Public Forum and Book Launch: Successes and Failures of COSATU – “Lessons from the recent public service strikes”

Speaker
Prof. Sakhela Buhlungu (Dept of Sociology –University of Johannesburg)

Topic
Successes and Failures of COSATU – “Lessons from the recent public service strikes”

Book Launch
“A Paradox of Victory: COSATU and Democratic Transformation in SA”

The recent public sector strikes were raging uncontrollably and accusations and the blame game were played to the fullest by both the government and union leaders. Public anger was understandable, especially in the face of unjustifiable violence and what Terry Bell, a labour journalist described as ‘displays of apparent heartlessness by hospital workers’, after SA witnessed babies dying in public hospitals as a result of the strikes. In his recent address, to the 09th National Congress of NEHAWU, on 27 September 2010, Zwelinzima Vavi (General Secretary of COSATU), alluded that the public sector strike was gradually becoming a political and social liability for the unions:

”The strike itself was no longer as effective as it was two weeks before. The numbers of workers in the picket lines were dwindling. Some nurses started to moonlight in the private hospitals and only joined the picket lines during the day. The pressure was mounting, with media growing hostile after government blamed every death in public hospitals on the strike.”
So many questions were raised about unions, especially in terms of lessons learnt from previous strikes, lack of decisive leadership, and the need to educate their members to communicate, negotiate and organize more effectively.

The Democracy Development Programme (DDP) has invited Prof. S. Buhlungu, a renowned sociologist and labour expert to speak on this topic.

To attend please RSVP to Ms. Nondumiso Makhathini not later than 22 October 2010 via fax (031) 306 2261or e-mail: nondumisom@ddpdurban.org.za

We look forward to your possitive response!