strike action

[Debbiedle]

Step 6 of Helen Zilles "Eight Things we must do to Beat Poverty...
you can find the whole article here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/...y/467102190398

6. Ensure Sound Macro-Economic Fundamentals

If we are to succeed in growing our economy, we need to manage it properly. And this means ensuring that we have the macro-economic fundamentals in place – low inflation and a well managed fiscus.

The recent public sector strike has brought into sharp relief what can happen when a government allows itself to be held hostage by unions. The entire economy – and the well-being of all (including workers, but particularly the unemployed) is threatened. It is clearly untenable to meet demands for public sector wage increases that amount to almost three times the inflation rate.

The real tragedy is that the battle between government and the unions is not primarily about wages – that is a mere proxy for the broader power struggle within the tripartite alliance. Workers (many of whom do have legitimate grievances over pay especially in the context of profligate self-enrichment by the political elite) are mere pawns in this game. It is primarily about politics.

This explains why two of the biggest unions, Sadtu and Nehawu, pre-empted the latest round of wage negotiations by rejecting the offer out of hand -- before negotiations were even concluded.

As it is, the 7.5% wage offer which is currently on the table would come at a cost to the public purse of around R7 billion. Nobody quite knows how government will pay for this, and nobody in government or organized labour seems to have calculated the real costs of this increase.

The fiscus is already strained and our budget deficit, which stood at 7.3% in this year’s budget, is now likely to widen further next year. The money will have to be found elsewhere which means either sourcing money from other budget allocations such as those for essential basic services, raising taxes (thereby suppressing growth further), or going deeper into debt and passing on the costs to future generations. It is also likely to lead to lay-offs as government departments strain under the weight of the increased wage bill.

[Dave S]

I read the abridged version of Helen's speech with great interest and it is certainly far better than anything I've seen from the ANC.

Now how do we get her in a position where she can show us how to do it...?

[Dave A]

Strike action - the trade unions' ultimate cure-all

Strike action to curb rampant corruption may be on the cards, according to a Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) discussion document released on Wednesday.

"... We need a far-reaching programme to fight this cancer. Action against corruption must be incorporated into our Section 77 demands at Nedlac [National Economic Development and Labour Council]," the discussion document on the federation's August central executive committee (CEC) meeting read.

---

Cosatu wants a "massive intensification" of the anti-corruption drive -- its proposal for lifestyle audits of MPs earlier this year did not go down well with its alliance partner, the ANC.

"We need to go beyond moral condemnation. We must deal with the systemic issues, which are reproducing corruption. To do this we need a far-reaching programme to fight this cancer."

This programme should be developed with civil society and the ruling alliance -- the ANC and South African Communist Party, the document reads. It included the hosting of a conference with the president, Attorney General, the South African Revenue Service and the finance minister addressing it.
full story from M&G here

Maybe COSATU and the DA should be getting into bed on this one. The ANC certainly doesn't seem keen on ending corruption

[tec0]

Well mainstream media is now showing real incompetence. We don’t exist! Yes regardless that anyone can see our potholes from GOOGLE EARTH, and that we don’t have reliable water or electricity is still being missed by mainstream media? So we don’t really know what the hell is going on or why?

*edit*

Found something: Source

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Po...acked-20100909

Emalahleni mayor sacked

Johannesburg - The mayor of Emalahleni municipality Linah Malatjie has been sacked with immediate effect, the African National Congress in Mpumalanga said on Thursday.

"We can confirm that she has been fired...I personally sent her a letter of termination yesterday (Wednesday)," ANC Mpumalanga secretary Lucky Ndinisa said.

He said Malatjie clashed with the party after repeatedly making decisions without consulting the provincial caucus.

This led to her being subjected to a regional disciplinary hearing.

"Instead of following internal processes to appeal the disciplinary (sic), she took us to court... you can't take the ANC to court," Ndinisa said.

He said that as a result of this, she had been found guilty of breaching the ANC constitution and was fired after a letter came from ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe on August 30.

"She cannot appeal this termination... her chance has come and gone," Ndinisa said.

The provincial executive committee would be looking at members already in the municipality to find her replacement.

"If we cannot identify a suitable individual we will look outside for someone, even just a 'caretaker' mayor until the right person comes along," he said.

This would take at least a month but not more than two months.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Thursday welcomed Malatjie's sacking, saying it was long overdue, as her municipality was on the brink of collapse.

"The municipality was unable to deliver the most basic of services," DA provincial leader Anthony Benadie said in a statement.

Benadie said Emalahleni had often gone without electricity, water and refuse removal for days on end.

Roads were falling apart and the municipality did not have any qualified engineers in its employ, he said.

Benadie called for the hiring of a competent and qualified mayor by the ANC, saying it could only improve service delivery.

I am happy that change is coming but that “other part” has me worried ?????

[Dave A]

Why the strike ended (or got suspended).

"Cosatu may have misread the anger of the people on the ground," Luzipho said.

Pretty insightful article as to the state of play in the unions at the moment.

[tec0]

That is why people were getting desperate to get more workers on to the streets and started to intimidate members," said the Cosatu leader, who asked to remain anonymous.

Well attacking the paying public was a nice touch. Us sitting without water and in some places without power it is real interesting way to intimidate don’t you think? Attack the public but not the bosses and managers that was actually responsible for everything to start with?

Vavi has made it clear that he is serving his last term in Cosatu and is looking towards working inside the ANC after his long service to Cosatu

So some people nearly lose their jobs, security and health but others get nice new jobs?

[Dave A]

I read the COSATU discussion document on the predatory elite last night. I wonder if they can see the irony that as much as they complain of the predatory elite who "want to use the ANC as their primary vehicle for accumulation," COSATU actively seeks to hijack the ANC as their main vehicle to achieve their ultimate objective too

But more on topic, it seems that plans have been in place for some time for the "mother of all strikes for a living wage" in 2011. This plan is in place before they've even sat down at a negotiating table for the 2011 round of wage negotiations and given that process any kind of a fair chance.

So why the plans for this strike now? And why 2011? Why didn't they do it this year?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the provisions for strike action in the LRA are being abused to mount what are really organised political protests aimed to seize control of the ANC.

Was this ever the purpose of the LRA - to further political agendas? Particularly to be used as a tool to sieze political power?

How do the workers feel about being used like that?

[desA]

I wonder if the decent people of SA will one day become so offended with the present system of 'governance' that a rescue coup will be staged?

SA is so obviously not a democracy at present. It is a one-party state, with lots of blah & hoopla surrounding it.

[Dave A]

I wonder if the decent people of SA will one day become so offended with the present system of 'governance' that a rescue coup will be staged?

The thought crossed my mind if that wasn't why COSATU backed Jacob Zuma in his run for President in the first place. Just part of the strategy?

[desA]

Interesting times may lie head.