Cosatu ‘must be a champion of workers’

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. File picture: Siphiwe Sibeko

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. File picture: Siphiwe Sibeko

Published Feb 8, 2016

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Polokwane - The government is certain it will reach agreement with the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on the minimum wage and other issues, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday.

He was addressing hundreds of African National Congress supporters at the old Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo, as part of the ANC’s 104th anniversary celebrations.

In his speech, which was cut short by audio problems due to the rainy weather, Ramaphosa said Cosatu should continue to be “militant and a true champion of workers”.

“We will continue to work with Cosatu, whenever we have challenges; whenever we have issues such as taxation issues, we will work together and find solutions,” he said.

“Now we are working with Cosatu on the minimum wage issue; we are negotiating and we are certain that we are going to find answers.”

Ramaphosa said Cosatu would remain the biggest trade union federation in the country, and plans to establish another federation would not affect the ANC’s relationship with Cosatu.

The ANC had helped Cosatu to resolve problems it had faced and would continue to support the federation.

ANA

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