their medical fitness for work on fishing vessels and that no fishers shall work on a fishing vessel without a valid medical certificate.

Other demands include, that there must be set standards for live-in accommodation and food on board, and that the food served should be of sufficient nutritional value, quality and quantity. “We demand the employer allow workers freedom of association and to fair labour practices. [The] employer must commit to and respect collective bargaining.”

Fishers have conditions of work that are different from those experienced by workers in other sectors. “The fatality rate of fishers is typically higher than other workers, as fishing is more hazardous compared to occupations as firefighting and mining. Fishers also suffer special health problems, such as skin complaints and respiratory diseases or the effects of noise and vibration,” the memorandum states.

In conveying the South African Communist Party’s (SACP) support of Cosatu’s protest, SACP central committee member, Phumzile Justice Mnguni said it is not acceptable that black labour can be viewed so cheaply, in 2024. “We cannot let capitalism do as it pleases, over our workers. Not in 2024. The 11 fishermen are probably dead by now; someone has to account. Families expect their loved ones to come back home after work and not to be told they are missing,” said Mnguni.

Sea Harvest officials who were observed making phone calls during the protest, refused to accept the memorandum from Cosatu. However, the federation left the memorandum at the company’s doorstep. “We will come back here if they don’t respond to us within 14 days. And now, we will mobilise for more numbers and close down this place. We wrote to these people, a long time ago; we have been disrespected,” de Bruyn told workers.

Another statement by the company, which was released after a visit by the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, said that the vessel was “governed by a comprehensive maintenance system, with adherence to a robust and ongoing mandatory service regime as prescribed by the authorities.”