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Cape Town - Only bigots or very short-sighted employers would celebrate the current turmoil in Cosatu, says Terry Bell in his latest Labour Wrap. Because, says Bell, a well organised trade union movement is essential for stability in our economic system, providing the balance between exploiter and exploited.
He points out that the apparently inevitable implosion of the country’s largest labour federation has also come at a very difficult, belt-tightening time. This was signalled by the fuel prices rises announced this week and he predicts a further increase of at least R1 a litre, perhaps by next month. All of this will increase tensions in and between unions.
At the same time municipal workers, who include the firefighters who have risked their lives for much of this week battling the blazes that have ravaged vast tracts of the Cape peninsula's mountains, have been offered a pay rise of 4.4%. Even against the official inflation figure this amounts to a wage cut of some 2%, says Bell.
However, he also draws a slightly optimistic parallel between the Cape fires and the looming damage to the labour movement. Just as the fynbos of the Cape mountains requires fire to ensure regeneration, he says it is possible that the same might apply to Cosatu; that an implosion may be necessary to ensure the re-emergence of a strong, united movement.
Do you agree? Add your voice to the big labour debate or simply ask Terry a labour question.
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- Follow Terry on twitter @telbelsa.
