Tag: trade unions

Cosatu vows to bring SA to its knees

On Thursday, Cosatu public service unions vowed to bring the country to its knees, saying the government seemed to want to plunge the country into crisis.

Pretoria’s central business district was brought to a standstill on Thursday as 11 000 public servants took to the streets. But in a week’s time the country could be hit by rolling mass action, stay-aways and civil disobedience, should a settlement not be reached by the government and public sector unions, which are demanding a 10 percent pay rise.

A strike will mean schools, hospitals and government services would work on a skeletal to a no-staff complement.

During the march, major CBD intersections were gridlocked and frustrated motorists had to find “alternative routes”.

This situation was compounded by ongoing city council roadworks – in cases approaching two years – which have seen some streets narrowed to one lane; others have been closed off.

The pay talks at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council stalled again this week.

The government says it cannot afford more than a 5.8 percent increase, but has offered to pay the lowest-paid state-employed workers a 14 percent wage increase.

But powerful police and teachers unions want a 10 percent increase across the board and a R1 500 monthly housing allowance.

Source: IOL

Cosatu factions head for battle

Comrade Vavi
Comrade Vavi

Cosatu’s central executive committee will hold a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the conflict between supporters of the federation’s top two leaders.

The opposing factions are expected to use the meeting to dislodge and discredit general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and president Sdumo Dlamini.

The trade union federation’s top brass called the special meeting after Vavi admitted to having had a sexual liaison with a junior staff member at the Cosatu head office, in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, earlier this year.

Vavi has apologised.

It is expected that Vavi’s detractors in Cosatu – comprising representatives of the National Union of Mineworkers, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union and the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union – will call for his suspension tomorrow.

But Vavi’s supporters are expected to attack Dlamini in a strategy to crush attempts to topple their man. A vote of no-confidence in the Cosatu president might be called.

Expected to lead the charge against Dlamini is the National Union of Metalworkers of SA.

The union has accused Dlamini of failing to deal with what has been call ed the imminent implosion of the labour federation after attempts were reportedly made to force him to act .

Numsa has questioned the motive for convening a special sitting of the Cosatu leadership, which has the power to suspend or expel leaders of the federation.

The union claims that the meeting is part of a ploy to oust Vavi.

Numsa said it would argue tomorrow that the special meeting was unconstitutional and would call for it to be cancelled.

A letter to this effect has been sent to Cosatu officials, the union said yesterday.

Numsa president Cedric Gina – speaking to journalists yesterday in Johannesburg alongside other union leaders after Sunday’s special central committee meeting – said he had recently implored Dlamini to prevent Cosatu’s “imminent demise” but Dlamini was not moved by his pleas. – timeslive.co.za