/ 1 January 2010

Cosatu calls for dismissal of Sun International CEO

Cosatu in the North West on Thursday called for the dismissal of Sun International chief executive officer David Coutts-Trotter.

“We call on comrade Valli Moosa, chairman of the board of Sun International to instruct David to resolve the strike and thereafter he must go,” provincial secretary Solly Phetoe told about 2 000 SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu) members in Sun City.

He said Coutts-Trotter had displayed arrogance by going on holiday while workers were on strike.

“U ya hamba, u David, [David is going],” the crowd shouted.

Saccawu president Amos Mothapo said Coutts-Trotter had belittled union leaders when Moosa instructed him to meet them on December 21.

“He came empty handed, he still offers the 8% we rejected.”

The union wants a 13% wage increase.

The group, wearing red union T-shirts, blowing vuvuzelas and singing liberation songs, marched against racism and demanded better working conditions and salary adjustments.

“Saccawu Nkuke Ke sale monyane keya le wena [Saccawu pick me up, I’m still little, I’m going with you],” they sang.

The union gave Sun International four days to respond, after which they threatened “rolling mass action”.

“We do not want to embarrass the country during the 2010 World Cup. We know that Fifa has chosen Sun City as the hotel of their choice,” Mothapo said.

He said the union would disrupt operations at all Sun International resorts if the company failed to meet their demands.

Workers also wanted the bargaining council to include other members, which was currently not the case, Mothapo explained.

Cosatu in the Moses Kotane municipality in the province threatened to make Sun City a “pilot project” for uprooting what it saw as racism at Sun International. – Sapa