COSATU Today 29 October 2009
Patrick Craven
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COSATU Today
Our side of the story
Thursday 29 October 2009
PATRONELLA NDOU
4 November 1974 – 24 October 2009
Memorial Service
A memorial service for the late Patronella Ndou will be held at COSATU House TODAY, Thursday 29 October 2009 at 15h00.
Funeral Service
Her funeral will take place on Saturday 31 October 2009 at 06h30 at Stand #361, next to The Headman (Vhakoma), Madombidzha Village, near Makhado (formerly Louis Trichardt), Limpopo Province.
Contents
1.1 COSATU wishes matriculants well in Exams
1.2 COSATU Gauteng wishes learners successful matric exams
1.3 COSATU condemns racist action against Mandela at Sun City.
1.4 COSATU NW outraged by racist remarks to Mandela
1.5 DENOSA presents trophy to Albertina Sisulu
1.6 Competition Commission refers abuse of dominance findings against Telkom
1.7 SACP welcomes MTBPS by the Minister of Finance
1.8 SADTU congratulates Finance Minister on the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement
2.1 Limpopo Tourism and Parks ill treat workers
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1. South Africa
1.1 COSATU wishes matriculants well in exams
Tony Ehrenreich, COSATU Western Cape Provincial Secretary, 28 October 2009
COSATU has wished the matriculates who are going to be sitting for the final exams well.
This is an important passport that is needed on the journey to success and COSATU knows that the years have been hard and parents made an incredible sacrifice to get learners to this point.
Leaner’s hard work and dedication will carry them through this final test and realize the faith that COSATU has in them to emerge successful and take the society to new heights.
1.2 COSATU Gauteng wishes learners successful matric exams
Dumisani Dakile Gauteng Provincial General Secretary, 28 October 2009
COSATU Gauteng has joined the chorus of millions of South Africans to wish the current class of 2009 successful matric exams.
COSATU is confident that learners will make the country proud and improve the previous pass rate of the Province from the pass rate obtained by the class of 2008.
COSATU has requested all of School Governing Bodies, communities and civil society as a whole to provide all the necessary support to the students during this difficult time in their life.
The federation also acknowledges that there are still number of challenges that still confront our education system raging from the following issues.
- Lack of adequate facilities and resources.
- Lack of proper learning environment due to high crime rate and violent within our society.
- Division of our education according to race and class.
- Prospect of employment due to economic crisis within the world and in our country in particular.
We will work together with the Department of Education in Gauteng to ensure that these challenges are addressed in the Province.
We are also hoping that the Department of Education will take positive steps to ensure that the exam papers are well protected hence the security agencies need to also play its part in this regard. We also call upon those that have ulterior motives by corrupting our people to leak the exam papers in order for them to discredit our government to desist from such cruel, barbaric and unpatriotic tendencies. We hence call upon the authorities to take the harshest action to those that will be discovered engaged in these counter revolutionary tendencies in the Province and in particular to those that have done so in Mpumalanga in the event there are found guilt.
We also call upon all of our members in Gauteng and in particular our Sadtu members to do everything in their power to ensure that they play their revolutionary duties to ensure that these exams become a success.
1.3 COSATU condemns racist action against Mandela at Sun City.
Tony Ehrenreich, COSATU Western Cape Provincial Secretary, 28 October 2009
COSATU Western Cape has lashed out the management of Sun City for racist remarks made by a labour broker about former President Mandela.
Because Sun City and Sun International condoned this kind of practice, is equally culpable.
Sun International has a history of undermining labour standards and employing workers in precarious forms of work. This is the lack of regard to the commitment of SA to transform our society in a manner that advances the conditions of everyone.
COSATU in the Western Cape demands that SUN International and all its related companies employs all staff permanently, failing which we will start a protest of action with the worst member of the group in Cape Town – Grand West Casino and Table Bay Hotel.
1.4 COSATU NW outraged by racist remarks to Mandela
Solly Phetoe, COSATU North West Provincial Secretary, 28 October 2009
COSATU and its affiliates have expressed disappointment and anger at a group of white senior staff of Labour Brokers at Sun City who were arrested for producing a CD that was insulting and belittling former President, Nelson Mandela.
A senior Labour Broker and contractor, Ben Burger, who owns the Falcon Security company was arrested with his friends on Saturday 24th October 2009 in Sun City singing the National Anthem with Nkosi Sikelela Afrika and ends with a portion that says “Mandela is a kaffir”.
Burger and his friends appeared in Mogwase Local magistrate court on 27th October 2009 and were released on R1,500 bail each. This is the same racism that workers are faced with at Sun City, led by Labour Brokers and the contractors
COSATU, with the support of its affiliates and the community around Mogwase or Moses Kotane Municipality, will be demonstrating and picketing, with a massive march which will be starting from the Main road of Moses Kotane Municipality to Sun City main gate. The memorandum will be handed over to the director of Sun International, Mr. Peter. The march will start from 09h00 to 16h00 on Saturday 31 October.
It has been reported to the federation by members and workers that Sun City is the most racist company that is using more than 36 Labour Brokers to exploit workers. Over 80% of workers are employed by Labour Brokers.
We are therefore calling all those who are shareholders of Sun International to take correct decisions now. Some of them are former leaders of our revolution, others are currently with so-called Black DA (COPE)
On 31st October 2009 during the visit of one of the International artists (Patty Labelle) to Sun City COSATU will be picketing at the main gate of Sun City.
One of our main demand: Ban Labour Brokers such as Falcon Security company, which is owned by a racist Ben Burger. All workers employed by Labour Brokers must be employed by Sun City unconditionally.
Racism is criminal, racism is an enemy of reconciliation, racism is an insult, racism is dangerous to the transformation of our country. We are therefore calling for the re-arrest of Mr Burger and his friends.
1.5 DENOSA presents trophy to Albertina Sisulu
Asanda Fongqo, DENOSA’s Communications Officer, 28 October 2009
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa presented a trophy to one of the struggle heroines, Albertina Sisulu in Johannesburg yesterday.
The trophy is a gesture of appreciation by DENOSA to the incredible woman for her role in the development and transformation of the nursing and the health sector in general.
Sisulu, the GUIDER, played an integral role in the formation of DENOSA and further provided stability and tolerance during the volatile times of the nursing struggle.
The trophy was presented as part of DENOSA’s recognition of an outstanding contribution that has been made by six nurses including Albertina Sisulu that were honoured during the historical International Nurses Congress held in Durban in June- July 2009.
Nurses that were honoured alongside Sisulu include Dr. Gloria Smith (United States of America), Judith Oulton (CANADA), Professor Philda Nzimande (South Africa & DENOSA founding President), Professor Serara Mogwe (Botswana) and Kirsten Stallknecht (Denmark).
1.6 Competition Commission refers abuse of dominance findings against Telkom
Keitumetse Letebele, Competition Commission’s HOD Communications, 28 October 2009
The Competition Commission has referred its findings of abuse of dominance against Telkom to the Tribunal for adjudication and has asked the Tribunal to levy an administrative penalty of 10% on Telkom’s annual turnover for its financial year ended 31 March 2009.
The investigation follows five complaints that were lodged by the Internet Service Providers Association (“ISPA”) and other internet service providers or ISP‘s, namely, Verizon South Africa (Pty) Ltd (“Verizon”), Multichoice Subscriber Management Services (Pty) Ltd (“MWeb”) and Internet Solutions (“IS”). These complaints were lodged at different times during the period 2005 and 2007 but for purposes of investigation the Commission combined the complaints, as they raised overlapping issues.
During the investigation the Commission engaged with and received cooperation from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (“ICASA”), in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the two regulators. The cooperation of the two regulators will continue during the prosecution of this matter, particularly with respect to remedies for the conduct.
In its investigation the Commission found that Telkom abused its near-monopoly position in the market for the provision of telecommunications network facilities. It did this by charging excessive prices for the basic infrastructure needed by its downstream competitors, the ISP’s, to access a range of telecommunications services, while keeping its own ISP service charges low. In this way, Telkom also raised its downstream competitors costs, making it difficult for them to on sell cost effective services to end consumers.
The Commission concluded that Telkom charged excessive prices after comparing Telkom’s prices to its costs, prices in other countries, prices of other operators offering similar services and prices to customers of Telkom who posed a competitive threat to it. These comparisons indicated, amongst other things, that in 2006 Telkom’s prices were more than double the average of South Africa’s major trading partners. Furthermore, in 2007, Telkom’s prices were 30% more expensive than the average of a basket of 14 countries. Significantly, the Commission also noted that Telkom’s downstream competitors have been consistently losing market share while Telkom’s share has been increasing over time, pointing to an inability on their part to compete effectively with Telkom.
The excessive prices charged by Telkom affect the prices which ISPs charge their customers. Given the widespread use of the internet and the extensive use made of virtual private networks or VPN’s by medium to large businesses to link various locations of a single enterprise, there is no doubt that these high prices detrimentally affect consumers and hinder economic development in South Africa.
1.7 SACP welcomes MTBPS by the Minister of Finance
Malesela Maleka, SACP’s Spokesperson, 28 October 2009
The SACP has welcomed the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement delivered by the Minister of Finance.
The policy statement has laid a firm basis for engagement with government on its fiscal priorities and issues of macro-economic and monetary policy.
In the context of the unfavourable global economic conditions, the SACP welcomes the MTBPS as the best attempt to safeguard and advance the strategic task of the ANC as contained in the manifesto. We welcome the increased expenditure in education, health and rural development. The continued spending to sustain the state led infrastructure investment remains one the critical defensive measures to help us recover from the disaster imposed on us by the capitalists system. We agree that there needs to be a disciplined spending in our investment in infrastructure and we should review some of the projects that are indeed not positively contributing to our developmental objectives.
We further welcome the commitment to fight corruption in prioritising service delivery and spending public money responsibly. Corruption must be fought wherever it occurs, in the public and private sectors, as corruption is more often than not tantamount to stealing from the poor. Therefore the fight against corruption is not just a moral crusade but an important political struggle to defend and deepen our democracy in the interests of the workers and the poor. This is one of the key issues we are taking up in our 2009 Red October campaign.
Contrary to popular perception and a myth sometimes perpetrated by the media, it is often the rich and other elites who annually steal billions of rands in both the public and private sector. Sometimes they also do it through practices such as price fixing. It is not the ordinary workers and the poor who are the biggest corrupters and corruptees, but often those in positions of influence and access to these resources.
The SACP welcomes the intentions signalled by the Minister of a willingness to engage on macro-economic policy framework. The ongoing discussion and assessment of the current policy package remains relevant and the assessment should be against potential to support our developmental objectives and job creation opportunities. Whilst we also welcome the reduction in the red tape that will have an immediate impact on lowering the exchange rate, these measures whilst important in the current context, might have to be reviewed once there is an economic upturn to safeguard the vulnerability of the rand.
Sadly, in the run up to yesterday, we have witnessed much hysteria and attempts to play off the Minister against the Left with calls for him to stamp his authority and signal who is in charge. This is a worrying growing phenomenon in our national debate where the ‘rooigevaar’ warning has substituted robust engagement on complex policy issues facing our country. At the time that the world as a whole is pondering with difficult issues of responding to the failures of capitalism and the triumphalism of neo-liberalism, proponents of the market economy have offered no alternative response despite the rhetoric about shutting down the left. It is this kind of intolerance that has led us to where we are in the first place. We reject this style of engagement clearly aimed at entrenching class interest of the minority over the majority who are poor.
The SACP will continue to engage at appropriate policy platforms to shape and influence proper responses to rescue our economy from the current recession and for an accelerated implementation of the priorities in the ANC Manifesto.
1.8 SADTU congratulates Finance Minister on the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement
Nomusa Cembi, SADTU’s Media Officer, 27 October 2009
SADTU congratulates Minister Pravin Gordhan on a robust MTBP Statement today, in very difficult economic conditions resulting from the international economic recession.
In the light of falling revenues, we commend the Minister’s determination to continue to finance the five priorities of this government: creating jobs, enhancing the quality of education, improving health outcomes, rural development and fighting crime and corruption.
In particular, SADTU welcomes the following undertakings and commitments:
In relation to education:
· The commitment to increase the education budget from R140 billion to R185 billion by 2012/13.
· The call for a new blend of skills development and renewal of schools and colleges to address the economic crisis, and to provide a new deal for school leavers
· Increasing the rate of participation in FET of young people aged 18-24 to 20% in the next 5 years; including a target of 350,000 apprenticeships and learnerships
· The provision of supplementary learning materials to 5.5 million learners by 2012 aimed at improving literacy and numeracy in the foundation phase.
· Increased funding for the primary school nutrition programme to reach 8.6 million learners by 2012.
In relation to job creation:
· Continued public sector infrastructure investment; support for industries undergoing restructuring; encouragement of innovation; and reskilling of workers
· Job creation programmes including public works programmes aimed at creating 4.5 million job opportunities over the next 5 years; and the training layoff scheme
In addition:
· The extension of the child grant up to the age of 18 over the next three years
· Budgeting for an additional 22,400 police personnel to fight crime
· Increased funding for the HIV and Aids programme roll out
Together, these commitments represent a determined effort to use the resources available to deliver on the ANC’s manifesto priorities.
2. Letters
2.1 Limpopo Tourism and Parks ill treat workers
NEHAWU members, 28 October 2009
Dear
COSATU
We are writing this e-mail as employees with bitter hearts
over the treatment we are receiving from our management!
We are members of NEHAWU in Limpopo Mike Tauyatsoala Region and we are on strike.
We have been on strike for three weeks over a remuneration strategy implemented by our management "LIMPOPO TOURISM AND PARKS". In the strategy they hired a company to benchmark salaries to check if they are compensating employees and management fairly. The company called" 21 century pay solutions " did their job and presented their findings to our management.
They then proposed a 50% increase across the board, but management manipulated the whole system and gave themselves the 50% and 1%, 2% to staff below management. Management has since been trying to intimidate striking workers and blackmailing them to go back to work as they know what they did is totally wrong. The number of striking workers is now low as employees are afraid as they are being threatened that they will lose their jobs.
This
is a protected strike and we seek your help to expose these greedy people. They
have connections all over and they block our every move, we really need your
help as what they are doing is stealing state funds and abusing
employees.