Cosatu warns of further action

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) will not compromise on the issues of scrapping e-tolling and banning the practice of labour brokering according to its spokesman, Patrick Craven. Craven told FTW last week that government had been given seven working days to respond to its calls following one of the biggest marches of post-apartheid South Africa to date on March 7. “The march was an overwhelming success not just in terms of size, but also in that it was very disciplined – with a clear message to government that we will not compromise on the two issues at hand,” said Craven. “While it is very hard to calculate the exact figures, the estimates are that some 200 000 people participated in the mass action nationally.” Craven said this was just the first of many initiatives planned – echoing the sentiments of Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi who told marchers in Johannesburg that the union would fight the “economic apartheid” introduced by government to the bitter end. That the union carried a powerful punch became clear as placard-carrying union members took to the streets, bringing business across the country to a standstill. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) has estimated that the cost of the action could be as high as R10 billion. According to Business Unity South Africa, the march may have been a major political coup but it hit South Africa hard. “Busa does not believe that last Wednesday’s mass action has strengthened the South African economy or created new jobs, or taken the discussions on labour broking and e-tolling any further.” Cosatu however disagreed. Craven said they had possibly drawn a line in the sand for government which had some major decisions to make. “If they do not respond to our demands or decide not to make any changes to their policy they will have to face the consequences.” According to economist Mike Schűssler, businesses should be able to recoup their losses within a week or so, but, he said, industrial action on this scale was not beneficial to the country. Sacci also warned that more strikes such as these would send a negative message to foreign investors. According to Craven, Cosatu is very clear about what they want from government. “First and foremost, they must scrap the Gauteng e-tolls as they will add a burden to the poor in the country, they will perpetuate exclusion and they represents nothing but privatisation,” he said. ‘Secondly, they must abandon the practice of labour brokering completely.” Andre Kriel, general secretary of the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union, said labour brokering was nothing more than a form of human trafficking. “It feeds off workers, robbing them of a decent income, denying them job security and converting humans into simple commodities.”