Remarks by the President of the African National Congress Comrade J G Zuma and COSATU President Sidumo Dlamini on Worker’s Day
5 May 2015
This Workers Day takes place in the year when we celebrate sixty years since the adoption of the Freedom Charter, sixty years since the formation of the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) and thirty years since the formation of the revolutionary trade union federation, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).
We come from a proud tradition of unity and struggle, forged in the trenches of our struggle for liberation. The relationship between the ANC and COSATU is still best summed up by the following quotation from Nkosi Albert Luthuli, at the SACTU Congress in 1959;
He said:
“SACTU is the spear, ANC the shield… No worker is a good member of Congress unless he is also a Trade Unionist. No Trade Unionist is a good Trade Unionist unless he is also a member of Congress… Workers are oppressed by political action; they must take political action in reply.
“While the South African Congress of Trade Unions must thus pursue an independent policy in the interests of the workers, it must also participate unreservedly in the struggle to mobilise the people behind their demands as embodied in the Freedom Charter and must cooperate with all other organisations engaged in this struggle.”
There shall be Work and Security
The Peoples’ Movement can take great pride in the fact that South Africa is a better place to live in today than it was not so long ago. This is due to our united efforts to bring about a better life for all and we must remain steadfast in our efforts.
Together, the ANC and COSATU ensured that the rights of workers are protected in our Constitution and many progressive laws. Chief amongst these is the right of workers to form and belong to trade unions which is enshrined in the Constitution.
The constitution also states that everyone has the right to fair labour practices, and that every worker has the right to strike. The ANC government has also enacted legislation to further protect and advance worker rights thanks to the struggles of COSATU and its affiliates over the years.
These laws include the following:
1. The Labour Relations Act
2. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act
3. The Employment Equity Act
4. The Skills Development Act
5. The Unemployment Insurance Act 30
6. The Occupational Health and Safety Act
7. The Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act
These laws have been designed to protect the rights of workers, guide wage determination and general working conditions of South African workers. The laws protect children from being abused as child labour, protects the rights of women to go on maternity leave and not lose their jobs. It provides the rights of workers to be trained and provided with the necessary skills.
Most importantly, the country’s labour legislation now protects the rights of vulnerable workers such as farm workers, domestic workers and workers in the hospitality sector such as hotels and similar establishments. These are all rights that were gained through the hard work of workers in this country led primarily by COSATU.
This year in the State of the Nation Address we announced further amendments to the labour legislation and introduced a new labour regime aimed to further improve rights and protect workers.
We have the landmark Public Employment Services Act which formally establishes a public employment service in South Africa on a similar basis as that which exists elsewhere in the world. This is a free public employment mechanism where work seekers can register, and be matched to vacancies.
Through this law we are regulating the practices of private employment agencies and temporary employment services, to prevent the abuse of unsuspecting work seekers.
Government is also working on an amendment of the Unemployment Insurance Act to improve benefits to beneficiaries and also include public servants in the application of the Act.
Some of the proposed improvements are:
• Increasing the benefit period from 238 to 365 days;
• Increasing Flat rate maternity benefits to 66%;
• Illness benefits can be claimed for seven days of absence from work;
• Unemployment benefit can be lodged within twelve months instead of six months;
• To increase period to claim death benefits from 6 to 18 months;
The good news is that the Unemployment Insurance Fund has signed funding agreement to the value of 154 million rand with various sectoral education and training authorities for the on training of unemployed beneficiaries.
The UIF has also will also set aside 10% of its investment portfolio for investment in job creation projects and this amounts to 10 billion rand.
The ANC has in its 2014 election manifesto committed itself to investigate a national minimum wage as a key mechanism to reduce income inequality. Talks on the modalities of a national minimum wage are ongoing under the auspices of NEDLAC and we expect there to be a report back on key issues by July 2015.
While it may take time to realise this policy imperative, the ANC will continue to work in alliance with the formations of the working class to ensure that pro-poor and pro-working class policies are realised and to reduce inequalities.
Our democracy and our movement have always stood for unity.
There can be no compromise on these principles and May Day gives us a good opportunity to re-commit ourselves to unity.
The ANC is very concerned that the very real challenges experienced by our ally, COSATU, are leaving more room for capital to exploit the working class.
We wish to remind workers that the interests of workers are best served when organized under a strong and united COSATU.
The People shall Share in the Country’s Wealth
This second phase of our transition is the phase where we continue to intervene in the economy to ensure that our people reap the tangible benefits of our political transition.
It cannot be correct that, twenty-one years after democracy, the apartheid ownership patterns continue unabated. This will change.
We are continuing to invest in youth development and we need to work more closely with our ally, COSATU, to ensure that programmes targeting youth employment are having the correct developmental impacts.
We will continue ensuring that the vast mineral wealth of our country benefits all our people calls for far closer collaboration between all Alliance partners.
We will continue addressing the energy situation, which calls for pragmatic collaboration between all sectors of society.
Energy is a critical requirement for economic growth and job creation. Addressing the scourge of corruption is intertwined with our fight for radical economic transformation.
This has long been a priority of our Movement.
We must continue to lead in all efforts at all levels in stamping out this cancer in our society!
Our Alliance is ‘borne out of struggle’ and we have a historic and revolutionary duty to provide leadership to society. It is incumbent upon us to display the most exemplary conduct at all times.
Let us unite as the Alliance in pursuit of economic freedom.
Let us unite our country, South Africa and our people!
I wish all workers in our land a Happy Worker’s Day!
Amandla!
- See more at: http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=10360#sthash.Z5T5S3IQ.dpuf
Speech Delivered by COSATU President, Comrade Sidumo Dlamini at the 2015 National May Day Rally held at Curries Fountain Stadium, Durban in KwaZulu-Natal on May 1
1 May 2015
The President of the ANC comrade Jacob Zuma
The General Secretary of the SACP comrade Blade Nzimande
The President of SANCO comrade Richard Mdakane
The entire leadership of COSATU in KZN from all levels led by comrade Beauty
The leadership of the alliance present here today
The members of COSATU, comrades and activists of our movement
We want to welcome you in this historic event which is an expression of the victory of workers against employers not only in South Africa but all over the world.
We also want to welcome in our ranks a new union LIMUSA which has been recently admitted by the CEC as a new COSATU.
This is a home, the hope and leader for all metal workers in South Africa.
We have come here today to declare as comrade Elijah Barayi declared 30 years ago when COSATU was launched here in Durban that “we have to make it clear to all, that a giant has risen which will confront all who stand in its way, as COSATU will not stand for defeat” .
Today we have come to declare that from today moving forward our main focus is going to be on our real enemies, the employers.
We will not waste our time focusing on those who want to make their name and gain popularity by competing with us.
Thirty years ago when COSATU was launched here in Durban, there was another federation which wanted to compete with COSATU and its strategy included violence and intimidation against workers.
It is you the workers of this country who drew a line on the sand to defend your federation and you defeated them.
As we meet here today, there is an attempt by some to defocus our attention from workers issues and spend our time talking about them. We must refuse. Our focus today is on workers.
We will defeat them as we defeated apartheid unions and federation which were formed to destroy COSATU.
This May Day is for the millions of ordinary workers – employed and unemployed, within and beyond the borders of our country.
This May Day is for the workers who on a daily basis wake up to brave the dangers of the dark morning and night to face the chilly winter travelling to work or to seek employment with only one thing in their mind – to earn an honest living so that they can put food on the table for their families, so that their families can dress, have shelter and so that their children can have money for transport to school.
This important historic day is about those workers who travel unmeasured distances to the darkest belly of the earth to produce the wealth which keeps the engines of our economy running and still earn peanuts.
We stand here today inspired by the fortitude and endurance of those who have nothing to lose but their chains.
We stand here today inspired to build on the commitment of the working class who against all odds continue to occupy the front ranks in the struggle for their total emancipation.
We gather here today, to make a statement that we are ready for war against employers.
We will enter into this war inspired by those who walked this road before us, the stalwarts that laid the foundation for us.
They have left us with a great sense of responsibility towards the Federation and indeed our country. We remain inspired by among others Bill Andrews, Moses Kotane, Dora Tamana, Chief Albert Luthuli, J La Guma, JB Marks, Lilian Ngoyi, Francis Baard, Vuyisile Mini, Poobie Naidoo, Ruth First, Oliver Tambo, Alpheus Malivha, Chris Hani, Joe Slovo, Govan Mbeki, Walter Sisulu, Moses Mabhida, Stephen Dlamini, Harry Gwala, Lawrence Phokanoka, Elijah Barayi, Mzala Nxumalo, Thozamile Gqwetha, Jabu Ndlovu, Mbuyi Ngwenda, Violet Seboni the list is endless, and indeed Nelson Mandela
It is because of their legacy and the glorious history that defines our Federation that the nation expects us to play a decisive role in this current phase of our democratic dispensation.
We have come here today to declare War to our class enemy and unity amongst the working people!
This May Day is not only about celebrating the victory of workers over the tyranny of employers but this is also a moment which we must use to ask ourselves a few pressing questions that deserve frank and urgent answers.
Have we as members and as collective leadership done enough to protect the legacy of our forbearers?
What is it that has gone wrong which needs to be corrected?
In all the answers that we will give to these pressing questions, one common answer will emerge and it is the fact that COSATU is a federation of trade unions.
We are not and we will never be a political organisation.
Therefore we exist first and foremost to put our energies and resources to engage in struggle against employers focusing on workers issues in the workplace and for those workers who remain unemployed.
That is what we are about.
We are about the worker whose family goes to bed without food because no one in the family is employed.
We are about a worker who is employed but does not receive a salary or a wage which is equal to the value of his or her work.
We are about a struggle for a living wage!
We are about fighting to wipe to extinction the parasitic labour brokers.
We are about a worker, who has been unfairly dismissed without anyone to represent him or her.
We are about fighting to ensure that farm workers, workers in the hospitality industry , workers in the taxi industry enjoys the benefits which comes with the new amendments in the labour laws.
All of us gathered here today have a responsibility to make employers have sleepless nights in every workplace where there is a COSATU union.
Our demands are clear:
We want employers and government to know that we will fight to the bitter end to protect our hard won and constitutionally guaranteed Right to Strike.
We want to warn those who think they can take this right away to think again.
We will not compromise an inch on this right!
We want a legislated National Minimum Wage as our ANC has made a commitment in the manifesto.
We will not accept any delaying tactics by employers.
We want a National Minimum Wage now!
We want our government to link skills development and training with career-pathing as part of the employment equity targets; skills development and training should lead to upward mobility of the workforce.
We will work to combat the suppression of young people’s talents, especially African graduates, who are made to do jobs that do not assist in sharpening their skills.
We demand that our government should abolish e-tolls in Gauteng and not even think about introducing it in other provinces.
We want all employers to know very clearly that we will defend Centralised Bargaining with everything we have. In sectors where there is no centralised bargaining we want employers to know that we want it now!
We demand that our government as an employer must immediately conclude the current negotiations in the public sector and public sector workers must be given what is due to them.
We demand all employers including our own government as an employer and as a protector of human rights to know that workers of this country demand Equal pay for the work of equal value.
We have seen Black and African workers being set against each other, as COSATU we want our members and all workers to know that a worker cannot be an enemy to another worker regardless of his or her nationality.
Our enemy is one and it is the employers who exploit us. It is capital who uses other workers as scab labour during strike action.
Our enemy is those employers who exploit the desperation of those workers who come from other countries and pay them less compared to the wages demanded by South African workers.
Our enemy is those employers exploit farm workers, who pay peanuts to workers employed in restaurants that clock in the dark hours of the morning and knock off in the dark hours of the night to become prey to criminals as they look for transport at night.
Our enemy is those employers who exploit drivers and other workers in the taxi industry.
We are very clear that we want workers in all identified sectors where there are vulnerable workers to enjoy full workers rights as written in the new labour laws amendments.
We will be working with the CCMA to train workers about their benefits from these new labour law amendments.
Comrades, we must defend COSATU and the best way of defending COSATU is to serve no one else but workers.
We want truthful leaders in our unions.
We don’t want leaders who pretend to be militant and speak against corruption during the day and practise worst forms of corruption during the night.
We don’t want leaders, who sound militant and super heroes of workers during the day and yet they are businessman and woman during the night.
We don’t want leaders, who sound militant when they speak and use that militancy to change unions into their own property and hide their own corruption.
We don’t want leaders who serve in unions with an eye to hold political office and even go to Inkandla and plead to occupy political office and when it all fails speak ill of our organisations and leaders.
We want leaders who respect the decisions of their own organisation. In our organisations, no one deploys himself or herself.
Everyone is deployed by the organisation for all types of tasks including serving in government but no one decide where to be deployed.
That is the discipline of our organization
As COSATU our decision to have our leaders serve in the ANC and in government is based on our 2015 plan.
Those leaders did not go to Inkandla or to Luthuli House and asked to be deployed.
It is based on our own decisions and their own participation in the structures of the movement.
When they occupy their positions of deployment we support them and when they compromise and undermine workers interests we fight them as we do to anyone who dare to trample on workers’ rights and interests.
We want leaders, who are ready to sacrifice without counting the cost. We want leaders, who respect the collective leadership and decisions.
We want leaders, who are always ready to subject themselves to the discipline of the organization.
We want leaders, who are prepared to stand firm in defence of the principles of our federation
We don’t want union leaders, who serve in order to have access to workers monies in the investment companies.
We want leaders, who can be trusted by workers and not abuse the trust given to them by workers.
Amandla!
This Workers Day takes place in the year when we celebrate sixty years since the adoption of the Freedom Charter, sixty years since the formation of the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) and thirty years since the formation of the revolutionary trade union federation, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).
We come from a proud tradition of unity and struggle, forged in the trenches of our struggle for liberation. The relationship between the ANC and COSATU is still best summed up by the following quotation from Nkosi Albert Luthuli, at the SACTU Congress in 1959;
He said:
“SACTU is the spear, ANC the shield… No worker is a good member of Congress unless he is also a Trade Unionist. No Trade Unionist is a good Trade Unionist unless he is also a member of Congress… Workers are oppressed by political action; they must take political action in reply.
“While the South African Congress of Trade Unions must thus pursue an independent policy in the interests of the workers, it must also participate unreservedly in the struggle to mobilise the people behind their demands as embodied in the Freedom Charter and must cooperate with all other organisations engaged in this struggle.”
There shall be Work and Security
The Peoples’ Movement can take great pride in the fact that South Africa is a better place to live in today than it was not so long ago. This is due to our united efforts to bring about a better life for all and we must remain steadfast in our efforts.
Together, the ANC and COSATU ensured that the rights of workers are protected in our Constitution and many progressive laws. Chief amongst these is the right of workers to form and belong to trade unions which is enshrined in the Constitution.
The constitution also states that everyone has the right to fair labour practices, and that every worker has the right to strike. The ANC government has also enacted legislation to further protect and advance worker rights thanks to the struggles of COSATU and its affiliates over the years.
These laws include the following:
1. The Labour Relations Act
2. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act
3. The Employment Equity Act
4. The Skills Development Act
5. The Unemployment Insurance Act 30
6. The Occupational Health and Safety Act
7. The Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act
These laws have been designed to protect the rights of workers, guide wage determination and general working conditions of South African workers. The laws protect children from being abused as child labour, protects the rights of women to go on maternity leave and not lose their jobs. It provides the rights of workers to be trained and provided with the necessary skills.
Most importantly, the country’s labour legislation now protects the rights of vulnerable workers such as farm workers, domestic workers and workers in the hospitality sector such as hotels and similar establishments. These are all rights that were gained through the hard work of workers in this country led primarily by COSATU.
This year in the State of the Nation Address we announced further amendments to the labour legislation and introduced a new labour regime aimed to further improve rights and protect workers.
We have the landmark Public Employment Services Act which formally establishes a public employment service in South Africa on a similar basis as that which exists elsewhere in the world. This is a free public employment mechanism where work seekers can register, and be matched to vacancies.
Through this law we are regulating the practices of private employment agencies and temporary employment services, to prevent the abuse of unsuspecting work seekers.
Government is also working on an amendment of the Unemployment Insurance Act to improve benefits to beneficiaries and also include public servants in the application of the Act.
Some of the proposed improvements are:
• Increasing the benefit period from 238 to 365 days;
• Increasing Flat rate maternity benefits to 66%;
• Illness benefits can be claimed for seven days of absence from work;
• Unemployment benefit can be lodged within twelve months instead of six months;
• To increase period to claim death benefits from 6 to 18 months;
The good news is that the Unemployment Insurance Fund has signed funding agreement to the value of 154 million rand with various sectoral education and training authorities for the on training of unemployed beneficiaries.
The UIF has also will also set aside 10% of its investment portfolio for investment in job creation projects and this amounts to 10 billion rand.
The ANC has in its 2014 election manifesto committed itself to investigate a national minimum wage as a key mechanism to reduce income inequality. Talks on the modalities of a national minimum wage are ongoing under the auspices of NEDLAC and we expect there to be a report back on key issues by July 2015.
While it may take time to realise this policy imperative, the ANC will continue to work in alliance with the formations of the working class to ensure that pro-poor and pro-working class policies are realised and to reduce inequalities.
Our democracy and our movement have always stood for unity.
There can be no compromise on these principles and May Day gives us a good opportunity to re-commit ourselves to unity.
The ANC is very concerned that the very real challenges experienced by our ally, COSATU, are leaving more room for capital to exploit the working class.
We wish to remind workers that the interests of workers are best served when organized under a strong and united COSATU.
The People shall Share in the Country’s Wealth
This second phase of our transition is the phase where we continue to intervene in the economy to ensure that our people reap the tangible benefits of our political transition.
It cannot be correct that, twenty-one years after democracy, the apartheid ownership patterns continue unabated. This will change.
We are continuing to invest in youth development and we need to work more closely with our ally, COSATU, to ensure that programmes targeting youth employment are having the correct developmental impacts.
We will continue ensuring that the vast mineral wealth of our country benefits all our people calls for far closer collaboration between all Alliance partners.
We will continue addressing the energy situation, which calls for pragmatic collaboration between all sectors of society.
Energy is a critical requirement for economic growth and job creation. Addressing the scourge of corruption is intertwined with our fight for radical economic transformation.
This has long been a priority of our Movement.
We must continue to lead in all efforts at all levels in stamping out this cancer in our society!
Our Alliance is ‘borne out of struggle’ and we have a historic and revolutionary duty to provide leadership to society. It is incumbent upon us to display the most exemplary conduct at all times.
Let us unite as the Alliance in pursuit of economic freedom.
Let us unite our country, South Africa and our people!
I wish all workers in our land a Happy Worker’s Day!
Amandla!
- See more at: http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=10360#sthash.Z5T5S3IQ.dpuf
Speech Delivered by COSATU President, Comrade Sidumo Dlamini at the 2015 National May Day Rally held at Curries Fountain Stadium, Durban in KwaZulu-Natal on May 1
1 May 2015
The President of the ANC comrade Jacob Zuma
The General Secretary of the SACP comrade Blade Nzimande
The President of SANCO comrade Richard Mdakane
The entire leadership of COSATU in KZN from all levels led by comrade Beauty
The leadership of the alliance present here today
The members of COSATU, comrades and activists of our movement
We want to welcome you in this historic event which is an expression of the victory of workers against employers not only in South Africa but all over the world.
We also want to welcome in our ranks a new union LIMUSA which has been recently admitted by the CEC as a new COSATU.
This is a home, the hope and leader for all metal workers in South Africa.
We have come here today to declare as comrade Elijah Barayi declared 30 years ago when COSATU was launched here in Durban that “we have to make it clear to all, that a giant has risen which will confront all who stand in its way, as COSATU will not stand for defeat” .
Today we have come to declare that from today moving forward our main focus is going to be on our real enemies, the employers.
We will not waste our time focusing on those who want to make their name and gain popularity by competing with us.
Thirty years ago when COSATU was launched here in Durban, there was another federation which wanted to compete with COSATU and its strategy included violence and intimidation against workers.
It is you the workers of this country who drew a line on the sand to defend your federation and you defeated them.
As we meet here today, there is an attempt by some to defocus our attention from workers issues and spend our time talking about them. We must refuse. Our focus today is on workers.
We will defeat them as we defeated apartheid unions and federation which were formed to destroy COSATU.
This May Day is for the millions of ordinary workers – employed and unemployed, within and beyond the borders of our country.
This May Day is for the workers who on a daily basis wake up to brave the dangers of the dark morning and night to face the chilly winter travelling to work or to seek employment with only one thing in their mind – to earn an honest living so that they can put food on the table for their families, so that their families can dress, have shelter and so that their children can have money for transport to school.
This important historic day is about those workers who travel unmeasured distances to the darkest belly of the earth to produce the wealth which keeps the engines of our economy running and still earn peanuts.
We stand here today inspired by the fortitude and endurance of those who have nothing to lose but their chains.
We stand here today inspired to build on the commitment of the working class who against all odds continue to occupy the front ranks in the struggle for their total emancipation.
We gather here today, to make a statement that we are ready for war against employers.
We will enter into this war inspired by those who walked this road before us, the stalwarts that laid the foundation for us.
They have left us with a great sense of responsibility towards the Federation and indeed our country. We remain inspired by among others Bill Andrews, Moses Kotane, Dora Tamana, Chief Albert Luthuli, J La Guma, JB Marks, Lilian Ngoyi, Francis Baard, Vuyisile Mini, Poobie Naidoo, Ruth First, Oliver Tambo, Alpheus Malivha, Chris Hani, Joe Slovo, Govan Mbeki, Walter Sisulu, Moses Mabhida, Stephen Dlamini, Harry Gwala, Lawrence Phokanoka, Elijah Barayi, Mzala Nxumalo, Thozamile Gqwetha, Jabu Ndlovu, Mbuyi Ngwenda, Violet Seboni the list is endless, and indeed Nelson Mandela
It is because of their legacy and the glorious history that defines our Federation that the nation expects us to play a decisive role in this current phase of our democratic dispensation.
We have come here today to declare War to our class enemy and unity amongst the working people!
This May Day is not only about celebrating the victory of workers over the tyranny of employers but this is also a moment which we must use to ask ourselves a few pressing questions that deserve frank and urgent answers.
Have we as members and as collective leadership done enough to protect the legacy of our forbearers?
What is it that has gone wrong which needs to be corrected?
In all the answers that we will give to these pressing questions, one common answer will emerge and it is the fact that COSATU is a federation of trade unions.
We are not and we will never be a political organisation.
Therefore we exist first and foremost to put our energies and resources to engage in struggle against employers focusing on workers issues in the workplace and for those workers who remain unemployed.
That is what we are about.
We are about the worker whose family goes to bed without food because no one in the family is employed.
We are about a worker who is employed but does not receive a salary or a wage which is equal to the value of his or her work.
We are about a struggle for a living wage!
We are about fighting to wipe to extinction the parasitic labour brokers.
We are about a worker, who has been unfairly dismissed without anyone to represent him or her.
We are about fighting to ensure that farm workers, workers in the hospitality industry , workers in the taxi industry enjoys the benefits which comes with the new amendments in the labour laws.
All of us gathered here today have a responsibility to make employers have sleepless nights in every workplace where there is a COSATU union.
Our demands are clear:
We want employers and government to know that we will fight to the bitter end to protect our hard won and constitutionally guaranteed Right to Strike.
We want to warn those who think they can take this right away to think again.
We will not compromise an inch on this right!
We want a legislated National Minimum Wage as our ANC has made a commitment in the manifesto.
We will not accept any delaying tactics by employers.
We want a National Minimum Wage now!
We want our government to link skills development and training with career-pathing as part of the employment equity targets; skills development and training should lead to upward mobility of the workforce.
We will work to combat the suppression of young people’s talents, especially African graduates, who are made to do jobs that do not assist in sharpening their skills.
We demand that our government should abolish e-tolls in Gauteng and not even think about introducing it in other provinces.
We want all employers to know very clearly that we will defend Centralised Bargaining with everything we have. In sectors where there is no centralised bargaining we want employers to know that we want it now!
We demand that our government as an employer must immediately conclude the current negotiations in the public sector and public sector workers must be given what is due to them.
We demand all employers including our own government as an employer and as a protector of human rights to know that workers of this country demand Equal pay for the work of equal value.
We have seen Black and African workers being set against each other, as COSATU we want our members and all workers to know that a worker cannot be an enemy to another worker regardless of his or her nationality.
Our enemy is one and it is the employers who exploit us. It is capital who uses other workers as scab labour during strike action.
Our enemy is those employers who exploit the desperation of those workers who come from other countries and pay them less compared to the wages demanded by South African workers.
Our enemy is those employers exploit farm workers, who pay peanuts to workers employed in restaurants that clock in the dark hours of the morning and knock off in the dark hours of the night to become prey to criminals as they look for transport at night.
Our enemy is those employers who exploit drivers and other workers in the taxi industry.
We are very clear that we want workers in all identified sectors where there are vulnerable workers to enjoy full workers rights as written in the new labour laws amendments.
We will be working with the CCMA to train workers about their benefits from these new labour law amendments.
Comrades, we must defend COSATU and the best way of defending COSATU is to serve no one else but workers.
We want truthful leaders in our unions.
We don’t want leaders who pretend to be militant and speak against corruption during the day and practise worst forms of corruption during the night.
We don’t want leaders, who sound militant and super heroes of workers during the day and yet they are businessman and woman during the night.
We don’t want leaders, who sound militant when they speak and use that militancy to change unions into their own property and hide their own corruption.
We don’t want leaders who serve in unions with an eye to hold political office and even go to Inkandla and plead to occupy political office and when it all fails speak ill of our organisations and leaders.
We want leaders who respect the decisions of their own organisation. In our organisations, no one deploys himself or herself.
Everyone is deployed by the organisation for all types of tasks including serving in government but no one decide where to be deployed.
That is the discipline of our organization
As COSATU our decision to have our leaders serve in the ANC and in government is based on our 2015 plan.
Those leaders did not go to Inkandla or to Luthuli House and asked to be deployed.
It is based on our own decisions and their own participation in the structures of the movement.
When they occupy their positions of deployment we support them and when they compromise and undermine workers interests we fight them as we do to anyone who dare to trample on workers’ rights and interests.
We want leaders, who are ready to sacrifice without counting the cost. We want leaders, who respect the collective leadership and decisions.
We want leaders, who are always ready to subject themselves to the discipline of the organization.
We want leaders, who are prepared to stand firm in defence of the principles of our federation
We don’t want union leaders, who serve in order to have access to workers monies in the investment companies.
We want leaders, who can be trusted by workers and not abuse the trust given to them by workers.
Amandla!
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