Cape Town - One thing that gatherings of trade unions in the militant anti-apartheid tradition have never been short of is jargon. Bourgeoisie and proletariat, along with frequent references to Marxism-Leninism and an equally undefined socialism, have been joined in recent years by neo-liberalism and the Washington consensus.
What it boils down to is the expression of widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo — and an often desperate attempt to find some hope to counteract the increasing difficulties of today and a future that seems even gloomier. This has an almost religious ring about it, something Karl Marx actually commented about in his much-misquoted reference to the role of religion.
Marx referred to religion as “the heart in a heartless world, the sigh of the oppressed beast, the opium of the people”. In other words, religion could provide some relief from the pain (using the common painkiller of the time, opium), but not deal with the cause. A more modern version could be: the paracetamol of the people.
The major difference here at the Numsa congress is that there is a definite thrashing about for ways out of what is perceived to be a system in chronic, terminal crisis. But there is also a constant looking to the past and, given the recent demise of Fidel Castro, to Cuba as a model.
As a result, that ubiquitous handout at every union conference, the T-shirt, is here emblazoned with the face and name of Fidel. But as Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim notes: this is all still a work in progress and the debates are continuing.
However, for the time being it certainly looks as if the dominant view is to seek the way to the future in the past, from the experience so-called socialist states - Cuba to the fore - to the promises of the Freedom Charter.
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