Saftu and Amcu co-operating on some campaigns

The new South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) are co-operating through campaigns to fight unemployment and commemorate the Marikana killings in August. Polity quotes Saftu general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi as saying that the two organisations would lead a ‘biggest mobilisation of working class’ to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to demand jobs. ‘The national executive committee agreed to work with Amcu to launch this campaign. The campaign shall in the main focus on our demand for the total banning of labour brokers and all outsourcing. Saftu will be with Amcu to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the first massacre under the ANC government on 16 August,’ Vavi said, after the trade union federation held its first executive committee meeting. The federation plans to launch provincial structures by November this year and have the establishment of an organising operations centre to coordinate member recruitment and campaigns. The drive to recruit workers from other federations, including Cosatu, was now in full swing.