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South Africans suffering as a result of greater political battle between unions and President Zuma
Strikes being used by the unions to demonstrate their political hold over South Africa
South Africans faced with choice between further alliance in-fighting or voting for another political party





There is a political war being fought at the moment between government and the unions and South Africans are suffering because of it. The tripartite alliance should be putting South Africa first. In turn South Africans face a most serious choice: either continue to put up with tripartite alliance shenanigans or draw a line in the sand and vote for another political party.

The past week has seen numerous public service unions join in mass industrial action against government and reports are that even more unions, including POPCRU and SANDU, will be joining the strike action in solidarity.

We cannot divorce this mass industrial action from the greater political environment in which it is occurring. It is no secret that President Zuma's union allies have been dissatisfied by the unfulfilled promises that have characterized this administration. Indeed, union demands extend back to 2007 when salary increases were agreed to and have still not been met.

To get into power, President Zuma promised unions the world. Vast promises may be the order of the day in politics but, as with many of President Zuma's promises, both to his one-time allies in the ANC and to the electorate at large, his administration has done nothing to show that it has acted in good faith. Instead, we get the occasional equivocation and ambiguity as the President tests how much longer he can maintain this precarious equilibrium through inaction.

Well, we as a country are now experiencing the full and tremendous consequences of tripartite-alliance faction fighting. Make no mistake, it is no coincidence that these strikes are being staged just before the ANC's National General Council (NGC) is due to meet in Durban next week. If President Zuma has forgotten to whom he owes his current position as ANC president and just how much his radical allies believe he should be changing this country's political and economic direction, he has been rudely reminded.

Unfortunately, with even more essential services set to join the strike and possibly treasonous solidarity strikes from our defence forces, South Africa is heading towards an emergency situation. As the economy loses an estimated R1 billion a day and sick patients die in hospitals, by the time the NGC meets President Zuma will have been reminded in the most dramatic manner possible that he is beholden to union bosses first and the welfare of ordinary South Africans second.

We as South Africans cannot afford to be mired in this battle. All workers are entitled to go on strike as a means of expressing legitimate grievances. However, no one should be manipulated as pawns in a larger political battle. That leaders of unions such as POPCRU have shown a blatant disregard for workers classified as forming part of an essential service is a case in point. Health worker unions that have allowed their members to go on strike despite being classified as an essential service equally show their disdain for labour legislation.

When parties notify their employers of their intention to strike, they are informed of the legal provisions to which their strikes have to adhere. If their unions constitute part of an essential service, they are informed that they will, in terms of legislation, be dismissed. The unions have chosen to break the law, therefore, the offending workers should be dismissed. It is that simple.

If not, what is the point of the essential services provision in our labour legislation? President Zuma needs to demonstrate who governs this country: his administration and the rule of law or internal alliance power battles that play themselves out on the national stage?

While the President and thirteen other ministers have been sojourning in China, South Africa has been in the midst of a most serious and dangerous crisis affecting us all, with even his own government's spokesperson, Themba Maseko, warning that we are sliding towards anarchy. We call on him to take charge of the situation and demonstrate that the nation's interests trump factional infighting.