"Not a single shop must open. Teachers will join the strike - and we must make sure that no clinic is open, hospitals must come to a standstill"
COSATU plans to bring Gauteng to a halt next month and the labour federation expects every clinic, hospital, school and shop to close when it embarks on a strike.
Cosatu's provincial shop stewards, who gathered at Regina Mundi Church in Soweto yesterday, were instructed to make sure that the economy was brought to its knees.
The federation will embark on a national strike to demand a total ban of labour brokers and the removal of tollgates on Gauteng freeways.
Cosatu's Gauteng secretary Dumisani Dakile said the success of the national strike would depend on how effective it was in Gauteng.
"An employer who dismisses a worker will see the might of Cosatu.
"Not a single shop must open and we must make sure that there is no clinic that is open, hospitals must come to a standstill," Dakile said.
"Samwu must make sure that there is no worker who will make tea for the premier [Nomvula Mokonyane] and the mayors.
"We must drive the economy to a standstill. Employers and the ANC government will not take us seriously if we do not organise an effective strike."
A Sadtu representative stood up and protested that Dakile had excluded teachers in his list of services that had to be disrupted.
"Teachers will join the strike and we hope that parents will not fight with us when we are on strike," said a Sadtu representative.
Dakile said the federation would assess the impact of the strike before deciding on its next action.
Cosatu's Zwelinzima Vavi urged the shop stewards to fight for the banning of labour brokers.
"If you do not fight this now, all of us will be employed through labour brokers at some stage.
"Let us fix our house before it collapses. There are people who think they must eat on behalf of the masses.
"The ANC must use the policy conference to turn the situation around," Vavi said.
He condemned the obsession with the succession debate within the ANC which he said was derailing the party from delivering on its promises to the electorate.
"Let us concentrate on five key priorities which are creating jobs, education, good healthcare, rural development and fighting crime.
"In 2014 it will be 20 years [of freedom] and we can't call on our people to be patient."
Vavi drew on the experience of Zimbabwe, which he praised for spending its first 20 years of liberation to fix its education and health systems.
He took a swipe at ANC leaders who relied on the sterling work done by previous leaders of the organisation.
"Tell us about your work, not about Chief Albert Luthuli, Nelson Mandela and Chris Hani. Tell us about you," he said.
Cosatu plans major strike
"Not a single shop must open. Teachers will join the strike - and we must make sure that no clinic is open, hospitals must come to a standstill"
COSATU plans to bring Gauteng to a halt next month and the labour federation expects every clinic, hospital, school and shop to close when it embarks on a strike.
Cosatu's provincial shop stewards, who gathered at Regina Mundi Church in Soweto yesterday, were instructed to make sure that the economy was brought to its knees.
The federation will embark on a national strike to demand a total ban of labour brokers and the removal of tollgates on Gauteng freeways.
Cosatu's Gauteng secretary Dumisani Dakile said the success of the national strike would depend on how effective it was in Gauteng.
"An employer who dismisses a worker will see the might of Cosatu.
"Not a single shop must open and we must make sure that there is no clinic that is open, hospitals must come to a standstill," Dakile said.
"Samwu must make sure that there is no worker who will make tea for the premier [Nomvula Mokonyane] and the mayors.
"We must drive the economy to a standstill. Employers and the ANC government will not take us seriously if we do not organise an effective strike."
A Sadtu representative stood up and protested that Dakile had excluded teachers in his list of services that had to be disrupted.
"Teachers will join the strike and we hope that parents will not fight with us when we are on strike," said a Sadtu representative.
Dakile said the federation would assess the impact of the strike before deciding on its next action.
Cosatu's Zwelinzima Vavi urged the shop stewards to fight for the banning of labour brokers.
"If you do not fight this now, all of us will be employed through labour brokers at some stage.
"Let us fix our house before it collapses. There are people who think they must eat on behalf of the masses.
"The ANC must use the policy conference to turn the situation around," Vavi said.
He condemned the obsession with the succession debate within the ANC which he said was derailing the party from delivering on its promises to the electorate.
"Let us concentrate on five key priorities which are creating jobs, education, good healthcare, rural development and fighting crime.
"In 2014 it will be 20 years [of freedom] and we can't call on our people to be patient."
Vavi drew on the experience of Zimbabwe, which he praised for spending its first 20 years of liberation to fix its education and health systems.
He took a swipe at ANC leaders who relied on the sterling work done by previous leaders of the organisation.
"Tell us about your work, not about Chief Albert Luthuli, Nelson Mandela and Chris Hani. Tell us about you," he said.
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