NUMSA condemns COPE and DA for their disorderly behaviour

Yesterday, Wednesday 07 October 2009 Parliament held public hearings on labour brokers in Germiston, Ekurhuleni. The masses of the people including workers under labour brokers, trade unions, members of the community and progressive formations demanded that Parliament of the Republic of South Africa must act in line with the Freedom Charter - abolish labour brokers not just as vehicles for worse forms of contract labour, but also as modern slave traders. Workers under the yoke of labour brokers testified of shocking brutalities visited upon them by labour brokers often acting in axis with their clients.

COPE and DA are on record defending labour brokers and arguing that they must be left to regulate themselves. This havoc wrecking anarchy did not enjoy resonance from the masses. Realising this, the newly found partners COPE and DA prioritised their honeymoon by rudely walking out from the public hearings (see report). COPE-DA's shared position on labour brokers should send an unambiguous signal to the workers and the unemployed who voted for these political parties that their vote was wasted and is now bent against them. As for COPE especially, our view that this is a Black DA that represents a counterrevolutionary manoeuvre against working class interests has been vindicated. This should serve as a lesson for the next coming local government elections. We call on all members of the working class, employed and unemployed, to remain firmly behind the revolutionary alliance by COSATU, the SACP and, as led by the ANC.   

We also note with disgust the announcement by DA today, 08 October 2009 during SA FM's After 8 Debate programme that together with COPE they are withdrawing as part of the Portfolio Committee from parliamentary hearings taking place in KZN on labour brokers, but will instead hold a press conference at 13:00 in Johannesburg to denounce the process. This is informed nothing else but by a realisation that throughout our country an overwhelming majority of the people want labour brokers to be abolished, as opposed to COPE-DA's view for an anarchy, to so-called self-regulation. We shall scientifically analyse COPE-DA's utterances and swiftly respond.

As NUMSA we condemn to the contempt it deserves COPE-DA's disrespect to democratic processes and the people of South Africa.

We remain resolute that labour brokers must be abolished. Their practices are counter-productive to workplace transformation, employment equity, skills development, work health and safety and human rights, including freedoms of expression and association. Labour Brokers are in many ways anti human development in general. Should they not be abolished through an Act of parliament, as NUMSA we shall make sure they shall be abolished through class struggles to be intensified in all mediums of human activity!

Statement issued by Castro Ngobese, NUMSA national spokesperson, October 8 2009

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter