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COSATU Free State has filed a Section 77 Notice of a Socio-Economic Protest Action in line with the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 as amended with NEDLAC today.

The above decision was not arrived at lightly, all the facts were considered and what we found outweighing all prospects was the fact that a total of 2 225 jobs may be on the line in an area where the unemployment rate is already at 41, 8% with youth unemployment ranging at 53% and a boasting a very huge number of discouraged work seekers.

The area also has close to 100 000 people who are not economically active and with a dependency ratio of 61.2%

The area remains a Presidential nodal point in terms of its high poverty levels, high unemployment rate and lately a scourge of poverty related sicknesses,  which has even extended to employed persons!

In the area we have noted a phenomenon of impoverished employed persons due to the slave wages they are subjected to.

As much as we do not agree with Mike Schussler, a renowned economist on a number of issues, we, however take note of that his findings on the matter are a lot closer to our own projections on the effect of the construction of De Beer’s pass on the economy of Harrismith; the following were discovered;

Ø  A shrinkage of 2.91% in the wholesale and retail sector of the province and 25.2% in the Maluti a Phofung Municipality

Ø  A decline of R 752 M in the gross value added which comprises 7.07% of Maluti a Phofung and 0.527% for the province

Ø  A decrease of 3.525 In the total output of Maluti a Phofung Municipality

Ø  A decline of R60.3M in tax revenue

Ø  Loss of 1 660 direct jobs

COSATU Free State continues to believe in building socialism in our lifetime and would continue our political program towards that objective as outlined in the National Democratic Revolution theory.

We also take cognisance of the fact that our members and their families have to survive in the current harsh capitalist system where the weak remains vulnerable to the rich and that the wolf is always knocking on the poor’s door.

We have thus taken a noble decision to defend the jobs our members so that they may continue to provide the basic needs for themselves and their families and be ready to tale the struggle forward.

We hereby make known our intention to oppose the construction of the De Beers bypass which will in effect reduce the towns Warden and Harrismith and the shopping hub Swinburne and Montrose into abandoned buildings with no economic activity left.

We hereby thus declare the Notice for the Section 77 in terms of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 with NEDLAC for our intention to embark on a protest action in support of our socio-economic demand that the intention to construct the De Beers bypass should be withdrawn in favour of a more sustainable and amicable solution to the problem posed by the N3 at the Van Reenen’s pass.

We call upon the Department of Transport and SANRAL to choose a more people friendly option in relation to this matter.

The struggle continues during the 30 years of COSATU’s existence to defend jobs and workers rights!

Issued by COSATU Free State