Tag: trade union

Former Solidarity leader warns that arming Ukraine is a bad idea

European military assistance to Ukraine could lead to a nuclear conflict between Russia and NATO, according to Poland’s iconic cold warrior and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa.

“It could lead to a nuclear war,” the anti-Communist legend told reporters when asked whether the EU should send weapons to Ukraine to help it fights off separatist rebels and Russian aggression.

“The EU is well aware that Russia has nuclear weapons. NATO has them too. Must we then destroy each other?” said the former Solidarity trade union leader famous for negotiating a bloodless end to communism in Poland in 1989.

“This is why the EU keeps on repeating: stop being silly (…) This is why it isn’t getting involved too much!” he added, at an annual regional economic in Krynica, southern Poland.

The EU on Saturday agreed to impose fresh sanctions on Russia should Moscow failed to change its behaviour in Ukraine, after Kiev said Russian soldiers were fighting along side pro-Moscow rebels.

Source: AFP

EFF starts own trade union

Barely eight months after it was formed, the EFF will start their own union – the National Trade Union Congress.

The Economic Freedom Fighters said the Labour Department has officially given them the go-ahead.

The EFF union plans to target marginalised workers such as petrol attendants, domestic workers, farmworkers, security guards and workers in the retail sector.

An EFF spokesman said yesterday party members could not belong to Cosatu-affiliated unions.

According to an EFF insider, the party submitted registration forms to the Labour Department on May 27 and received its registration number yesterday.

The inside source said the EFF would travel to all nine provinces to recruit people into their union.

“We already have a huge number of registered members but we could not approach employers for recognition without registration,” he said.

The union could prove stiff competition to Cosatu, which is battling internal divisions. The biggest split has been with The National Union of Metalworkers of SA, which has just called for a strike.

The EFF won 6.35% of the votes in the national elections in May.

Eddie Mathiba, the union’s interim general secretary, said “the economic emancipation of the proletariat” has arrived.

“Gone are the days of capitalist vehicles driven by employers and Cosatu affiliates,” he said.

Source: TimesLive