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Cosatu Gauteng Shopsteward Council 16-04-08 |
COSATU Gauteng PSSC, 17 APRIL 2008
Stop the shocking food and electricity price rises now!
The COSATU Gauteng Province will be holding a meeting of their Provincial Shop Stewards Council on 17 April 2008 at the JHB City Hall. The media are welcome to attend.
The purpose of the meeting is to deal with the following urgent matters:
1. Mobilisation towards May Day, which will be held in Sedibeng Izak Steyn Stadium on 1 May 2008
2. Recent CEC Reports
3. Food prices / inflation and interest rates
4. Electricity prices and load shedding.
MAY DAY - WORKERS DAY
We shall be celebrating 2008 May Day under a theme "Defending democratic gains - fight unemployement – crush poverty and inequalities and create decent work now"
May Day symbolises the contribution and sacrifices workers have made across the globe. Workers' solidarity against exploitation of all forms in the production lines is what resulted to our slogan: 'An injury to one is an injury to all'. Workers, in particular under the umbrella of Cosatu, are the advanced detachment of the working class that contributed immensely in the destruction of apartheid and paved the way to a political dispensation that freed South Africa.
Our May Day this year will be taking stock on the resolutions of Limpopo in making sure that South Africa changes the current market accumulation path to that of a human face.
Our campaigns against outsourcing, privatisation and casualisation will continue to be relevant as workers bear the brunt hardship caused by these.
We call on all our members to join the May Day celebration in the Sedibeng District. We should as well be remembering all those workers, heroes and heroines who died under the ruthless guns of the previous regime in 1960 – Sharpville Day, the boycotts of the 80s and the Boipatong Massacre.
LOAD SHEDDING
We regard electricity as a basic need first, before it becomes a commodity. The point of departure is that we should all take load shedding as a national crisis that needs urgent attention from all sectors.
This load shedding we are experiencing is not an accident, it is a planned situation from by our government to prepare the private sector to invest in the electricity supply industry. This is at the core of GEAR, in limiting government expenditure in the infrastructural development, a notion that government has no business in business. In a capitalist environment, which South Africa is, capital is not interested in investing on the basic social needs.
We therefore support the call from the ANC for an Energy Summit that should be held under the auspices of Nedlac. Its terms of reference should be:
Electricity generation, transmission and distribution should be 100% in hands of government.
The coal mines must supply quality coal to the power stations. The current supply of poor-quality coal to the powers station is actually reducing the life-span of those power stations.
Government should initiate an urgent investigation of alternative energy sources, including solar energy. It should not look at nuclear as the only solution
Sasol is selling energy at international prices, while receiving huge profits. Sasol should be the first target to assist in solving the energy and petrol crises we are facing. Sasol must be a parastatal.
ELECTRICITY TARIFF INCREASE
Our country is faced with huge poverty and unemployment, which could be a time bomb to explode any time if not addressed. The government as a developmental state must show leadership to intervene in the sea of poverty. The poor cannot afford any further increase, in particular while there is surplus in the budget.
We find very shameful for Eskom not to disclose all the reasons for the need for the tariff increase. This act is outrageous and denies the public access to information to make decisions.
FOOD PRICES
We are joining the countries of the world to call on the moratorium on the food prices. We should that there are families who sleep without food, these price increase should be stopped now.
We call that:
· Government not to leave the market to determine the prices in particular on the basic needs – introduce regulations.
· To criminalise all the companies found guilty of price fixing.
INTEREST RATES
We reject this continued interest rate rocketing on the pretence of targeting the inflation rate. The SARB inflation-targeting mandate should be reviewed as a matter of urgency.
The interest has a direct impact to our members in particular on transport, housing, and food.
The PSSC will look at ways on implementing our campaign, target may include:
SASOL, MITTAL SA.
Government, in particular DME & DPE
Food companies, and retail stores
Following the PSSC there will be a march against high prices. It will start at the Johannesburg City Hall at 13h00 on Thursday 17 April, and march to the Eskom office at 204 Smit Street, Braamfontein and the Pick n Pay store in Jorissen Street, Braamfontein.
Issued by Cosatu Gauteng Province :
Provincial Secretary, Sphiwe Mgcina 082 465 8336,
Provincial Chairperson, Mosanku Tseki 082 498 5840