COSATU held a succesful committee meeting
The targeted date for the provincial picket against labour brokers is November.
EMALAHLENI – The Congress of South African Trade Union in Mpumalanga held a very successful Provincial Executive Committee meeting on
The PEC brought together the office bearers of COSATU in the province, leadership of affiliated unions, leadership of all COSATU locals’ structures in the province and was addressed by the 2nd Deputy President of COSATU, Mr Zingiswa Losi, the Provincial Secretary of the ANC, Mr Lucky Ndinisa and the 2nd Deputy Provincial Secretary of the SACP, Mr Mandla Tibane.
The PEC was characterized by robust, frank and constructive debates; it was a battlefield of ideas on the fundamental question of the brutality of imperialism and the destructive impact of neo-liberalism that affects the working class and the poor across the globe.
The PEC condemned in the strongest possible terms, the brutal killing of civilians in Syria, Kenya and Egypt.
THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE SUMMIT
COSATU in Mpumalanga welcomes as a very important positive development and milestone the successful Alliance Summit held on August 30 – 01 September 2013.
Attended by all Alliance structures, the Alliance summit agreed on concrete programmes to take forward the National Democratic Revolutions and to radicalise our advance to the second phase of the transition to a National Democratic Society.
The meeting agreed to engage other alliance partners in the province with a view of developing a provincial Alliance programme to implement the national alliance decisions.
UNIVERSITY OF MPUMALANGA
The meeting received a comprehensive report on the progress regarding the establishment of the University in Mpumalanga.
The meeting welcomed the establishment of the University in the Province because it will contribute towards addressing the challenges of the lack of skills, of unemployment, poverty and inequalities confronting both the province and the country, it will further increase the active participations of the people in the social, cultural and economic life of the province.
The PEC agreed to engage the interim council on the following issues:-
· Academic programme
· Labour relations
· Number of students to be enrolled in 2014
THE 2014 NATIONAL ELECTIONS
The PEC received an elaboration report on the progress done by progressive structures in campaigning for the ANC overwhelming victory in the 2014 elections.
The meeting congratulated the African National Congress for winning the by-elections in the province including the Albert Luthuli by-elections.
The meeting further committed itself to fully support the ANC in the 2014 national and provincial elections.
COSATU will release both human and financial resources to campaign for a 90% ANC victory in the Mpumalanga province.
UNITY AND COHESION IN COSATU
The meeting received a report on the decisions of the Central Executive Committee meeting regarding the unity processes in the Federation. The meeting also received a detailed report from the second Deputy President on the facilitated process by former leaders, and also the intention by the ANC to send a Task Team to assist COSATU during this challenging and difficult time.
The meeting recommitted itself to respect and implement all decisions taken by the higher structure which is the Central Executive Committee meeting.
LABOUR BROKERS
The PEC noted with regret that labour brokering is rife in the province. The majority of workers in the mining sector, manufacturing, commercial and agricultural sector in the province are working under labour brokers.
The meeting recommitted itself to continue with the struggle and campaign for the total banning of labour brokers because labour brokers use workers as commodities to be tredded for profit, it is a modern form of slavery and is not different from human trafficking.
In this regard all COSATU affiliates and COSATU locals were mandated by the PEC to identify all companies using labour brokers, hold pickets to demand the total banning of labour brokers.
The targeted date for the provincial picket against labour brokers is November 1, 2013.
SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF SWAZILAND
The successful protest action in support of the people of Swaziland held by COSATU members on September 6, 2013 at the Oshoek border gate was a positive development to heighten International focus on Swaziland and to put the abusive royal regime under the spotlight and not to allow it to claim legitimacy without due democratic processes in that country.
The PEC fully support the position of the progressive organisations in Swaziland that the recent elections should not be legitimised, the Mswati regime rule without a mandate of the people, the elections were characterised by political manipulation, electoral fraud, institutionalised oppression and state brutality.
Against this background, the PEC recommitted to intensify the solidarity activities in support of the working people of Swaziland.
COSATU in Mpumalanga will in the near future partition the South African ambassador to Swaziland to demand amongst others the following:-
· Release of all political prisoners including Amos Mbedzi, the Deputy General Secretary of the Swaziland Communist Party Comrade Musa Dube and many more.
· The unbanning of political parties in Swaziland.
· The unbanning of TUCOSWA and demand for free political activity in that country.
