UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Sunday 8 January 2012

ANC celebrates 100th Anniversary

The 2 million strong Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has sent its best wishes to the leadership and membership of the African National Congress on the occasion of its centenary celebrations: http://www.politicsweb
.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71656?oid=273474&sn=Detail&pid=71616


A key extract from the COSATU statement says:
Under the leadership of the ANC we have made tremendous strides in building a better life for all South Africans. As we celebrate 100 years of the ANC we shall be celebrating the protection of workers' rights, not only in the Constitution in a manner no other constitution does anywhere else in the world, but also we shall be celebrating arange of progressive labour laws that have helped in tilting the balance of forces in the workplace to make super-exploitation of workers difficult as part and parcel of addressing one of the three interrelated antagonistic contradictions - class oppression and exploitation.

We shall be celebrating improved healthcare, in particular with the phased-in and progressive introduction of the National Health Insurance. We are particularly pleased to note that 1.4 million South Africans are in government's ARV programme and 15 million will be tested for HIV by June this year.

The aim is to reduce the rate of infections by 50% and get ARV treatment to 80% of those who need it. We shall be celebrating improved access to education, in particular the near universal access by girl children. We shall be celebrating the fact that 15 million South Africans have a roof above their heads.

Millions receive support from government in the form of grants without which they will simply die of starvation.The victories under the ANC are countless. Our task is to multiply and consolidate these advances. We know that ‘Rome was not built in one day' and as the ANC itself has said ‘more still needs to be done'.