Public and Allied Workers Union of South Africa

STATEMENT: Launch of PAWUSA 45th Anniversary Celebration 1967 - 2012

Held at PAWUSA national office, 5 Buiten Street, Cape Town.

Once in a while, the power of human effort triumphs over adversity, and this is the case in the existence of PAWUSA, in its fight for the rights and freedoms of workers in South Africa. Remembering this fight, and the fight for equality, in the month of the worker, has got to be placed in context.

We have launched our celebration of 45 Years in existence, since PAWUSA was founded in 1967. The celebrations will be held in November 2012, in George. Every member has been sent a 45 Year celebration pack together with a celebration lanyard.

PAWUSA, the Public & Allied Workers Union of South Africa, formerly known as the Public Servants League PSL, or SDL Staats Diens Liga, is one of the oldest unions in the Public Service.

PAWUSA'S history dates back to 1967 when the PSL (Public Servants League) was established in Cape Town, on 23 November 1967 to represent employees in the public service.

(1) Employer had tabled a 5.9% conditional offer on the 23/4/12 for 2012 -2013 with Cpi +0.2% 2013/14 & cpi + 0.1% for 2014/15.

(2) After intense deliberations, Labour moved as follows in response to the employer's offer, from 10% to 9.5% to 9.2% to 9%. However, in return, the employer withdrew its offer tabled on the 23rd April and tabled a new offer which is as follows; 5% (projected CPI minus 0.9%), 5.3 for 2013/14 and 4.9% 2014/15. Our position on this is that the Employer had only moved towards CPI without placing a real offer on the table that is above CPI.

The public at large cannot sit back and allow the secrecy bill to be passed without a 'public interest' clause. And it doesn't matter who says it but COSATU has been preaching this message and we have to give heed for the call for support. Public Servants should not rest on their laurels as they would be at the receiving end of this secrecy bill. Public servants are already stressed. Many have been exposed and burdened by possession of concrete knowledge and evidence of wrong doing within their departments. This situation has played itself out in many ways. We have seen our union members been unfairly treated, demoted and charged with feeble trumped up charges, just to get rid of them as they stand in the way of bank rolling.

PAWUSA applauds the Corruption Watch as an affiliate of COSATU and is of the view that the success of having 500 cases reported within a short while is the tip of the iceberg.
Corruption robs the poor and low paid workers of benefiting participants in our democracy. One cannot think of lobbying political support for just causes and ideologies, being involved in activism and protests for equality when your stomach is empty and there no guarantee of getting food tomorrow.

Cosatu affiliates face deregistration, sharp leadership divisions by Moffet Mofokeng

RESPONSE
PAWUSA, Public & Allied Workers Union of South Africa, formerly known as the Public Servants League, is one of the oldest unions in the Public Service.
PAWUSA'S history dates back to 1967 when the PSL (Public Servants League) was established in Cape Town, on 23 November 1967, 13 days before the first heart transplant by Barnard at Groote Schuur, to represent employees in the public service, in a period when workers had no labour rights or access to representation and collective bargaining and trade unions were racially separated.