COSATU KZN PEC Press Statement
Background
COSATU KZN convened a two day PEC on 25th-26th of September 2013 at Lavita Conference Centre in Durban.
This was our 3rd quarter PEC, which normally sits after every three months to deal with the day-to-day activities affecting workers and the working class in general.
The PEC took place at a time when the Federation is faced with its own internal challenges and as the PEC we will continue to be guided by its national decisions.
As such we recognise our primary role of being the implementing arm of the federation and also respect the fact that COSATU is a federation of trade unions and therefore all that relates to our current situation is beyond our scope as a province but most importantly respects and recognises national directives.
Our PEC also took place at a time, when COSATU-affiliated unions had taken a decision, through their members, to challenge their employers in demands for a better living wage.
The PEC noted that the struggles of workers were informed by their daily experiences of poverty and inequality as their salaries and wages have not increased in real terms over a number of years.
As the PEC we therefore fully support the genuine struggles wage by workers for a better living wage, as well as better working conditions.
ALLIENCE
The PEC has welcomed the appointment of Cde Senzo Mchunu, as the Premier of the province, who happens also to be the provincial chairperson of the ANC.
As COSATU, we are looking forward in working with him in addressing the challenges facing the working class and the poor.
We therefore believe that as a seasoned cadre he will rise to the occasion and will improve on the excellent work done by his predecessors, cdes Sbu Ndebele and Zweli Mkhize respectively.
We further express our word of gratitude and appreciation to former premier, Dr, Zweli Mkhize as we are of the firm belief that he did not disappoint the people of KwaZulu Natal or embarrass the liberation Alliance under the leadership of the ANC during his tenure as the Premier of the province
PICKING UP THE GAINS
The PEC resolved to revive this campaign, in light of our very successful Listening Campaign, which was about mainly listening and reconnecting with our members.
Through our Picking up the Gains Campaign we will be working with the Department of Labour (DOL) on a comprehensive joint programme of random inspection blitzes.
We have already met with DOL KZN and have agreed that we will launch this programme in Kokstad and a team from both COSATU and DOL has already been established to work on logistics which including the date.
LABOUR BROKERS
PEC expressed its discomfort and disappointment that parliament seems to be dragging its feet on this matter and completely rejects the six-month proposal under a labour broker.
We remain adamant that, in no way a democratic state must regulate modern-day slavery and human trafficking.
Whilst appreciating progress made and the road travelled so far, we reject with all the contempt it deserves the regulation of labour brokers.
We appeal to the government to move with the same or more speed it used to disband the scorpions, in banning labour brokers.
Decent work to us cannot co-exist side-by-side with labour brokers because these are the worst parasites who survive in sucking the blood of workers.
Our democratic state must defend the working class and the poor and not act as mediator between monopoly capital and workers.
The majority of workers who are victims of labour brokers are Africans and therefore this is a serious indictment in our struggle commitment where we stated that (ours is the struggle for the liberation of blacks in general and Africans in particular).
ROAD TOLLING
The PEC rejects with all the contempt it deserves the signing into law of the bill that seeks to grant Sanral the right to plough on with E-tolls all over the country with impunity.
As the leadership of COSATU, we are quite disappointed by this move committed by our own government.
This demonstrates the power and influence of private monopoly capital and which will stop at nothing sucking the blood of the working class.
We will continue with the intensification of our campaign though and we view this as just one of those circumstances that can breed criminals act out of genuine citizens and revolutionaries, who have nothing else but love of their country and its citizens, in particular the working class.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The PEC expressed its disappointment that up until to date the eThekwini has not taken over the busses and the employees under its wing.
SATAWU, SAMWU and COSATU eThekwini Locals were therefore instructed to draw up a plan for rolling mass actions, which will include, amongst other things, pickets and a march or marches.
We are further looking at other legal means to verify the authenticity of the contract and the nature and manner in which the busses were sold.
The PEC further received some information about high levels of intimidation and threats to life that workers are subjected to.
Our patience therefore has been tested to the limit.
ROAD SAFETY
PEC noted with great concern the recent deaths on our roads and has committed itself to make its contribution to reduce this carnage on our roads.
We have therefore requested our affiliates to lead the process of intensifying the campaign on road safety compliance, which are POPCRU, NEHAWU, SATAWU, DENOSA and SAMA.
The PEC further agreed that a law-enforcement stakeholder meeting be convened between the department of Transport KZN, department of Labour KZN, Department of Home Affairs KZN as well as COSATU so as to deal with law enforcement operations.
7 October 2013 will be International Labour Day against precarious work and the PEC therefore agreed that our industrial action will be directed to the owner of the truck that killed 23 people in Pinetown.
ANTI-CORRUPTION & CRIME
As the leadership of COSATU we will be convening an anti-crime and anti-corruption summit quite soon.
We are of the view that the recent stories around former minister Dina Pule and IEC chair, Patsy Tlakula are of great concern and continue to undermine the trust of our people to the people they believe represent their genuine interests and aspirations.
As COSATU we remain convinced that public representatives and public servants must not be involved in business or must choose between the two and that includes the judicial and institutions like the IEC.
McCord HOSPITAL FIASCO
The PEC noted the situation at McCord hospital and raised its concerns about how the board of the hospital has handled this matter.
It further congratulated NEHAWU and other unions who supported the application in the Labour court to interdict the hospital from closing and dismissing/retrenching workers. We see this as a victory of those unions that the hospital is not closed permanently.
We further welcome the progress made, which includes a final in-principle agreement that government will take over 100% of the hospital; but we believe this could have happened long ago, had it not been the greed on the part of the McCord hospital board.
We believe though, that the agreement by the two parties, government and the McCord, not to seek agreement with the unions involved in the court processes, particularly NEHAWU, might be in breach or in contempt court, with regard the issue of temporal closure.
We further welcome all the other announcements by the MEC with regard to the takeover of other state aided hospitals including St Aiden in Durban.
Lastly the commodification of our health care is the challenge.
As long as we still have two health care systems, Public and Private, challenges and crises will continue to confront us.
The problem is that there is a health care system of the elite, which is well resourced and well funded and the health care system for the poor and marginalised poorly resourced and with little funding.
GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014
As COSATU KZN we will continue to support and campaign for the ANC to triumph in the up coming 2014 general elections.
This is in line and consistent with our national congress of last year which resolved that we will support the ANC in 2014 general elections.
The ANC with all its limitations remains the political home for workers and a genuine force for change.
As we have started already participating in its elections structures, we will be intensifying the campaign in the months to come.
The PEC conceded though that the problem at times is not the limitations in the ANC but rather limitations within our own ranks.
We have to improve service to members as well as recognise and respect the principle of worker control then the perception will go about what is our preoccupation.
Lastly, the PEC instructed the Provincial Office Bearers (POBs) to pursue the meeting between the ANC deployees in the executive and COSATU public sector unions.
Statement issued by Zet Luzipo, COSATU KZN Provincial Secretary, September 28 2013
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