Communication Workers Union

The Communications Workers Union (CWU) notes the cellular network operator’s agreement and commitments to reduce their interconnection fees over a three-year period starting from March 1, 2010. This commitment is a victory and should be celebrated by the working class and the poor users of MTN, Vodacom and Cell C networks.

This agreement and commitment by the three network operator’s is consistent with the organized labour battle for government to lower the cost of living for the working class and the poor, as opposed lowering the cost of doing business for capital. The Ministry of Communications should be applauded for effectively using the parliamentary and executive power entrusted to the ANC by the people of South Africa to advance their needs and interests.

We demand that the parliamentary portfolio committee on Labour follows suit by publicly declaring the outcomes of public hearings that we were held last year as it relates to the banning and outlawing of labour brokers. The bulk of the staff complement of the three network operator’s is constituted by labour brokers and the majority of them are young and female. They do not enjoy the equal rights as that of their permanent colleagues. They are not allowed to join a union, do not enjoy the benefits of medical aid, housing subsidy and bonuses.

The failure by the committee to declare the outcomes will be a betrayal to these young workers in the midst of the high standard of living in the post apartheid Capitalist South Africa. We are aware that the ANC under President Jacob Zuma made lots of promises including the creation of decent work and as workers our understanding of decent is the banning or outlawing of labour brokers. We have been patient enough and we are ready for a long World Cup holiday if our government fails to ban labour brokers.

We urge the ANC-Alliance led government to ban labour brokers consistent with the resolve of the Freedom Charter which says “child labour, compound labour, the tot system and contract labour shall be abolished”. The failure by our ANC government to champion this call, it will be setting itself up for failure and the workers will never forgive the ANC in the national and provincial elections.

Issued by:

Matankana Mothapo

Communication Workers Union

National Spokesperson

Cell: 0827590900

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