The Congress of South African Trade Unions in Gauteng wishes the African National Congress in Gauteng a fruitful and successful conferences scheduled for 23-26 June 2022 at the Lakes Hotel in Benoni. The conference is taking place at the time when the working class is confronted by difficult socio-economic challenges which includes poor service delivery, unemployment, poverty, widened inequalities, corruption, lawlessness, increase in food prices, increases in electricity as well as increase in fuel prices amongst others.
Over the past ten years, the ANC led government has been implementing neo-liberal austerity measures targeting the reduction of budget on health, education, safety and security, salaries of public servants just to mention a few, while on the other hand, corporate tax has been reduced to the benefit of business.
The working class has lost confidence in the ANC as demonstrated in the past three elections with the last being the worst. Municipalities who are governed by coalition governments have proven to be unstable and not sustainable. Factions have defined the path of the ANC and leadership is determined on factional lines but not on quality as well as capacity. Despite this, COSATU in Gauteng believes that the ANC through this conference should advance the unity of the ANC pre and post conference in the interest of working class.
We further call upon all attending the conference to focus more on policy discussions and appoint leadership that will be capable to deliver on the agreed policy direction. COSATU will advance the following at the conference:
· Advance policies favourable to the working class
· Establishment of the state bank and pharmaceutical company
· Insourcing of outsourced services and scrapping of the tenderisation of the state
· Dropping of market related economy
· Building and strengthening the alliance
We wish the ANC a fruitful conference.
Issued by COSATU Gauteng
Provincial Secretary – Louisa Modikwe: 066 182 2402
Provincial Chairperson – Amos Monyela: 079 493 5002