[Debate] (Fwd) Cosatu threatens national strike, Eskom shutdown

[Patrick Bond]

    Cosatu threatens to bring SA to a halt


      Vusi Xaba, Sowetan, 9 September 2011


      WORKPLACE operations will grind to a halt on October 15 when
      Cosatu holds a national strike to intensify its campaigns calling
      for urgent government action on labour brokers, the Gauteng
      e-tolling system and the acid water crisis.

The battle is on. We want to tackle these issues. The battle against 
labour brokers is on. We want a total ban on labour brokers

The labour federation's general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, told 
delegates at the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) national congress 
in Johannesburg yesterday that Cosatu would not support any "political 
agenda" that was not based on principles.

This is seen as a veiled threat to the ruling ANC as it prepares for the 
2012 Mangaung elective conference.

"The battle is on," Vavi said. "We want to tackle these issues. The 
battle against labour brokers is on. We want a total ban on labour brokers."

Vavi said Cosatu, backed by its two million members, would fight against 
the tolling of roads in Gauteng.

"They say e-tolling is a model for the country. If we do not stop them 
in Gauteng, they will be rolled throughout the country. The principle is 
simple. We want efficient public transport that will free us from the 
mobile coffins."

Vavi said the federation would also fight against the reported possible 
scarcity of water by 2017.

He said underground water, contaminated by acid mine intoxicants, making 
it unsafe to use, was caused by a reluctance to act against mining 
bosses who made billions of rands from mining and neglected to 
rehabilitate the mines after the operations.

Fawu finalised its four-day national congress yesterday.

The Fawu delegates' resolutions were expected to be announced today.


    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


    1.2 Eskom refers wage dispute to CCMAs


      IOL, 9 September 2011

Eskom has referred a wage dispute for arbitration after negotiations 
with trade unions reached a deadlock.

"The issuing of the certificate of non-resolution (the CCMA) does not 
give any Eskom employee the right to embark on industrial action," Eskom 
spokeswoman Hilary Joffe said in a statement on Thursday.

"Any strike by Eskom employees would be unprotected because of Eskom's 
designation as an essential service."

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said over 16,000 Eskom workers 
were preparing to strike when negotiations deadlocked during the first 
dispute meeting at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and 
Arbitration (CCMA) on Wednesday afternoon.

NUM wage negotiator Job Matsebe said unions were readying themselves for 
a "serious confrontation" on the matter and would not accept any 
additional offers.

"Our marches and pickets remain on track as a build-up for a more 
serious battle."

NUM said it had rejected Eskom's offer of a two-year, seven percent wage 
agreement. The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and 
Solidarity also rejected Eskom's offer. The unions have been in 
negotiations with Eskom since April. They wanted a 13

percent wage increase.

Eskom human resource executive Bhabhalazi Bulunga said the parastatal 
was implementing its final offer of a seven increase for the September 
payroll. The increase would be backdated to July 1.

"Our concern is that our employees have not received an increase at all 
this year. If we do not implement the increase in September, we will 
have to wait until at least November, because of a system upgrade in 
October. We are keen to see this dispute resolved as soon as possible."

NUM chief negotiator Paris Mashego said the union would not give up on 
its demands.

"We hope to win and put brakes on Eskom's watering down of benefits and 
wages," he said. - Sapa

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