COSATU press statement on the conduct of the North West legislature 29 - 03 - 06

 

COSATU press statement on the conduct of the North West legislature

COSATU North West condemns the unprocedural suspension of all the NEHAWU branch leadership by the North West Provincial Legislature and the continuation of intimidation of NEHAWU and COSATU members by senior officials of the Legislature.

COSATU North West views this attitude of the employer (Legislature), as intimidation, victimisation and treating workers like the old apartheid regime, in particular the Bophuthatswana regime.

Our members and all workers have the right to engage any employer in a discussion about their conditions of service and employment rights. If the employer is negotiating in bad faith or displays the level of arrogance we see with the North West Legislature, workers will have no other way except to embark on action to expose that employer to the public, in line with our COSATU Jobs & Poverty Campaign, by blacklisting all companies who continue practicing racism, casualisation, retrenchments and restructuring of the workplace by reducing staff and putting the work load on to fewer people, as the North West Legislature is doing.

COSATU North West, the Young Communist League and SANGOCO will be demonstrating at the Legislature, demanding that it stop victimising workers, making sure that they have clear programmes for employing the youth, and stop increasing the unemployment rate and poverty in the province. The Legislature should create quality jobs for youth, quality training for the youth, including the unemployed.

COSATU also demand the withdrawal of the suspension of all NEHAWU leadership with immediate effect and go to the table for discussion with NEHAWU on issues of dispute.

On 31 March 2006, a joint programme of demonstrations and protest action by COSATU, YCL, COSAS and SANGOCO will take place, in the form of a march to the Legislature building, demanding also that the Premier and Speaker agree to a formal meeting to discuss issues relating to allegations of corruption that is taking place in the Legislature, including a political intervention by the office of the Premier in resolving the NEHAWU dispute and the University of the North West issues affecting students.

The COSATU programme on Jobs and Poverty campaign is unfolding as follows;

There will be continuous demonstration and picketing during lunch time to all companies and employers who continues to practice racism, casualisation, retrenching, intimidation and victimizing workers. Our programme kick-starts again with provincial strikes as follows;

- May Day Rallies all over the Province will mobilise our members to the sectoral provincial action from 9 May 2006 up to 18 May 2006.

For more information please contact:

COSATU Provincial Secretary, Solly Phetoe 082 418 0750.

YCL Provincial Secretary, Dikale 073 270 0334.

ADDILA - SANGOCO 018 381 4901