COSATU refutes lies about ‘Unions snubbing an invite to attend COSATU Special CEC’-COSATU Special CEC in session

26 May 2015

The Congress of South African Trade Unions rejects totally the ‘lies’ spread by News bulletins about the attendance of Trade Unions affiliated to the Federation in Today’s newspapers.

Sowetan Reporter said ‘ At least five unions snubbed an invite to attend Cosatu’s central executive committee meeting that started yesterday....’.

And also Business Day said ‘Pro-vavi unions snub Cosatu meeting’, with an improper narrative saying ‘at least five unions snubbed an invitation to attend the central executive committee meeting that started yesterday.....’.

These examples clearly displays elements of ‘embedded journalism’ where lies, mis-information and un-truths, are peddled deliberately to sell newspapers.

Workers across all sectors of the economy have been nurtured to understand the political economy of the media and also to appreciate that always it represents the views of the ‘elites’ and those who stand to gain in the weakened working class formations.

COSATU puts on record that the Federation’s Special Central Executive Committee underway at COSATU House, Braamfontein is attended by fourteen affiliated Trade Unions, with only the exception of three Unions.

Public and Allied Workers Union of South Africa [PAWUSA] and Communications Workers’ Union [CWU] as allegedly reported, are attending the Special Executive Committee.

The only three absent Unions are the South African Football Players Union [SAFPU], the South African State and Allied Workers Union [SASAWU], and the Food and Allied Workers’ Union [FAWU], whose standing in terms of the Constitution is still a subject of debate.

COSATU Constitution in terms of composition of meetings says ‘each affiliate in good standing with the Federation may participate in meetings’. And some of the Unions are way back in subscriptions to the Federation.

COSATU urges all Trade Unions affiliated to the Federation to attend constitutional meetings and build vibrant, strong and revolutionary workers’ formations.

Football players in South Africa are now in recess and needs revolutionary assistance from SAFPU on contracts, benefits and unemployment insurances, with some of the football players facing relegation-related contractual disputes.

Farms workers in South Africa are the most vulnerable workers across all sectors of the economy and need revolutionary assistance from FAWU.

Wholesale, retail and hospitality workers are facing precarious working conditions across the country and they need SACCAWU to defend their rights day and night.

And currently Wholesale and Retail public hearings on minimum wages are underway across provinces, led by the Department of Labour and SACCAWU must play its role.

Workers in the government Departments and parastatals needs unity of workers to enhance the hegemony of public servant’s collective voice and PAWUSA must play its role within COSATU.

Each of all these Trade Unions have a major role to play in COSATU.

The strength of COSATU is the sum of all the strength of all Affiliates across all sectors of the economy, including metalworkers.

Class struggle is a political struggle. And unity of all progressive workers’ formation is sacrosanct.

The COSATU Special Central Executive Committee Meeting enters its second day of session.

Statement issued by COSATU, May 26 2015