Deputy President of Cosatu Sdumo Dlamini speech at YCL Celebration 13 - 06 - 08

 

Address to the CWUSA and Umoja Productions Signing Ceremony by COSATU Deputy President, Violet Seboni), Johannesburg, 12 June 2008

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) takes great pride in addressing this historic event which is a major breakthrough by one of our young, newly merged and upcoming unions in the federation, the Creative Workers Union of South Africa, which was launched at the Congress held in September 2007. It merged two previous COSATU affiliates, the Musicians Union (MUSA) and Performing Arts Workers Equity (PAWE).

This event is very most welcomed by us, as our unions continue to strive to ensure that workers in the country, including those in the creative arts sector are respected and given the dignity they deserve. It is a historic ceremony because we have seen the continued exploitation of workers in the music, performing arts, visual arts, crafts and other sectors in the industry not enjoying the constitutional union rights and their rights in the right to collective bargaining in the Labour Relations Act

The agreement signed today between CWUSA and Umoja is the first of the kind in the industry and is a beginning of a true employer and employee relationship, which has been previously undermined by some in this sector.

Organised labour has an important role to play and the agreement will go a long way in resolving disputes that arise and have not been addressed in the correct way.

International Solidarity is one of the COSATU policies and we wish to acknowledge the role played by Federation of International Musicians, Canadian and Toronto Musicians unions, in their support and solidarity actions that ensured the engagement and negotiations that led to the agreement that today recognises our affiliate.

Congratulations to both parties to the agreement and ay it be the first of many more. COSATU will do everything possible to promote better pay, more job security and a better working environment for the workers who give us all so mush pleasure and inspiration.