COSATU calls for decisive action from government to eliminate racism in the workplace
23 March 2016
The recent public discourse and the public acknowledgement of the existence of the demon of racism by the leaders in different layers of government ,and by the country’s political leadership has the full backing of COSATU. The federation is encouraged by the clarity of our government and the political leadership general , in acknowledging that racism is alive and regrettably thriving in our society and in the workplace.
While the struggle against racism will not be won overnight, the federation expects government departments and other structures to act decisively to fight it using the powers they have.
The department of Labour needs to lead from the front and ensure that workers, who are daily subjected to the racist attitudes in the workplaces, get proper protection. Every day we see farm workers, domestic workers and other vulnerable workers being subjected to extreme forms of abuse and oppression by racist employers.
COSATU is worried that two decades after our democratic breakthrough farm workers and farm dwellers still experience evictions and some are still being killed by their racist employers. The failure by government structures and agencies to stop this rot from continuing is a stain in our democracy and it is something that needs to be rectified immediately.