Buthelezi 'ashamed of countrymen'

[adrianh]

At least there is one leader with some sense!
News24 this morning

Buthelezi 'ashamed of countrymen'
2010-08-21 09:01

Johannesburg - IFP president Mangosuthu Buthelezi is "deeply ashamed" of the striking public servants prepared to endanger lives and punish schoolchildren, he said on Friday.

"The latest public sector strike has shown us the worst in human nature," Buthelezi said in a statement at the end of the third day of the strike over wages.

"On Wednesday I stood before a joint sitting of Parliament to debate South Africa's hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup and declared that I am proud of my country. Today, just two days later, I find myself deeply ashamed of my countrymen".

He acknowledged workers' right to strike, and that they were struggling to make ends meet.

"But every man and woman of conscience must draw a line at what they will do to have their own needs met.

"And it seems that for many there is no line, or it extends far beyond the bounds of what is rational, moral or humane," he said.

Strikers accused of murder

Striking public servants shut down schools, blocked roads and barricaded hospitals in protests which have become increasingly violent. On Friday, Minister Aaron Motsoaledi accused striking healthcare workers of the "murder" of emergency patients.

The deaths of two underweight babies at the Natalspruit hospital were not a result of wage negotiations, but "intentional negligence" by the nurses into whose care they were entrusted, said Buthelezi.

"Once this strike has ended, how could anyone entrust another child into these nurses' care? They have not only gone against the nurses' pledge, but against every moral precept by which we live," he said.

People were concerned at pictures of empty classrooms and the punishment of children for grow-ups problems.

However, this paled in relation to the horror of learning that a hospital had turned away a man whose hand had been amputated, that a nurse was pulled from a theatre while an elderly man lay anaesthetised on the operating table, that soldiers had to be sent to help at hospitals, and that doctors had to hide women awaiting caesarean sections.

"I have the utmost respect for those nurses and teachers who have drawn the line at punishing children and endangering lives; who are continuing to work under very real pressures and threats from their colleagues," Buthelezi said.

Collective conscience

The nation faced a watershed moment.

"This is not only about each one's individual conscience, but our collective conscience as a nation.

"It is time to re-examine the limits, renegotiate the process and reconsider where the right to strike collides with the rights to life and security."

The constitution recognised that there were instances where rights had to be curtailed. "Are we erring on the side of liberty?" he asked.

The government has offered workers a seven percent increase and a R700 a month housing allowance. The have rejected this and are demanding an 8.6 percent increase and a R1000 a month housing allowance.

Strikes were a complex and thorny issue, said Buthelezi.

"But in my mind, when it comes to life and children, the grey areas quickly separate into black and white. Those who still see grey have shamed our nation."

[Dave A]

He acknowledged workers' right to strike, and that they were struggling to make ends meet.

As are even more people out of the civil service - arguably to a much greater extent

In fact this strike is really begging a few questions to be answered. Maybe time to start asking them.

[desA]

Based on the physical dimensions of some of the strikers I've seen in the media, they could well do with a reduction in food intake.

With the rest of the world looking at tightening the belt, this lot want ever-increasing salary hikes.

Begs the questions : Are they nuts, or just totally out of touch with reality?

[adrianh]

Based on the physical dimensions of some of the strikers I've seen in the media, they could well do with a reduction in food intake.

Good one!

[IanF]

Were can we see the figures relating to the strike. I have heard that the demands are an extra R5b and the total wage bill is R 23b so this doesn't make sense. But to find the figures quickly is hard as I am sure the figures I heard where in the wrong context.

[murdock]

Based on the physical dimensions of some of the strikers I've seen in the media, they could well do with a reduction in food intake.

Good one!

this is a very sensitive subject for me...i battle to keep my weight down...because i cant afford heathly food...the more junk food i eat the fatter i get...heathly food is not cheap and to belong to virgin or any other heath club isnt cheap either...they would need a bigger increase to sustain a heathly life style

i decided as a new years resolution 2 years ago to loose weight...

the first month cost

R800 for personal trainer for 1 month to get me into the swing of things
R1200 increase in mothly food budget

i lost 10 kg in that january

I decided to carry on without the personal trainer and save the R800
my food budget stayed the same because of all the food i had to consume on the weighless program...over a period of 3 months i lost an addtional 10 kg and almost reached my goal weigh of 96 kg...missed it by 4 kg.

my point is eating healthy is expensive...i am sure anyone else who has given up smoking will tell you it isnt easy keeping your weight down...sometimes i wonder if it wouldnt be easier and cheaper to rather smoke...only cost about R300 a month and i maintain my weight with ease...
and i save because i dont eat as much and dont need to worry about eating heathly because i am killing myself with the cigarettes.

i agree with these strikers...if the top brass can afford the lifestyles they do...why cant they take a 15 % reduction in their life styles to allow the civiel servants a 15 % increase...the fact that they are lazy and dont work goes back to top management for not putting effective programs and structures to improve productivity.

[adrianh]

heathly food is not cheap

What about growing vegetables in the back yard rather than buying from Woolworths?

to belong to virgin or any other heath club isnt cheap either

Maybe, but jogging, hiking, pumping iron, doing sit-ups, push-ups, riding a bicycle and many other forms of exercise do not require membership to a club.

I smoked 30 a day for 14 years then stopped dead at 13h00 on 29 December 1995. No pills, no Virgin Active, no nothing. I tossed the pack of Marlboro out the car window on the way to Jan Smuts airport and that was that. Yes I gained some weight, but then I didn't exercise either. I am currently a bit overweight because I drink too much beer, but I can't say it bothers me too much.

[murdock]

i have a vegetable garden...all my daughters food comes from the garden...my wife is busy picking tomatoes...carrets and green peppers as i am typing this thread.

i use to walk on average between 6 and 8 km then fetch the dogs and get pulled for 3 - 5 km until one of my dog attacked some early morning thieves almost ripped him to pieces...had to lock the dog away in fear that they would return and poisen him...and after 2 failed attempts of what ever they were trying to do...i decided i no longer wanted to be put in a position were i might need to defend myself and end up in jail again for self defence...so now i just veg at home watching TV...i have a rowing machine and tread mill but just dont enjoy standing or sitting in the same place for hours...its just not the same ...i prefer to getting out and doing things.

[desA]

The thing about maintaining weight is to control your food input. No need for expensive diets at all. Reduce the fat intake (SA meat is incredibly fatty). Eat vegetables, salads. Minimise salad dressings. No need for expensive gyms to burn off the fat if you don't eat it in the first place.

Biggest thing - cut out sugar. Sugar prevents weight loss!!!

Jump on the bathroom scale each morning, at the same time - before breakfast. Let this be your 'conscience'.

[Dave A]

Apparently government has been running an ad campaign publishing the salary structure of teachers - to demonstrate they're not that badly paid already. The unions dismiss it as fiction (of course).

My problem when it comes to this sort of thing is I don't know who to believe, frankly. The credibility of both sides of this argument is rather thin for me right now.

I have heard that the demands are an extra R5b and the total wage bill is R 23b so this doesn't make sense.

Don't forget it's not just a percentage increase, there's a housing subsidy demand too.

Without hunting down hard stats, here's some roughs number that have collected in my mind over the past few months:

• The majority of government expenditure is on payroll expenditure
• There's damn nearly one civil servant on this payroll for each employee in the formal sector
• The civil service has been the fastest growing formal employment sector for some time now.

I strongly suspect government is fighting hard on this one because to cave is going to force even more unpopular consequences than a p'd off civil service - higher taxes, less service delivery, a serious budget deficit with accelerating inflation...

I also suspect that from the union side this is about a lot more than a living wage.

The crop of seeds sown for quite a few years now is being harvested - LRA, overly generous top tier salaries and perks, self-enrichment and abuse of position...

[AndyD]

They've also cave in on numerous occasions recently to wage increases massively over inflation standards so it's now a case of 'well they got it, why shouldn't we?'.

[flaker]

Sisulu for president

let us all vote for Lndiwe Sisulu as next President. I bet she will rule as Iron Ladty Thatcher that had the british steel workers regretting ever commencing their strike.

[Dave A]

Concern is mounting from the government and economists over the pressure the public-sector wage bill is placing on the state.

Government spokesperson Themba Maseko said the government could not justify large salary increases at present, when faced with other spending priorities such as social grants and infrastructure building.

"Put simply," Maseko said, "government will be borrowing money to pay wages and debt service costs. This is not only unsustainable but will require future generations to pay for our current spending."
full stroy from M&G here

The article also puts some numbers to those stats trends I was referring to in an earlier post.

[Butch Hannan]

This whole "civil service" is to say at the least very confusing. They just do not perform and want more money for doing less and less work. If you look at any newspaper take note of all the jobs that are being advertised for provincial and national government. If they filled all these posts we would most probably be in dire financial straits. Civil servants need to be honest with themselves and should ask of themselves do they deserve a salary increase because of the good job they are doing. On this basis very few of them would qualify for a salary increase.
I also have a major problem with the strikers infringing the rights of the other citizens of our country.

[Dave A]

South Africa's government has tabled a new wage offer to striking public servants, Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi's spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"A negotiated draft settlement offer stands as follows -- a 7,5% salary increment and R800 monthly housing allowance," Dumisani Nkwamba said in a statement.

Asked if this meant the strike was at its end, he replied: "We hope so. The unions are consulting with their members and the government has called on them to expedite the process."
full story from M&G here

Going to be interesting to see if the unions accept.