Share

Inside labour: Words are cheap – at Davos they are cheaper

“We work for working people, not for any political party. We will campaign on issues and fight to hold our elected leaders accountable.”

This is a mantra, a pledge that legitimate trade unions subscribe to and which every South African labour federation reaffirmed this week.

They did so as the annual World Economic Forum got under way in the snowbound Swiss resort of Davos.

This is a yearly event staged by a private club of 1 000 of the world’s richest businesspeople. It is designed to bribe, bully and flatter political elites around the world to continue pursuing policies that increase unemployment and suffering for working people.

Meanwhile, international human rights group Oxfam released its latest report that confirms that what little economic growth there has been has benefitted the wealthiest 1% of the world’s population.

The Oxfam report has moved Cosatu to issue a call for union unity. It calls for workers across union lines to unite in action to try and halt the evident economic decline.

This is a promising start, but as Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union president Joseph Mathunjwa noted: “Words are cheap.”

However, there is evidence that some unions have already turned words into action.

The steps they have taken have gone beyond those usually associated with the labour movement.

Over the past week, a great deal of credit has justifiably been given to the South African Federation of Trade Unions for legally forcing the National Prosecuting Authority to act on long-standing corruption allegations.

The federation was also poised to approach the courts to have the Eskom board declared delinquent when government moved against the board.

At the same time, the Public Servants’ Association (PSA) has increased pressure on government to institute a forensic audit of unlisted investments of public sector pension funds undertaken by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC).

These particularly concern the 5% of social responsibility investments that may have been made for political reasons.

Although 5% is a small percentage, the amount could total more than R75 billion, given that the Government Employees’ Pension Fund is possibly worth at least R1.6 trillion.

Late last year, the PSA sent a series of letters to Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba, who acts as head of the PIC, requesting a meeting and demanding explanations.

Public sector pensions have also been adversely affected by the implosion of the Steinhoff empire into which the PIC had invested.

Last month, the union informed Steinhoff that, in accordance with the Companies Act, its representatives would call on the company’s head quarters on January 19 to demand full disclosure of financial and administrative information that may be used in criminal and civil action.

Steinhoff initially tried to fob the union off on the grounds that it was not a shareholder. The company claimed to only have access to partial information by Monday this week.

However, last Friday, a PSA delegation headed by general manager Ivan Fredericks and accompanied by Federation of Unions of South Africa general secretary, Dennis George, staged a raid on Steinhoff and got all the documentation demanded.

According to PSA deputy general manager Tahir Maepa, some of the documents obtained from Steinhoff on Friday reveal that the PIC “failed to play an oversight role in Steinhoff”.

As such, says Maepa, the union feels that only workers, through their own organisations, can be trusted with handling their pension money.

A battle has begun and it is one that clearly calls for support from workers and unions from the public sector and throughout the movement.

* Sign up to Fin24's top news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO FIN24 NEWSLETTER

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.90
+0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.41
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.33
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders