COSATU has found a surprising ally in its campaign against the Eskom Conversion Bill - the Sunday Times! In an editorial entitled "Poor people before profit", this right-wing, pro-business paper fully backs the unions' stand.
It maintains that "Cosatu is wrong" to oppose privatisation on "ideological grounds". "But," it says, "Cosatu is also right… to take to the streets the battle over the corporatisation, and ultimately privatisation, of electricity provider Eskom..."As we have seen in the experiments of concessioning water provision, essential services should not be run by enterprises seeking to make money… In the electricity sector, it will not make economic sense for a corporatised Eskom to roll out electricity to outlying areas en masse.
"This task needs to be performed by a utility with a long-term objective of improving the lives of people, rather than an outfit out to make a profit. And the maintenance of cheap electricity price levels for which South Africa is famed will be nigh impossible if this industry is put in the hands of profit-seeking private enterprise.
The diversion of money from Eskom's capital expenditure budget into the treasury, as is proposed in the corporatisation proposals, will also diminish the parastatal's ability to carry out its mandate.
"So Cosatu's decision to take this debate to the streets is commendable. The Department of Public Enterprises has tried to ram the Bill through Parliament, treating the consultation process as a mere formality…
"The provision of electricity should not be made another playground for greedy foreign bargain hunters and unscrupulous empowerment operators who do not have the interests of poor people at heart.
"On this issue, all South Africans should stand with Cosatu in defence of the interests of the poor." [Our emphasis]
The fact that this appeared in the Sunday Times will surely convince the government that Cosatu's campaign has broad support, even from people who normally disagree with the unions, and withdraw this Bill in its present form.
NUM Central Committee Declaration
More than 700 NUM delegates gathered in Mafikeng from 19-21 April to take stock of the progress made since the 2000 Congress. This was also the first national gathering of NUM after successful integration of CAWU and landslide victory of the ANC in the December 2000 local government elections.
The CC's theme was Members First- Today and Forever and 2001 was declared The year of the member. This shows that indeed NUM is a revolutionary trade union that takes care of its members' interests. The working class challenges can only be effectively resolved by a class solution.
Therefore the Central Committee considered reports on political, organisational, economic and international matters, and, in order to advance and maintain the revolutionary spirit of a working class organization the CC, made the following pronouncement:
Organisational
Servicing of members is the lifeblood of the union and therefore by servicing members we will earn the working hegemony over society. We commit ourselves to the concept of quality service to our members as anchored by the Ten Service Dimensions, that is:
- Responsiveness
- Competence
- Access
- Courtesy
- Communication
- Credibility
- Security
- Understanding
- Tangibles
Leadership development is cardinal to the provision of this quality service
We recommit ourselves to take up these campaigns and pledge to take them forward for the final push:
- Racism
- Health and safety
- Women's empowerment
- Social security
We will also defend our organisation from any form of attack or aggression with extreme vigilance and revolutionary vigour.
The NUM will continue to defend itself from any attack and whatever form it appears. NUM properties will be protected appropriately.
Political matters
We remain committed to the Freedom Charter as our guiding political document.
Class solution will always be sought in dealing with our problems at all times.
We declare our undivided commitment to the ANC, SACP, COSATU alliance and we will continue to build and constructively criticise and challenge any attempt to derail the NDR.
We call COSATU to engage and take advantage of the experience of our struggle veterans. This exercise should be for purposes of deepening our class-consciousness.
As the commitment to the working class revolution under the vanguard of the Marxist communist party we pledge to capacitate the SACP through its stop-order campaign.
We will prioritise the Chris Hani Institute and the NEC should engage other COSATU affiliates and the SACP on the details of the implementation.
We commit ourselves in playing an active role in building civic movement.
Economic Matters
We actively agree with the thrust of the mineral development bill for the transfer of the mineral rights to the state.
The Continued privatisation of state assets will be resisted.
We will resist all forms of imperialism that manifest itself in the form of mergers and acquisitions that have resulted in retrenchments and utilisation of labour brokers.
In committing ourselves to the building of the peoples economy we shall support and participate in the SACP's programme against the banks, red lining and to promote cooperatives.
Having identified that the workers capital is in the retirement funds, it is therefore imperative to build capacity in this area. We will identify a sizeable number of cadres to be skilled in this field.
International matters
Globalisation necessitates strong global solidarity work. Shop stewards from countries where South African companies operate should have constant interaction.
The unity talks between IFBWW and IMEO should be encouraged and the ICEM should be central to this work.
The Cape plc Case on asbestos is a victory to workers but we will continue to engage our sister unions in Africa to the fact that asbestos kills and we should campaign globally against its usage and mining thereof.
We pledge to support the Brazilian Government and progressive organisations against their fight with the US administration with regard to the Pharmaceutical companies.
Conclusion
We call on all delegates to commit themselves in the implementation of the resolutions and the content of this declaration.
