/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

COSATU in the Province of KwaZulu Natal welcomes the intervention by the Minister of Labour, Mildred Oliphant to attend to Isithebe issues. Isithebe was attacked by the public violent protest in March this year ,which left more than three thousand workers without employment.

The Minister convened Labour Imbizo on 23rd July 2016, and this Imbizo follows the Listening Campaign gathering ,which was convened by COSATU KZN ,on 14 May 2016, which served as a platform for workers to raise their issues with the leadership of workers. We take this intervention as an important step in complimenting the work that the federation had been doing together with our Local structures. We have been working with affected Unions, the Business and the Economic Development Office under the leadership of the then MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu and later MEC Sihle Zikalala.

As COSATU ,we take a keen interest on the matter and our approach is based on the following three things:

• Stabilization of the workplace for economic growth and investment attraction for employment creation
• Defend our workers from exploitation by the company bosses who are capitalizing on the vulnerability of our poor communities
• Creation of the conducive and safe workplaces

The workers have engaged the Minister on a number of issues that continue to face them i.e. the failure by companies to comply with the laws of this country, companies that continue to pay workers poor salaries, very bad conditions of work, lack of capacity by the DOL to hold non-complying companies accountable and many other challenges that continue to face workers.

They asked the Minister to coordinate the meeting with the Minister for Trade and Industry, Rob Davies to engage investors on the importance of them  observing and respecting the Labour laws of this country.

Workers informed the Minister that ,as much as they were not happy with poor working conditions of work , they are not the ones who burnt factories or destroyed properties. They called for a Commission of Enquiry to investigate this matter. As we speak ,there are around 1600 workers who remain out of work after the March community uprising.

They told the Minister that the government must ban the Labour Brokers because they exploit workers. The commitment by the Minister to do the inspection in the factories, and to investigate the burning of factories and destruction of property is most welcomed. We see this as an important step to protect workers and boost investor confidence to the province.

We also appreciate our union SACTWU ,for setting aside the distress relief fund of R450 000 ,since most of the workers affected are from the Clothing and Textile. COSATU convened a meeting with the DOL and Clothing Bargaining Council to develop a program of Action ;to guide stake holders for inspection, and we will continue to engage all stake holders involved ,with a view of finding a lasting solution to the workers of Isithebe and other parts of the Province.

Issue by COSATU KZN