COSATU Today, Friday 18 December 2009

SASFU has welcomed the pronouncements by both the Commander-in-Chief and the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, on the salary adjustment for men and women in uniform.

The union has however learnt that the money will not be received by soldiers in December but will only be paid at the end of January 2010. This means that the soldiers must still tighten their belts in this Christmas and new year celebrations. We were also made to believe that the adjustment will be between 2 and 65% but we remain convinced that, with the present salary scales, no member of the Defence Force deserves a 2% salary increase. We however will wait for the new salary levels and we hope that the junior members will benefit the most.

SASFU salutes the members of the SANDF for their unselfish service and discipline despite unbearable conditions of service. It is these members that have exposed these conditions through their Military Trade Unions and the unions have made the work of the Interim National Defence Force Service Commission easy by making presentations, giving the commission a well researched and documented data that has been collected over a period of time. We therefore call for a process to institute a strong bargaining council for the Defence Force and Military Unions, so that frustrations that led to the incident of 26 August 2009 can be prevented.

Salaries are but one, there remains a lot of problems of transformation including the fact that there are still Officers Commanding Defence Force Bases, who are flying the old South African Flag. These are officers that surely do not believe in the new democracy.

1.2 COSATU organizes hawkers for 2010

Dan Sibabi, Limpopo Provincial Secretary, 17 December 2009

COSATU Limpopo province , together with Street Net , an international NGO – Lobby Group and its affiliate SAMWU , is in the process of organizing and preparing Hawkers in the Polokwane City so as to ensure their strategic location in the city’s economic activity is not undermined come Soccer World Cup 2010.

We have already had several preparatory meetings with stakeholders and we will be officially launching the initiative early next year.

However , we want to register our deep concern that the Mookgophong municipality has instructed Hawkers in the town to vacate spaces that they have been using for decades.

It must be understood that most of these people are bread winners in their families and have even taken loans to purchase goods they are selling , most of which are perishable.

We call upon the Mayor and Municipal Manager of Mookgophong to reverse this decision and find better ways of handling the matter urgently.

COSATU locals in the province are called upon to defend these self – employed workers.

1.3 SACCAWU responds to Raymond Ackerman’s letter

Amos Mothapo, SACCAWU president, 17 December 2009

It is unfortunate that the chairman of Pick 'n Pay have decided to respond with an open letter in answer to the issues of racism in the workplace raised by workers in his employ instead of meaningfully engaging with SACCAWU to resolve these problems. We further note the selective way in which his open letter comment to the problems raised by workers and denying evidence put before the senoir management during the protracted negotiations with regard to this issue.

At the same time Mr. Ackerman also get many issues wrong that can unfortunately lead to misleading an unsuspecting public about the problems faced by Pick 'n Pay employees. Firstly, the timing of the strike as little to do with either the recession or the Christmas shopping period, instead it come about as a result of protracted negotiations, lasting almost a year, which failed to yield any positive results. Further, is the chairman suggesting that during bumper shopping periods or recessions, racism should be tolerated by workers in his employ?

AS for the absence of evidence, either the chairman are not fully kept abreast with developments or he refuses to accept all the evidence provided by the SACCAWU throughout the dispute. (see attached from our memorandum) As for the accusations against the CEO, Mr. Nick Badminton, it has never been disputed by the company throughout the negotiations and workers still demand a public apology from the CEO, but more importantly for us it is more than the fact that the derogatory comments about blacks capacity to learn was made some years back, but rather that such thinking seem to be consistent with problems currently experienced at the workplace including the disproportionate presence white (male and female) in top and senior management positions and professional occupations within the company.

As for our accusations being vague and unspecific, this is simply not true and will only mislead unsuspecting readers. Our issues has been clearly stated throughout a year of meetings with the company and is reflected in our memorandum (see extracts from our memorandum below).

We reject the idea of a commission of enquiry, for two reasons, it will not look at the primary failures of existing policies to address the problems of racism and it will rather look at specific cases and treat it in isolation rather than looking at the failure of transformation within the company as if there is no connection between the two. Further, listing a few names of blacks in senior positions does not answer the presence of racist practices within the company, it does not contradict the actual figures nor does it negate the experiences of racist practices by workers on the shop-floor. In fact such a response to our complains is an insult to us and the names of those listed in Mr. Ackerman's letter.

For Ackerman to even raise the mild indignities and abuse he suffered at the hands of politicians of the past does not help either, and we do not wish to compare Mr. Ackerman's abuse and our experiences under the same politicians, there imply is no comparison. For the changes brought about in this country was paid for firstly with the lives, blood, sweat, tears and sacrifices made by millions of workers, the trade union movements, SACAWU and the progressive forces and so we will not even compare what Mr. Ackerman consider his abuses with the price paid by millions of workers including SACCAWU and all its members.

Though, if Mr. Ackerman as he claim suffered abuses by politicians of the apartheid era, does this justify or negate the experiences racism of workers employed in the company where his is chairman? Indeed, that racist practices is so rife in the work-place in this day and age that it leads to national strike action is an appalling and disgraceful state of affairs, an appalling and disgraceful failure on the side of management to effectively address these serious complaints

What is clear from the open letter by Mr. Ackerman is his profound failure to understand either racism, how it bestows benefits on whites, how this cumulative privilege of whiteness still expresses itself and permeates our society and the workplace. Similarly, Mr. Ackerman clearly demonstrates that neither he nor his management, understand, listen or appreciate the experiences of workers in the workplace and unfortunately makes small a very serious problem on the shop-floor.

It would be naïve to expect that in a sea of racism, where the workplace not merely represented and extension of racial policies by the previous regime, but was central in the accumulation of wealth in general as well as private and personal wealth accumulated by white citizens over-time. In fact, racism and racist practices in the workplace remain rife today and not only at Pick 'n Pay. It is only because of the way in which SACCAWU members employed at Pick 'n Pay have responded that it is receiving the news coverage it does. Indeed, since the public interest and news coverage of the struggle by SACCAWU members at Pick 'n Pay numerous experiences from various other workplaces where SACCAWU is organised has been reported to our offices.

By Mr. ackermans own admission the response to the call to strike action was enormous throughout the country on the 11^th December, and so it will be in Cape Town on the 18^th December. We must understand workers never take strike action lightly; it is always the last resort to resolve workplace problems. Every time workers go on strike, they consider risking their livelihood, that of their families and other dependents on what is usually an insufficient income. So, clearly that the problems of racism in the workplace for our members is a serious problem should not be dismissed as lightly as Pick 'n Pay attempts to do.

In the post-1994 democratic era we seldom find confessions of racism, self-declared racist or racist practices, In fact, today it is very hard to find supporters of apartheid. And today the way in which the problem of racism is usually reported is of isolated racist incidences at occasional rugby matches, treatment at some place of leisure mainly experienced by some or other celebrity etc. Hardly ever do we see a comprehensive investigation of the continued systemic presence of racism permeating our society, not least of all the workplace. The systemic, institutionalised and hidden racism experienced in the workplace do not receive similar sensational coverage by the media. It is for this reason that the actions by SACCAWU members at Pick 'n Pay should be congratulated and celebrated for the effective way in which they have managed to bring to the fore the hidden racism experienced in workplaces.

Mr. Ackerman completely misses the point of the current dispute and the actions taken by the workers. What is in dispute is not what Pick 'n Pay have achieved in the past, but rather the current failures of Pick 'n Pay in addressing racism and racist practices on the shop-floor. The Union has raised the fundamental issue of transforming the workplace to eradicate the legacy of Apartheid which we all inherited from our ugly past. Pick n Pay cannot pretend as if such legacy has suddenly been eradicated. And to dismiss and treat it as individual excesses by some who might overstep the line in a moment of indiscretion, as it appear Mr. Ackerman does, is to refuse our past, the continued benefits and privileges whites still enjoy and the real experiences that have seen tens of thousands of SACCAWU members at Pick 'n Pay taking to the streets.

In a country so plagued by racism with a legacy of centuries of racism it is naïve, to say the least, that Pick 'n Pay or any other workplace that have been built on the opportunities provided by previous racist governments for whites will not experience racism in the workplace.

Throughout the dispute, SACCAWU has pointed out a litany of examples, including the comments attributed to the CEO, Nick Badminton, none of which was disputed; instead what has been offered is a commission of enquiry. Our experiences as SACCAWU members in the workplace is that when we are faced with any charges, we are subjected to the policies and procedures of the company and except the final outcomes of such processes. For example if any of our members are charged with assault and found guilty such a worker will be dismissed. However, our experience is that if it is white and managers facing similar charges the sanctions tend to be different and more lenient than what would be experienced by our members. What does this have to do with race? The reader might ask, simply this our members is overwhelmingly Black.

The memorandum submitted to the company and circulated to the media, clearly outlines some of the examples of racism, including the selective rehiring of white retired staff, the rapid promotion of white VTE's to management positions, the dominance of white (male and female) dominate all positions in senior management, professional positions as well as racial and gender disparities in the Company’s remuneration structure. Our observations have been confirmed by the Department of Labour’s DG Review report. To pretend as if such problems; as Mr Ackermans does; do not exist is to deny the need for transformation of the workplace.

Of course, to list a handful of black employees who have been promoted does not negate the real experiences on the shop-floor as explained in our memorandum, of course unless Mr. Ackerman asks us to be patient that eventually somewhere in the unknown future all our problems will be addressed, neither does it deal with the facts about the disproportionate white presence in senior positions.

Then Mr. Ackerman asks, “Are we perfect?” here again he misses the point, yes Pick 'n Pay like most other employers are not. However, can this be held as a defence for racism in the workplace? Is Mr. Ackerman asks from us and be tolerant with racism and racist practices, because, 'we are not perfect'. Is this not asking from us black workers to be tolerant and not change the situation, because some people are still racist?

What SACCAWU presented as a solution to the problems of racism in the workplace is the need for fundamental transformation that comprehensively tackles all forms of racism in the workplace. To deny the existence of racism in the workplace and to refuse to effectively respond it as a social problem will not solve the problem. Instead of making excuses and treating racist instances in the workplace as the exception from those 'that are not perfect' is to simply worsen the problem. To Mr. Ackerman we say, we have presented Pick 'n Pay with evidence, we have put forward proposals for fundamental transformation of the workplace. TO deny the racist experiences by workers is to endorse it. Actions speaks louder than words, it is the failure of policies that is at the heart of this campaign.

2. South Africa

2.1 CWU welcomes SABC board

Matankana Mothapo, CWU National Spokesperson, 18 December 2009

CWU has welcomed and supported the new South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Board as announced by President Jacob Zuma. We strongly believe that this new Board as announced by President Zuma will transform the SABC from being a mouthpiece of the 1996 class project into being a truly public broadcaster of the masses and the marginalized.

CWU will be seeking an audience with the new Board as part of formulating a solid response to the many ongoing challenges faced by the SABC informed by the mismanagement of funds and lack of leadership by the previous factional Board.

The new Board must restore the stability and credulity of the SABC. The SABC is a public entity owned by the working class and the poor and it has that responsibility of advancing their interests consistent with the ideals of our nascent democratic dispensation of reconciliation, social justice and solidarity. The SABC should not be an organ of advancing the interests of capital and the elites at the expense of our people.

2.2 NUMSA congratulates the new SABC board

Castro Ngobese, NUMSA’s National Spokesperson, 17 December 2009

NUMSA has congratulated its President Cedric Sabelo Gina and other individual members on their appointment to serve on the new South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Board as announced by President Jacob Zuma.

The appointment of President Gina to serve on the SABC Board signifies a qualitative victory for the working class and the poor as part of building organs of popular power for peoples power. This appointment should be located and understood within the context of making sure that all key sites of power, including the SABC, the voice of the working class and the poor finds its expression and popular dominance.

NUMSA strongly believes that the appointment of this new SABC Board by President Zuma will bury the abuse and manipulation of the SABC to fight political battles within our broad movement as led by the ANC associated with the previous Board as led by Khanyisile Mkonza. The key mandate that must be executed by this new Board is to change the ideological orientation of the SABC to be consistent with the broader aspirations of the working class geared towards fostering solidarity, reconciliation and social justice.

Numsa will support this new Board in meeting its objectives of building a truly independent public broadcaster as opposed to a broadcaster that serves the whims and dictates of the Capitalist markets and bosses!

2.3 NHI a befitting tribute to Tshabalala-Msimang-NUMSA

Castro Ngobese, NUMSA’s National Spokesperson, 17 December 2009

NUMSA has joined the people of South Africa and the Revolutionary Alliance as a whole in mourning the death of Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

Dr Tshabalala-Msimang’s death should serve as a call to the ANC and government to speedily implement the National Health Insurance (NHI) in the interests of the working class and the poor. This is the befitting tribute that our movement can honour Cde Tshabalala-Msimang for her dedication, sacrifices and commitments to the struggle of the oppressed.

To the revolutionary and the Tshabalala-Msimang family, Dr Manto has not died, but she has joined the immortal living in the land of the departed. Ours is to make sure that we carry forward her struggle towards achieving the noble goals of the Freedom Charter as encapsulated in the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).

NUMSA sends its sincere and profound condolences to her family, friends and colleagues in the National Executive Committee of the ANC.

2.4 SAMA expresses condolences to Dr Tshabalala-Msimang’s family

Celia Hugo SAMA’s PR and Media Liaison

SAMA has noted with sadness the passing of the previous Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

SAMA extends its condolences to the family during their time of loss.

2.5 ANCYL shocked by DJ’s comment on Dr Tshabalala-Msimang

Magdalene Moonsamy , ANCYL Spokesperson, 17 December 2009

The ANCYL has received with disgust and shock the vulgar utterances of Radio Jockey Gareth Cliff in response to the passing of Dr Manto Tshabalala Msimang.

It is with disbelief that Mr Cliff exposes his lack of basic common sense, patriotism and disrespect.

The comments are viewed as an undignified and hateful onslaught on a great contributor towards democracy in South Africa and beyond.

It is so unfortunate that this representative of the South African media displays such vulgarity at a time of bereavement and great loss to the nation. These actions certainly undermine Freedom of Expression and abuses the gains of our democracy.

The ANCYL demands an unequivocal apology from Mr Gareth Cliff to the family, friends and people of South Africa.

2.6 Defend the unity of the Alliance and focus on the core challenges- SACP

Malesela Maleka, SACP Spokesperson, 17 December 2009

The SACP’s principled call for mature engagement across the Alliance, and our unqualified support for the message delivered by President Zuma to the SACP’s Special National Congress this past weekend, now run the danger of being misinterpreted in some quarters.

At our Congress, the SACP’s chairperson, general secretary and deputy general secretary all criticised the disrespect shown to ANC NEC member, Cde Billy Masetla, and to the ANC YL president. We have no intention of retracting condemnations of this behaviour.

However, it is notable that there has been no apology or even the vaguest hint of self-reflection from some other quarters. Instead, there has been open defiance of the ANC president, with war-drums being beaten. There has been no apology for the deliberate and disruptive commotion at our congress, purposely staged in the full glare of TV cameras and news reporters. It was a commotion designed to humiliate Cde Gwede Mantashe in his capacity as ANC Secretary General. This is not the first time in recent weeks that we have seen attempts to disrupt Alliance meetings from exactly the same small clique.

The SACP rejects attempts in parts of the media to now establish some kind of “balance of misbehaviour”. We accept responsibility for any mistakes on our part, and we have always immediately sought to correct them.

We know that the overwhelming majority of ANC comrades, of ANC YL members, of Alliance supporters in general and, indeed, of South Africans across the broadest spectrum know full well where the source of serial mudslinging, character assassination, factionalism and narrow chauvinism lies. This behaviour is costing our movement dearly, not least in provinces like the Western Cape.

In defending our own organisation and our Alliance, the SACP will not descend to these levels. We are heartened by the many calls of support from young South Africans, including many members of the ANC YL.

We call on all Alliance members to defend the resolutions of the ANC’s 52^nd National Conference, including the important ANC resolution on the transformation of the mining sector. Let us defend the Freedom Charter’s noble principles and not be cajoled (by threats of non-deployment) into seemingly radical calls that are designed to advance narrow sectoral interests.

Without fear or favour, let us take forward all five key pillars of our shared Alliance election manifesto. In particular, and without fear or favour, let us take forward the struggle against corruption. As in the past, the SACP calls on Alliance partners to implement individual declarations of interest by all leadership. It is imperative that we dispel any hint or allegation of positions being adopted on the basis of lavish personal sponsorships.

Let us defend the multi-class unity of our Alliance, on the basis of our principled and common programmes of action. Together, as South Africans, faced with climbing crisis levels of unemployment, inequality, poverty and HIV/AIDS pandemic, we cannot afford to be endlessly diverted by side-shows and theatrical attempts at disruption.

As the SACP we are committed to building a nation that openly and frankly debates its own challenges but in doing this let us all respect basic human rules of human engagement like respect, civility and humility.

2.7 KZN YCL condemns ANCYL’s handling of Polokwane events

YCL KZN, 17 December 2009

In the spirit of preserving the integrity and revolutionary values of the Tripartite Alliance and the Progressive Youth Alliance, the Provincial Executive Committee of the Young Communist League in KwaZulu-Natal prefers to relay its condemnation of the manner in which the ANCYL in various provinces have treated the nature of the SACP’s Special National Congress as it successfully unfolded in the past week in Polokwane. We find media statements by these comrades very unbecoming and politically paranoid based on the following:-

1. They seek to narrowly portray the South African Communist Party as the sub-committee within the ANC without its own autonomy and its independent revolutionary platform,

2. While expectedly enjoying their democratic right to freedom of expression, these comrades are at the same time ignorant of what really transpired at the august Special National Congress of the SACP. They seem to be obsessed with what has been reported by the media and thereby loosely attacking congress delegates and senior leadership of both, the SACP and the ANC,

3. Despite the fact that the SACP has clear programs and advanced revolutionary theory, some of these comrades chose to ignore all of this and succumbed to insults of all sorts,

4. It is our belief that the Mid-Term Vision (MTV) of the South African Communist Party which fundamentally calls for building working class hegemony in all key sites of power has been superfluously confused with the campaign to oust non-communists from the ANC and the taking over of the ANC by the SACP. Clearly, we find this confusion very unfortunate,

5. The attempted crusade of political character assassination as generally dedicated to branch leaders of the SACP collaborated in some of these media statements has tried without fail to expose the challenge faced by the PYA on rendering basic teachings on mutual respect among alliance partners. This unfortunate conduct also undermines constructive engagement on challenges facing our movement,

6. We are to learn from these media pronouncements a very nearsighted re-emerging tendency of praising and promotion of an individual cult at the expense of our historical revolutionary traditions of collectivism within our beloved movement. As defeated in Polokwane (2007) this tendency should be unapologetically squashed from all angles regardless of who is spearheading and benefiting from it.

What should be done, therefore?

As YCL in this province (KZN) we wish to precisely point out that the working class and the poor of our country and beyond are not in any way interested in this unprecedented and opportunistic media jostling. They have nothing to lose except their chains of poverty, unemployment, disease and destitution.

Our clarion call is dedicated to all the structures of the mass democratic movement to continue dedicating themselves towards the social emancipation of our people (the working class and the poor).

Programs of our organizations should always continue to guide and bind us together. Ours as YCL is indeed to focus on ensuring that the resolutions of the recent august Special National Congress of the SACP are implemented. We will do so without underestimating nor elevating challenges within and outside our movement and within the PYA in particular. As YCL in the Province of Kwa-Zulu/Natal we call all PYA components including our Branches and District to heed the call by the ANC President Jacob Zuma who provided leadership by urging us not to be hoodwinked by irritants.

Putting a point across

YCL in the Province of KwaZulu Natal unlike Malema and others we are not going to open a dictionary of political insults, instead we shall as expected from the Marxist-Leninist organ, tell the truth as it is, that, the booing of Malema was not of our choosing, it was as a result of the spontaneous anger from delegates and the provocative signals made by Billy Masetla. Our General Secretary Dr. Blade Nzimande and the National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe immediately reprimanded delegates about their behavior.

It is therefore surprising and confusing to learn of the insult against the two gallant leaders of our movement. This had opportunistically been linked to the 2012 succession debates. As YCL in the Province of KZN, we support the Top Six Official of the ANC as it is, and there is no need to open a succession debate prematurely.

Another disappointing factor is the involvement of our Floyd Shivhambu in his capacity as ANCYL spokesperson in drafting all the so-called Provincial statements, projecting them as the views of the Provinces.

Nonetheless we have good relations with ANCYL Provinces, and we believe that Youth League members will not share the view that SACP members are dogs, hooligans and are like COPE.

As part of the way forward, we shall

1. Call for a three days Provincial political school between the ANCYL and the YCL, with a day delegated on Nationalization vis a vis Socialization.

2. A joint PWC meeting shall be held, where we will tabulate our Vision 2010 Programme to the ANCYL, and develop a common programme of action, as our relations must be based on programmes, not on feelings and personal cult of some (irritant) individuals.

3. And finally we call for the development of a guiding document on the rules of engagement amongst PYA components.

We hope the YL in the Province shall heed to this call as we seek to champion the interest of Young people in our land.

Mluleki Mntungwa (Communications Officer)

COSATU ICT Unit

1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Street

Braamfontein

2007

P.O.Box 1019

Johannesburg

2000

South Africa

Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24

Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940

E-Mail: mlu...@cosatu.org.za

image001.jpg

image019.jpg

image020.png

image021.jpg

image022.png

image023.png

image024.png

image025.jpg

image026.jpg

image027.jpg

image003.wmz

image006.png

image008.png

image010.png

image012.jpg

image014.gif

image015.jpg

image017.jpg

Reply all

Reply to author

Forward

0 new messages