Gauteng SACP press statement in support of the Public Service strike

25 August 2010

The SACP in Gauteng is fully behind the public service strike and is convinced that the demands of the workers are legitimate. We have thus far taken it upon ourselves to mobilize the rest of civil society and our communities to understand and support this action.

We have however been taken aback by the intransigence of the employer by misleading the public, insinuating that there is a new offer on the table. Such actions only hardens attitudes and militates against rules of engagement as provided for in collective bargaining processes. We call upon the employer to desist from such amateurish tendencies and return to the bargaining table with a better offer as soon as possible, for a speedy resolution of this strike.

We are equally dismayed by the brutal and repressive measures employed by the police in dealing with the striking workers. We have noted with concern that Gauteng law enforcement agencies are the most brutal compared to the rest of the provinces during this period. We condemn such brutality as it only plunges the country into chaos. We therefore call upon authorities, in particular the MEC for Safety in Gauteng to make a decisive intervention to restrain the police.

In the same breath, we condemn in all strongest sense any acts of violence and intimidation attributed to the striking workers as it undermines the legitimacy of our action. We call for maximum discipline amongst the workers. We finally call upon the employer to meet the demands of the workers and that can only be achieved at the negotiating table not through the media platform.

Issued by the SACP Gauteng Province

Contact – Provincial Secretary: Jacob Mamabolo (0828841868) / Provincial Spokesperson: Pat Ntsobi (0726714258)