𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐖𝐔 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐔 𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) urges all its members including working-class communities and broader civil society to take part in the COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions) led socio-economic national strike on 07 October 2020. This national mass action is primarily aimed at achieving compliance with occupational, health and safety (OHS) standards as well as realising an integrated, affordable, efficient and safe publicly-owned transport system.

Global economies including South Africa are in perpetual insoluble structural crisis. The 2008/9 financial crisis and Covid-19 pandemic among others clearly demonstrate the failures of capitalism. The current health and economic crisis have aggravated workers vulnerabilities, intensified structural inequalities and deepened class and national antagonisms within a capitalist political economy. The Zondo Commission of Inquiry continues to prove that corruption is a product of the capitalist mode of production. Furthermore, the mismanagement, looting and misappropriation of Covid-19 funds between the government and the private sector demonstrate that “we were never in this pandemic together”.

Neoliberalism as a dominant political and economic system has enabled multinational corporations to illicitly move monies intended for socio-economic development out of South Africa. The country’s market fundamentalist policies have not only embedded but legalised financial sector corruption. The planned COSATU national strike will not just challenge corruption but it will equally confront the marketization and/or commodification of labour, ecology, universal social rights and human civilisation.

The participation of SAFTU (South African Federation of Trade Unions), NACTU (National Council of Trade Unions) and FEDUSA (Federation of Unions of South Africa) on 7 October 2020 is aimed at addressing the flux in the labour movement, on one hand, but to intensify working class solidary, on the other. SATAWU is optimistic that the unification process will assist with new forms of working-class organisation and mobilisation. We are equally hopeful that the seed of a trade union confederation will be planted during the national strike.

The national strike will also focus on the following areas: retrenchments, undermining of collective bargaining, gender-based violence and the need for an integrated public transport system. Central to the underdevelopment and socio-economic misfortunes affecting the African working class is the question of race. Firstly, gender-based violence has its origins in the history of imperialism and colonialism. Secondly, rampant retrenchments and undermining of collective bargaining agreements should be linked to the history cheap/migrant labour system in South Africa. Finally, the architecture of the public transport system was not designed to provide safety, reliability and affordability for the African workers. The combination of these factors proves that the transformation of the economy is necessary for restoring the dignity of the oppressed and socially marginalised.

Over and above the highlighted factors, SATAWU maintains that the eradication of the scourge of corruption, poverty, unemployment, inequalities and gender-based violence demands a complete overhaul of white monopoly capital. Ultimately, this is possible through revolutionary class struggle that will finally install a real people’s government led by the working class. The COSATU national strike is a reminder that trade unions are schools of class struggle. The fundamental objective is to achieve an egalitarian society based on social ownership of the means of production. The immediate task, therefore, is to nationalise the commanding heights of the economy under workers and peoples control. Eventually, the working class will emerge victoriously. We call upon the youth of our country to be at the forefront of this mass action. Red Fridays are opportune platforms for young workers to take their rightful place in the ensuing struggle.

𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳!

𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯!!!

End

𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲: 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 & 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭

SATAWU General Secretary: Jack Mazibuko: 082 660 4793

SATAWU Deputy General Secretary: Anele Kiet: 071 021 1903