The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is considering using its support for the African National Congress in next year’s general election as a bargaining chip to squeeze concessions on privatisation from the ruling party.
Union officials said Cosatu’s central executive committee in the second week of March debated the possibility of an ‘election pact†with the ANC, in terms of which Cosatu’s electoral support would be conditional.
During discussions on what the election manifesto should contain, committee members expressed concerns about job losses and the government’s macroeconomic policy.
When approached for comment Cosatu spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the federation will be discussing the election manifesto with the ANC in due course.
Some members argued that conditional support would make no difference to the government’s privatisation policy, as attempts to bind the government in this way had failed in the past. However, the debate would continue at the federation’s eighth congress in September this year.
Cosatu’s leaders rejected claims that the current overall real growth of 0,5% ‘vindicates the correctness of the Gear [growth, employment and redistribution] policyâ€. Cosatu said Gear had failed to meet all its targets in terms of ‘economic growth, employment and redistribution of wealthâ€.
Concerns were raised that Cosatu had previously fought to get its positions incorporated in the election manifestos. At Cosatu’s seventh congress in 2000 the South African Municipal Workers’ Union had called for an anti-privatisation clause to be included in the ANC’s local government election manifesto. The federation moderated the clause, which finally called for a halt to job losses and consultation over privatisation.
‘When we do manage to get our positions included, they are ignored by the ruling government,†said a unionist.
The Cosatu executive committee said the government’s intention to sell 30% of Eskom without discussing the move with Cosatu contradicted the resolutions of the ANC’s 51st national conference.
However, the federation distanced itself from ‘ultra-left†organisations such as the Anti-Privatisation Forum and its call to destroy electricity and water meters in protest against high tariffs.
The committee also debated the state of social movements, including the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco), which it said had drifted away from Cosatu.
Labour insiders said concerns were expressed that Sanco was being used by the ANC to fight Cosatu. Cosatu office bearers expressed concern that the preparations for the Growth and Development Summit to be held under the auspices of the tripartite alliance in May were ‘lagging behind scheduleâ€.
The federation, on the other hand, reiterated its call to hold the People’s Summit before the alliance meeting on growth. The labour federation has argued that ‘this will help unite the people’s camp†in building national consensus on issues related to the economy and social development for the growth summit.