COSATU North West listening campaign - 23-01-06

 

The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West Province, in line with a COSATU Central Executive Committee decision to embark on a listening campaign, in which workers' leaders will listen to the workers, will be launching its campaign on 28 January, as part of the local government election campaign.

The campaign will also be linked to the COSATU Jobs and Poverty Campaign and the sectoral actions and mobilisation for the May Day celebration which will be dedicated to the HIV/Aids theme.

The listening campaign will ensure that workers can tell their leaders what they think and what they want from COSATU and their unions.

Our launch in the North West is mostly dedicated to farm and domestic workers, who will be given the first opportunity to speak to the workers' leaders deployed to listen. Shop stewards and community members will also be speaking on issues affecting them as member of the public and to say what they want.

Our provincial launch will be held in Klerksdorp City Hall on 28 January from 10h00 until 15h00. We are looking to bring over 6 000 workers to the launch which will be addressed by the COSATU General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, SACP General Secretary, Blade Nzimande, and ANC Deputy President, Jacob Zuma. The media are very welcome to attend.

After the provincial launch the campaign will go down to the locals of COSATU to make sure that it reaches every worker in the province. We shall tell the workers: "Comrades, this is your chance to tell COSATU what you want! Come to all the meetings in your workplace and use your voice!"

Once again COSATU in the North West Province, with the support of COSATU Head Office and the SACP, condemns the assault of a farm worker, Petrus Seoka, allegedly by a farmer, Johan van Eeden. COSATU demands that the farmer should be arrested with immediate effect. It is very clear that the North West police are unable to do their work. This is the third such incident since the beginning of December 2005. All these alleged culprits/perpetrators are still enjoying life with their families, while the affected farm workers' families are still struggling to visit their men still lying in hospital.

On 20 January 2006 the COSATU Provincial Secretary visited the Ventersdorp police station. They have no records, only the case number, the same as with the Lichtenberg man accused of poisoning a farm worker in December 2005. The farmer is still at liberty outside.

And now we se the killing of three workers at Protea Dry cleaners in Vereeniging, allegedly by the owners of the company they worked for. COSATU and members of the public demanded that bail should not be granted to any of the accused, and that the Department of Labour and the Gauteng MEC for Safety and Security should investigate the incident and get a clear report.

We also request the Department of Land Affairs and Agriculture to begin taking issues of evictions seriously, because most farm workers, especially in the North West, are now facing eviction orders towards the elections, including more than three families in Lichtenberg.

For more information, please phone the COSATU Provincial Secretary, Solly Phetoe, on 082 418 0750.