CWU'S RESPONSE TO COMMENTS BY BLADE NZIMANDE
4 November 2014
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) wish to dismiss with the strongest contempt remarks by the General Secretary of the SA Communist Party, Blade Nzimande on the occasion of the SACP's public release of its discussion document on the Second Phase of the Transition last Thursday 30 October 2014 in Cape Town calling on COSATU unions to stop the practice of assisting one another financially in times of need. Nzimande's remarks are a clear indication of his ignorance regarding the noble principle of working class and trade union solidarity as correctly captured in COSATU's rallying slogan "An Injury to One is an Injury to All".
The problem with Mr. Nzimande is that unlike many previous SACP General Secretaries, he has no proven trade record as a worker leader hence his tendency to make ill-informed outbursts which are not so consistent with the thinking and in the interest of the working people of this country. It is hypocritical in the extreme for Nzimande to criticize financial co-operation among trade unions when the SACP itself has been a major beneficiary of cash-injection and other forms of material support from our federation COSATU and individual affiliates in the past. And this is a gesture that continues to this day.
We call on the SACP and Mr. Nzimande to desist from making disparaging remarks about the labour movement and publicly singling out our ally NUMSA and indirectly CWU for regular vitriolic attack. They can do well by saving such spirited attack for the capitalists and their hangers-on and not vent it out to the organized section of the working class.
Going forward, as CWU we shall no longer keep quite when any component of the progressive trade union movement is subjected to unfair public attacks from the SACP, a party that should play a constructive role of being the vanguard of the South African working class and not assume a posture reminiscent of an enemy of organized workers.
Statement issued by CWU General Secretary, Aubrey Tshabalala, November 4 2014
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