Calls for a better water billing system in Buffalo City Metro, implementation of the minimum wage, as well as strengthening of support to Palestine in the Middle East conflict, were some of demands made by workers on May Day.
Workers affiliated to Cosatu gathered at Victoria Grounds in King William’s Town, where they were addressed by shop stewards and ANC NEC member Lindiwe Zulu on Wednesday morning.
The workers marched through the streets of King William’s Town before making a turn at the municipal offices where they handed over a memorandum to BCM mayor Xola Pakati and council speaker Alfred Mtsi.
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In accepting the memorandum, Pakati promised to engage the Cosatu leadership on their demands “in the coming days”.King Cosatu branch secretary Malusi Mamkeli urged BCM leadership to deal with residents’ issues expeditiously, saying service delivery protests always affected the workers.Mamkeli said: “As Cosatu, we recognise that we are part of society and contribute to BCM. When the community is at war, as seen in Bhisho this week, we suffer the most. Therefore it is important for local government to level the ground for the betterment of conditions for workers.”Zulu, addressing more than 1,000 workers, called on the unions to hold the ANC to account if it did not stick to its manifesto promise to do right by the workers.“We ask the mayor and ANC leadership to listen to people, and listen to workers’ problems,” Zulu said.She also called on the ANC leaders in the province to change the name of the town.“Where things don’t go right, it’s our responsibility to change that.“It’s our task to change even the name of this town. We don’t know who this person [King William] is, but we do have an [indigenous] name for this place. We have the power in our hands. It is the task of the ANC,” she said.She also urged workers to vote for the ANC and to campaign for it vigorously.“Post-elections, it is your task to hold us accountable for all the written promises in the manifesto,” Zulu said.soyisom@dispatch.co.za..