Congress+Declaration+and+new+leadership,+CWU+Media+Release

CWU Media Release, Mon 2007/01/29 10:45 AM
//Newly elected leadership://

2) Karthi Pillay, 1st Deputy President 3) Mathapelo Mphuti, 2nd Deputy President 4) Gallant Roberts, General Secretary 5) Thabo Mogalane, Deputy General Secretary 6) Carl Bezuidenhout, Treasurer**
 * 1) Joe Chauke, President

Communication Workers Union

Congress Declaration
24th – 26th January 2007 Seventh Adventist Church – Conference Centre Bloemfontein

Whereas, we the delegates to the 3rd National congress of the Communication Workers Union, gathered here at the Seventh Adventist Church, Bloemfontein, from the 22 to the 25 of January 2007 under the theme of organisational renewal for the working class hegemony and Socialism.

We came to this Congress against a backdrop of speculation about the state of the organisation and the unity of our leadership. This congress demonstrated the unity of the workers in the communications sector and expressed confidence to build a strong and united CWU with deep rooted working class consciousness to prepare it for the struggles against neo-liberalism and the 1996 class project that seeks to derail the process of social transformation and change the lives of our people.

We assert our undeniable link to the noble but difficult struggle for socialism and resolve to work closely with the leading socialist force and vanguard of the working class in our country, the South African Communist Party in its varied campaigns to advancing the struggle for socialism and entrench working class hegemony in our society. In this regard we resolve to intensify ideological offensive among our members working together with the SACP.

We also came here at a time when market fundamentalism and neo liberalism have again failed humanity. In pursuance of the working class agenda we pledge to work with all alliance structures (including participation in all COSATU structures and the SACP campaigns) and other democratic organisations, locally and international. We commit ourselves in ensuring that the newly elected leadership works collectively and discourage individualism amongst leaders. We note with serious concern the developing attitude and lack of discipline amongst our ranks and charge the leadership at all levels to deepen unity among members, unity of purpose and unity in action for the achievement of our objectives and the advancement of the struggle for socialism.

The organisation also notes with appreciation the importance of the sector in the overall development of our society, in job creation, economic growth, mass education and ideological offensive against neo liberal capitalist triumphalism. We should leave no stone un-turned in ensuring that the development of the sector reaches far to the remote rural communities of our country to deepen development and ensure all our people benefit from the process of social transformation.

We are impressed by the number of young workers that are swelling the ranks of the organisation, particularly young women, both within the general membership, and in all of the leadership structures’ of the organisation. We believe that this auger well in advancing the struggles for the women emancipation and for gender transformation that we are committed to - in a male dominated information and communication industry. We also call on these young people to swell the ranks of the Young Communist League of South Africa.

We are committed to the fight against tendencies within the National Democratic Movement to marginalise the working class from the centre of determination of their destiny. In this regard the union should broaden its deeper understanding of these challenges and should embark on an extensive programme to deepen the 9th COSATU Congress resolution on the NDR and Socialism and unleash its power to defeat the 1996 class project and the capitalist system in general in a relentless struggle towards the creation of a socialist society where all citizens shall enjoy equality in all forms and spheres of life with no hindrance to access basic services, and other societal needs.

We also commit ourselves to fight against capitalist radical reforms around which we shall mobilise our members to destroy privatisation, outsourcing, casualisation, corruption and other forms of oppression.

This congress further declares to defend the gains of the working class achieved over the last decade of our freedom and resolve to join the broad forces for development in our country led by the revolutionary tripartite Alliance and SANCO to advance social transformation and mobilise our people against all forms of oppression and social ills still afflicting our society.

The congress also resolved to engage with the ANC in its preparation for the National Policy Conference in June 2007 and the National Conference in December 2007 through active membership in the ANC to ensure that working class issues are taken on board and put at the forefront of key resolution in advance of our struggle for equality of our people.

We have also noted the decoy war on terror led by the USA and its shift to the African continent and express our total opposition to this world subjugation by the USA and its imperialist tendencies transported across the world in the name of fighting terrorists. We also state categorically clear that we are opposed to any form of terrorism and at the same time reject with contempt the disregard of international law and conventions as well as collective efforts of the states through the United Nations by the USA in its violent approach in fighting terrorism in the nominated axis of evil and terror states as part of its strategy for regime change.

We also congratulate our Republic of South Africa for taking up the seat as a non permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and urge it to use the opportunity to protect the vulnerable all over the world and to promote peace, the values of liberty and freedom and respect for international law and sovereignty of states.

In conclusion
We re-affirm our commitment to fight for job creation in our growing sector and commit our members to respect the values of our hard fought freedoms and imbue our people with the confidence of the success of our struggle and its moral high ground, commitment to total liberation of all our people and reject the narrow and selfish BEE as espoused by big business. We call on the government to deepen its role in transformation the recalcitrant capitalist monopolies that refuse to adapt to the process of change underway in South Africa. We need a thoroughgoing transformation of the economy that will not retain the objective norm of business as usual with monopoly capital as intact as in the apartheid era, whilst projecting a cosmetic change through credit grant of BEE loans to a select few and tiny black individuals when the majority remain in abject poverty.

We assert that our revolution seeks to liberate black people in general and Africans in particular, from the aggravated legacy of white racist and supremacists oppression that lasted for many decades, and to create a prosperous South Africa where all people live in peace and harmony without any prejudice on the basis of their location, race, creed or belief at the centre of which is the working class and the poor who seek to benefit from this process of change.

We also ready ourselves to recruit more members into the union and build a strong organisation able to service its members and defend the rights and interests of the working class.


 * End**


 * Issued by: Communication Workers Union**
 * Comments: Mfanafuthi Sithebe**
 * Head of Communication**
 * Tel: +27 0118388188**
 * Mobile: +27 832089643**
 * Mail: mfanafuthis@cwu.org.za**

1233 words