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1. Introduction

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) welcomes the opportunity to present to Parliament its views on the very import pieces of labour-related legislation currently being discussed in the National Assembly.

The debate on these labour matters cannot be isolated from the broader debate about how we can extend our freedom and democracy to bring economic transformation to all citizens. It must be rooted in the living reality of the shocking levels of poverty, unemployment and inequality for the majority of South Africans.

In economic terms the first 24 years of democracy have benefitted more those who benefitted during the apartheid and colonial era - white monopoly capital in particular and the white population in general.

During the past seven years most South Africans have been talking about “the second phase of radical economic transformation”, in recognition of the reality that the first two decades of freedom and democracy has seen largely only political, and not economic benefits.

This has left the black majority of workers still facing poverty wages, casualisation and the use of labour brokers. The population as a whole have been largely left propertyless and landless, just was planned by the imperialist forces that occupied the land of the indigenous people, who were then balkanized into Bantustans that were created to provide cheap labour reserves to feed the booming agriculture, mining and other industries. 

SAFTU fully endorses the 1069 ANC Morogoro strategy and tactics document which we believe is so relevant in this debate. The ANC said:

See attachments for more information.

Issued by SAFTU