The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) have backed down from their threatened second round of strikes after talks with the new deputy president.
South African Broadcasting Corporation news reported Cosatu as saying it was however too late for Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka to stop the current round of mass action.
Cosatu secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi: ”The interaction between us and her must show that there is no reason for a second round of strikes in August.”
Mlambo-Ngcuka on Friday started consulting with various stakeholders in-line with her new responsibilities.
She had discussions with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Cosatu, the Chamber of Mines and the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in Johannesburg on Friday.
Both Cosatu and NUM said they plan on continuing the good relationship they had built when Mlambo-Ngcuka was Minister of Minerals and Energy. Unemployment, HIV/Aids, the second economy and Cosatu’s strike scheduled for Monday were discussed.
After meeting the chamber of mines, Mlambo-Ngcuka said black economic empowerment needed to be reviewed to ensure that workers and communities at large benefitted.
Mlambo-Ngcuka travels to Maputo on Saturday to represent South Africa at Mozambique’s 30th independence anniversary celebrations, the the presidency said.
She will return to South Africa in the evening. – Sapa