Numsa Media MonitorMonday 18 April 2016

A daily compilation of local, national and international articles dealing with labour related issues

NUMSA

SA Unions

Samwu denies links to new federation

Siphelele Dludla, IOL/ANA, 15 April 2016

Johannesburg – The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) on Friday rejected reports linking it to a yet-to-be established federation of trade unions, saying such an association would be an “ill-conceived formation”.

The municipal trade union, instead, reaffirmed its affiliation, and pledged allegiance, to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).

Samwu’s general secretary, Simon Mathe, in a statement said Samwu would never be part of an organisation which had been formed out of bitterness and anger.

A new trade union federation led by expelled Cosatu general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, would, according to recent reports, be launched in Tembisa, Johannesburg, on Workers Day, May 1. Vavi was kicked out of Cosatu in March 2015.

Samwu was named as one of unions set to join the new federation.

But Mathe rejected the claims saying: “Samwu has congress resolutions which have confirmed, affirmed and reaffirmed our affiliation to Cosatu. Ours is a historical relationship with Cosatu politically and ideologically”.

Mathe said the unions that merged to form Samwu were founding members of Cosatu, and as such “we have a responsibility to ensure the continued survival and growth of Cosatu”.

According to reports, the launch of the new federation would be preceded by a workers’ summit to be held in Boksburg on April 30th, where it was expected that delegates representing 40 unions would come up with the name, colours and constitution of the federation.

Mathe said Samwu distanced itself from this grouping and further urged those behind the new federation to “desist from using Samwu’s name for their own political gains”.

Mathe explained that only “a properly constituted Samwu national congress” had the power to make the decison to leave Cosatu or to join another federation.

He said Samwu and its members were unambiguous on their affiliation to Cosatu, and as such talk to the contrary “was mischievous and should be condemned”.

Mathe said: “We urge our members to fully participate in the upcoming May Day celebrations hosted by Cosatu. To show our support for May Day, Samwu National Office Bearers have been deployed by Cosatu as speakers in various venues for that day”.

Mathe also dismissed as unfounded suggestions that Samwu was in a crisis, saying that union remained intact with properly constituted leadership elected by the 11th National Congress.

http://www.iol.co.za/business/news/samwu-denies-links-to-new-federation-2010337

Samwu celebrates victory in talks with Pikitup and City of Johannesburg

Neo Goba, Business Day, 14 April 2016

THE South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) is claiming victory over waste management entity Pikitup and the City of Johannesburg in negotiations over salary disparities.

Although Samwu did not disclose the figures that were agreed on‚ the union’s regional secretary‚ Meisie Sekaledi‚ said they were satisfied with the amount.

The five-week Pikitup strike that left Johannesburg streets piled with rubbish, ended after the City‚ Pikitup and Samwu reached an agreement on Saturday night, following negotiations facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

Pikitup agreed to make a once-off payment of R750 to certain categories of workers, and negotiations for better salaries continued at the CCMA after the weekend announcement.

On Thursday‚ Ms Sekaledi said: "The CCMA helped us a lot because at the end we had an offer that we could take to the members and they pronounced on it. Now we will be tabling it before the CCMA and conclude (the matter)‚" Ms Sekaledi said.

Insiders said Samwu’s shop stewards were on Thursday communicating the offer to their members at Pikitup depots, to get their feedback.

Ms Sekaledi said the members’ feedback was to be presented to Pikitup on Thursday afternoon at the CCMA. "If our members accept the offer‚ we will sign. If they don’t‚ we will present their demands‚" Ms Sekaledi said.

The unprotected strike involving 4‚000 employees was over wage disparities. Workers that were absorbed by Pikitup after contracts with private contractors were ended in 2011 want their salaries to be between R8‚000 and R10‚000, to put them on par with the other workers that are doing the same jobs and have the same experience.

Discussions to resolve the industrial action facilitated by the CCMA resulted in Pikitup and Samwu agreeing that the eventual salary increments agreed to in negotiations would be backdated to January this year.

The negotiations on salary benchmarking were to be based on the principle of a salary scale‚ a common grading system and salary progression based on tenure and job performance.

Earlier on Thursday‚ Pikitup announced the implementation of a double shift system, as a measure to clear backlogs of refuse removal and illegal dumping caused by the strike.

"The system will comprise a day and night shift. These efforts will be complemented by resources mobilised from all entities of the City and the third-party, contracted service providers, in order to remove the backlog of waste by the end of the month‚" the waste entity said.

However‚ "operations may be slower than usual due to excess waste, which has accumulated for weeks‚" Pikitup said.

Residents and business owners were asked to continue to leave their bins and excess waste outside on their normal collection day‚ "as recovery plans are in place to collect within 48 hours".

http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/labour/2016/04/14/samwu-celebrates-victory-in-talks-with-pikitup-and-city-of-johannesburg

Order of Luthuli for Sactwu’s Zikhali

Heidi Giokos, IOL/ANA, 15 April 2016

President Jacob Zuma will honour the late president of the SA Clothing and Textile Workers Union, John Zikhali, with the Order of Luthuli in Sliver for his excellent contribution in fighting for justice in South Africa.

Zikhali will be honoured at an awards ceremony on April 28 for his contributions to challenging unjust labour laws through union development and galvanizing workers.

Zikhali served the trade union movement for more than 30 years at all levels, from shop steward to union president.

Sactwu general secretary Andre Kriel told Independent Media he was pleased at the recognition of the late president.

He said it was fitting that not only the rich and powerful were recognised, but also ordinary workers.

“It gives us renewed vigour and determination to fearlessly confront the current challenges which our country and movement face, and to convert it into something which can place us on a more positive future trajectory,” said Kriel.

Zikhali died in a car accident 10 years ago.

http://www.iol.co.za/business/news/order-of-luthuli-for-sactwus-zikhali-2010318

Africa’s biggest bottling merger faces challenges from the state and a union

Xolani Mbanjwa, City Press, 15 April 2016

The government and a major union could challenge a merger to create Africa’s largest bottling giant.

Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel this week got access to more documents related to the three firms involved in the continent’s biggest bottling merger.

This comes after the Competition Tribunal today granted him his request for access despite accusations related to Patel’s interference emerged during a hearing earlier this week.

Patel’s counsel, Jeremy Gauntlett, had argued during this week’s hearing that Patel’s department was not satisfied with the redacted documents handed to him last year regarding several decisions on the merger, which has raised concerns by the Competition Commission about possible consequences the merger may have on smaller beverage firms.

Today, the tribunal also granted the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) permission to a litany of documents related to the merger involving Coca-Cola, SABMiller and the Gutsche Family Investments, but said some documents contained “confidential” information that could not be shared with the parties.

In a statement, the tribunal said: “An order has been issued regarding the request for documents by Minister Ebrahim Patel in the Coca-Cola matter, in which some

documents have been granted and some turned down. Details of the [merger are] regarded [as] confidential because it contains sensitive information. Some information requested by the Fawu will also be supplied to the union.”

Fawu and the department expressed concern during the hearing about the effects the merger would have on suppliers, small companies, possible retrenchments, the possible dilution of black ownership in the supply chain and the effect on employment in the sector and on small companies by one dominant player.

The hearing was a precursor to the Competition Commission’s own hearing on the merger to be heard from May 9 to 27. The hearing will address concerns regarding competitors’ products on the merged companies’ coolers, retrenchments and owners of private delivery trucks.

Patel wanted the documents to prepare for next month’s hearing.

Mike van der Nest – senior counsel for Coca-Cola, SABMiller and the Gutsche family investments, who rejected Patel’s request for more documents relating to the merger – accused Patel during the hearing of “hijacking” the Competition Commission’s work and sharing sensitive information with Acacia Economics, which investigated the merger.

The Acacia preliminary report on the merger, which has not been shared with the merging companies despite requests to the commission, was a bone of contention during the hearing.

Van der Nest had intimated that Patel could not be trusted with sensitive information related to the deal and asked why Patel should be furnished with more documents when the department had been given information requested since April last year.

But at the end of this week’s hearing, representatives from the Competition Commission who were in attendance, asked Competition Tribunal chairperson Norman Manoim to disregard suggestions that Patel or the commission had done anything wrong during the review of the merger.

The merger would see the creation of the biggest bottling firm in the Southern hemisphere, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, while the second transaction is a branding transaction regarding the transfer of the ownership of Appletiser and Lecol brands from SABMiller to the Coca-Cola Company.

Fawu said it was wanted to satisfy itself that the 250 workers who had been identified for potential retrenchment, were not being thrown under the bus and demanded details of how the workers from four companies were identified for retrenchment.

The union said the merger could put more “job titles” on the block and was concerned that only low-skilled workers were being targeted for retrenchment.

The union also demanded that the new company “harmonise” working conditions and benefits for all workers.

Gauntlett said: “Our experts require the information to do their work on the merger. We want to see employment consequences and that is why we requested details of employees who may be retrenched.”

Patel had demanded details about the new company’s expansion strategy, whether it would potentially lock out small producers in coolers belonging to the Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa around the country and how it planned to maintain the status quo on the supply chain involving private smaller companies.

http://city-press.news24.com/Business/africas-biggest-bottling-merger-faces-challenges-from-the-state-and-a-union-20160415

Govt and ABInbev agree on approach – FAWU

Katishi Masemole, Politicsweb, 14 April 2016

Press statement by FAWU on announced Agreed Approach between ABInbev and RSA Government as represented by EDD relating to the Transaction of SABMiller’s takeover by ABInbev

The Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) notes the Understanding, referred to as Agreed Approach, reached between the Republic of South African Government, as represented by the Economic Development Department led by Minister Ebrahim Patel, and the ABInbev Global Executive, with Mr. Carlos Brito as a lead in his capacity as Global Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), on the takeover of SABMiller by ABInbev later today in the afternoon of 14th April 2016.

We summarize the pillars as below an assume some four broadly five areas of agreed approach FAWU wish to react as follows

- Jobs Security and Jobs Retention

- Localization and R1 billion Fund

- Zenzele ESOP Scheme and BBBEE

- Micro-Breweries and Craft Beer-Makers

1. Jobs Security and Jobs Creation

FAWU welcomes the undertaking that the net aggregate from this transaction will not result in job losses but we will insist that, though the merging entities are undertaking not to embark on involuntary job losses, there should not be incentives to and enticement of job losses by a way of “lucrative” voluntary severance packages (VSPs) and this must feature in conditions/remedies.

Otherwise, FAWU will roll out mass action throughout the country and enlist support from the rest of the world in both SABMiller and ABInbev workforces all over the world from fraternal and sister unions affiliated to the International Union of Food Workers (IUF) and outside.

2. Localization and R1 billion Fund

FAWU welcomes the R1 billion Fund meant to improve access to and participation by small-scale, and historically disadvantaged, players in the value-chain of the beer industry; from farmers of ingredients needed in, packagers of, and wholesaling and retailing on those merged entity’s products.

We, however, remain concerns that jobs in the supply-chain may be negatively affected should ABInbev leverage on its global supply-chain and its portfolio brands somewhat when it comes to procurement and other related policies or practices.

3. Zenzele Scheme, ESOP and BBBEE

If there is one thing FAWU will insist on, this will be on the Zenzele/Employee Ownership Project (ESOP) Scheme because there is no way that in 2016 or whenever the rest of the shareholders, including SABMiller’s CEO Alan Clark, will be allowed to smile all the way to the bank, as they cash on the transaction, and the Zenzele unit-holders (SABMiller shareholders) are not doing likewise.

If the acceleration clause, which invokes a closer expiry date than a locked-in period to 2020, will be insisted upon as a remedy or condition to the approval of this transaction as part of treating these shareholders (unit-holders of Zenzele) the same as the other shareholders.

4. Micro-Brewers and Craft Beer-Makers

The plight of Microbreweries and the Craft Beer-Makers and their coexistence with ABInbev as they did with SABMiller remains critical to FAWU and will implore the authorities to take these into account.

There are jobs located in those small-scale outfits and therefore, as FAWU, we will not allow the transaction to be approved without such strong conditions on this area.

On issues of heritage, close to patented status and intellectual property, we think our government should have taken even a more robust policy position and public posture, similarly to the Rooibos issue even if issues are dissimilar or far from being the same, such that we do not allow iconic brands and other considerations of heritage and history are not simply lost in “transactions”.

As a result of the above, we will continue with our submission and participation before the competition authorities and insist on strong conditions placed on/attached to the possible approval of the transaction based on strong public interest concerns given little, yet obtaining, competition concerns.

Therefore, we are concerned of the jobs in the value-chain beyond the merged entity and will wish that the Competition Commission should take those into account as they take lessening of competition as a consideration.

Meanwhile, as we did over three occasions in the last five months, we will engage directors of ABInbev and SABMiller in few days’ time from today and entrench our statutory right to intervene/participate at the Competition Tribunal, and if need be beyond to the level of the Competition Appeal Court.

http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politics/govt-and-abinbev-agree-on-approach--fawu

CCMA On a Drive to Eliminate Violent Strikes

Sibongile Maputi, AllAfrica.com, 15 April 2016

The Commission for Conciliation, Arbitration and Mediation (CCMA) told the Portfolio Committee on Labour on Wednesday that it has successfully resolved 18 major strikes in the last year, and that punctual intervention was crucial in ensuring strikes did not become violent.

The Chief Executive Officer of the CCMA, Mr Cameron Morane, told members that this number did not include the recently concluded Pikitup strike in Johannesburg. "The settlement of strikes is extremely important to create fruitful and lifelong partnerships. Our failure impacts on those we serve. The intention is always to ensure that we avoid violent strikes," Mr Morane said.

"If we engage at the right time and assist parties, violent strikes could be eliminated. We have to play our role as a dispute institution to make sure that we intervene. Commissioners within the budget that is there should be able to engage in disputes before they flare up," he said.

The CCMA and the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) came to brief Parliament on their budgets and annual performance plans for the current year. Entities and government departments are expected to brief Parliament on the programmes they will undertake with the budget allocated.

Mr Morane said partnerships had been signed with the Sherriff's Board and universities. The partnership with the sheriffs was important for implementing awards.

"In South Africa people lack the understanding that the office of the Commissioner is a professional position. We want to get to a stage that when people talk of the CCMA the office it is respected," he said.

Members sought clarity on various issues, including budget cuts, outsourcing, commissioners employed on a temporary basis, the issues with the offices in the Western Cape, Inyoni farm employees, and the piloting of the workplace mediation model.

Committee member Ms Thozama Mantashe commented that the CCMA's commitments will bring hope to employees, particularly as all sectors of the economy were experiencing job losses. She also said it was impossible to have the budget cuts reversed as cost-cutting measures were being implemented in all government departments

Committee Member Mr Ian Ollis observed that the CCMA's budget had increased over the years. "Some departments and entities budgets are going down. You are lucky and with this budget you should be doing fine," he said.

Mr Morane revealed that the CCMA was phasing out all outsourced work, with only two outsourced contracts still in operation. "About 150 interpreters have been employed permanently because the service they offer is permanently needed. The

cleaning service as well is being done by people who are employees of the CCMA," he said.

He clarified that the entity advertises and prioritises internal candidates, and that as a result of the budget cuts they were expected to retrench in order to make a saving on the compensation budget.

He said the office wanted to promote dispute prevention and management first despite budget constraints. "Budget cuts should not lead the CCMA into losing focus of its core business," Mr Morane said.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201604150333.html

Teacher, leave those funds alone

Sipho Masombuka, TimesLive, 15 April, 2016

A labour dispute could be brewing between the Department of Basic Education and 14000 teachers who quit their jobs in order to access their government pensions.

The teachers have returned, but the SA Democratic Teachers Union has questioned the department's decision not to rehire them on a permanent basis.

Sadtu says the teachers are being kept on short contracts as punishment for quitting.

About 30000 teachers resigned following the announcement of pension structure reforms in 2014.

In February the government made a last minute U-turn on the implementation of the new retirement reforms, which were supposed to take effect last month, and delayed them by another two years for more consultation, but the damage had already been done.

Thembi, 50, (not her real name), a Grade 12 English teacher in Tshwane, resigned in July 2014 after more than 20 years of service to cash in her pension in order to settle R450000 debts on her house, car, loans and hire purchase.

Her pension covered R420000 of the total debt, but she was still R30000 in the red and needed an income so she returned to work in April last year but has been on contract ever since.

"With a net salary of R15000, I was drowning in debt," she said.

"Being on contract is hard because you have no social benefit or job security. Worse still, you have to beg for your salary. At times you wait for more than two months. This is pure punishment."

Labour law expert Mariaan Freislich said unless the department could prove that the teachers were not kept on recurring contracts to exploit them, then the current situation was clearly in breach of the law.

She said the department could be forced to make the teachers permanent employees and be liable to pay their pension funds from the first day of their employment.

"If they exceed the three months contract, the department must be able to say this is a temporary position due to the fact that they are not going to offer this subject in future, or that they are unsure how long they are going to offer that subject for," she said.

Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said the union was discussing how to take the matter forward.

"It is an issue of whether we have an employer that is willing to promote labour peace or wants to deal with disputes because this might lead to a dispute," he said.

Basic Education Department spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said he would respond to the claims once provincial education departments had responded to him.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2016/04/15/Teacher-leave-those-funds-alone

South Africa

Cosatu calls on Masutha to take Walus parole matter to Constitutional Court

Neo Goba, Business Day, 14 April 2016

THE Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has called on Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha to take the matter of parole for Chris Hani’s killer to the Constitutional Court.

The Pretoria High Court on Thursday dismissed an application by Mr Masutha for permission to appeal against an order the court granted in March that Janusz Walus must be released on parole.

Walus has been in jail for 23 years for murdering the South African Communist Party (SACP) leader outside his Boksburg home on April 10 1993.

Mr Masutha’s spokesman‚ Mthunzi Mhaga‚ said the minister would petition the Supreme Court of Appeal for leave to appeal to that court.

Cosatu said it was "disappointed but not surprised" by the court’s ruling on Thursday.

"This cold blooded killer of Comrade Hani and his handlers robbed the Hani family of a loving father‚ the movement of its revolutionary leader and nearly plunged the nation (into) a quandary of a civil war‚" Cosatu said.

"His (Walus’s) mercenary and counterrevolutionary actions were intended to prolong the dark era of political violence and derail the processes that led to our democratic breakthrough."

The trade union federation also accused Judge Nicolene Janse van Nieuwenhuizen of bias.

"The hearing exposed her as someone who was not prepared to see things from a different viewpoint and who could not eliminate emotions during the proceedings. She struggled to set aside her personally biased viewpoint and be neutral as reflected by her questioning methods and the obvious agitation with the state lawyers‚" Cosatu said.

Cosatu said SA’s judicial system needed to be transformed urgently.

"As long as the system fails to act objectively and is still blinded by the colour of a victim and the perpetrator’s skin‚ and their social class; the black majority and the working class cannot claim to be free.

"(The system) still benefits and preserves the interests of the architects and beneficiaries of the evil system of apartheid."

http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/2016/04/14/cosatu-calls-on-masutha-to-take-walus-parole-matter-to-constitutional-court

SACP fuming over Hani's killer's looming parole

Ziyanda Ngcobo, EWN, 15 April 2016

JOHANNESBURG - The South African Communist Party (SACP) says it will use every legal avenue to ensure that Chris Hani’s killer remains behind bars.

The party is disappointed by the High Court in Pretoria's dismissal of an application to appeal against Janusz Walus' release on parole, but says its not the end of the road.

The Polish assassin has served more than two decades for the 1993 murder if the SACP leader.

The SACP’s Alex Mashilo says the party will fight to ensure Walus remains behind bars.

“It has serious implications on cases relating to parole of unrepentant and unremorseful murderers.”

Hani’s wife Limpho says the judge’s ruling shows that she's reluctant to test her judgment in another court.

“This is about the law, not about whatever she feels outside this court."

It remains unclear when, or if, Walus will be released, pending the outcome of the legal battle over his parole.

Government’s legal team now plans to petition the Supreme Court of Appeal.

The SACP says it’s confident another court will find that releasing Hani’s killer would send the wrong message about the punishment meted out to murderers in South Africa.

Mashilo says they can only move on once Walus provides full details on Hani’s assassination.

“I would like him to tell us who took the gun from the military armory, the gun that he used to kill Chris Hani, I would like him to give us the details of that person so that justice can take its course.”

http://ewn.co.za/2016/04/15/SACP-to-explore-all-legal-avenues-to-keep-Janusz-Walus-jailed

Rustenburg municipality denies retrenchments

ANA reporter, IOL/ANA, 14 April 2014

Rustenburg - The Rustenburg local municipality on Thursday denied it was retrenching workers.

“There is no retrenchment of employees. Employees who have been on month-to-month contracts for about three months have been notified that their contracts will not be extended any further due to budget constraints,” spokesperson municipality Thapelo Matebesi said.

The municipality was responding to concerns from the Congress of South African Trade Union (Cosatu) in Rustenburg that the municipality was planning to retrench at least 182 workers.

“Cosatu is worried that Rustenburg, an ANC-led municipality is terminating contracts of workers ahead of the local government elections. We wonder what the governing party will put on its election manifesto relating to workers,” said Maleho Gaonakala, Cosatu chairperson in Rustenburg.

“The municipality terminate contracts soon after it signed a tender worth million with a contractor for waste collection. Is the workers’ money going to the contractor?”.

He called on the municipality to engage with the South African Municipal Workers Union to resolve the matter.

“We want to save jobs, the salary of one person supports at least 10 to 20 other people. We condemn this<' said Gaonakala. He said the federation was also worried that the municipality intended to pay April salaries through cheques.

“To us (Cosatu) this is against the employment contract. In the contract it is stated that salary will be deposited in the employee's bank account through EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer). Paying workers by cheques is against the contract. Paying workers through cheques only highlights how deep is the financial crisis of the municipality.”

Matebesi said the Rustenburg council took a decision at its March meeting to pay workers through cheques as part of its verification process.

“The Council of the Rustenburg local municipality took a resolution at its meeting of the 29th March 2016 to embark on the audit and verification of personnel by paying staff salaries through cheques on the 23rd April 2016 with the objective to eliminate the possibility of ghost employees. So, there is no contravention of any employees contract. It is an implementation of Council resolution in the interest of clean governance,” he said.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/north-west/rustenburg-muni-denies-retrenchments-2009768

Banks colluded in cutting ties with Oakbay: Dlamini

SABC, 15 April 2016

Cosatu has lambasted the banks and big businesses who have cut ties with Oakbay company, saying it would affect innocent workers as a result.

KPMG, Absa, Standard Bank and FNB are among the institutions to cut ties with Gupta-owned Oakbay Investments, following accusations of state capture.

On Thursday the Banking Association of South Africa (Basa) released a press statement saying that the decision to cut ties with the family was taken independently.

Speaking on Morning Live Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini says they believe the banks colluded in closing down Oakbay accounts.

"They came together and took a political stance by cutting ties," says Dlamini.

He says this amounts to selective punishment as these banks did not cut ties with companies found guilty of other things in the past.

The federation says there's a huge offensive directed at the working class and the poor from big business, and powerful individuals who are trying to corporatise the state.

Dlamini says as a trade union they are concerned about the workers who are currently not sure whether they still have a future in these companies.

http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/698fc2804c68acbf9a3ffe97122fe5d7/Banks-colluded-in-cutting-ties-with-Oakbay:-Dlamini-20160415

ANC defends Nkandla, and throws workers to the wolves: CWU

S'duduzo Dludla, TimesLive, 14 April 2016

The president of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has berated the African National Congress (ANC) for “defending Nkandla” and not doing the same for workers.

This came as the Cosatu-affiliated union handed over a memorandum of its grievances and demands to the ruling party at Luthuli House in central Johannesburg on Thursday.

CWU president Clyde Mervin addressed the crowd of about 200 shop stewards and union members outside the ANC headquarters. The group had marched there from Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown to protest against job losses and poor working conditions at state-owned companies.

Mervin called for the ousting of Telkom’s chief executive officer Sipho Maseko and the board of Telkom by the end of the month.

Mervin threatened to hold a night vigil outside Luthuli House if the ruling party did not heed their call to fire the Telkom bosses.

“The whole Telkom board is useless. Telkom employees go to sleep and don’t know whether they will (still) have a job in the morning‚” Mervin said.

Aubrey Shabalala‚ secretary-general of the CWU‚ said all state entities must be examples to the private sector in fighting inequality‚ poverty and unemployment.

He also spoke out against the lack of “political action” to revitalise the South African Post Office. The union said it wanted casual workers at the Post Office to be taken on as permanent staff and insisted on back pay for Post Office workers.

Shabalala accused the ANC of double standards and allowing state owned companies like Telkom to fall into the hands of “white monopoly capital”.

“There is someone's wife in this building [Luthuli House] that has shares in Bidvest‚ the very same company Telkom is outsourcing to and retrenching workers.

“As we speak there are an additional 1400 employees who are scheduled to leave [Telkom] at the end of this month [April]‚” Shabalala said.

The CWU said it had given the ANC two weeks notice that it would present the memorandum but no senior officials of the party were available to accept it.

Elizabeth Taunyane‚ who works for the general manager in the office of ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe‚ met the union members and accepted the memorandum.

Taunyane said she would hand it to her boss‚ Ignatius Jacobs‚ when he returned from the Eastern Cape where all the senior ANC officials have convened for the launch of the party’s election manifesto at the weekend.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2016/04/14/ANC-defends-Nkandla-and-throws-workers-to-the-wolves-CWU

Cancel ‘illegal’ Denel/Gupta-linked deal‚ says SACP

TimesLive, 15 April 2016

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has called for the Asian-based joint venture between state-owned armaments manufacturer Denel and VR Laser which is reportedly linked to the Gupta family to be cancelled and for an investigation to get to the bottom of the matter.

It said Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan’s clarification that the deal was not legal called for decisive action.

“The Minister of Public Enterprises Comrade Lynne Brown’s confirmation that Denel had not applied for permission for the transaction establishing the joint venture in which Denel would hold 51% and VR Laser Asia 49% strengthens our call for investigation‚ decisive action and rescission of the decision establishing the joint venture.

“In terms of the Public Finance Management Act‚ state-owned corporations must obtain permission from the Minister of Finance for particular transactions‚ including the creation of a new company or joint venture‚” the SACP said in a statement.

“What is even worrying about the Denel-Gupta linked VR Laser Asia joint venture is that it followed shortly after the 24 July 2015 appointment of new non-executive directors at Denel‚ one of whom happens to be the younger brother of North West Premier‚ Supra Mahumapelo. Two months later‚ the board suspended the Chief Executive Officer Riaz Saloojee‚ Chief Financial Officer Fikile Mhlontlo and Group Secretary Elizabeth Africa‚” the SACP asserted.

It said the investigation must establish whether there was a connection between the new joint venture that was created between Denel and the Gupta-linked VR Laser Asia which reportedly was relatively new and did not have any track record in arms manufacturing.

“The Gupta family have reportedly acknowledged that they partly own VR Laser‚ which appears to be a different company from VR Laser Asia‚ and that the former has done business with Denel. All family ties traceable or linked with the wheeling and dealing between Gupta-linked companies‚ state owned corporations‚ decisions made in the state or in state owned corporations and related appointments must be scrutinised. The defence of the actions of the Guptas by some politicians using their positions of leadership may not be innocent or detached from the messy web‚” the SACP added.

The party repeated its call for a “wide and thoroughgoing investigation into the phenomenon of corporate state capture”.

“The stance taken by the Minister of Finance Comrade Pravin Gordhan that state owed corporations must not be treated as if they were personal toys from which private interests ‘can extract money whenever they feel like it’ is absolutely correct‚” it stated.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2016/04/14/Cancel-%E2%80%98illegal%E2%80%99-DenelGupta-linked-deal%E2%80%9A-says-SACP

ANC election manifesto poorly attended

Penelope Mashego, Sunday Times, 16 April 2016

he African National Congress (ANC) kicked off its local government election campaign on Saturday in what will rank as one its most poorly attended launch events in recent history.

The launch was held in Nelson Mandela Bay where the party is in an intense battle to retain the local municipality‚ where it scraped through with a 52% margin five years ago.

The stadium was about three quarters full when President Jacob Zuma started speaking‚ despite the ruling party's ambitious goal of 100‚000 people attending the launch.

The poor attendance could be seen as warning sign to party leaders as they face one of the toughest elections‚ with a president under siege and a growing rebellion within the party’s ranks.

Lower structures have been pushing for Zuma to resign for undermining the constitution in relation to the Nkandla scandal.

People slowly started leaving the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth as Zuma delivered his speech to launch the ANC manifesto. Before making his address the president walked onto the pitch at the stadium to a screaming crowd.

The president was flanked by ANC secretary-general Gwede Manatashe and Deputy President Cyril Ramphosa. “Zuma! Zuma! Zuma! Zuma!‚” the crowd screamed before he made his speech. Zuma danced on stage much to the excitement of the crowd.

"He is destroying those next to him‚” said an ANC supporter.

The ANC national leaders and their alliance partners put up a united front on Saturday and during the build-up to the launch despite a growing rebellion as some party members agitate for Zuma to resign.

Eastern Cape chairman Phumulo Masualle‚ said the party had faith and confidence in Zuma‚ and that the province would continue to support him. “The manner in which President Zuma is providing leadership is in the best interest of the country and the ANC‚” he said.

Masualle's message was echoed by Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) president Sdumo Dlamini‚ while other allies - the South African Communist Party (SACP) as well as the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) - vowed to support Zuma and the ANC during the campaign.

ANC of yesteryear dead‚ says Maimane

In his speech Zuma‚ seemingly without a sense of irony‚ said the ANC was guided by the Constitution and had come a long way in transforming and improving local government.

“Last week right here in Port Elizabeth‚ we announced that the ocean economy had unlocked economic opportunities worth seventeen billion rand. We also announced that the Transnet National Ports Authority had allocated over R7bn to upgrade the country’s ports. This is just an example of what is being done to boost economic growth in various sectors‚” he said. The government under the ruling party had worked on various ways to grow the ocean economy around the country‚ he said.

Zuma also said the government had made inroads in uplifting poor families‚ with many households getting access to electricity and water. People chatted and milled around as he spoke‚ some leaving the grandstands.

“We're hungry‚” a woman in the crowd shouted.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/stnews/2016/04/16/ANC-election-manifesto-poorly-attended