COSATU welcomes PSI World Congress to South Africa 21 November 2012 COSATU together with all its affiliates, particularly our public sector affiliates, take this opportunity to welcome all delegates who are descending on our shores for the first World Congress of PSI in Africa, taking place in Durban from 27-30th November, 2012. The Congress is taking place at a critical moment in the history of the struggle for a new and just world order, quality public services and the fight against neo-liberal globalisation, particularly ravaging our continent and the working class as a whole. This imposes upon the shoulders of the delegates the huge responsibility to carry out the mammoth task of developing a decisive and profound programme to confront the crisis of global capitalism, unite the working class and build alternatives away from the failed logic of private accumulation. Public sector workers are the engine of the struggle for a developmental democratic state, free from the logic of looting and plunder by narrow private interests and accumulation for self-enrichment. The threat to the broad democratic interests of the public as a result of privatisation of services and corruption can only be defeated by working class unity and alliances with progressive community organisations and other popular social forces. Global capital is on the offensive, at the forehead of which stand multinational companies, who are decisively eroding workers rights and social justice gains throughout the world. The corporate capture of public institutions, the downward variation of labour standards, the climate and ecological crisis, plunder of the natural resources of developing countries, vicious attacks on working conditions and wages and the generalised decline of workers income, require the most concrete programme of struggle and unity in action. In this regard, we must act to unite and build solidarity across countries, industries, sectors, races, and more importantly between working women and men. This however, also requires that we equally confront the particular challenges faced by working women and fight against inequalities wherever they manifest themselves, including the rights for disabled workers, indigenous people, workers suffering from occupation and colonialism, as well as vulnerable workers. We would not have done justice to the people of Africa if we do not raise the critical subject of workers fighting against underdevelopment, poverty and hunger on the African continent. The struggle for industrialisation must be at the centre of our struggle for democratisation, economic justice and policy alternatives. Equally, we must use the opportunity to support the working classes of the Middle East against despots and imperialist client states. The people of Palestine cry out for our solidarity and workers can never be neutral on a matter of justice and human dignity. We can never apportion equal blame to the coloniser and the colonised, so we cannot blame the Palestinian people for fighting for their freedom from occupation in the same vein that we must, as a matter of responsibility, blame the coloniser, Israel for occupying and imposing its rule by force against the people of Palestine. While we call for working class unity, broadly, but that should not make us be fooled into equally blaming the aggressor and the victim. It would be hypocrisy of the worst form. In this regard, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Campaign has emerged as the only peaceful form of global pressure against Israel for its blatant violation of international law. We also extend a warm hand of welcome to workers from different parts of the world, who are waging protracted struggles in their countries against despots and ruthless political elites and their patrons in the global ruling class. We are, and shall always be, in full solidarity with all of you and hope you find inspiration in joining hands with fellow workers from other parts of the world on the South African soil during this moment. Finally, we wish to pay special tribute to all those of you who supported our struggle against apartheid in concrete and practical ways. Without your support our struggle would have been a lot more difficult and we very much thank you all for that. In that same vein, we urge you to continue pledging full solidarity with fellow workers and the sister peoples still involved in their own struggles, particularly in Western Sahara, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, the release of the Cuban five from US jails and end to the embargo against Cuba, the Colombian people and all those still suffering from oppression and occupation of whatever form. We shall be awaiting your Congress outcomes with keenness and wish all of you as guests of our affiliates, all the best and success in your important deliberations. Issued by COSATU
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