Unions and SACP issue call for solidarity
We want to create a revolution in this town! Our revolution can not be straight-jacketed, but we don’t want strikers vandalising the town.
Residents of Newcastle were called to march in solidarity with municipal workers as they hand over a mandate to the KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Senzo Mchunu.
The South African Communist Party (SACP), Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) will be heading the strike.
Although an interdict from the labour court stopped SAMWU workers from continuing strikes, District Manager of SACP, Mafika Ndebele, explained why a strike would be taking place on Friday, during a press conference earlier today.
Mr Ndebele began the conference by saying that although the SACP and COSATU support the African National Congress (ANC) politically, they could not stand by and watch while the rights of Newcastle’s municipal workers were allegedly destroyed.
“The ongoing malpractices of this municipality has forced us to act. History does not remember the cowards, it remembers those who stood strong with the weak against oppression,” said Mr Ndebele.
He continued: “The planned mass action will be only the beginning, and the groups will not stop until they are able to defeat the ‘tenderprenueship’ and corruption found in the Newcastle Municipality.”
According to the Local Secretary of COSATU, Nkosinathi Mazibuko, the three groups believed the municipality was hindering the constitutional rights of workers by levying the labour court interdict against any strike action from SAMWU.
He explained, “SAMWU has been ripped of their right to a formal protest, and we as COSATU have to defend the rights of these workers, and so should the community.”
He further listed the three issues, which the alliance alleged against the management of the municipality.
The allegations included nepotism, the unfair casualisation of nearly 200 workers, and the privatisation of certain services allowing for corruption to take place.
“In the other strikes there was a great deal of brutality shown against SAMWU workers, and 14 workers were dismissed without following proper disciplinary procedures,” he further alleged.
Mr Ndebele admitted he feared the Newcastle Municipality was heading towards becoming a ‘Banana Municipality’ if these matters are not resolved.
Within the mandate being prepared for the KZN Premier, one of the demands of COSATU, SAMWU and the SACP is the removal of the Municipal Manager, Kebone Masanger, and Newcastle Mayor, Afzul Rehman.
“We are questioning the integrity of the Municipal Manager! We want to protect our town,” said Mr Ndebele.
The group has called upon all Newcastle residents, as the ratepayers of the town, to join the strike. The reason for this, they claim, was because as ratepayers, residents should not sit by and watch as the municipality allegedly wasted money through corrupt and unfair means.
“We want to create a revolution in this town! Our revolution can not be straight-jacketed, but we don’t want strikers vandalising the town.”
Seven buses have been made available to transport strikers to the corner of Albert Wessels Drive and Allen Street, the location of the strike come Friday 10 am.
Strikers will travel along Allen Street, turning onto Scott Street, and finally to the area of vacant land behind the Town Library to hand over the mandate to Mr Mchunu.
