Cosatu General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and ANC General Secretary Gwede Mantashe. The trade union federation and the ruling party, along with the SACP, have maintained an alliance since the independence of the Republic of South Africa in 1994.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Oct 17 2009 06:50
Cosatu has called for a full investigation into the A400M military transport plane deal, which will reportedly cost the taxpayer an extra R30-billion.
Spokesperson Patrick Craven said on Friday the trade union federation was outraged at what he called "another arms-deal scandal" which could cost South Africans R47-billion.
"The deal, negotiated by the Armscor parastatal in 2005, under former defence minister Terror Lekota and former public enterprises minister Alec Erwin, was for eight A400M military transport aircraft from Airbus at the already exorbitant price of R17-billion," said Craven.
"It has now emerged that no tenders from other companies were sought, and that Armscor has failed to budget for maintenance costs over the life of the aircraft, which have now added R30-billion to
the bill."
Craven said while Airbus had called these figures, which Armscor CEO Sipho Thomo reported to Parliament, "wildly exaggerated", the cost was still a vast amount.
"Ndivhuwo Mabaya, spokesperson for the minister of defence, cannot explain why such a huge deal was concluded without a tender process being carried out, as is the normal rule.
"Inevitably this raises suspicions of the same kind of corruption which has been alleged in relation to the earlier arms deal."
Craven said the new government found itself sabotaged by decisions taken by its predecessor.
"There appears to have been a culture of impunity in government departments in which certain people were untouchable," he said.
"The Congress of SA Trade Unions demands a full inquiry into every aspect of this A400M deal and all those responsible for it." - Sapa
Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-10-17-cosatu-calls-for-probe-into-military-plane-deal
Cosatu calls on mine to ban labour brokers, threatens sit-in
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Oct 16 2009 15:48
Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) members on Friday threatened a sit-in if the Hernic Ferrochrome mine in North West failed to ban labour brokers.
About 2 000 Cosatu members marched to the Hernic Ferrochrome mine calling for the mine to ban labour brokers.
"We just finished handing over our memorandum and we have given them an ultimatum of Friday next week.
"If our demands are not met, we will stage a sit-in," said Cosatu North West provincial secretary Solly Phetoe.
In its memorandum Cosatu demanded:
* the banning of labour brokers;
* the reinstatement of 1 600 workers who were dismissed during an underground strike in August;
the permanent employment of contract mine workers; and
* a full investigation into the death of two mine workers who died in a hostel fire on September 2.
"The fire broke out at the mine hostel due to poor electrical wiring," said Phetoe.
"That hostel is a hok [cage], 13 people live in one room where there are no windows. The hostel was only suitable to house chickens," he said.
Only 516 of the 2 616 workers, he said, were employed by the mine, while the majority were contract workers.
The memorandum was accepted by representatives from the Hernic Ferrochrome mine, JIC Contractors and the Department of Labour, Phetoe told Sapa. -- Sapa
Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-10-16-cosatu-calls-on-mine-to-ban-labour-brokers-threatens-sitin
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