STATEMENT FROM WASP ON AMCU ALLEGATIONS ISSUED BY: the Workers and Socialist Party FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Workers and Socialist Party encourages AMCU workers to investigate corruption claims The Workers and Socialist Party (WASP) has received reports from workers at Impala Platinum over corruption allegations against their trade union AMCU (Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union) representatives on shop steward level at as well as higher up in union structures. These allegations are of very serious concern to WASP, and we encourage AMCU to set up an investigation which must not only involve union officials but also a team of rank-and-file AMCU workers, who in our view should play the leading role in examining these claims in a transparent way. Mineworkers have flocked to AMCU to escape the corruption and treachery within the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). They need a union where getting into the pockets of the bosses is not only unthinkable but also made impossible through solid, democratic structures at every level – shaft, branch, region, province and national – and a ban on privileges to ensure that shop stewards and other union officials share the living conditions of the members they are elected to represent. This is what WASP has consistently encouraged workers to strive for in taking control over the building of AMCU, as well as other unions. As Marikana made clear, the task that has been thrown onto the shoulders of workers in South Africa is to rebuild and revive the entire labour movement on the principles of worker control, struggle and socialism. WASP is not calling on the Impala management or the police to investigate AMCU or its shop stewards. We believe union officials must account to the rank-and-file members and that is the workers who must drive any investigation into misconduct. Zero-tolerance for class collaboration, corruption and anything ‘about us without us’ will be critical for the maintenance of the fighting unity which will be critical as AMCU takes on the platinum giants in a battle for a R12 500 minimum wage. WASP wishes the union all the best in this struggle. As always, we will be active participants in and supporters of the upcoming strike action. INQIURIES: Mametlwe Sebei 081 368 0706 or Liv Shange 081 393 1914. NOTES FOR EDITORS: WASP is preparing itself for its first electoral challenge in the 2014 national and provincial elections. WASP was founded on the 15th December 2012 by delegates representing mineworkers strike committees and dismissed workers committees together with a delegation from the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM). WASP had its public launch at a press conference/ public rally in Tshwane on March 21 2013 attended by over 500 Tshwane workers and delegates from mines in Gauteng, North West, Northern Cape and Limpopo, as well as executive members of the National Transport Movement. The Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) played a key role in the foundation of an industry-wide national strike committee in the mining sector last year. The DSM is the South African affiliate of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI –socialistworld.net). An international campaign of solidarity with South African miners is being organised in dozens of countries worldwide.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 12:48:32 +0000
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