Ban labour brokers!

Section 77 Notice of intention to proceed with protest action

The Congress of South African Trade Unions has, on 14 February 2012, issued a notice to Nedlac of intention to proceed with protect action on 7 March 2012, in terms of Section77 (1) (d) of the Labour Relations Act 1995.

The Nedlac Section 77 Standing Committee has now confirmed that there is a deadlock between the social partners at Nedlac on the question of labour brokers.

COSATU is now satisfied that the requirements of Section 77of the Labour Relation Act have been met for protected socio-economic protest and that this action is necessary for the effective resolution of this matter.

COSATU is therefore calling on all workers to support the socio-economic protest action by engaging in various forms of protest, which will involve:

• Work stoppages
• Rallies, marches, demonstrations pickets (including lunch-time pickets), placard demonstrations, siyalalas at or near the offices or premises of businesses that are labour brokers or businesses that use labour brokers from 29 February 2012.
• Engagement with customers and other members of the public to inform them of the reasons for the protect action and to persuade them to support the action.
• Calls for consumer boycotts of businesses that use labour brokers.
• Calls for provident funds to withdraw funds invested in businesses that use labour brokers.
• Calls for solidarity campaigns that are aimed at media, shareholders, employees, suppliers and others associated with labour brokers.

The protest actions that will involve time away from work are:

• Rallies, marches, demonstrations pickets, placard demonstrations, etc in all major towns and cities on 7 March 2012.
• A national stayaway or socio-economic strike on 7 March 2012.

The specific activities above will take place during working hours. The socio-economic strike will commence at 00h00 and end at 24h00 on 7 March 2012, except that shift workers will be away for the duration of one whole shift and it will be the shift that has the majority of hours on the day in question.

Following the socio-economic strike on 7 March 2012 the federation will assess the programme of action and decide on the way forward. It reserves the right to extend the programme of action. The federation action also reserves the right to amend the programme of action should this be necessary.

COSATU is adamant that Labour brokers must be completely banned!

They are nothing more than human traffickers, making huge profits by hiring out workers to their client companies as if we are no more than commodities like office furniture or stationery.

Their workers are paid lower wages and fewer benefits like medical aid and provident funds and no job security at all.

They can be hired and fired at any time by a phone call from the client company to the labour broker.

They can never plan their lives more than a week or two ahead.

We demand a total ban of this modern form of slavery!

Statement issued by COSATU, February 15 2012

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