12th November in W Cape, E Cape and KZN 13th November in Free State, North West and N Cape 14th November in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng COSATU is calling a campaign of rolling mass action to protest the following issues:- 1. Government’s decision to implement e tolls on Gauteng’s urban roads 2. Government’s decision that it will not ban labour broking Why is COSATU opposed to the tolling of urban roads in Gauteng? Tolls on Gauteng’s urban freeways will add to the burdens of the poor. There are many low income earners who use private cars because there is no reliable public transport on the routes that they have to travel. Tolls will also put an indirect burden on the poor of the whole of South Africa, by adding to the cost of transporting goods and will have an immediate effect on food inflation. The Tolls will exclude people who cannot afford to pay, and add to inequality. Our roads belong to everybody! Tolls are a form of Privatisation whereby the private sector makes a profit from the revenues collected. We also object to high road toll fees on all our national roads, such as at Swartruggens in North West Province where the toll fee is an outrageous R75. Paying for the roads through the collection of toll fees is very expensive. At least one cent in every five cents collected will have to go to cover the costs of the actual collection. This is even before the private operators take their profit. COSATU has argued all along that taxation – either direct tax or a levy on the price of fuel - must be the main source of funding for road infrastructure. This would be much cheaper and more efficient. We say No to E-tolls! We demand safe, affordable and reliable public transport in all urban and rural areas now! Why does COSATU call for Labour Brokers to be banned? Labour Brokers act as parasites in the employment relationship. They act as middle men, taking a cut from the wages of the workers that they “supply” to the client. They do not create jobs. They trade in human beings. Government continues to insist that Labour Brokers should be allowed to supply workers for up to three months. We say that Labour Broking should be banned entirely. One day of slavery is a day too many! Also, employers will simply rotate labour broker workers every three months, which will create even more instability and exploitation. Labour broking confuses the employment relationship and creates division amongst workers. Most workers employed via labour brokers have no benefits or insurances such as provident fund or medical aid and are more vulnerable to unfair dismissal. We demand permanent direct employment with benefits, for all workers. Our opposition to labour broking is part of our broader struggle for Decent Work for all. Who can join in the action? Everybody in South Africa has the legal right to join the action, without any threat of dismissal. The rolling mass action is part of a dispute on e tolls and labour brokers in terms of Section 77 of the Labour Relations Act, and is therefore a protected action. We must show in our millions that worker reject the imposition of unjust laws which ignore the legitimate concerns of our people! Attacks on workers must stop COSATU has tabled other issues of national concern in Nedlac, the Alliance, and with government. These issues relate to economic struggles working people are facing, and continuing attacks on the socio-economic conditions of workers, including: • Half of all workers do not earn enough even to feed their families properly, or to afford basic necessities. We demand an end to poverty wages. We demand a legislated National Minimum Wage which no employer in the country will be able to pay below. • We object to Government pushing ahead with employment subsidies in the form of tax refunds for employers who employ young workers, or workers in special economic zones and designated industries. This has not been negotiated in NEDLAC, and is just money in the pockets of the bosses who will likely dismiss older workers whose salaries are not subsidised. The subsidies will also be used to drive down the wages of unsubsidised workers. This disguised new youth wage subsidy must be taken back for negotiation at NEDLAC. • We call for government to act to end to the shocking working and living conditions of farm workers. • We protest that instead of introducing more protection to shield workers from super-exploitation, government wants to go the route of deregulation, or removing existing workers rights. These ideas are in the economic chapter of the National Development Plan (the NDP). We reject the economic chapter of the NDP and demand that it be re-drafted after full consultation. Details of strike marches in your province, all gathering at 09h00 for 10h00: Tuesday 12 November • Western Cape: Cape Town – gather at Keizersgraght and march to Parliament • Eastern Cape: East :London, Port Elizabeth and Port St Johns • KwaZulu-Natal: Durban, Newcastle, Richards Bay and Ulundi Wednesday 13 November • Free State: Welkom • North West: Rustenburg – gather at taxi rank and march to Municipality Klerksdorp – gather at Matlosana Medical Centre, march to DoL • Northern Cape: Kimberley – gather at Open Air Arena, march to Premier’s office Thursday 14 November • Mpumalanga: Witbank – march to DoL Nelspruit – march to police station • Limpopo: Polokwane – gather at SABC Park, march to R&T, DoL, SALGA and Premier • Gauteng: Johannesburg – gather at COSATU House, march to DoL, Premier and Police Station Ban Labour Brokering and Scrap e-tolling now!
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 08:19:34 +0000
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