COSATU PUBLIC SERVICE UNION'S STATEMENT ON THE LABOUR COURT JUDGEMENT REGARDING ISSUES RELATING TO THE SERVICES SETA
COSATU Public Service unions have noted with interest and concern the judgment made at the Labour Court in the issue brought by the CEO of the Services SETAs, Ivor Blumenthal in his efforts to block the much needed transformation of the Setas. This judgment will be contested by COSATU unions in the public service because we view Mr Blumenthal's legal challenge as part of an anti transformation liberal offensive that is trying to defend and maintain the status quo (see Business Day report).
We fully support the decision by the Department of Higher Education and Training to appeal the judgment because we do not think the judge soberly considered this matter and the judgment is not in the interest of the poor majority. This is likely to set a bad precedence that will have serious implications in the future in terms of blurring the lines between the powers of the judiciary and those of the Executive. The mandate given to the democratically elected leadership cannot be hijacked using our democratic institutions and we call on government to review all existing legislations to ensure that our institutions are not used to block the will of the majority.
The unions are not naïve to believe that the enemies of transformation will give up without a fight but we promise that the anti transformation efforts of the skills tenderpreneurs will be met with the resilience of the working class. We are not going to sit and watch while people are using our democratic institutions to block transformation and continue to use education and training institutions as welfare agencies for themselves and their cronies.
Government cannot afford to ignore the plight of the unemployed and unemployable majority that is desperate for education and skills development because the growing social pressures and threats of instability can only be addressed by bold and fearless leadership.
The unions are encouraged by the stated plans of the DHET to "urgently undertake comprehensive legislative changes to ensure more effective oversight of government over the SETAs, align these institutions with the post-school education and training system as a whole, and to ensure that these institutions adequately respond to the national priority of skills development".
The perilous state of our training institutions and the obvious dearth of skills in this country are proof enough that the status quo has failed the majority and there is an urgent need for transformation if the government's vision as expressed in the New Growth Path is to be realized. The poor majority of black students and workers will not be held to ransom by those who see the education and training institutions as vehicles to achieve their personal agendas.
We call on all progressive formations to make a stand against this anti transformation offensive because as history has taught us the ones who have their hands in the cookie jar will use all available tools to maintain the status quo. COSATU unions welcome this challenge and are prepared to work with the DHET to ensure that transformation does not just become an empty slogan but is felt and seen by all.
Statement issued by SADTU on behalf of the COSATU Public Service Unions, May 5 2011
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