News

In his official address to the 4^th CWU Congress that was held in Durban from 31 January to 2 February, COSATU President Sidumo Dlamini said to reverse membership decline, CWU should move from its “comfort zone” in Telkom and SA Post Office and diversify its membership by recruiting in SABC, M-Net, Vodacom and MTN.

Dlamini observed that the ICT sector in which CWU was operating was highly dominated by atypical forms of employment, particularly labour brokers.

He said workers in call centres, telecommunications, postal and courier services experienced high levels of exploitation and abuse by labour brokers.

“Members of CWU understand better than anyone else the brutality of labour brokers because these parasites attack in the main sectors in which CWU is organising,” said the COSATU President.

He urged CWU not to limit the campaign for decent work to labour brokers, but extend it to all non-standard forms of employment like casualisation, part-time work and outsourcing.

He praised CWU for its relentless efforts of defending the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) as a public broadcaster from “extreme political interference and corrupt tendering practices.”

Dlamini also outlined COSATU’s proposals for South Africa’s New Growth Path which focus on:

· a redistributive growth path that creates decent work;

· fiscal policy that can deliver economic infrastructure to support industrial development;

· a redistributive monetary policy;

· industrial development;

· collective and public forms of ownership;

· development of the Southern African sub-region;

· poverty reduction through a sustainable regional approach

· and environmental sustainability.

The 4^th CWU Congress elected the following national office bearers:

President: Cecil Mokhantso

1^st Deputy President: Clyde Mervin

2^nd Deputy President: Zanele Hoko

General Secretary: Gallant Roberts

Deputy General Secretary: Thabo Mogalane

National Treasurer: Lionel Brown