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Political-The PEC reflected on the need to fully assess the role of the Alliance in the province. This should be measured on its capacity to resolve workers problems. Workers have invested a lot in the Alliance, and they expect it to be ceased with fixing their problems.  

COVID-19-The Federation in the province held a virtual Special PEC meeting on 30 July 2020 to reflect on urgent issues facing workers and the working class in the province. We are worried about the rapidly increasing numbers of COVID-19 positive tests in the province despite the attempts by the government and the state to flatten the curve.

Workers are also disturbed by the growing number of COVID-19 related tender allegations. This comes on the heels of a report by the Auditor General detailing mismanagement and wasteful expenditure in municipalities. We call for urgent action to deal with the scourge of corruption.

We note the discovery of the progressive properties in Artemisia afra (lengana/ umhlonyane) in terms of dealing with Covid-19. We are however shocked but not surprised that these properties had to be confirmed in Germany and not in the continent. This is why we need a State Pharmaceutical company to deal with the development of pharmaceuticals in the country.

Procurement-We noted that there has been budget reprioritisation across all departments and entities in the province which was intended to free up some cash to confront the Covid-19 pandemic. This has led to some fast-tracked procurement that has resulted in many local businesses side-lined. Many factories located within the Free State province in terms of producing the Personal Protection Equipment. We are hugely disappointed by this because local businesses are being robbed the opportunity to be productive and employ more workers. We call on the provincial government to ensure that the provincial procurement processes should prioritize, benefit, and advance the economy of the province.

Economic -The pandemic has brought to the fore very serious systemic inequalities Department of Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs help policymakers and decision makers to reflect and self-correct. 

During the lockdown we have been inundated with notices for LRA Section 189 with the intention of retrenching workers. We have noted that some employers are enticing desperate workers with Voluntary Severance Packages; hoping the figures waved in front of workers will convince them. We caution workers to tread carefully when such offers are presented because the money offered will not last in an unpredictable economy.

We are concerned that the government is not showing leadership by encouraging buy local strategy. We have noted the budget vote of Department of Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA) in the Free State province. We have their positive commitments will be implemented.

Organisational -We will continue to empower our members and Shopstewards so that they are well informed about the regulations governing the response to the pandemic at the workplace level.

Our members have been fully briefed about their rights including the right to refuse to work in dangerous conditions. This situation has been arrived at due to the actions of some managers who have placed our member’s lives in danger deliberately and despite advices that has been provided to them!

We will continue to engage in programs as the Federation that will ensure that all workers are kept safe in their places of work as we firmly believe that no one goes to work to lose their lives.

Combating the spread of the virus-We take this opportunity to implore upon the workers specifically and the working class in general to do their best in observing and respecting the regulations put in place to fight the pandemic. We implore upon our members to act in a responsible manner when it comes to social engagements which seems to be spreading the virus very far and very fast!

Stigmatization-We have noted as the Federation the elements of stigmatization that is currently being attached to people who may have tested positive to the coronavirus. We would like to implore upon our members and the society to resist the temptation to stigmatize the virus and any other illness for that matter. 

We believe that stigmatization may be a reaction to fear and anxiety about the virus. We implore our members and the society to learn more about the virus and to practice the measures put in place to curb the spread. We call upon the workers and society in general to resist the temptation to stigmatize the virus as none of us are currently immune to it. One may stigmatize today only to test positive tomorrow!

In conclusion-We are seriously concerned about the actions of managers in various workplaces across the public and private sector. They are responding differently to the virus should one of the staff or managers test positive. We are concerned about the inconsistencies across the system. We would be escalating this matter to the Provincial Command Council for action and we will continue to take such employers head-on where such incidents take place.

Issued by COSATU Free State