Pietermaritzburg - Cosatu has condemned the termination of the contracts of workers in the Office of the Premier.
The Witness has established that about 27 staff are set to lose their jobs.
Cosatu provincial secretary Edwin Mkhize said the federation had learnt with “serious shock of the very devastating move by the Office of the Premier in KwaZulu-Natal, that they have joined those [new] MECs, who have began to terminate the contracts of the staff members that they found in the departments”.
“The federation condemns this unwarranted and reactionary purging of workers at a time when our country is facing a scourge of unemployment,” he said.
After Senzo Mchunu was fired from the premier’s position in May, there had been rumours that some staff close to him would also lose their jobs.
One of the reasons put forward by the ANC for removing Mchunu was that he had bloated the staff complement in his office from 300 to 500.
Mkhize said the federation had written a letter to the ANC earlier this month, requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the matter.
“This could not happen due to the tight schedule of the government officials in the build up to the local government elections.
“It was our understanding that this matter would be put on hold pending the engagement between the affected parties. We have previously warned the ruling party of the dangers of factionalising the workplace. This irresponsible termination of the employment of people at a time when the levels of unemployment are high is going against the ANC government’s commitment to job creation.
“The latest job figures by Statistics South Africa paint a gloomy picture of unemployment, and this termination of workers is adding to the unemployment line and the misery already suffered by many families.”
Mkhize called on Premier Willies Mchunu to intervene and suspend the decision to terminate the contracts of officials in his office pending discussions between the affected parties.
• sabelo.nsele@witness.co.za
