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‘Be closer to the workers on the ground’ – COSATU General Secretary tells DENOSA NEC meeting.

COSATU General Secretary, Solly Phetoe, addressed Day Two of the DENOSA National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Thursday 21 September which is currently underway at the DENOSA Head Offices in Pretoria.

In his address, Phetoe called on the affiliate of COSATU to spearhead the struggles of workers in their sectors, warning that affiliates must be on the ground with the workers if they are to avoid being liquidated.

He addressed the NEC on the need to tighten its hand in defence of the workers’ gains.

He paid tribute to the 22 workers, who are members of the NUM, who lost their lives in Musina, Limpopo.

In the same breath, he also lambasted the frequency of accidents that have come to erupt in many areas, especially in Gauteng and around the Johannesburg CBD. In a recent incident, more than 70 people were killed in a building fire, and others had to be taken to hospital. He said the government must work towards avoiding the many accidents that often claim the lives of the workers.

ON AUSTERITY MEASURES IN GOVERNMENT:

Phetoe lambasted the austerity measures that the government has introduced as part of cutting costs.

The National Treasury wrote a letter to the provincial Treasurers, at the end of August, instructing them to cut costs in various ways.

“I’ve given the Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, the new name. He is now the austerity minister,” he said.

“The letter is bringing a stop to the government services.”

The letter instructs HODs to freeze the hiring of new employees, suspend some of the government’s infrastructural projects, as well as to advance the process for those employees who are about to retire to do so now and help lower the public sector wage bill.

“The letter essentially says, ‘suspend the service delivery’,” explained Phetoe.

“It is so disappointing that the alliance is not taken into confidence onto this matter. The letter that was written by the Treasury to provincial treasuries is de-campaigning the governing party.”

On Collective bargaining.

Phetoe said the government has led the attack on collective bargaining. “What is happening in the private sector, where there are chaos and undermining of collective bargaining has been started by the current government.”

He urged affiliates of COSATU to lead the workers’ struggles in their sectors, adding that the affiliates must push back the frontiers of oppression where employees are overworked permanently due to the high vacancy rates in various departments.

He pointed out the Department of Health for its diligence in implementing things that are against the workers, especially in Limpopo.

The meeting continues and will conclude on Friday 22 September.

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