COSATU North West Calls For Peace And Stability In The Platinum Belt
14 May 2014
The Congress of South African Trade Unions and its affiliates are appealing for peace and stability in the platinum mining belt.
What has been happening in the platinum belt since 2011 up to now cannot be accepted in the 20th year of democracy.
We are a trade union federation of affiliates, supporting the fight against anybody who is exploiting workers. We are a federation that leads struggles for the improvement of wages and working conditions, and to protect workers’ rights.
We are calling all workers in the platinum belt to accept that there are workers who are not part of the strike, who are not protected by anything as they are not part of the current negotiating team.
Those workers in unions which are not in dispute with the mine bosses must therefore be allowed to go to work freely. That is our request to both the striking workers and the management in the platinum belt.
What we are seeing on a daily basis - intimidation, threats and killings, and the burning of some houses - is not what we fought for, together with all workers of this country, before 1994 and now.
We are appealing to all of us, the striking workers and the non-striking workers to be tolerant of one other and allow those who are not part of the strike to go to work and stop killing each other. The killings of 16th August 2012 still cause pain to the workers and the people of the NW.
It is our call that the negotiators from both the union and management must go back to the negotiation table and think about those poor families who are losing lives, others whose kids cannot go to school and others who are committing suicide due to stress that is affecting families.
It is on record that the situation is now spreading to other areas than Marikina. The recent killing of four people is a confirmation that we are far from bringing stability in the platinum belt.
As Christians we must pray that the mighty GOD must release those who are killing the innocent people and those who are giving them instruction to kill, so that they may be punished by our GOD.
We appeal to the killers - we have had enough; we have lost many lives in the platinum belt; we are asking for peace and stability for all workers.
We condemn strongly the continuation of killing each other as Africans. Some are celebrating when they see the poor working class of Africans killing each other. Capitalists are celebrating and at end we are facing a blood bath on the current unemployed whose numbers are increasing. These are the current economic challenges we are facing as workers.
We are repeating ourselves; the prolonged protected strike is a burden to the poor workers.
We are calling on all of us to respect the right of the others. The strike may continue as per the mandate of those workers, but let it be peaceful, with peaceful demonstrations, picketing and marches.
We do not want see another Marikina tragedy. We want to see workers working together regardless of union affiliations.
We are sending our message of condolences to the families that lost fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers over the weekend and those who were killed in 2012. Let their blood bring peace among the poor working class.
For more information feel free to call COSATU NW Provincial Secretary, Solly Phetoe on [0823044055]
 |
| COSATU in the North West has called for calm. |
The Congress of South African Trade Unions and its affiliates are appealing for peace and stability in the platinum mining belt.
What has been happening in the platinum belt since 2011 up to now cannot be accepted in the 20th year of democracy.
We are a trade union federation of affiliates, supporting the fight against anybody who is exploiting workers. We are a federation that leads struggles for the improvement of wages and working conditions, and to protect workers’ rights.
We are calling all workers in the platinum belt to accept that there are workers who are not part of the strike, who are not protected by anything as they are not part of the current negotiating team.
Those workers in unions which are not in dispute with the mine bosses must therefore be allowed to go to work freely. That is our request to both the striking workers and the management in the platinum belt.
What we are seeing on a daily basis - intimidation, threats and killings, and the burning of some houses - is not what we fought for, together with all workers of this country, before 1994 and now.
We are appealing to all of us, the striking workers and the non-striking workers to be tolerant of one other and allow those who are not part of the strike to go to work and stop killing each other. The killings of 16th August 2012 still cause pain to the workers and the people of the NW.
It is our call that the negotiators from both the union and management must go back to the negotiation table and think about those poor families who are losing lives, others whose kids cannot go to school and others who are committing suicide due to stress that is affecting families.
It is on record that the situation is now spreading to other areas than Marikina. The recent killing of four people is a confirmation that we are far from bringing stability in the platinum belt.
As Christians we must pray that the mighty GOD must release those who are killing the innocent people and those who are giving them instruction to kill, so that they may be punished by our GOD.
We appeal to the killers - we have had enough; we have lost many lives in the platinum belt; we are asking for peace and stability for all workers.
We condemn strongly the continuation of killing each other as Africans. Some are celebrating when they see the poor working class of Africans killing each other. Capitalists are celebrating and at end we are facing a blood bath on the current unemployed whose numbers are increasing. These are the current economic challenges we are facing as workers.
We are repeating ourselves; the prolonged protected strike is a burden to the poor workers.
We are calling on all of us to respect the right of the others. The strike may continue as per the mandate of those workers, but let it be peaceful, with peaceful demonstrations, picketing and marches.
We do not want see another Marikina tragedy. We want to see workers working together regardless of union affiliations.
We are sending our message of condolences to the families that lost fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers over the weekend and those who were killed in 2012. Let their blood bring peace among the poor working class.
For more information feel free to call COSATU NW Provincial Secretary, Solly Phetoe on [0823044055]
No comments:
Post a Comment