Fellow Comrades POPCRU declares its unwavering support for the FAWU National Strike Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) declares its full support for the Food and Allied Worker’ s Union (FAWU) National Strike for better living wages and conditions of service as a result of Amalgamated Beverages Industries (ABI) snail-paced intention to meet their demands. We are content that an onslaught of any worker is an onslaught to all workers of this country and we are calling all our members to support our fellow comrades .FAWU has tabled an increment of 9,5%,Moratorium on the use of Labour Brokers and changes in the current shift patterns and we believe all the demands are reasonable. Workers have nothing to lose than the chains that bind them! We condemn inconsiderate employers who renege from negotiating in good faith and allow our comrades to be slaves in their own country by earning pittance. We remain convinced that the course that FAWU is fighting is genuine and a legitimate path for the working class on this country and beyond. POPCRU will forever be supportive of peaceful demonstrations and marches and forewarn all who intent to abuse, mis-use and/or over-use power to renege from such acts and allow workers to express their labour rights without provocation. An injury to one is an injury to all! Forward with the struggle for decent jobs and socialism! Issued by: Mampane Norman National Communication Officer POPCRU
________________________________ From: Castro Ngobese <[email protected]> To: yclsa-eom-forum <[email protected]> Sent: Fri, January 1, 2010 4:36:01 PM Subject: [YCLSA Discussion] 'Abuse of SAPS airwing a concern' - Numsa ________________________________ 'Abuse of SAPS airwing a concern' The National Union of Metal Workers (Numsa) has expressed concern at what it claims is an abuse of the police's airwing to intimidate striking Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) members. Numsa spokesman Castro Ngobese said on Friday that this was similar to the restriction of airwing operations to a tiny minority under apartheid. "We urge our allies in Popcru (the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union) to engage their members not to be used to protect the interests of capital, and ABI (Amalgamated Beverages Industries) in particular," Ngobese said in a statement. The police could not be reached for comment about the allegations. Ngobese said Popcru members should understand that the ongoing strike action at ABI was a class struggle amid the exploitation and abuse of workers. "It forms part of the many ongoing class struggles waged by workers and our communities for better delivery of services and decent work for all," he said. He reiterated Numsa's call for a boycott of all ABI beverages until workers' demands for a "living wage" and the banning of labour brokers were met. Hundreds of ABI employees affiliated to Fawu downed tools last week, demanding a 9.5 percent pay hike. The employer was offering 8.3 percent. On Thursday, Fawu accused ABI management of provoking and intimidating employees after police helicopters were seen flying over the striking workers. The union called on Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele to investigate the possible abuse or misuse of police resources. "It cannot be right that police helicopters will be called, presumably by management, to fly above striking workers yet the dispatched police officials on the ground were not informed or did not see the need for such sheer show of power," Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola said at the time. ABI denied the claims of intimidation and provocation on Thursday, attributing the heavy police presence to workers' "escalating levels of violence" since the start of the strike. The company accused striking workers of fire-bombing and stoning trucks, employee vehicles and delivery vehicles on Tuesday, and off intimidating non-striking workers. - Sapa Published on the Web by IOL on 2010-01-01 12:43:49 ________________________________ © 1999 - 2010 Independent Online. All rights strictly reserved. Independent Online is a wholly owned subsidiary of Independent News & Media. Reliance on the information this site contains is at your own risk. -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
