*UNMASKED HIDDEN FACES BEHIND LIES PEDDLING, POPULISM AND ATTENTION SEEKING-RESPONSE TO WASP *
Very explicit in all scientific theories of socialism is the first commandment, “To tell the truth is revolutionary”! It’s disingenuous of WASP to create an impression that it is only NOW that corrupt activities are revealed against AMCU leadership, but WASP actions smacks of a desperate attempt to salvage AMCU from stinking pools of muddy corrupt waters, WASP statement for immediate release laments “Workers escaped corruption and treachery from NUM”! But if indeed this is a genuine call by WASP, will it be revolutionary correct to safely assume WASP doesn’t know the following facts: 1. AMCU’s mobilising tool against NUM was that NUM leaders were fat cats deep in the pockets of bosses and substantiated such lies with the fact that NUM negotiated an upgrade to a certain pay level as a minimum for the stewards, this was necessitated by the fact that at the same time, it was wrong in the eyes of the workers if a steward in the middle of the term apply for a position and on qualification get chosen and be appointed to such a position, the same problem was raised that stewardship seems to be a shortest route to promotions and such a minimum level was assisting the union to manage high turnover of leadership and fights for leadership position on the assumption of being properly positioned for promotion, and WHY WASP is not telling us that the same benefits negotiated by NUM were DEMANDED as raw as they are by the AMCU leadership? What made such benefits holy this time around? WASP says they stand for the banning of privileges, don’t they know that AMCU is enjoying privileges now? 2. WASP can’t claim not to be knowing that AMCU leadership at IMPALA collected R100 from each employee (Impala has 30 000 employees in Rustenburg operations alone) claiming that a lawyer is needed to claim ESSOPS benefits allegedly chowed by NUM? Even today no worker at Impala can tell you what happened to money collected? When workers dare ask, they are mercilessly assaulted so that no one dare ask the same question, the brave one’s who dare ask are arrogantly told by AMCU leadership that the supposedly hired lawyer died after being paid the money for the service, quite mysteriously, in less than 6 months in office, all AMCU leadership drives flashy cars which NUM stewards who served 4 terms (12 years) couldn’t afford despite the upgrade. Wouldn’t it be correct for WASP to call for discipline against such corrupt actions? Or is this not corruption in their eyes? Members haven’t received a single report about ESSOPs neither their 100 rands. 3. Can it be an honest call for investigation against corrupt activities? But its worrisome that WASP is clear that the police should not dare get involved? Wasn’t AMCU a union calling for transparency? What does WASP fear in involving the police who are empowered and capacitated to do investigations? Doesn’t this tendency assume the status of being in the pockets of management? For the record, NUM sits with a pile if not a mountain of cases of dismissed members and leaders on allegation of corruption investigated by management and police and where NUM is convinced its members were wrong such member were not afforded representivity by the union in observance of the union call against corruption. AMCU is supposed to be clean, what’s the fear from WASP? What is the meaning of transparency in WASP vocab? 4. WASP further deepens the confusion by preaching democracy and worker control, now NUM members understand these principles to the latter, if AMCU stand for democracy, why election calls are rejected by AMCU leadership in office? This democracy should be practiced by whom? Who are the owners of the union? If workers should assume control of their own union, why aren’t they allowed to elect democratically leadership they want and take decisions which must inform the direction the union needs to take? Can WASP deny the fact that mass meetings are not convened every week like when the strike started and now AMCU leadership is dragged to mass meetings because they don’t want to account? I must tell you that 6 months after a successful and peaceful branch conferences of NUM at Impala AMCU played on emotions of workers but the reality is those workers are used to exercising their democratic right and AMCU won’t cage them forever. WASP borders on popular ranting to spark emotions of workers, we must tell AMCU, WASP is capable of peddling lies against you as they did with NUM, WASP is desperate for recognition. 5. WASP role in emancipating workers as they claim can’t be defined by attending strike actions of workers legitimate struggles and offer nothing else but speaking to the podium. Your socialist theory should have empowered you to understand that fragmentation of workers class defeats the mighty call for the working class to unite and lose their chains, poaching of membership through lies and senseless murders can’t be a way to build solid working class, is your role speaking to podiums and wait for another chance to appear on camera’s? So what is class collaboration now because all agreements entered into between Impala and NUM are now AMCU agreements in a “cut and paste fashion”? Worker control and struggle for socialism will never agree that the fight must be directed at workers. 6. If WASP believes that the officials and top leaders should account to the rank and file, why is WASP not calling for a democratic and worker controlled elective congress and see if AMCU will survive another day? Why in this call for corruption investigation is AMCU president not included as a person to be investigated? Where is his wife doing business, with whom? With whose money? Where is the subscription money going to, personal account or organisational account? Without a congress, when is this money being accounted for? 7. WASP is repeating the R12 500 demand, we are yet to hear a convincing argument from AMCU which legitimise a reasonable call for this amount, this doesn’t mean the amount is wrong, this is to demonstrate that workers emotions are whipped by people without capacity to assist them, even worse for 2 years now the same amount is on the table and neither WASP nor AMCU is coming out to tell their members that up to so far they have not achieved it, even with the clear intention to misinterpret the Lonmin agreement which by the way, they don’t tell their members that it was an NUM negotiated agreement and the only addendum to it was a “sweetener” i.e. R2000 return to work bonus. Even the bishop (god have mercy on his soul) up to today hasn’t said this truth, but went out to say 22% is achieved, Bantu Holomisa failed dismally to challenge Lonmin when his members complained that they don’t see that 22% in their pay, Lonmin asked him, who said we offered 22%. Ask Holomisa to brief you on this matter. Again NUM negotiated benefit is celebrated by NUM rubbished. 8. Hostel dwellers at No 8 hostel, instructed AMCU leadership to vacate the offices in the hostel because NUM negotiated benefits for hostel dwellers which by the way NUM has turned that hostel into accommodation deserving of mine workers and family units to that workers stays with their family, members are demanding NUM negotiated benefits which benefited workers not leadership. WASP doesn’t know this in fact AMCU leaders are fighting management when management grant the hostel workers right to assemble and discuss their issues. Aren’t workers supposed to be in control of their own union? 9. Funeral benefit negotiated by NUM has been amended with utter disregard of human dignity, corpses are transported without coffins and service so poor yet members didn’t take such a decision to change funeral benefits. 10. AMCU at Impala is in possession of a certificate to call a strike, in their mass meeting workers lamented “you AMCU leaders you can’t represent us as workers because you have negotiated benefits for yourselves” and you said it was the reason we should remove NUM, what is different from what you’re doing? Instead of members exercising their democratic right to decide on strike or not, members are told to wait for Anglo and Lonmin negotiations, is this the first visible step of losing power, they can’t even boast anymore that they can call strike anytime, same leadership fear the strike that elevated them to positions of power. Truth delayed is truth denied WASP come-on! 11. Less than a year after securing recognition at Impala, AMCU can’t call and lead a strike because leadership fear the very membership and corruption is eating AMCU’s white body cells. *CONCLUSION* WASP should know the basic rule that popular mass based democratic unions are built and sustained on legitimacy, your legitimacy must be tested through trust by subjecting oneself to a democratic process, worker control allows workers to champion and assume status of owners of their own decisions, you can’t maintain legitimacy by re-engineering the truth and you mask no difficulties, you tell no half-baked truth. All AMCU leaders own cars bought out of hard earned workers money, no one is telling workers that R12 500 is yet to be achieved, no one is telling them that privileges enjoyed by NUM are wholly enjoyed by AMCU despite WASP populist call, workers are daily dismissed because workers subscriptions are not used to build capacity on leadership to represent members but used to satisfy AMCU’s president and wife appetite for business, NO one is telling AMCU members and please tell them WASP, that AMCU leaders are paid by employers just as the NUM president is being paid by his employer, thought you said that is sleeping with the enemy. NUM president has without fail subjected himself to an elective workers controlled congress every 3 years, when is WASP going to encourage Mathunjwa to do the same and see if he will emerge victorious? We are aware that your call for investigations even though you wanted to be careful, is because things are no longer rosy between WASP and AMCU because partnership build on lies is bound to collapse. You are in possession of a report commissioned by Impala done by Gavin Hartford which was leaked with an intention to smear NUM, which wrongly assumed that rendering service to members in an air conditioned office alienated workers against NUM leadership, but air conditions were installed in workers offices not private homes of leaders, but even worse same office with air conditioners are occupied by AMCU with the very air conditioners now. WASP your Gorbelism tendencies of telling lies, consistently and maintaining such lies will soon collapse. I repeat to tell the truth is revolutionary! Boingotlo Nthebe NUM member -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. 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