The South African Federation of Trade Unions has called out the Government of National Unity accusing it of pursuing anti-poor economic policies that it said have only served to worsen inequalities.
The federation briefed the media at its offices on Tuesday where it called for the entire labour movement to join it in mobilising the ‘working class and the poor’ to resist the direction being taken by the government.
The federation also rejected proposed amendments to the labour relations act that include allowing companies to employ people for prolonged periods on contract without necessarily being obliged to absorb them permanently as well as making it easier for employers to dismiss workers even without a hearing.
SAFTU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said the ANC was being led astray by the Democratic Alliance which he accused of serving only the interests of big capital, mostly multinational companies he said were listed elsewhere in the world and not in South Africa.
“The mainstream commentators, including capitalist parties like the Democratic Alliance, clearly state that unions and the cost of labour are to blame for the economy’s sluggish growth. Daily, we are told by the ideologues of the capitalist class that the profit-motive fuels valuable innovation and that the best way to organise society isthrough the free market. These free market fundamentalists argue that were it not for the inflexible and stringent labour laws, businesses would invest, jobs would be created, hunger and poverty would be banished, and the scene would be set for prosperity to reign,” he said.
Vavi dismissed the DA’s claim that some of the current protections of labour rights discouraged investment. He said the party’s argument was just a ploy to have the working class exploited for maximum profit by foreign owned capital.
“For the DA and others, workers must be allowed to auction themselves to the lowest bidder to ensure their prosperity. They fault minimum wage laws and worker protections for rising unemployment. They claim that unions undermine employment by insisting workers receive a living wage, that is, a wage that is not enough for a worker to live on. Unfortunately, the lives of the black working class mean very little to these fundamentalists,” said Vavi.
Vavi said there was consensus among the country’s major labour federations that includes Cosatu, Fedusa and Nactu that the proposed amendments be rejected and that Saftu is mobilising for mass rolling action to express displeasure against big business and the government.
” The labour law amendments are part of a broader, coordinated, and systematic attack on the working class, and we, as SAFTU, will organise in defence of our interests and the interests of the broader working class,” said Vavi.
Cosatu held march against the rising cost of living last month which did not have much impact and Vavi said the planned demonstration will include as many sectors of society affected by austerity measures as well as the cost of living in general