Any national parliament that fails to honour signed agreements and contracts points to an obvious dearth of leadership

The Congress of South African Trade Unions condemns the use of unnecessary force against protesting NEHAWU members in parliament. We fully support the demands of the workers and find it unacceptable that an institutions that passes the nation’s laws, is failing to honour legal agreements.

The demand by the workers that the leadership of the national parliament honour a signed agreement is both legitimate and fair. There is no need for them to set the police on the workers, instead of addressing the issues that they raise.

It is even more ridiculous that workers have take to the streets before they get what is due to them.

During the 2015 State of the Nation address, earlier this year, NEHAWU members in parliament decided to down tools because they felt that they were not being taken seriously, by the parliament management.

It is a travesty therefore that more than ten {10} months later, they are still to get some of their demands resolved and promises by the management fulfilled.

This unfortunately points to an obvious dearth of leadership, in one of the most strategic and critical institutions of our democracy. We call on the Speaker of the National Assembly, Cde Baleka Mbethe to intervene and make sure that workers get what was promised to them.

Any parliament that fails to honour and respect agreements and signed contracts does not deserve and cannot demand any respect from the citizens.

Statement issued by Sizwe Pamla, COSATU national spokesperson, 11 November 2015