There are no plans to exclude white women from employment-equity policies, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said on Wednesday.
”My view is the view of the ANC [African National Congress] … the objective of the ANC is to unite the people of the country. We want a democratic, non-sexist country.
”Therefore the ANC has agreed to put all women together … I know of no other policy,” Mdladlana told the Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Fawu) national conference under way in Randburg, Johannesburg.
The minister said the exclusion of white women was a recommendation from the Black Management Forum and it was its democratic right to pronounce on the matter.
The minister, in his address to about 200 Fawu delegates, called on the union to embrace the theme it adopted for the conference. ”I’ve fallen deeply in love with the theme of the conference, The Giant Rises … Fawu must rise to organise workers.”
The minister added that no matter who rules the country, ”a giant remains a giant”.
”A giant remains a giant, whether Helen Zille is president, and a giant remains a giant even if there is no president,” he said.
Mdladlana said the theme reminded him of the beginning of the labour movement and he lamented the lack of membership growth in bodies such as the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).
”There is a need for regional and local branches to be strengthened … any cent, blue penny in the coffers must be used to strengthen each and every affiliate of Cosatu,” he said.
He added that a giant cannot comprise only union leadership, but is made up of mainly union membership. — Sapa