South African Federation of Trade Unions General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says members of the public sector are gaining more confidence in them as the Congress of South African Trade Unions is constantly betraying them.
Vavi officiated the launch of South African State and Allied Workers’ Union at the Eastern Cape Office of the Premier in Bhisho. It coincided with the welcoming of over 20 defectors allegedly from National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union.
Vavi says they will keep on recruiting members so that they can challenge and reverse signed agreements between unions and government that have disadvantaged workers.
“Once we do that we will go and make demands in the public service to say we now represent the majority of public sector workers, we want to reopen the negotiations. Firstly we want to address the issue of low pay. Secondly we want to address the issue of housing. Thirdly we want to address the issue of GEMS that is completely inefficient that runs out of funds in the first six months of the year and fourthly we don’t want all of the other nonsense of delays that never come into fruition that contain important demands of workers that have been side lined.”
