The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes Parliament’s election of its Committee Chairpersons. Whilst not retaining all Committee Chairs, we are pleased our ally, the African National Congress, retained leadership of the overwhelming majority of key Parliamentary Committees, in particular those with an impact upon the hard-won rights of workers and the transformation gains painstakingly won since 1994.
It is critical the Parliamentary Committees move with speed to begin the work of the 7th administration. Key tasks include reviving progressive Bills the 6th Parliament had been unable to conclude, such as the Tobacco and Electronic Delivery Systems, Public Service Amendment and Public Administration Management Amendment Bills as well as introducing non-trading legislation for key public holidays, e.g. election day.
Parliament needs to ensure Government at all levels, from departments to municipalities, from entities to State Owned Enterprises, delivers upon its mandate which remains anchored upon the ANC’s election manifesto.
As we head towards the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, Committees need to hold government accountable for meeting their targets and spending their budgetary allocations correctly. The days of Parliament remaining quiet when municipalities fail to pay their workers or deliver municipal services or infrastructure funds left unspent must come to an end.
It has become painfully clear with Members of the new Parliament already trending on social media for all the wrong reasons, that the Legislature’s Code of Conduct and Rules as well as the Constitution need to be strengthened and ruthlessly enforced. Society has the right to expect the drafters of laws to be persons who do not struggle to conduct themselves like adults or fall foul of the law.
COSATU is reaching out to all Members of Cabinet and Parliament to ensure government defends the rights of workers, delivers to working class communities, grows the economy and slashes unemployment, tackles crime and corruption, and builds a capacitated developmental state. We will continue to raise the voice of workers in Parliament and to defend the rule of law and Constitution.
Workers and their families expect government to improve their working and living conditions and deliver a Better Life for All. We dare not fail them.
Issued by COSATU.
For further comment please contact:
Matthew Parks
Parliamentary Coordinator
Cell: 082 785 0687
Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za
Cape Town, South Africa