Millions of South Africans who do not benefit from the country’s political freedom should not be forgotten as South Africa celebrates Freedom Day, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said.
”You cannot really celebrate your ‘freedom’ if you are unemployed, have no income and have no proper house,” the federation said in a statement.
”The challenge for the trade unions and society as a whole is to fight to bring the fruits of the 1994 breakthrough to all South Africans. The rights and freedoms promised in the law books must become a living reality in the workplaces and poor communities.”
In the 13 years of democracy, workers had benefited from labour laws and millions of people had moved into new homes, accessed healthcare, received water and electricity and their children were schooled.
”But while we celebrate what we have achieved in 13 years of democracy, and enjoy our holiday on Freedom Day, we should not forget the millions of South Africans who still do not reap all the benefits of our political freedom.”
Cosatu said 22-million people lived in poverty, 40% of the working population were unemployed and millions still lived in shacks.
”This poor majority of our citizens cannot understand the statements they hear on the radio or read in the papers about our economic boom and the record profits and executives’ massive salaries.
”They have got nothing from this ‘success’ story and very many who have been retrenched or casualised are even worse off.”
The ”much-trumpeted” 500 000 jobs a year were not being created fast enough to halve unemployment by 2014 and were mostly ”low-paid, casual, insecure and temporary”.
Racism and exploitation were still commonplace, especially on farms, and millions of HIV/Aids sufferers were denied the ”fruits of freedom”.
Laws alone would never win freedom, the federation said.
”The key to winning real and full freedom for workers and their families is for them to have strong, active trade unions, a strong tripartite alliance and civil society formations.” — Sapa