Cosatu hampering workers’ right to choose their political affiliation was the equivalent to what the apartheid government practiced before democracy, the federations former boss Willie Madisha said on Saturday.
”We must never allow any trade union, any workers organisation to suppress, take away from us that which we believe in but Cosatu [Congress of South African Trade Unions] does that … that can only be equivalent to what the apartheid government used to do,” Madisha told about 300 delegates in Pretoria at the launch of an ”independent trade union federation”.
”If we have been told to vote for one particular political party then we are taken back to before 1994. Now, if today we are being told that we must vote for this particular political party that is tantamount to the same thing … it says to us that don’t vote you are not free altogether, don’t vote for this party or you are a cockroach.”
Madisha said the new union would put an end to workers being viewed and treated as ”objects”. He called on workers to hold their unions accountable.
He charged that the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union had used R20-million of the money collected from its members to pay South African Communist Party salaries and to hire venues for ANC rallies.
”Workers’ resources should be used to build and grow unions,” he said.
Madisha said workers’ interests were being put aside as leaders of trade unions such as Cosatu were furthering the interests of their political affiliates.
”Unions falling under Cosatu have become political parties whose primary objectives have become distorted. What’s happening today in South Africa is that resources given to unions are used for something else and not to protect us workers,” Madisha said.
The launch got off to a late start on Saturday while delegates who had already gathered at the Pretoria Showgrounds sang struggle songs. Following Madisha’s address, delegates broke up into commissions in order to discuss, among other things, the name of the new federation.
Madisha told delegates he would not be available to stand for any position but had merely helped coordinate its formation.
”I have been a trade unionist for almost two decades … I don’t want to be president. Among you are men and women who have the capacity to lead,” he said.
Madisha, who is on the Congress of the People’s (Cope) National Assemble list of candidates from Limpopo, dismissed speculation that the federation was aligned in any way to the new party.
Despite some delegates wearing Cope T-shirts, he said union members would be free to choose their political home.
”You can be members of the ANC … members of the DA, of Cope, of IFP or the ID… you are not going to be forced to vote for any particular party,” he said.
‘I need a union that can fight for my rights’
Delegate Shelley Wilson, who works in the banking industry, said the union appealed to her because in her experience unions were so embroiled in politics that they were ”diverting” from the interests of the workers.
”I like the idea. There is so much infighting and power issues and mismanagement of funds because of all the politics. I don’t want to belong to that,” she said.
”I am not a Cope member but I am not sure of the others. I am hoping what they say they stand for is true.”
Another delegate, Cope member Kibiti Ramotsehoa, said he was eager to join the new federation because he faced victimisation by his current union.
”It seems here, no one will force you. You can vote for Cope or the ANC, it will be your choice,” he said.
Ntauleng Lebatla said she did not want to support the ”stupid decisions” she felt was made by larger trade unions.
”I am tired of supporting their stupid decisions. I am a woman, I need a union that can fight for my rights in the workplace. The unions now don’t address women’s issues,” she said.
The delegation is expected to emerge from the launch on Saturday with a resolution providing a direction in which it would move forward.
Madisha said the new union was struggling with resources and was having difficulty organising themselves as they faced intimidation from established unions.
He expected workers to emerge from the launch with a resolution stating their commitment to independence.
”They must also come up with a structure, a structure that can coordinate this whole thing between now and the inaugural conference in three months. They must emerge with a logo and a name. The main thing is that the people here must not be forced to vote for any political party that is not there choice,” he said.
The leadership of the union would be elected at the inaugural conference in three months.
Workers represented were from various industries including the mining sector, the steel industry as well as municipal workers. – Sapa