COSATU calls for a return to classes at Universities

Cosatu salutes the brave struggle of students and workers around fees and outsourcing. This important victory must now be implemented and the focus should be on completing the academic year. In this regard Cosatu is calling on students to return to classes and to prepare for and write the exams. The majority of students clearly have a desire to return to classes and we should not find ourselves on the wrong side of history. The reason why the campaign against fees and outsourcing was so successful is because the college communities were united in this struggle. A divided university community will only secure defeat from the jaws of victory.

Cosatu welcomes the action against outsourcing by workers in Parliament and will support them in any way that we can. We have seen the widespread practices of Government of outsourcing in Education, Health and the Municipal services. Cosatu is calling on all workers wherever they may find themselves to stand up and oppose the outsourcing model of services. We as Cosatu are going to have a Provincial wide programme against outsourcing in the new year which will include all outsourced workers, with clear demands for insourcing and decent conditions across the spectrum and for job security.

Cosatu makes a special call to students of UWC to return to classes. The damage to property at UWC is counter productive to the cause of free education which Cosatu supports. We are all committed to taking the battle forward in the new year, but now is the time for exams and conclusion of the academic year.

We will take this demand to the Cosatu National Congress for a National day of action as the launch of the #outsourcingmustfall# campaign.

Statement issued by COSATU Western Cape Provincial Secretary ,Tony Ehrenreich, 12 November 2015