We are disappointed by the Gauteng ANC

The largest Local Government Union, SAMWU, is concerned by the scathing attacks witnessed in the media by the African National Congress in the Gauteng province.

The Union as an alliance partner in the ruling alliance, has been criticised in the media and has never been approached internally, to discuss issues that may have been of concern to the ANC.

The Star newspaper, City Press and The New Age newspaper had all carried these reports we refer to. Whenever the Union has concerns with the ruling party we raise it in the alliance structures as agreed.

We therefore express grave concern and disappointment over the ANC's behaviour in recent weeks, as they have not followed agreed protocol. We encourage the ANC to desist from attacking the Union on employer/employee issues.

We deny reports that SAMWU is sabotaging the ANC election campaign because all issues that our members are on strikes about have been on the table before the elections had been. Shifting goal posts in negotiations has been the strategy of the employer. All the Unions strikes and or campaigns are based on genuine worker concerns and have nothing to do with election politics.

In the case of the Pikitup strike, we had exhausted all options available to us and had been waiting for management, the City of Johannesburg and or the ANC to intervene since 2009 and listen to workers reasonable and legitimate demands. Corruption and nepotism had engulfed the entire entity and is threatening to cripple it.

We urge the ANC to ensure that we engage in alliance structures as agreed and refrain from publicly attacking one another, as this will not help in any of our pursuits.

Statement issued by Tahir Sema, SAMWU, April 19 2011

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