NEHAWU Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee Statement
Friday July 15, 2022
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in Gauteng convened its Provincial Executive Committee [PEC] meeting on the 11th-12th July 2022 in Johannesburg.
The PEC considered the international context, political and socio-economic situations including organisational assessment in particular matters affecting our members and the working class in the province.
International Context
The PEC resolved to intensify international solidarity activism and awareness amongst members of the union and society at large. The meeting resolved to strengthen international work on campaigns for a Free Palestine against Apartheid Israel. Equally the PEC took a moment to honour and pay tribute to Comrade Amos Mbedzi and pledged to intensify its struggle against the despotic regime of the Tinkundla regime. The PEC resolved to coordinate campaigns with other provinces [Mpumalanga and KwaZulu Natal] against the despotic Tinkundla regime.
The PEC resolved to continue supporting the people Venezuela and draw inspiration from their resilient struggle against imperialist domination led by the United States of America. The union shall continue its unwavering support to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and strengthen its solidarity campaigns in solidarity with the people of Venezuela.
The working class belong to the peace movement and opposes the blood thirsty quest of western imperialism to dominate the world economy through wars. In this regard the PEC pledges solidarity with the working class of Ukraine and Russia and calls for an end to the expansionist imperialist agenda of NATO. The PEC resolved that the South African Government must consider buying oil and gas from Russia to deal with our energy crisis and as a measure to resist the hegemony of western imperialism.
National Political Situation
The PEC resolved that the union must play a significant role in shaping the alliance and fighting for hegemony of the working class and the poor in both the alliance and society. The PEC welcomed and appreciated the role played by the union in developing the concept paper on the Left Popular Front.
The meeting analysed the state of the National Democratic Revolution and came to a conclusion that if the NDR is to remain relevant, the reconfiguration of the alliance is more urgent than before and a different path must be followed to distance ourselves form neoliberalism.
The PEC emphasized the resolution of the union on swelling the ranks of the ANC and the Party and congratulated comrades that were elected as leaders of the Party in various districts and voiced disappointment that the same is not happening with the ANC.
The PEC lamented the absence of the Party in workers’ struggles. In this regard the PEC resolved to convene a bilateral meeting with the Party and ANC in our province in order to strengthen relations and for joint political schools.
Socio-Economic situation
The PEC agreed that the approach to the problems of ESKOM must be informed by understanding the root causes of the problem which is rooted in the neoliberal paradigm which has led the state not being able to build new power generation capacity and neglect existing power generation capacity to enable private power producers to be involved and have hegemony of power generation.
The state must play a leading role in power generation and must be involved in renewable energy. In this regard, the PEC rejects the unbundling and privatisation of Eskom and support the calls for the Minister of Public Enterprises to be removed and for the Eskom CEO to be sacked and the board to be removed. Equally the PEC agreed that the state must also deal with issue of regulation of provision of electricity.
The PEC resolved to fully support the COSATU campaign against the rising cost of living and also will join the march of DENOSA on the 20th of July to the Department of Health. In this regard the Provincial Office Bearers will engage the DENOSA leadership for a joint action.
The continued intransigence of the employer in the public service and the dogged pursuance of neoliberal policies by the 6th administration must be condemned and the union must continue putting pressure on the governing party to change the course that they are pursuing.
The PEC further resolved that the union must support the taxi industry in its fight against the rising cost of fuel and demand the subsidisation of this industry as we continue the fight for safe, affordable and reliable transport.
Organisational Priorities
The PEC noted that the branch congresses program is the flagship program of the union in 2022, all efforts must be made to ensure compliance with the decision of the NEC of making sure that each province concludes 30 branches a month and that regions must improve on their reporting.
The PEC pledged its unwavering support to the workers at SARS who are embarking on a protected strike action. Equally, the PEC resolved to pledge its unwavering support to the workers at UNISA and our shop stewards whose employment has been terminated by an intransigent management at the university. In this regard, the union will work around the clock to resolve the UNISA debacle and ensure the return of our shop stewards.
The meeting resolved to intensify work on recruitment of new members to the union, and this therefore means that the union in the province must accelerate its recruitment campaign, improve service to retain members and broaden its recruitment strategy. The meeting further resolved to prioritise launching of branches within Emergency Medical Service [EMS].
END
Issued by NEHAWU Gauteng Secretariat Office
For more information, please contact: Mzikayise Tshontshi (Gauteng Provincial Secretary) at 0636851938 or email: mzikayise@nehawu.org.za or
Thulisile Msimang (Gauteng Provincial Deputy Secretary) at 0721748062 or email: tmsimang@dtps.gov.za Visit https://www.nehawu.org.za