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The National Education Health & Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] condemns the distortion and misrepresentation of facts in yesterday’s edition of the Business Day.

The front page story under the title “PSA, FEDUSA alliance to change labour landscape” misrepresents facts by suggesting that the merger of both PSA and FEDUSA could be a “death blow” for COSATU. We view this as nothing but an attempt to discredit public service unions affiliated to COSATU. In fact, there was no need to include COSATU in the article other than to give credibility to this lazy standard of journalism.

Currently, at the Public Service Co-coordinating Bargaining Council [PSCBC] two labour caucuses exists; one being that of COSATU affiliated unions operating under the name: Joint Mandating Committee [JMC] and the Independent Labour Caucus [ILC] that of non COSATU unions including PSA. Therefore, the fact PSA has rejoined FEDUSA does not mean additional new members for ILC. In fact, many of the FEDUSA affiliates like HOSPERSA and others are also at the PSCBC currently.

As things stands at the PSCBC, COSATU represents 720 530 [57, 2%] (while ILC, represents 492 464 [42, 8%] workers. We are baffled as to how this symbolizes the crumbling of COSATU as the article suggests. What baffles us more is that the writer of the article Miss Theto Mahlakoana used to be a spokesperson for our sister union POPCRU, while the “Labour Analyst” quoted in the article Mr Mamokhethi Molopyane used to be also a spokesperson for SATAWU so both should be aware how things work at the PSCBC.

COSATU public service unions will not be deterred by such propaganda instead we will continue to give our members the best service possible and prove why we are the unions of choice. In this regard, as NEHAWU, we wish COSATU well and a successful Central Committee starting from the 29th May to 1st June 2017 in Irene and hope that the debates will be centered on revitalizing our strategies to represent and service members in order to improve their working conditions and to ensure that we play a critical role in contributing towards the fulfilment of the ideals of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).

Issued by NEHAWU