SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
An umbrella of care
Backsberg not only believes in being eco-conscious but socially-responsible too. As such, the following socially responsible initaitives have been a keen focus both in the past and in the present moment.
01 EDUCATION DURING APARTHEID
Michael Back ran, managed and sponsored a night school in the township of Kayamandi in Stellenbosch between 1974 and 1984.
02 THE FREEDOM ROAD HOUSING PROJECT
This was launched in 1991 and was premised as an empowerment project financed by Backsberg, sweat equity of the beneficiaries and a small government grant between 1991 to 1994. The project sought to ensure that all Backsberg workers had the ability to own the home they resided in. This broke the entrenched ties between being a farmworker and living on the estate. Losing your job and your roof was historically one and the same thing. Today, Backsberg employees live in their own houses, and continue to do so even after leaving the Backsberg fold.
04 THE KLAPMUTS
PRIMARY SCHOOL
We actively assist at the local school through staff training and the sponsorship of pre-school teaching staff salaries.
03 BURSARIES FOR
UNDERPRIVILEGED SCHOLARS
FOR OVER 100 YEARS
Backsberg believes that liberation from past injustices can only come via education. As such, Backsberg has financed over 100 years of tertiary education for our workers’ children and others that have approached us. Sponsorship was sans any obligation other than to pass every subject every quarter.
03 BURSARIES FOR
UNDERPRIVILEGED SCHOLARS
FOR OVER 100 YEARS
Backsberg believes that liberation from past injustices can only come via education. As such, Backsberg has financed over 100 years of tertiary education for our workers’ children and others that have approached us. Sponsorship was sans any obligation other than to pass every subject every quarter.
04 THE KLAPMUTS
PRIMARY SCHOOL
We actively assist at the local school through staff training and the sponsorship of pre-school teaching staff salaries.
05 LABOUR
Labour outsourcing has been discontinued and Backsberg strives to adhere to ethical and socially-responsible employment practices.
EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES
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- Endeavours to adhere to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act that defines the legal relationship between employee and employer.
- If and when we are shown to have made an error we will rectify such error immediately.
- We are acutely aware of the heightened levels of concern around the use of child labour and the issues surrounding modern-day slavery.
- With regards to the former, we seek not to employ children under the age of 18 years even though 16 is the permissible age of entry into the labour market under certain additional prescribed conditions.
- With regards to modern-day slavery, Backsberg unequivocally condemns this practice. All who work for Backsberg do so by absolute free choice and under no coercion or the withholding of any formal statutory documentation of the employee.
- Backsberg has been audited and certified by organisations involved in the monitoring of labour practices, such as SIZA and WIETA, in terms of compliance to labour laws.
- In the South African context, Backsberg understands the need to continuously train and up-skill staff, at especially worker level, but at all levels too. We seek to promote from within the staff compliment whenever possible.
