Stop dumping cheap imports
Public servants arrested for stealing drugs
Nehawu marches against Botshabelo bucket system
The SA Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) has threatened protest
action against retailers over high levels of imports and pricing policies towards manufacturers. The union has also raised concern over retailers shifting their sources to low-wage areas and exploiting workers in the informal sector.
The union cites the continuing job losses in the clothing, textile and footwear manufacturing industry as a reason for the intended protest action and said that problems were caused by the sourcing decisions of retailers.
SACTWU has said that the protest would include mass rallies outside retail stores and demonstrations at events sponsored by any of the retail companies. It has also raised the possibility of a call for consumer boycotts.
The union has served a notice on the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) and says the actions are aimed at slowing and obstructing work in order "to defend the socio-economic interests of workers".
By Moloantoa Molaba, NEHAWU National Spokesperson
NEHAWU has welcomed the Northern Province Health Department's action to hand over 15 officials to the police, for allegedly stealing drugs.
The Government spends around R3 billion on drugs every year and it is estimated that for years up 30% of them have never reach the patients.
The arrest of alleged culprits shows the government's resolve to reverse this tragic situation. Nehawu supports all Government initiatives to remove corruption in the public sector.
The union hopes that high ranking managers involved or implicated in corruption will be treated in the same way. Unfortunately the government has been recycling dubious managers. if one is caught or implicated in wrong-doing, then six months later the same official will be employed in another department or parastatal. Police are never brought in.
This practice has demoralised lots of genuine public servants who want a clean public service and improved service delivery. We will never tolerate stealing of state resources or property. They are allocated to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of rural and working class communities.
Nehawu will make sure the rights of these workers are not prejudiced now that the police are involved. The due internal labour relation process/disciplinary inquiry must follow unhindered so these workers are accorded a fair chance to prove their innocence or otherwise.
By Moloantoa MoMolaba, NEHAWU spokesperson
Nehawu, NGOs and the community of Botshabelo have launched a campaign against the unhealthy bucket system. This is a system under which, because of the lack of running water and a proper sewerage system, human waste is removed in buckets every day.
Since 2000 10 workers have died due to lack of adequate safety and protective clothing.
On 30 May Nehawu, progressive NGOs and community marched to hand over a memorandum with these key demands:
- The Provincial Department and Botshabelo Local Government must announce and publicly commit themselves to a programme, with time frames, to replace the bucket system with the sewerage system presently being used in developed areas.
- The Provincial Department of Housing and Local Government must not transfer workers to the municipality until there is an agreement with unions on conditions of service. This agreement must incorporate issues of job security, conditions of service, re-training of staff after they are transferred and when a new sewerage system is introduced.
- The change from bucket system to sewage must be jointly managed with unions to avoid unnecessary job losses.
- While the bucket system is still in place, the Labour Department must ensure that safety standards are maintained and the Provincial Department of Housing must provide protective clothing, speed up the process of risk assessment and overall medical assessment of workers.
We once more reiterate our call for urgent action. Further delay means more lives might be lost, more ill health for workers and unbearable bucket system for ordinary people of Botshabelo.
There are several resources available to Government that can be tapped to phase out the bucket system. The following are our proposals:
- We propose that Botshabelo should be considered for Urban Renewal
- Framework as part of the Presidential lead Projects for this year. We think this problem is pressing enough to be considered. The Free state Province should apply for this.
- The last financial year 6 billion for infrastructural development was unspent. We further propose that part of that money can be used to phase out the bucket system and create better working conditions.
- This financial year, the infrastructural development was boosted with few more billions. These resources can be tapped for phasing out the bucket system.
