Cosatu+was+in+Nairobi,+COSATU+DGS+Bheki+Ntshalintshali,+Sindy

Sunday Independent, February 04, 2007 //Edition 1//
=Cosatu was in Nairobi=


 * Bheki Ntshalintshali**

Christelle Terreblanche is an excellent journalist, for whom the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has great respect. But her article, "Cosatu must walk the talk", on Sunday January 29, is unfortunately marred by a number of damaging inaccuracies. Cosatu must set the record straight.

It alleges that at the Seventh World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi, "South African labour, including Cosatu, was all but invisible" and that "there was no input by Cosatu, one of Africa's largest union federations, when a first-ever formal network between mainstream international labour and 'left' social movements globally was launched within the WSF".

This is totally untrue. Cosatu was represented on the organising committee for the Nairobi meeting and pushed successfully for the Kenyan Centre of Trade Unions and African union federations to be given a central role. This led to the Trade Union Pavilion at the WSF, under the theme "Decent Work for a Decent Life!".

Cosatu was represented by its president, second deputy president, deputy general secretary, the general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA, and the deputy presidents of the South African Municipal Workers Union and the National Union of Mineworkers, and eight others from affiliates and the head office.

The following reveals just a few of the sessions in which Cosatu participated:


 * Silumko Nondwangu, the Numsa general secretary, spoke at a discussion on the growth of multinational companies, their behaviour in emerging economies like South Africa and Brazil, and how to monitor them.
 * Oupa Bodibe, the director of Naledi, represented Cosatu in a discussion on the ILO campaign for adequate social protection as a cushion against the effects of globalisation.
 * At a seminar on "Western Sahara: the last Colony in Africa", Mandla Rametsi, the deputy international relations secretary, represented Cosatu.
 * President Willy Madisha participated in a panel discussion on the NAMA 11 negotiations, which aim to reduce tariffs on non-agricultural goods. The Nama 11 bloc represents 11 developing countries' interests in non-agriculture market access.
 * Cosatu was invited to speak to a meeting on the theme of "Decent Work equals Fair Play", examining what action the trade unions should take towards the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Mandla Rametsi took part in this discussion.
 * Mummy Jafta, the Cosatu gender co-ordinator, participated in a discussion on "Women and Sexuality".

The article proceeds to draw false conclusions about the federation's relationship with the tripartite alliance and social movements. It misquotes Zwelinzima Vavi, the Cosatu general secretary, in his response to a question about "whether Cosatu's near-invisibility at the WSF was an indication that the resolutions about building the 'popular movement' were mere alliance rhetoric".

"Vavi," said the article, "pledged that in working with civil society from now on, 'there will be no talk of [the ANC] alliance, [but] talk just about what we should be doing together'." Vavi insists that he did not make such a statement and Cosatu is concerned that it could give an entirely misleading interpretation of its relations with the alliance and social movements.

Cosatu remains committed to work as closely as possible with progressive civil society and social movements, alongside its commitment to build and strengthen the tripartite alliance.


 * **Bheki Ntshalintshali** is deputy general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions


 * **Editor's note:** It is unfortunate that Cosatu only sought to provide details of its activities at the WSF after the publication of perceptions that it had not been as active as expected. Independent Newspapers had made numerous inquiries before and during the event, but received no response from spokespeople or representatives. The perceptions reflected in the opinion piece are to a large extent based on interviews with Cosatu and labour-aligned representatives, as well as other South African activists present in Nairobi.


 * From: http://www.sundayindependent.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3662785**

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