The Democratic Alliance’s position on the National Minimum Wage exposes their anti-working class agenda

9 April 2018

The Congress of South African Trade Unions is not at all surprised by the latest attack on the National Minimum Wage by the Democratic Alliance. The DA position is of course the bosses’ position, so the DA was only reiterating the position of the real owners of the organization, the bosses. The long suffering workers have got no business supporting the DA, an organization that is about protecting the inherited privileges of the white minority.

It is good that workers can see very clearly that the DA is an unashamed enemy of the working class. They view workers as glorified slaves and want to continue to perpetuate the low wage regime that has produced the working poor. 

The DA proposal that workers must be allowed to agree not to be paid a minimum wage or that they must be given a R150 monthly job seeker’s grant is tantamount to legalising slavery as so aptly described by one DA delegate.

This proposal is nothing less than a call to collapse giving workers a minimum wage let alone a living wage.  It’s a call for the unashamed super exploitation of workers, especially young workers.  It seeks to pit young against their parents and older workers. 

The DA argues that it’s ok to pay workers R5 a day if they agree to ignore the minimum wage with the employer.  This is actually an endorsement of the ongoing investment strike by the bosses and supports the ridiculous argument that the only way bosses will invest is if are allowed to pay workers slave wages.  

This Verwoedian model should make the poor working class DA members to reflect and think about what they are supporting. They should actually realize that by voting for the DA; they are voting against their own interests. This glorification and perpetuation of poverty by the DA should not only be rejected but should be punished by the workers at the polls.

Issued by Sizwe Pamla, National Spokesperson, COSATU, 9 April 2018