Aint+gonna+do+Sun+City,+Vavi+tells+2010+board,+Smillie+and+Kalideen,+Star

The Star, October 20, 2006 //Edition 1//
=Ain't gonna do Sun City, Vavi tells 2010 board=


 * Shaun Smillie and Nalisha Kalideen**

Zwelinzima Vavi has managed to get a meeting of the entire board of the 2010 World Cup organising committee moved from Sun City to Sandton in solidarity with striking workers.

The board's programme was turned on its head yesterday when Cosatu general secretary Vavi - the labour representative on the 2010 board - refused to go to Sun City as workers at the hotel were on strike.

Hotel bookings had been made for the two-day gathering, and the board were to stay at the plush Lost City.

Plans had to be quickly changed when Vavi dug his heels in.

The schedules of the 19-member board - which includes 2010 chairperson Irvin Khoza, chief executive Danny Jordaan, a coterie of cabinet ministers and well-known businessman Tokyo Sexwale - were painstakingly co-ordinated so that they could meet in one place.

But as the board were about to head for Sun City, they had to switch to the Sandton offices of 2010 legal adviser Edward Nathan for their gathering.

The change in venue followed a letter from the South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers' Union asking the 2010 organising committee not to go to Sun City for their meeting while the pay strike was on.

Vavi told the organising committee he was "dead against" attending the gathering if it went ahead at Sun City.

"Money (used for bookings at Sun City) was not imperative. Thousands and thousands of workers are losing money every day. I had to show solidarity with the striking workers," he told The Star last night.

"I hope that in the build-up to the World Cup other companies will follow the same fine example (of the 2010 board) in dealing with the issue of workers' rights. The strike has to be settled as soon as possible," Vavi added.

The 2010 organising committee spokesperson, Tumi Makgabo, said the venue was changed "primarily with the sensitivity in mind with the workers that were striking".

She did not know when Vavi had objected to attending the board meeting at Sun City, but said there had been no problem co-ordinating the schedules of the board members to get them to meet in Sandton.

"It was the easiest place from where everyone was coming," Makgabo said.

Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven hailed the decision not to have the meeting at Sun City.

"It was a last-minute decision, and Cosatu welcomes it; we hope other people will follow this example. What is important is that the local organising committee acted in solidarity with these low-paid workers. This has set a fine example," said Craven.


 * From: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3494993**

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