The Commercial, Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers union (Csaawu) faced bankruptcy after two Labour Court judgements in 2014 awarded costs amounting to nearly R600,000 against it. The cases arose from the protests on farms in the Western Cape in 2012 and 2013. On 14 August 2015, the Constitutional Court dismissed the union’s plea to have the two cost orders overturned. The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of SA (Seri) said in a statement on Wednesday:
“Csaawu has reached agreements with the farmers in whose favour the orders were granted, and the litigation together with the publicity around it has enabled Csaawu to raise funds which will allow it to pay off the once debilitating costs orders. Earlier this month, R400,000 was paid to the farmers. Csaawu is currently engaged in further fundraising to pay off the outstanding amounts before the end of the year.”
Read the report on SA Labour News Trade union Csaawu avoids being closed down after cost orders first published yesterday and the report by Barbara Maregele’s Csaawu avoids closure on GroundUp on 23 September 2015.