Time for workers to unite and fight back

20 January 2015

Workers of this country; especially public sector workers; have experienced another attack to their rights, dignity and benefits from the government in the form of the Pension Act that was hastily signed by President Zuma. This signifies a final blow to the workers with regards the ongoing exploitation since the dawn of democracy. 

As the South African Liberated Public Service Workers Union (SALIPSWU) we are totally appalled by this callous act of the president of the country and book club known as government although we are not surprised. The fact that the new Pensions Act has been signed shows that the President of South Africa and the ruling elite will do anything to undermine the principle of consultation and people’s power. This Pensions Act has been signed without the mandate nor the will of the workers and the poor in general. 

Unfortunately we must also note the short-lived ranting of COSATU and its leadership; particularly its president; Sdumo Dlamini; which can be is comparable to the situation of “someone who is a relationship with a well-known criminal or abuser but wakes up the next morning complaining of being raped or assaulted and expect sympathy.” Nothing said by COSATU and each leadership sore must be taken serious because they knew this would happen. The president of COSATU is a member of what is branded as the “most powerful ANC NEC” so his interests are tied to those of the ruling elite (colleagues who are members of parliament and the executive of our country) who never advocate anything for advocating for workers.

The band of former trade unionists or trade union leaders which includes Sdumo Dlamini who sleeps in the same bed with white monopoly capital in the form of big business as a member of the ANC NEC; the current member of parliament and former General Secretary of NEHAWU- Fikile Slovo Majola, Senzeni Zokwana who is the current Minister of Agriculture; Forestry and Fisheries working very closely with the three unions in the Public Sector (SADTU, POPRCU, NEHAWU) must take blame for the numerous blows suffered by the workers of this country because it was they who colluded in selling out workers in return of favours from the ruling elite that took the form of deployment for their leaders into government thus weakening what used to be the shield of workers of this country. 

As SALIPSWU we wish to place on record; without any fear of contradiction; that it is hypocrisy of the highest order for any of the current leadership of COSATU and leaders of its affiliated Public Sector Unions to claim that they are advocating anything or acting in defence of the workers when they all Neo-liberal policies of government are adopted; signed and delivered under their guard. 

The country need not forget easily the failure by government to ban labour brokers but unilaterally chose to regulate them hence these continue to exploit workers in their full watch, the social outcry for the scrapping of the E-Tolls is yet another example of continuing undermining of the people of the country by the ruling elite, the adoption of National Destruction Plan (NDP) and now the signing of the Pensions Act. All these painful circumstances will remain on the consciences of this troop of leaders and their band of public sector unions.

We invite all public sector workers; other trade unions and the entire working class to share the view that this Pensions Act is part of the ongoing onslaught on the public sector workers and society and observe that the attacks are also characterised by a number of issues and policies amongst others:

Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) which has become more and more useless; expensive; unaffordable and inaccessible thus undermining the right to quality health care as enshrined both in the Freedom Charter and the country’s constitution. The other matter is that this scheme has windswept the right of choice for government employees as is seen in the conditions regarding different subsidies for those who choose to belong to other medical aid schemes. This leads to coercion of workers not to opt for other medical aid schemes with much better benefits and it has resulted in about 36% of Public Sector workers staying without any medical aid scheme. 

Lack of ownership of houses by the Public Sector Workers or any policy by the government nor plan in changing such. In 20 years only 5.7% of public servants owned descent houses. The remaining 94.3% continue to live in bonds and rental house where they pay huge amounts to the banks and landlords. Ironically since 2009 public sector workers have not receive any increase in housing subsidy and their terms and conditions of employment become continuously under threat of erosion.

There is an increase in the number of workers who are employed on temporary basis to almost 500 000; excluding the outsourced employees. On the other hand we have seen an untenable situation of close to 1.5 million workers being dismissed from 1994.

The Tax laws Amendment and Tax Administration Laws Acts 

These will make the situation worse in the public sector. It will not in any way improve the lives of the workers nor make the attractive to younger generations; as well as make skills retention a serious challenge. We have already seen a massive departure of workers; particularly the professionals and those with long service/experience from the public sector for private sector as they chase a better life for themselves.

On the other hand the departure of skills and experience from the public sector can only worsen the crisis of lack of quality service delivery and the attainment of total transformation a pipe dream. The public sector has become a training sector for those who want to gain experience and later leave.

As a union; we refuse to be naïve and note that “our” government declared an intention to utilise pensions to fund the NDP thus we call on all workers to unite beyond their exploitative boundaries and FIGHT THIS CONTINOIUS EXPLOTAITION. We make this call fully aware that that there is a need for a united response to this abuse of power and do so with an independent mind and without any loyalty to political affiliation. 

We will work with anyone who is conscientious about the dangers our country faces to roll back the wheels of suppression of the people by the ruling elite and their capitalist friends. 

We will in the next few weeks discuss and adopt campaigns that will be spearheaded by the National Office Bearers in various provinces and nationally to bring back the decency, dignity, unity and power of workers in the workplaces, policy formulation and in various sites of the struggle as we fight for:-

1. Scrapping of the recent Tax Administration Law/Pension Fund Act

2. Ownership of houses by Public Servants through their pension funds

3. Freedom to choose medical scheme with same or equal subsidies 

4. Amnesty for dismissed Public Sector Workers

5. Reduction of Tax for Public Sector Workers

6. Claiming back Bargaining structures to benefit workers

7. Eradication of corruption in all government departments

Issued by SALIPSWU NOBs, 21 January 2016