Grooms strike? Press statement

PRESS STATEMENT

Date: 31 January 2013



No J&B MET for GROOMS (HORSEMEN) WILL STAY AWAY FROM WORK AS FROM 2 FEBRUARY 2013 (WE ARE NOT LOOKING AFTER RACEHORSES FROM SATURDAY, 2 FEBRUARY).

The South African Grooms Association, an association of South African horsemen working with racehorses is not recognised by the Horseracing Authority. We are tired of being victimised and abused by the industry because we are not educated and poor. We watch rich people’s horses and look after their important horses during big races where they invite other rich people. They fail to cater for the people looking after those horses. Horses are more important than the people who look after them.

We have submitted our demands to the National Horseracing Authority and wait to hear from them and this is the reason we are NOT going to work from SATURDAY, 2 FEBRUARY 2013.



The demands are:

1. Recognition Agreement.

2. R17million stolen by Phumelela the company that is managing the J&B Met of 2 February. They stole R17m grant funding that was given to the Grooms for houses. The money was in the Horseracing Development Fund.

3. Cancel the trainer, Ian Jayes’s eviction by Phumelela.

4. Better working conditions for grooms.

We have complained for many years and now we are tired. This is time for action.

For more information: Chophelikaya Simoto, Chairperson of SAGA

082 533 2902

Third force?

WOW

Thinking of the Met now

Holy shit I might get lucky on Sat My daughter was due to get married to a tipster that never loses. I'm hoping the Grooms all strike ! I'll save money on the wedding and the tips. At last a win win.

How many of the grooms will strike?

Wonder if it will be safe at the track. Could be ugly scenes. Violence like on the farms.

Scary shit.

Overseas grooms look after 5 horses our grooms can barely look after 2, I have always felt they could get a better present
when their horses win at least R2000? If we pay more we will get a better class af groom.

The owner will have to pay simple,whats another r500 per month per horse,some trainers charge over the odds as it is.We just need to make sure the groom gets the bit extra...

Just a few facts from this trainers point of view and pretty sure many would agree.

1) The standard of groom has dropped to a very low level these days. Most would not have been allowed to touch a horse 30yrs ago.
This is inspite of trying to teach them and the Grooms school which most did not want to go to. The feeling you get is that most do not even like horses but just working to get their wages.

2) As Alcanina says they battle to do 2 horses and most could not handle the overseas work load.

3) Just this last week I have had to endure a groom hitting a horse on the head as hard as he could because it was a bit fresh, A groom sliding off a horse that slipped in the mud and then letting it loose and chasing it because all his mates were laughing and telling him to let it go, another was so busy talking he walked the filly into the back of a gelding who proceded to kick her, a groom of 15yrs walking into a box smoking! These are just the important ones and many other smaller stupid things.

4) All my grooms are paid extra if we win a race or run in the 1st 4.

Is this a Nationwide strike?

My personal opinion is that we have the grooms we have in SA racing because they have not been developed. It is easy to critisize the level of understanding/performance of a group of people who do not know their future & lets face it, i would not want to be a groom in SA.

Is there a recognised apprenticeship? Minimum wages that are policed along with development programs, not just window dressing & not the SA minimum wage?

How has the level of groom's competency been allowed to get so bad over 30 years as opposed to improving, surely it has not been the owners?

USe it, dont use it...........

TS we cannot force them to go on training at the grooms school and out of necessity we have to employ some of these guys who are just not good enough. Dont get me wrong, we all have some very good grooms and they have had exactly the same teaching/learning as the others but they really love their horses and are not here just to get paid. The grooms here all get free accomodation, water, electricity etc and a % of the winnings goes to the grooms. They do ok and still save. I had 1 of mine bring me big pile of cash to transfer into his wife's acc.