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Pretoria
0001
21 Adriana Crescent
Gateway Industrial Park
Rooihuiskraal X25
Centurion
Tel: 012-661 4265 Fax: 012-661 1793
E-mail: consawu@mweb.co.za
Website : www.consawu.co.za

Reg. No.: LR2/6/4/22 VICTORY IS CERTAIN

GAUTENG 2011-TRASFORMATION OF THE ECONOMY FOR THE BENEFIT OF WORKING PEOPLE AS SEEN BY CONSAWU

Leaders of the Assembly, Sisters and Brothers in charge of the proceedings, I greet you and thank you on behalf of CONSAWU.
The democracy we have cannot be exclusive to any self-appointed custodians, we all fought and struggled for it with some paying the ultimate price and the majority paying in all manner of forms and suffering. I acknowledge and appreciate the corrections made on Saturday to the unbecoming and discriminatory remarks made against CONSAWU. It may appear as a storm in a tea cup but such behavior permeates our society and the working class movement where the greatest glory and satisfaction is derived not in achieving our objectives of human development but joy is derived in excluding others and attempting to ruin others. I dare say this is wrong, immature, bordering on the practices of our past Colonial and Apartheid masters. I honestly plead with anyone of us that it is in the best interest of human development that we all endeavor to always take each other on board. What appears below is premised on the economic system that currently exist and as compatible with such system.

CONSAWU has identified that one of our economic weaknesses or handicap as working class is the absence of a comprehensive social security/protection which would establish a social floor for unforeseen circumstances or even better circumstances which are beyond the control of an individual, however talented or gifted. These are circumstances of unemployment and failure to have means to keep body and soul together more particularly in the age 18-64 category who are not studying or occupied in any other way.

CONSAWU does not believe that people are unemployable or ever lazy to work; we regret that there are people who believe as such. The economy should at all material times first and for most be in the interest of the working class and it has proved in countries such as Brazil that the investor is still prepared to invest even where the investor is told that you invest in our terms. Comrades, we are aware that the same investor whom we are always mistakenly told that shall run-away still goes cap in hand to invest in Zimbabwe and elsewhere, CONSAWU is not passing an opinion on Zimbabwe. Economists are saying, economic fundamentals are sound, may be what is sound must be their mega salaries indeed. The human development indicators such as employment (unemployment regardless of unfortunate false and self-serving survey is per expanded definition above 40% of the economically active. We do not need a false survey, you just have to check with every family if there are unemployed people or not, of course excluding well connected families.)

Education, this is a key to human development. We were last in class in terms of the World Economic Forum Index in 2010. There are measures currently in place for social protection and indeed these mitigate poverty to the grave hence 48 years life expectancy. CONSAWU’s position on comprehensive social security is to consolidate some of the existing measures and supplement them to establish the much desired comprehensive social security which should also include amongst other measures a legalized national minimum wage.

The Labour Laws especially the LRA no. 66 of 1995 as amended in situations of extremely anti-unions employers who often takes unions just on entry section 21 rights to the highest Court is bad news for the workers in the private sector. The replacement labour section has created a situation where workers have to punish replacement labour or scab labour with often severe means. In other situations the supposed to be striking workers can strike as long as they want which amounts to dismissal. Surely all reasonable people could have not envisaged these as the intention of the Legislature. There are many others, these are but few. This is mentioned with a view to bring focus which may lead to some action.

Again, I must thank you all on behalf of my clever feared federation CONSAWU, yes let’s take each other and not kick each other.
Delivered by the Gauteng chairperson of CONSAWU