SACP supports COSATU-led socio-economic strike, NUMSA-led metal and engineering industrial workers’ strike, and unity of mineworkers in pursuit of common demands
6 October 2021
The South African Communist Party (SACP) pledges its support for the socio-economic protest action called by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the metal and engineering industrial workers’ strike action led by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA).
The NUMSA-led metal and engineering industrial workers’ strike action is legally protected under the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council negotiation process deadlock certificate, while the COSATU-led socio-economic strike action is legally protected under the rules of the National Economic Development and Labour Council. All workers covered by the protection, without exception, are free to take part in the industrial and socio-economic action, while at the same time protecting life itself by complying with the COVID-19 preventative measures and vaccinating in big numbers to unlock conditions for future rolling mass actions.
The metal and engineering industrial workers went out on strike on Tuesday, October 5th, to support their bargaining demands. The SACP salutes the workers, including our own SACP members, for coming out strongly in support of the strike. In 2020, the metal and engineering workers made a compromise in a “Standstill” agreement which resulted in no wage increases, in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns. Instead of putting people before profit, capitalist bosses put profit before people. All capital wants is self-expansion from the exploitation of labour, even if the workers make the compromises such as the 2020 metal and engineering industries "Standstill" compromise that led to no wage increases. The capitalist bosses must come to the party and respond positively to the demands of the workers.
The COSATU-led socio-economic strike action will take place on Thursday, October 7th, to support broader socio-economic demands. We cannot overemphasise the crucial importance of a united workers’ action to achieve immediate improvements and, more broadly, a change in the socio-economic policy space. This has to be upgraded to build momentum towards, capacity for, and elements of a revolutionary breakthrough towards a society that is free of economic exploitation.
The SACP will continue to play its part to engage and build wider working-class unity, including through deepening efforts to forge a popular left front. A national summit of trade unions and their federations voluntarily convened by the progressive labour movement itself to discuss a joint programme of action in pursuit of the common interests of the workers is also crucial.
Trade unions and their respective federations across the economy need to build and deepen co-operation and unity behind the common interests of workers. The mineworkers’ front that has recently emerged at Sibanye-Stillwater, involving the National Union of Mineworkers working together in proletarian solidarity with other trade unions in pursuit of the common demands of the workers is an important example to uphold, build on, and widen across the economy. The mineworkers have declared a bargaining process dispute in support of their demands for improvements. We pledge our solidarity with the workers.
We join COSATU in calling on workers across the economy to support the demands that left the federation with no other option but to call the socio-economic strike action that it will lead on Thursday, October 7th. The working-class demands include the demand for an end to austerity, which involves budget cuts that affect the needs of the people and development in a bad way.
The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) is one key labour dispute resolution institution that has been affected by the neoliberal policy of austerity. This has left the workers exposed to unfair labour practices, dismissals, and discrimination, as the CCMA has been weakened by the budget cuts.
Instead of neoliberal austerity and persisting long-term macroeconomic policy failure, South Africa needs a policy change. This must involve systemic and structural transformation to tackle the capitalist system generated crises of high levels of mass unemployment, poverty, inequality, and the associated inability to support life. A decisive advance towards a comprehensive social security system to look after the needs of the people is essential as part of the change in policy direction.
The SACP supports COSATU in calling for an end to all other attacks on workers across the economy. The demands include a call for the state to deepen the clampdown against corruption and corporate capture of the state.
Issued by Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, SACP Central Committee Member: Media & Communications, SACP, 6 October 2021
