Glenda Daniels
The National Union of Mine- workers (NUM) has thrown its weight behind the Congress of South African Trade Unions’ planned economic summit, insisting it is wrong to brand labour’s economic differences with the government as stemming from an ”ultra-leftist” tendency.
This is significant, given the NUM’s long-standing support for the African National Congress.
A document issued by the national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC, leaked last week, accuses an ”ultra-left” faction in the unions and the South African Communist Party of wanting to wage ”pure class struggle” and undermining the national democratic revolution.
The NUM’s vice-president, Crosby Moni, said the union is ”disturbed” and ”disconcerted” by the NEC’s attack on labour.
Calling on the ANC to exercise a ”leadership role”, Moni said it should not shy away from debate by labelling people ”ultra-leftist” and ”counter-revolutionary”. This would ”sow the seeds of discontent” and weaken the liberation movement.
Moni said the NUM was committed to the ANC. But he added: ”Gear [the government’s growth, employment and redistribution strategy] is a policy that the labour movement and other civil society organisations have voiced objection to.” The policy had not led to economic growth, increased investment and ensured job creation . The restructuring of state assets had brought similar results.
”The harsh reality faced by the majority of South Africans is that there have been massive job losses and a resultant increase in costs of services.” Labour’s responsibility was to raise issues that had a bearing on the working class.
Moni said the planned economic summit should involve all formations of civil society and address the effect of current policies. ”It should also strive to create an atmosphere of unity of purpose and action, and a commitment to a better life for all.”
He added that the overdue alliance summit had become even more necessary.
Dumisa Ntuli of the National Union of Metalworkers insisted Cosatu was not an appendage of the ANC and has every right to intervene on macro-economic questions. ”Cosatu must influence and champion working-class ideas to the ANC. It has its own programmes and policies which must be implemented and respected by other alliance structures.”
South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union official Jane Barrett applauded ”important self-criticisms” in the NEC document. The document acknowledged ”the emergence of tendencies such as careerism and a ‘know-all’ attitude in engaging with those outside the government”.
She denied, however, that the government has held ”productive discussions and reached agreements with Cosatu affiliates about the future of Transnet and other state enterprises.
”Our experience has been of a government that is often unclear about its motives for introducing change,” she says.
Union grievances ”are real and have to be addressed, just as Gear and its consequences are not red herrings for workers”.
Cosatu confirmed that the summit on economic restructuring would go ahead. Spokesperson Patrick Craven says the list of organisations to be invited has not yet been finalised, ”but the aim is to be inclusive. All organisations representing a significant constituency in civil society are welcome”.
The rationale for the summit is set out in a resolution of Cosatu’s central executive committee last month: ”A people’s summit on economic restructuring involving Cosatu, ANC, SACP and other progressive formations should be convened this year hopefully by the end of this year.
”The aim would be to hammer out an economic strategy to take South Africa out of the economic crisis, manifest in a rapidly depreciating currency low growth and investment; massive job losses and widening inequality and poverty.
The programme adopted in the summit will serve as a platform to engage capital in an economic Codesa.”