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The Economic Freedom Fighters welcomes the decision of the National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU) to encourage its members and supporters to vote for the EFF or the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) in the 2014 General Elections. The decision of NACTU, which is the 2nd biggest Trade Union Federation in South Africa to engage and listen to all Left progressive forces contesting the 2014 Generals elections and taking decisions on who to endorse on the basis of their Manifestos is a sign that there is hope for working class unity and action in South Africa.

There is indeed hope for proper workers’ representation, than Careerist practices noticed in other Unions and Federations.

NACTU has throughout history demonstrated that it is not a labour desk or conveyor belt of any political party in South Africa, but a humble, consistent and decisive Federation of workers’ unions fighting for true workers’ interests. NACTU leadership has never approached Union leadership as stepping stones to go to Parliament and Government to join the bourgios State in the continued exploitation and exploitation of the working class.

Despite threats by bosses in factory floors, NACTU Unions have been the most resilient of Unions and the most genuine in the fight for workers rights. The EFF appreciates the reality that NACTU appreciates the fact that the class struggle ongoing in South Africa cannot be approached neutrally and needs workers to choose which side they belong to. Other Unions and Federations have chosen to be Conveyor Belts and Labour Desks not only of the ruling Party, but of Capital.

How on earth does a workers Unions federation like COSATU, with a proud socialist tradition agree to be mediated by Cyril Ramaphosa who is a representative of Capital and who is responsible for the pre-mediated massacre of workers in Marikana? How on earth does a Union like COSATU agree to be mediated by Cyril Ramaphosa who was at the forefront of a mediated transition which brought forth half cooked freedom and democracy, where land and wealth remain the hands of those who owned them before the so called democracy and freedom?

The posture and attitude of NACTU is a sign that there really exists in South Africa, an alternate voice of workers which should be strengthened and consolidated into working class unity to contest and win political power, capture the State and transform the economy. The EFF would like to assure NACTU members, including those who are in the necessary protracted strike in the Platinum belt for a minimum wage of R12 500 that the EFF will never sell out the mandate of workers and the working class as a whole. All our commitments to the workers will be implemented and constitute an elementary programme of our politics in the next 5 years and until the struggles of the working class triumphs.

The EFF will continue to engage with NACTU and all other progressive Unions with the sole aim of consolidating working class unity in South Africa. We also will welcome NACTU members who will volunteer to be Party Agents and Volunteers of the EFF in the General elections. We are indeed inspired and will never retreat nor surrender in the struggle for the emancipation of the working class.