Castro Ngobese, the national spokesman for the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), one of South Africa’s most economically radical unions, has objected strongly to the New Age, the ANC’s unofficial mouthpiece, carrying a story that Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim was part of a meeting held in Polokwane by the Economic Freedom Fighters “plotting for the formation of a new political party”.
Jim was nowhere near the scene, according to Ngobese. The newspaper’s report was “an attempt to delegitimise” Numsa’s general secretary in his fight to replace the liberal-democratic National Development Plan (NDP) with a socialist-orientated national democratic revolution and the nationalisation of key economic sectors.
But Numsa also publicly differed with SACP leader Blade Nzimande, who said there was nothing “neo-liberal” about President Jacob’s Zuma’s policies or about the NDP, which, he declared, included some good ideas.
Nzimande apparently told the Justice Factor, a television programme, that he disapproved of Numsa’s view that the NDP was a carbon-copy of DA policies. Nzimande left viewers with the impression that – other than the economy and economy-related chapters – the NDP contained “quite good” proposals.
In contrast, a Numsa press release yesterday strongly backed embattled Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
The release said the national executive committee “reaffirmed that its principled defence of [the] Cosatu general secretary is not about an individual but it is in defence of Cosatu’s independence and mandated programmes by workers from vultures that want to turn Cosatu into a conveyor-belt or labour desk of any of its alliance partners”.
All this internal politics in the alliance leaves one a little confused as to who is liberal, who is not, who is a socialist and who is not and which policies are socialist or liberal or not.
Numsa is at once magnificently transparent but impenetrable.
Labour Department
The Department of Labour, unable to manage transformation in employment equity and beset with unions running riot, can’t even keep the appointments it arranges.
Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant yesterday threw away an opportunity to tell the nation how she is dealing with the overwhelming issues facing her department.
The minister’s press office arrogantly brushed off Business Report and other media at the last minute yesterday.
It all started on Wednesday when spokesman Page Boikanyo called Business Report offering a one-on-one interview with Oliphant and inviting us to the department’s two-day annual evaluation and planning workshop held in Benoni yesterday.
The workshop, which aimed to review the department’s programmes and map a future strategic direction, seemed the perfect opportunity to speak with Oliphant.
However, Business Report was turned away by Boikanyo, saying the minister would not have time for the arranged interview.
He apologised and said another session with the minister would be organised and dates and times would be communicated soon. He said a colleague from his office was to have contacted Business Report. That message arrived an hour after the appointment was scheduled.
As a consolation prize, he would forward photographs and a press statement on the event. Not surprisingly, by close of business nothing had arrived.
Often the media is blamed for negatively reporting progress of government departments. However, government officials should refrain from blaming the media for not telling their stories; instead, fingers should be pointed at rude officials who have no sense of urgency.
Here’s some free advice, and it also goes for the ANC government in general: don’t promise what you can’t and don’t intend to deliver. First, it is just plain rude and, second, it destroys any confidence you might have hoped to inspire.
SAA
A potentially damaging strike by SAA cabin staff and ground workers has been called off at the last minute. Although the cash-strapped airline has agreed to a pay rise, it has avoided increasing special allowances of varying amounts paid to individuals for housing, medical aid and meals.
The strike was called by the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union and Uasa after the failure of pay talks and was expected to affect about 70 percent of cabin crew and ground workers.
Ironically, a new union, the National Transport Movement, which SAA at first refused to recognise, resulting in a strike last year, refused to join in the strike that was expected to start this week after permission was given by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
During the waiting period, SAA unilaterally implemented an increase of 6.23 percent in basic salaries – up from its initial offer of a 6.2 percent increase – but only on basic salaries and excluding allowances. This was below the unions’ initial demand for a 9.5 percent increase, later reduced to 7.5 percent and including allowances.
The unions balloted members last week on whether to go ahead with the strike.
SAA group corporate affairs executive Tlali Tlali said yesterday that it the strike had been called off.
He said last week that contingency plans were in place to minimise inconvenience to passengers in the event of a strike.
Airline strikes normally cause lasting damage, with passengers stranded at airports. Even though this one has been called off, news that it was under consideration is believed to have caused some potential passengers either to switch to another airline or to postpone their flights.
Most of the airline industry is in difficulties at present and SAA recently had to be bailed out by the government to help it pay its fuel bill.
Edited by Peter DeIonno. With contributions from Donwald Pressly, Dineo Faku and Audrey D’Angelo.