Mpumalanga Worker Parliament Declaration 07-05-08

 

MPUMALANGA WORKERS PARLIAMENT DECLARATION 2008

05-06 May 2008

We, the worker's from the different sectors of the economy in Mpumalanga have met on the 05 - 06 May 2008 for the Worker's Parliament to deliberate on the challenges facing the worker's and the poor under the theme "educating, empowering and involving communities for the better future".

We note the poor, unbearable and inhuman working conditions faced by farm workers, domestic workers, taxi drivers, security guards; construction, retail and other vulnerable worker's. We further note that some of these workers are abused and treated badly by their employers.

Amongst the challenges facing the worker's and the poor in South Africa are poverty, unemployment, and unsustainable types of jobs.

The spread of HIV/AIDS in the workplace is a challenge that not only impacts on the economy of the country but also erodes the precious lives and skills base of the man and women of this country built over time.

We further note the need and importance of worker's playing a role in the legislative processes. Employed workers are already bearing the brunt of increased cost of living which is manifesting itself in rising food prices, high interest rates, high transport costs and the proposed 60% Eskom rate hikes, rubs salt to the already bleeding wound.

Those workers who are lucky to be employed in the economy are forced to share their meagre wages with the extended families that are unemployed as a result of retrenchments arising out of industry restructuring.

We therefore call for government to:-

· Impose a Moratorium on food price increases.

· Zero rating of VAT on basic food stuff like, milk, e.g., bread, rice and mealie meal.

· The Provincial Government to refuse the Eskom 60% tariffs increase.

· For our government to investigate and invest into alternative sources of energy.

· Government to convene Izimbizo or outreach programmes at times convenient for workers to attend or participate.

· Resource, capacitate and turn around the Department of Health.

· To fast track the implementation of the state led industrial strategy supported by the redistribution of income, assets and skills.

· To call on the government to establish a price regulator.

· To call on government to pass legislation to give more biting teeth to the competition commission and declare price fixing a criminal offence.

The continued brutal murder of farm workers by farmers, the brutal murder of Jimmy Tapale at the Middelburg Country Club Hotel by 3 white males, racist act perpetrated by the white racist students at the university of Free State, are amongst the unfortunate events that attest to COSATU long standing belief that racism is rife in the workplace.

Accordingly, this worker's parliament condemns in the strongest possible terms any forms of racism. We call for the restoration of rights of farm workers or farm dwellers.

We declare hereby and commit ourselves to the following:-

· To embark on a campaign to expose employers who fail to implement the Labour Laws of our country.

· To organize and educate workers about their rights.

· We commit to embark on HIV/AIDS education campaigns in the workplace.

· To defend the interest and rights of vulnerable workers in the different sectors, in particular construction, private security, retail, farm workers and domestics.

· We further commit to introduce processes and committees whose purpose will be to oversee the implementation of our decisions between today and the next workers parliament in 2009.

We commit to soldier in unison in defence of our people and country against the terrible jaws of the imperialists , we commit to march in unison in ensuring that this second decade of freedom becomes in political and economic terms the decade of the workers and the poor ,we commit to defend unapologetically the gains of the democratic revolution , we commit to reaffirm our long standing resolve that the workers and the poor are the motive forces of this revolution and will therefore defend it jealously. .

AMANDLA.

For further information please contact Fidel Mlombo, on 079 495 6524