23 November 2000
Between 09h00 and 11h00 tomorrow (Friday, 24 November), the General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Blade Nzimande, will visit the Lenasia factory (ESS Chemicals) where 12 workers were tragically burnt to their death on 18 November 2 000 and the families of the deceased.
This visit will be part of a joint SACP-COSATU visit to the factory and families. The visit will also include brief stops and distribution of leaflets calling for unionisation of the largely un-organised workers in this industrial section of Lenasia.
For the last two years, the SACP has warned against neo-liberal restructuring of our economy based on sacrificing the South African working class. This neo-liberal restructuring of the economy has been accompanied by vocal and un-ashamed calls for the de-r egulation of our labour market and downwards variation of labour standards. As we have said, the bosses seek to restructure our economy on the carcass of the South African working class. The Lenasia killings are the most concrete and literal manifestation of this onslaught on the working class.
As with the rest of South African society, the SACP is outraged at the inhumane and tragic killing of the 12 workers through not being able to escape the burning building because all exit doors were locked and the workers did not have access to either the keys or telephones to communicate with the outside world. This killing indicates the continuing undesirable lack of safety and health standards and measures for the majority of South African workers. As an example, hundreds of other workers in the same ind ustrial area have also indicated to the media that other factories also lock all exit points for night shifts. Without doubt, hundreds of other employers are daily endangering the lives of many workers through this illegal and unsafe locking of workers. Th e SACP condemns this illegal and selfish practice by the bosses of locking workers inside hazardous industrial plants.
According to records kept by the Lenasia Police Station, Sylvia Dlamini who worked at ESS Chemicals went to the SAPS to complain against their lock up by the employer and generally against working conditions at ESS Chemicals. Following her complaint, she w as subsequently fired from ESS Chemicals. As the SACP, we ask what has happened to this complaint and why has there been no action?
This killing is a challenge for government to seriously review the efficacy of inspection and enforcement of health and safety standards. How often do health and safety inspectors visit and monitor industrial plants? What steps do they take to ensure maxim um health and safety? Are the safety and health standards provided for in current legislation and regulations appropriate and sufficient?
The Lenasia case also exposes how serious the bosses are with the super exploitation of workers through starvation wages and extremely long working hours. The Lenasia factory pays its workers R375 a month for 15 hour daily shifts. The Lenasia case is just another reason why we need a consolidation and strengthening of our labour standards. The SACP reiterates its support for the consolidation and strengthening of this basic floor of workers rights.
For all the above reasons, we call on the South African government to take speedy and appropriate steps to ensure that the Lenasia killings are fully investigated, the employer and all other responsible bodies are prosecuted and that safety and health stan dards are observed by all employers.
The SACP also calls on workers in the Lenasia industrial area and other un-organised workers to join unions and fight for better working conditions. Without unity, organisation and mobilisation of workers the bosses will continue attacking the basic floor of worker's rights we have established since 1994.
CONTACT
Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information and Publicity South African Communist Party
Tel: 011 339 3621 Fax: 011 339 4244
Cell: 083 651 0271 Email: sacp1@wn.apc.org