Cosatu makes Sun City threats

Cape Town - Cosatu branches are threatening to block the N4 leading to Sun City unless an assistant beverage unit manager there is immediately suspended.

A statement issued by the Moses Kotane branch on Tuesday said that Shane MacDougall was given a final warning by management because of an allegedly racist remark he made to three black employees.

But the trade federation says it regards this "as an insult to the whole employees of Sun City and blacks of this country and more so as a sale of the gains of 1994 and the democracy some of us died for".

Unless he is immediately suspended, the branch says, it "will go all out again to mobilise the working class force and the entire community to hit the N4 to Sun City and that will happen throughout 2010".

The branch also calls for the dismissal of CEO David Coutts-Trotter "as he seems to be taking workers light (sic) and he is actually the stumbling-block when coming to settling wage disputes in with Saccawu [South Africa Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union]".

'Humble plea' to public

The Northern Cape branch of Cosatu endorses the claims of Saccawu and of the food and allied workers' union Fawu, urging their colleagues to take action in support of the strikes at Sun City and at the soft drink bottler Amalgamated Beverage Industries.

"We are therefore making a humble plea to the members of the public and leaders of our revolutionary movement who make use of the facilities of Sun International to stop using them as a way of pledging support to the poor workers who have an immense contribution in making those companies what they are," the branch said on Tuesday.

"We call on all the workers, particularly the members of Cosatu-affiliated unions, to join forces with the striking workers and support them. It is sad to note that there are still companies which are obsessed with making huge profits at the expense of the workers.

"We also call on the members of the public to stop buying the products of the Amalgamated Beverage Industries until such time that the dispute gets resolved. Such beverages as Coca-Cola and all its related products should not be bought so as to put pressure on the company to resolve the dispute."

- I-Net Bridge