COSATU wish list.

[Dave A]

I had a bit of a chuckle when the union reps discovered Gallagher Estate had hired casuals to attend to cleaning whilst the cleaners are out on strike.

One of COSATU's positions is against casualisation of the labour force.

I wonder how they might have felt if they had to hold their conference at a venue that had not been cleaned for the last 6 weeks

[duncan drennan]

I like that thought - can't you just see Modishe and Vavi trying to decide who should clean up?

[entoserv]

It seems the problem has indeed been recognised by this story.

Delegates started murmuring and Vavi spelt out the problem: "There's a court order prohibiting Satawu members from coming near cleaners not on strike."

This order is to ensure that cleaners who want to work won't be intimidated.

Vavi continued: "The two-hour delay is as a result of negotiations between Satawu comrades, Cosatu leaders and the cleaning personnel of this place to ensure the court order is not transgressed.

"The cleaning personnel will be gone from these premises by one o' clock."

Cosatu delegates welcomed this announcement, sensing a victory for the workers' class, but Vavi went on to mention a delicate subject: "Comrades, we're facing a big health risk.

"Can you imagine how it will look if 3 000 people have to use the toilets and no one cleans them?

"We'll have to come up with suggestions to show total solidarity with our comrades and also, at the same time, protect the health of the delegates."

The delegates gave the problem some thought, but luckily nothing untoward had occurred by late on Monday night.

[Dave A]

More on COSATU's wish list from unions associated with the textile industry:

The three unions involved in the textile protest were Sactwu (South African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union), Saccawu (the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers' Union) and Nehawu (the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union).

In a joint resolution by the three unions, they called for a nationalisation "under workers' control" of the commanding heights of the economy, industries or companies where retrenchments were envisaged or had taken place.

The unions also urged that the state should provide "a living unemployed benefit of at least R3 000 a month". The unions noted that the proposed R100 basic income grant "is wholly insufficient to meet the needs of the poor and unemployed".

The three unions also called for the rejection of free trade agreements -- bilateral or multilateral -- that would lead to job losses and pledged to work with unions elsewhere in the world to defeat attempts through the World Trade Organisation to limit policy space for developing countries.

The unions urged Cosatu and the South African Communist Party to "do everything in their power to redirect the energy of the state towards a planned economy capable of meeting the needs of the people and the poor ... such a planned economy must not rule out the possibilities of nationalisation and redistribution of the country's vast and enormous material resources".
Full story from M&G here