COSATU denounces the DA’s call for the privatisation of Pikitup
8 June 2016
The Congress of South African Trade Union supports its affiliate the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in denouncing the DA Gauteng’s call for the privatisation of Pikitup. This proves that the DA is anti-workers , anti-state and anti people centred development ,and should it win elections in Gauteng , the workers will be under siege as they are in Cape Town. This should galvanise workers to defend their gains by voting for the ANC in the upcoming local government elections. The privatisation of Pikitup will be tantamount to government outsourcing its developmental mandate to the private sector.
Privatisation will detrimentally affect the socio-economic interests of the poor, which includes workers and the working class in general. It will lead to decreased and inferior quality services for the poor, since they cannot afford to pay for the services provided by or through private interests. It will lead to higher prices for the provision of basic services, which will adversely affect the poor. It will limit the extension of basic social and municipal services to the poor.
It will adversely affect the state's capacity to: provide basic services to the poor. It will lead to significant job losses and will not provide for job creation. It will foster the casualisation of labour, with more and more workers being hired on limited fixed-term contracts of employment. It will remove workers from the bargaining units established over many years in the public sector, generally leading to a reduction in incomes, benefits and job security.
COSATU has a clear and unambiguous position on the issue of privatisation; as mandated by our 7thNational Congress that passed a resolution opposing the privatisation of state assets. We remain adamant that the task of fundamental transformation of our economy, the creation of decent work and the provision of basic services to the majority of our people cannot be left to the market forces. Guided by the ANC policies of the 52nd Polokwane and 53rd Mangaung conferences, we still insist on the creation of a strong developmental state to intervene decisively in the economy to redistribute resources in order to address unemployment, inequalities, poverty, and rural-urban development divide.
The ANC in its Manifesto has made a commitment to strengthen the capacity of municipalities and remove all obstacles to ensure that municipalities deliver. The Manifesto makes the following commitments which address many of the issues we have raised and those which directly respond to the plight of the working class communities. It will ensure that municipal services remain the core function of municipalities. It is discouraging municipalities from outsourcing the basic services they are able to render themselves. It is committed to building delivery capacity in municipalities with a view to reducing outsourcing of municipal services. It plans to promote local procurement of goods and services to increase local production of goods and also promote of Youth Employment
For workers voting for the ANC means defending the gains of the revolution and looking after the interests of their families and communities.
Issued by Sizwe Pamla, National Spokesperson, COSATU, 8 June 2016
