23 August 2001
The leadership of SACP, COSATU and SANCO met this morning to evaluate the ongoing campaign against privatisation.
COSATU, SACP and SANCO are pleased that the campaign is gaining momentum by day. The three organisations are confident that the working class will come out in their numbers on the 29-30 August to make a clear statement against privatisation and to demand that their government respond to their demands. In particular, we are excited by the growing support of the campaign from a number of quarters. So far, the three organisations have received support from NACTU, IMATU, (the second largest FEDUSA affiliate organising at the municipal level) SANGOCO, SASCO, COSAS, TAC and many more.
This broad alliance of working class formations will make the statement that the working class should not bear the cost of the transition through job losses, denial of access of basic services and so forth. The working class has borne the brunt of the transition while the rich, including the newly enfranchised black bourgeoisie benefit including from privatised states assets. The three organisations wishes to warn the elite which is campaigning for privatisation so that it can push its interests, that the working class is united behind its demand for the strengthening of the state’s role and building of a strong public sector capable of making necessary interventions to improve the living standards of the working class and the poor.
The general strike is therefore a welcomed intervention by the working class to ensure that the state does not lose its capacity to intervene in the economy using among others its own enterprises that it controls. The South African organised working class led by COSATU has once again acted in the interests of the broader working class instead of just pursing its own. This is what has characterized the revolutionary nature of South African workers during the struggle against apartheid and now during the struggle for reconstruction and development.
The general strike is does not signal an end to the alliance led by the ANC nor is it a vote of no confidence to the government. This is not a political strike but a socio economic strike in terms of the LRA that allows organised labour to protest in pursuance of its socio economic interests.
There is no intention by these formations to embarrass the government in the run up to the World Conference on Racism, Xenophobia and other related intolerances. All these formations continue to participate in the conference preparations to ensure its success and are playing a pivotal role to ensure its success.
Finally, COSATU and the SACP rejects with utter contempt the allegation from the Department of Public Enterprises that they agreed to the Department’s policy framework. The Department makes the erroneous conclusion that by briefing COSATU and the SACP this amounts to meaningful consultation. In fact, COSATU issued a statement in 2000 condemning the privatisation and overemphasis on competition contained in the Department’s Policy Framework. There were no substantive discussions on the policy framework either in NEDLAC or within the processes of the NFA.
We also condemn the Department’s opportunistic posture of suddenly becoming the champions of NFA. Enforcement of and respect of the NFA was one of the demands contained in our campaign during May 2000. Over the years, the Department systematically undermined processes set out in the NFA to have meaningful discussions with labour and acted unilaterally on a number of occasions. The much publicized consultation process in Spoornet came after labour demanded meaningful participation rather than from the initiative of the Department. In our view, the Spoornet example is an exceptional case which needs to be replicated throughout the restructuring process.
Issued by: COSATU, SACP & SANCO
Mazibuko K. Jara
SACP National Media Department
Cell: 083 651 0271
Patrick Craven and Moloto Mothapo
Acting COSATU Spokespersons