If the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has it its way, it will dismantle patronage in the public sector and push for public servants who enjoy being in the working place.
These were the words of Saftu general secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi in Bhisho yesterday.
Vavi was addressing members of the SA State and Allied Workers’ Union (Sasawu) at the launch of the union’s Office of the Premier (OTP) branch. He also welcomed new members said to be from the Nehawu.
“We want to dismantle patronage in the public sector. We want a coordinated struggle of the working class. We want a public servant who is not depressed, one who owns a house. We want a worker who has a car or uses safe and reliable public transport,” Vavi said.He urged those present to be change agents, adding that no activist could afford to rest.
Vavi said the face of poverty in the country and particularly in the Eastern Cape were the people who thought they had attained freedom in 1994.
“If we don’t change things around we will be trapped in slavery working conditions until we retire and we will pass that to the next generations. Our liberation means very little to us.”
Vavi said coordinated struggles of the working class would mean there would be no fighting of isolated battles and workers would never be defeated.
“We want to fight side by side with the unemployed and the abused women. We want to fight child abuse and the scourge of femicide and we want women to walk the streets without fear,” Vavi said.
The federation, he said, wants to recruit the 76% of workers who had given up on unions because union leaders were queueing to go to parliament and legislatures and sold workers out in the process. He said the federation would continue to fight for the insourcing of government services and for every government position to be filled without people first having to have sex with those in positions of power.
He called the members soldiers that could change the plight of the workers around, especially in the Eastern Cape, which he called a cursed province of poverty.
Vavi said it was wrong that the ANC was making workers pay for the mistakes made under former President Jacob Zuma’s term of office.
“Now that Denel, Eskom and the SABC are on their knees they blame Zuma.
“[President Cyril] Ramaphosa was Zuma’s deputy, why did he never say a single word? Where was [ANC national chairman Gwede] Mantashe and where was [SACP general secretary] Blade Nzimande?”
He said the new dawn was bad for workers as it meant more VAT, fuel hikes, sin taxes and a new sugar tax.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch on the sidelines, Vavi said the federation discussed contesting for political power through elections with its 800000 strong members.
“We have not come to any decision about that and I can’t move ahead of our members,” he said. — zolilem@tisoblackstar.co.za..