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COSATU condemns police against demonstrators14 - 07 - 06 |
COSATU condemns police again against demonstrators
The Congress of South African Trade Unions is shocked at the overreaction of the Cape Town police, who opened fire on strikers employed by Lithotech Africa Mail on 12 July and arrested more than 200 of them.
We send our best wishes to the four workers who are still in hospital and hope that they make a full recovery from their injuries. We also convey our solidarity and support to CEPPWAWU, whose press statement is attached below.
COSATU demands the immediate release of all the workers arrested and the dropping of all charges against them.
This is not the first time that the SAPS have responded with excessive force against trade union demonstrators. In Cape Town during the security guards’march on 16 May 2006 police also opened fire and arrested the COSATU and SATAWU Provincial Secretaries. At the Swaziland borders on 12 April 2006, police opened fire on COSATU members and arrested COSATU leaders who tried to negotiate with police, and over 20 other demonstrators.
COSATU endorses CEPPWAWU’s call on the Western Cape MEC for Safety & Security to take steps to ensure “the safety of striking members from the brutality of the police who are abusing their power”.
The right to strike and demonstrate is enshrined in our democratic constitution and we will not allow these hard-won rights to be attacked and negated by trigger-happy police and mass arrests of strikers and demonstrators.
Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson)
Congress of South African Trade Unions
1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets
Braamfontein, 2017P.O.Box 1019
Johannesburg, 2000
SOUTH AFRICATel: +27 11 339-4911/24
Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940/ 086 603 9667
Cell: 0828217456
E-Mail: patrick@cosatu.org.zaCEPPWAWU STATEMENT
Over 200 strikers arrested at Western Cape
Over 200 CEPPWAWU members went on a legal strike on Wednesday at Lithotech Africa Mail in the Western Cape. The strike was called after workers rejected managements wage increase of six percent and the company’s refusal to pay a full 13th cheque.
According to CEPPWAWU the wage dispute has been duly referred to CCMA for conciliation and a certificate of none conciliation was issued.
A day before the strike, CEPPWAWU and the company met at CCMA to discuss picketing rules.
On Wednesday two organizers from the union went to assist the striking workers. When they arrived at the strike at about 10 am, they saw a huge police presence of about fifty heavily armed policemen.
“ Our members were toyi toying in the demarcated area. At about 10:15 am about 14 members moved outside the demarcated are,” said CEPPWAWU.
According the union the police immediately arrested the strikers. Two union officials wanted to negotiate with the captain for release but the police started shooting inside the demarcated area injuring union members in the process.
The following female comrades were injured and taken to hospital: Agnes Lektsha, Nowabu Tshbate, Mesto Jackson and Nollovu Nqgwaxazo. More than two hundred union members were arrested and jailed, including two union officials Ernest Qamnagana and Grischelda Hartman. They are being charged for public violence.
“ We must say we do not understand the role of the police in a labour dispute and we think that they are arrogant by shooting at innocent people in an area which was demarcated by the CCMA. We will not leave this matter unchallenged,” said the union.
CEPPWAWU further calls on the Western Cape MEC for Safety & Security to take steps in ensuring the safety of striking members from the brutality of the police who are abusing their power.
The union is gathering evidence of this provocative police action and will press criminal charges against them.