I tend to be very much in agreement with what you say. It is six years now since the change and COSATU seems to say enough is enough in a very clear and concrete way. The SACP has made some unusually forceful statements as well and is also in the same line. Alexander Moumbaris George Gruenthal a écrit : > Dear comrades and friends, > > I do not know much about the situation in Sierra Leone, except that the > imperialists have for a long time tried to use African regional forces > to maintain "stability" in the continent, and are now using UN and UK > troops again. > > The situation in South Africa is interesting because Cosatu, despite its > overall alliance with the government (which, although it did mark the > end of apartheid, has never broken with imperialism in my opinion), is > forced to fight at least for some basic economic interests of the > workers. > > Fraternally, > George > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Objet: [gangbox] Fwd: CONGRESS OF SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE UNIONS SETS GENERAL STRIKE > Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 14:52:33 -0700 (PDT) > De: The Infamous Vinnie gangbox <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Répondre-A: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > A: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > from BUISNESS DAY: > > SA braces for nationwide strike action > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > -- > SA, its economy reeling after the rand’s fall to record lows last week, > is > bracing for a national strike by the country’s largest labour movement > on > Wednesday to protest against job losses. > The strike comes at a time when the rand, bond and stock markets have > taken a > beating from negative overseas sentiment generated largely by neighbouring > > Zimbabwe’s political turmoil, along with prolonged civil wars elsewhere > on > the continent. > > The 1,8-million-strong Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is > demanding government slow down the pace of tariff cuts leading to a flood > of > cheap imports, change its business-friendly macroeconomic strategy, and > make > it more difficult for companies to close at the expense of workers. > > “The strike is definitely going ahead on Wednesday,” Cosatu spokesman > Siphiwe Mgcina said. > > Economists said the strike could not have come at a worse time and warned > that the apparent conflict of interests between Cosatu and its ally, the > ruling African National Congress, could add to investor unease about SA. > > “Sentiment has been damaged and is very fragile. The Cosatu strike will > not > help at all,” Colen Garrow, an economist with ABN-Amro, said. > > “Investors want political stability. Cosatu is still an alliance partner > with > government and there is possible political turmoil there,” he said. > > Labour consultants Andrew Levy and Associates have said a million jobs > have > been lost in the last decade, about half of them since the country’s > first > democratic elections in 1994. > > The consultancy said in a February report that job creation would remain > challenging because of new labour legislation, an increased incidence of > AIDS, job losses in the civil service, and the lagged effect of numerous > strikes last year. > > The 40 000-member South African Chamber of Business (Sacob) said the > country > stood to lose R3,2bn in production if there was a full strike. > > “This strike will reinforce the negative stereotype of the region. The > timing > couldn’t have been worse. We desperately need foreign investment,” > Sacob CE > Kevin said Wakeford. > > Another economist said government’s growth, employment and > redistribution > strategy (Gear) introduced in 1996 had turned around a highly protected > economy at the expense of jobs, but the benefits were not far off. > > “With the export performance of the country beginning to show its teeth > one > is pleasantly aware that industries will have to start adding jobs,” > Econometrix economist Tony Twine said. > > He identified manufacturing, construction and tourism as short-term growth > > engines. > > “Within a year, or two, certain industries will pick up and employ more > people. The net growth may be small to start off with, especially if the > public sector is being downsized, but any country that can boast growth > and a > shrinking public sector wage bill will certainly attract a lot of > interest.” > > Wakeford said there was nothing wrong with Gear, but some government > taxation > and labour policies hindered the development of new business and growth. > > Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has predicted annual gross domestic product > > growth of 3,5% for the next three years but economists have said growth of > at > least 6% is needed to create sustainable employment. > > Government has promised to trim the number of civil servants in the face > of > massive spending requirements on housing, health and education. It has > also > pledged to privatise parastatals to raise capital. > > Cosatu is opposed to the government’s moves, arguing that state > intervention > is needed for development and to provide essential services to the poor > communities. — Reuters. > > Wednesday > 10 May 2000 > IN BUSINESS DAY TOMORROW > > US deputy secretary of state praises Mbeki's handling of the situation in > Zimbabwe > > Preview of the Cosatu strike > > Several corporate bond issues likely > > Blue Train trips to Zimbabwe cancelled for at least a month > > > > > > > > > > > > > BDFM Publishers (Pty) Ltd disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, > injury or expense however caused, arising from the use of or reliance > upon, > in any manner, the information provided through this service and does not > warrant the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information provided. > © BDFM Publishers 2000 Back to the top > > _______________________________________________________ > Get 100% FREE Internet Access powered by Excite > Visit http://freelane.excite.com/freeisp > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Would you like to save big on your phone bill -- and keep on saving > more each month? Join beMANY! Our huge buying group gives you Long Distance > rates which fall monthly, plus an extra $60 in FREE calls! > http://click.egroups.com/1/2567/2/_/12406/_/957909164/ > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > GANGBOX: CONSTRUCTION WORKERS NEWS SERVICE > > GANGBOX homepage: > > http://www.GeoCities.com/gangbox/ > > comments? email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > "UNION NOW, UNION FOREVER"
begin:vcard n:Moumbaris;Alexandre tel;fax:00 33 1 43 81 21 66 tel;home:00 33 1 43 01 01 30 tel;work:00 33 1 43 01 01 30 x-mozilla-html:FALSE org:Editions Democrite;Redaction version:2.1 email;internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED] adr;quoted-printable:;;52, bld Roger Salengro=0D=0A;LIVRY GARGAN;;93190;FRANCE note;quoted-printable:Nous publions "Les dossiers du BIP" un mensuel en fran=E7ais de traductions d'articles de diverses langues "russe, grec, espagnol, anglais, bulgare, allemand....), susceptible d'interesser des lecteurs communistes.=0D=0ALe pirx est de 260 FF par an tarif unique France et l'Etranger.=0D=0ASi vous le souhaitez nus pouvons vous offrir un abonnement gratuit de trois mois =E0 l'essai. =0D=0A=0D=0A************************************************************************=0D=0A=0D=0AWe publish a monthly revue in French "Les Dossiers du BIP". The contents are translated articles from various languages "Russian, Greek, Spanish, English, Bulgarian, German...) likely to interst communist readers.=0D=0AThe subscription is 260 FF a year for France and abroad.=0D=0Aif you wish we can offer you a free trhee month trial subscription. =0D=0A*************************************************************************=0D=0A=0D=0AAlexander MOUMBARIS=0D=0AEditor=0D=0A fn:Editions Democrite end:vcard
