The 9th Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) congress opens on
Monday with addresses by Jacob Zuma, international unionists and
details of voting.
Embattled Cosatu president Willie Madisha will open the congress.
The African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Zuma is due to give the keynote address, a job normally done by the president, and regarded as a powerful lobbying position.
The split between Madisha and Cosatu general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi is seen as a division between pro- and anti-Zuma camps, with Vavi regarded as a Zuma supporter.
Vavi, a Zuma supporter, will introduce the guests.
International unionist Guy Ryder, of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, has the slot after Madisha on the programme.
Also on Monday's agenda is the process of voting for the federation's national office bearers (NOBs). Only the delegates of those unions which are in good financial standing may vote for the new NOBs. At the last congress, in 2003, the massive National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union was not in good standing so its 313 delegates could not vote.
The afternoon session is planned for discussions on socio-economic policy.
The congress will discuss a report by the federation's socio-economic secretariat and resolutions suggested by its member unions.
The proposed resolutions include: - Strengthening the Jobs and Poverty Campaign as the central Cosatu campaign; - Calling for a minimum wage of R3,000 a month;- Calling for government tenders to require fair labour standards and local procurement; - Calls to end the practice of import-parity pricing, when local goods are sold at the price they would be if they were imported; - A proposal to set up a state-owned National Mining Company which could fund free education to matric level; - A campaign to organise farmworkers; - Calls for Black Economic Empowerment to be broadened so it does not centre on ownership and the enrichment of a few;- Calls for the expropriation of unused private land; and - Looking at setting up a Workers' Bank.
Embattled Cosatu president Willie Madisha will open the congress.
The African National Congress (ANC) deputy president Zuma is due to give the keynote address, a job normally done by the president, and regarded as a powerful lobbying position.
The split between Madisha and Cosatu general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi is seen as a division between pro- and anti-Zuma camps, with Vavi regarded as a Zuma supporter.
Vavi, a Zuma supporter, will introduce the guests.
International unionist Guy Ryder, of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, has the slot after Madisha on the programme.
Also on Monday's agenda is the process of voting for the federation's national office bearers (NOBs). Only the delegates of those unions which are in good financial standing may vote for the new NOBs. At the last congress, in 2003, the massive National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union was not in good standing so its 313 delegates could not vote.
The afternoon session is planned for discussions on socio-economic policy.
The congress will discuss a report by the federation's socio-economic secretariat and resolutions suggested by its member unions.
The proposed resolutions include: - Strengthening the Jobs and Poverty Campaign as the central Cosatu campaign; - Calling for a minimum wage of R3,000 a month;- Calling for government tenders to require fair labour standards and local procurement; - Calls to end the practice of import-parity pricing, when local goods are sold at the price they would be if they were imported; - A proposal to set up a state-owned National Mining Company which could fund free education to matric level; - A campaign to organise farmworkers; - Calls for Black Economic Empowerment to be broadened so it does not centre on ownership and the enrichment of a few;- Calls for the expropriation of unused private land; and - Looking at setting up a Workers' Bank.
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