[DEBATE] : (Fwd) Cosatu protest news

[Patrick Bond]

Mpumalanga ground to a halt
Norman Mokoena, 16 July 2008

The economy of Mpumalanga ground to a complete halt as thousands of 
COSATU members supported by SANCO, SACP, YCL, ANCYL and organizations of 
Civil Society took to the streets in support of the COSATU’s call for 
protected protest action against the electricity crisis.



Figures collected indicates that the mining sector was the hardest hit 
with a 100 % stay away in the following operations: Delmas coal, Khutala 
coal , Matla coal, Douglas colliery, Arnot colliery, Middelburg mine etc .



Most retail shops closed operations as marchers took over and painted 
the towns red. Manufacturing and engineering operated on skeleton staff 
but those close to towns closed completely. Transport ground to a 
complete halt as bus companies refused to release buses and taxi 
associations joined the strike in support of the COSATU demands, which 
covered the increases in the prices of petrol. Vendors and hawkers could 
not help but join the protest actions which they believe will help 
respond to the challenge of high food prices .



In Witbank, in the main march led by the COSATU President, more than 18 
000 workers braved the freezing weather and jammed the streets, traffic 
officers left their duties and joined the march in plain clothes. More 
police were added as the numbers that attended far surpassed the 
estimated numbers by the organizers. It took the leadership more than 
two hours negotiating with ESKOM to allow marchers inside the premises 
as management was afraid that such large numbers would be difficult to 
control and contain.



Today’s marches are a culmination of the protracted protest actions 
embarked upon by COSATU members since April 2008 to put the electricity 
crisis in the public discourse. COSATU members have demonstrated and 
picketed in the malls, shopping complexes, retail shops etc. It is 
COSATU’s belief that the cost of the power cuts must not be borne by the 
poorest in society, and that workers should not be retrenched as a 
result of the power cuts and that the electrification programme to poor 
households should not be compromised.



COSATU further believes that if government had invested in electricity 
in the late 1990s when it was warned to do so, the country would not be 
experiencing this crisis. COSATU will oppose any job losses that may 
result from the electricity crisis either directly or indirectly .



Estimated numbers to the different marches in the province are as 
follows: Witbank 18000 people, Nkomazi 15000 people , Nelspruit 15000 
people, KwaMhlanga 10 000 people, Secunda 12000 people, Ermelo 7000 
people and Bushbuckridge 5000 people.



These actions are but a warm up to the National strike planned for 6 
August 2008. We are delighted by the support we received, which is 
beyond the traditional support base of COSATU. To us this is an 
indication that COSATU is campaigning on issues that affects the poor 
and majority of this country.



For more information please contact COSATU Mpumalanga Provincial 
Secretary, Norman Mokoena at 0828036712

***

Free State and Northern Cape Solid
Andre Kriel, 16 July 2008

Report by the Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers’ Union 
(SACTWU) on support for today’s regional COSATU protest action against 
the electricity crisis by clothing and textile workers in the Free State 
and Northern Cape



Today sees COSATU’s campaign of rolling mass action against South 
Africa’s continuing electricity crisis move to the Free State and 
Northern Cape provinces.



The clothing and textile industry in these provinces have come to a 
standstill with information available as at 11 am this morning 
indicating that 77% of clothing and textile workers in these provinces 
are participating in the protest action by staying away from work.



Last week saw 88% of clothing, textile and footwear workers in the 
Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal participate in COSATU’s first day of 
rolling mass action against the electricity crisis.



In the Free State, large companies such as Amica Fashions, Apple Jeans, 
Manhood Clothing and Top Denim in Botshabelo and In Focus, Tradelink, SA 
Cloth and Robin Clothing in Qwa Qwa reported full participation of 
workers in the protest action.



Clothing and textile workers are the lowest paid in manufacturing, and 
their budgets are already stretched thin by rising fuel, transport and 
food prices. Increasing electricity prices will add to the difficulties 
these workers are experiencing.



These statistics were generated by a company survey conducted by the SA 
Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU), with information being 
supplied by company employer representatives and/or shop stewards. The 
survey covered 50 factories employing a total of 6,135 employees. 
SACTWU'S combined membership in these two provinces is 6 916 members.



Issued by Andre Kriel, SACTWU Deputy General Secretary



If more information is required, contact Etienne Vlok on (021) 4474570.




YCLlogo20.jpg1.3 A Bloemfontein cadre’s report
Thabo Lekhu, 16 July 2008

Dear Comrades



It is with great pride that I should report to this forum the good news 
about COSATU march against high electricity tariffs in Bloemfontein today.



The protest march was extremely well attended by all COSATU affiliates 
from all corners of the Free State Province approximately more than 5000 
workers.



Even for the first time the always not available to meet the workers 
Premier of Free State Province was present to collect our progressive 
memorandum presented by COSATU Provincial Chairperson and signed on 
behalf of COSATU by CEC member Cde Crosby Moni.



This march was indeed a testimony to the workers commitment to resolve 
the energy and food crises capitalism and lazy government managers are 
subjecting the poorest of poor to.



This was further illuminated by the General Secretary of COSATU Cde 
Zwelinzima Vavi during the electricity crises stakeholder summit on the 
16 May 2008 when he said:



"South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world, 
with extraordinarily high levels of poverty and unemployment. Any 
solution to the electricity crisis must take these realities into 
account. We cannot afford to give up our ideal of shared growth. We 
cannot afford to add to the burdens already facing poor households, 
whether through ludicrous increases in the price of electricity or 
through higher joblessness as a result of poorly designed rationing. It 
is now a known fact that the crisis is primarily a result of poor planning



We as communist will not rest on our laurels and allow our people be 
subjected to this unnecessary economic turmoil.



We will replace them if they fail, all our deployees.



Thabo Lekhu, Motheo Region, Free State Province

***

Thousands march in support of Cosatu protest
16 July 2008, 18:11


Thousands of workers took to the streets in the Free State, Northern 
Cape, and Mpumalanga on Wednesday in support of the Congress of SA Trade 
Unions' (Cosatu) protest against rocketing food and electricity prices.

Marchers in Bloemfontein urged government not to let ordinary people pay 
for its failure not to invest in power in the 1990s.

"We must not be the victims of this electricity crisis," said Bheki 
Ntshalintshali, Cosatu deputy general secretary.

"We cannot afford the 27,5 percent increase in electricity," he told 
protesters at the Lebohang building.

Further increases meant workers would suffer the most, especially if 
employers started retrenching people.

He implicated President Thabo Mbeki and Deputy President Phumzile 
Mlambo-Ngcuka amongst those whose mistakes workers had to pay for.

"We are called to pay the cost for mistakes of others," he said.

In a memorandum handed to Free State premier Beatrice Marshoff, the 
trade union federation demanded that the electrification programme to 
poor households not be compromised.

Cosatu said the mining industry should also not be "sacrificed" in an 
effort to manage the crisis.

Earlier on Wednesday, several hundred bus passengers were stranded at 
the Central Park bus terminal in Bloemfontein's central business 
district (CBD) due to drivers taking part in the one day stayaway.

All operations at the Beatrix gold mine of Gold Fields were affected by 
the Cosatu action, while De Beers said there was no impact on three of 
the four operations in the Northern Cape and Free State.

The Free State health department said only about 200 workers, out of 
about 16 000, were absent from work.

Almost 80 percent of all clothing and textile workers in the Free State 
and Northern Cape took part in the protest action, the Southern African 
Clothing & Textile Workers' Union (SACTWU) said.

In Kimberley in the Northern Cape, about 2 000 workers marched through 
the streets.

Cosatu General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi addressed the crowd at Eskom's 
offices before the marchers moved to the buildings of the old Northern 
Cape Legislature in Kimberley.

And in Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, over a thousand workers heeded the call 
to protest.

Mpumalanga Cosatu spokesperson Raymond Mnguni said more than 60 percent 
of businesses ground to a halt and many shops, factories and companies 
closed for the day.

"Many production industries operated on skeleton staff," he said.

Memorandums were handed over to senior managers from Eskom and Sasol who 
said they would take them to their bosses to find a way forward, said 
Mnguni.

The marches were considered by Cosatu to be a good build-up to a 
national strike on August 6.

Meanwhile, Cosatu in the Western Cape has distanced itself from an email 
doing the rounds suggesting that the province will be on strike on 
Wednesday July 23.

"This email goes as far as threatening violence against those who may 
defy this strike action," the union said.

However, no protest action was scheduled for the province that day, and 
Cosatu did not condone violence or intimidatory tactics to coerce people 
to action.

"We believe in our cause and given our support see no reason for such 
tactics in any case," the federation said. - Sapa d