Solidarity with stiking workers 09 - 10 - 06

Solidarity with striking workers

At a meeting at COSATU House, Johannesburg, on 9 October 2006, representatives of ten COSATU-affiliated trade unions agreed to mobilise greater solidarity and support for workers in dispute, and particularly those forced to take strike action, from all COSATU affiliates, our alliance partners the ANC and SACP and broader civil society.

The unions represented were CEPPWAWU, SATAWU, SASAWU, SACTWU, SAMWU, NUM, POPCRU, SACCAWU, NEHAWU and SADTU.

The meeting identified the following disputes as priorities:

Shoprite Checkers

35 000 SACCAWU members have now been on strike for two months in support of a demand for a R300 increase. There are negotiations at the CCMA.

Sun International

3 000 SACCAWU members have been locked out since last week. They are demanding improvements in wages and working conditions. There are no talks, the company is refusing to agree on strike rules and it is trying to break the strike.

Karan Beef

SACCAWU members have been on strike for three months. Workers are demanding a 12% pay increase against an employers’ offer of 8% and demanding an end to discrimination, a provident fund and better bonuses. A shop steward was killed on the picket line after a violent attack by police.

The meeting urged that there should be political intervention to get talks started at the CCMA and to have Karan Been expelled from the Proudly South African campaign, of which they are a member, but clearly do not comply with the requirement to have fair labour practices.

KZN Provincial Works Department

1000 NEHAWU members have been on strike since 02 October over a failure to implement a new grading system – the Performance Management Development System.

Private prisons

350 POPCRU members are in dispute with private prison operators, US/UK-owned company, Global Solutions, over wages and conditions. A march is planned on 26 October in Bloemfontein.

Soweto teachers

The meeting was made aware of a looming strike and asked SADTU to investigate the issues and report back.

Other looming disputes involve CEPPWAWU members at Peters Papers in Denver, NEHAWU and SASAWU members in the Department of Justice and NEHAWU members in the Eastern Cape who are in dispute over a transfer agreement not being implemented in full; the office of the Premier is involved in discussions.