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The Shopsteward The Shopsteward Volume 30.1 COSATU 35th Anniversary Special Digital Edition The official publication of the Congress of South African Trade Unions COSATU ANNIVERSARY 35 Years of Militant Working Class Struggle! 1 Editorial COSATU 35th Anniversary Bheki Ntshalintshali - Editor in Chief he Congress of South through political processes, as and unprepared and workers garages, hotels, transport, and African Trade Unions well as mass mobilisation. As in South Africa have been the agricultural sectors have not is celebrating 35 years we reflect on the three decades most heavily impacted. been complying with the UI Act. of non-stop struggle and half of our existence, This reflects the poverty The UI Act requires all againstt exploitation in pursuit of we need to recognise our wages workers are paid, high employers to register their social emancipation of both the achievements, without masking levels of inequality, lack of access employees for the UIF and to workers and the working-class our setbacks. to decent healthcare, resulting pay their monthly employer and This is a momentous occasion In this copy of the levels of low immunities due employee contributions. This is for the federation because Shopsteward Magazine, we to the prevalence of infectious worse for domestic workers who it allows us to reflect on our take a look at some of those diseases e.g. tuberculosis, often have multiple employers. past achievements, reflect on achievements and also reflect diabetes, HIV/AIDS etc, and The challenge going forward our challenges and reaffirm on the plan ahead including extreme overcrowding in most is to address the issue of job our commitments to waging the Collective Bargaining townships. Over the past nine losses, vulnerable workers a relentless struggle against Campaign and Organising months we have all been and the so called new normal. exploitation. Conference held late last year. dealing with Covid-19 , a health The unilateral closure of the UIF crisis unlike any previous health TERS Fund as a huge mistake The voice of organised All of this is happening crisis. This has been worrying and we need to see it corrected workers has consistently been in the midst of a health and for South Africa given our pre- soon, especially now with the felt since the federation was economic crisis as a result of existing health challenges, the second wave of infections born 35 years ago on a wide the COVID-19 pandemic that poor state of public healthcare and the Alert level 3 lockdown range of policy, legislative has led to millions of job losses. institutions and unaffordability of having been introduced. and political issues. Workers We believe that this crisis period private healthcare. have achieved concrete we are living in poses serious The COVID-19 inspired victories, partial gains and dangers for the workers and COSATU welcomed the economic crisis has exposed sometimes they have had to the working class. At this critical lockdown and the speed with and shown the limits of defend progressive measures period, the role of the labour which government moved to capitalism. This is also a crisis introduced by government. movement is to study, analyse implement it. It was critical to of neoliberal policies. This whole While there have also been the emerging developments lowering the surge in infections situation creates a serious risk some setbacks, interventions and then strategise for a and deaths and to avoid for the rights of workers. by the organisation have coherent and efficient response overwhelming our healthcare In response to this crisis, disrupted the progress that has to these developments. institutions before they were big capital is manoeuvring to been made by anti-worker and The current period is ready. This was not an easy strengthen the exploitative anti-poor forces. characterised by economic choice for workers as many system of capitalism, to acquire inequality, stagnant wages, companies in the private new impetus and use the All of this has happened in a massive unemployment, sector implement the no crisis to gain more profits for rapidly changing, and constantly deepening poverty, and the work, no pay principle. Many themselves and create more evolving environment and the accumulation of enormous companies depend upon daily wealth concentration as a federation has had to learn wealth by the few elites. earnings to pay workers and result. All of this is done at the to adapt to different terrains No one in South Africa, or the remain viable. It has become expense of workers through the to advance its positions. world, could fully appreciated the clear during this crisis that intensification of exploitation. These include, advocacy, challenges we would face last many employers especially We have already seen a rise negotiation, engagement year. We were caught unaware in the hospitality, restaurants, in unemployment, a push 2 COSATU 35th Anniversary Editorial for the privatisation of public that front with our recruitment technologies work for the people government since 1996. enterprises and a serious attack campaign bringing over 120 and are not used to destroy the Our quest for a developmental on collective bargaining and 000 members to the federation people and their livelihoods. state is continuous. The state labour rights. last year. The COVID-19 Technologies should not be is a powerful force with a lot of Much has been said about outbreak has shown that many imposed recklessly in a manner influence. It holds monopoly to the 4th industrial revolution, in workers are not protected and that destroys livelihoods, jobs, tax, print money and to engage particular the risks that it poses are open to joining unions. and communities. We need a in borrowing on behalf of the to the jobs and livelihoods of jobs plan that will act as a guide country. It influences who has blue- and white-collar workers Fourty hour week will and a regulatory framework. access to national productive as well as the developmental limit the working hours to resources and also determines opportunities it offers society. the maximum of 40 hours. We are grappling with how they are deployed and Our challenges as unions is to This is part of our bigger drive the lack of resources used. It is within this context that fight to make sure workers’ jobs to usher in decent work for all and government’s lack of the role of the state should be are protected, to make sure that workers in the country.Fight preparedness when it comes understood and framed. government and industry plan against retrenchments, this to procuring the necessary . for a just transition, to work for involves campaigning for the Our underperforming economy The collapse of service workers’ lives to improve. If we amendment of LRA Section has forced the government to delivery, as symbolised by do not do that, then millions of 189 to make retrenchments borrow more money worsening public protests, can only be workers will be thrown into the negotiable issues because our already bad public debt. traced back from the decision unemployment line. employers currently do not South Africa’s debt levels will to push for the reduction of have an obligation to consider exceed 100% of gross domestic the headcount of personnel Our priority as we celebrate viable options put forward by product by 2024-25 and rise in the public service and these 35years is to unite the the unions as this section only to almost 114% by 2028-29, the commercialisation of working class around aims gives an obligation to consult. according to National Treasury. the State-Owned Entities in which reflect the present-day their mode of governance. needs. This unity should be National Minimum Wage The upcoming Budget This right-wing push for SOEs reflected in organised struggles - we need to ensure that the Speech and will hopefully be to operate along the lines of the based on its class interests, CCMA and the Department of used to lay the foundation private sector is the source of starting in workplaces. The last Labour are empowered to deal of an economy and the kind the inefficiencies and corruption congress resolved to identify the decisively with issues of non- of a development state that that we have seen. following campaigns as priority compliance by employers on we envision and need post- campaigns around which we implementation of the national Covid-19. One of the most This country needs a will be mobilising the workers minimum wage. fundamental features of our capable developmental state as part of our recruitment and Living Wage Campaign national situation has been the to implement a uniquely organising of workers into the - this campaign should inability of our policymakers to South African developmental Federation. be intensifying because find a solution to the systemic economic model. We fully We remain optimistic that more workers are getting and deep existential crisis of the support our members in the these campaigns and the impoverished due to starvation South African capitalist system. public service who are fighting discussions that will ensue wages. The rentier monopoly back against the undermining going forward will further Occupational Health and finance-capital that oversees of collective bargaining and strengthen our common Safety - we need to make sure the country’s monetary policy government’s decision to efforts to deal with the current that there are OHS committees at a distance as well as the renege on the 2018 Collective economic crisis. Some of these in workplaces and that they are Neoliberal deep-state within agreement. The workers priority campaigns this year functional and beneficial and government continues to resist at SABC and elsewhere 2021 are the following: that we work together with the a change of monetary policy who are engaged in a titanic Recruitment and retention Department of Employment as evidenced by the recent struggle to save jobs should be campaign-The mandate of the and Labour to take forward decision of the Monetary supported by all of us.
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