Cosatu's role vital to alliance: Zuma

President Jacob Zuma and Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini at the 12th elective conference held at Gallagher Estate in Midrand. Picture: Dumisani Dube

President Jacob Zuma and Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini at the 12th elective conference held at Gallagher Estate in Midrand. Picture: Dumisani Dube

Published Nov 23, 2015

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Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma has appealed to delegates at Cosatu’s congress not to ignore the unemployed.

“You can’t say a worker who is employed is more important than a worker who is not unemployed,” he said on Monday night.

Zuma’s caution echoes more rightwing critics of the federation who hold that Cosatu and unions generally focus on the rights and privileges of the employed to the exclusion South Africa’s jobless millions.

The opposition DA has also accused Cosatu members of being a “labour aristocracy” that does not care about the interests of the unemployed.

“Can we put them aside and say these ones are not important because they are not working… what about the totality of the working force,” he asked.

Zuma also told delegates that the tripartite alliance remained as important now as it was pre-1994.

He said each partner had a complimentary role to play. The ANC’s role was to ensure democracy, the SACP to fight for socialism and Cosatu to defend the working class.

He said Cosatu’s job was the “most important” and difficult as it had to be done under capitalism.

He also urged Cosatu members not to back a workers’ party.

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA, which was expelled from Cosatu last year for “poaching” members from other unions, is considering forming a political party.

Labour Bureau

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