THE decision by the South African Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) not to sign the Framework Agreement for a Sustainable Mining Industry last Wednesday was a huge blow to the increasingly desperate attempts by the ANC government, the bosses and the tame unions affiliated to COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions) to stem the tide of revolution that is sweeping through the country.
This framework agreement was being brokered by the ANC, and involved lengthy negotiations between COSATU, mine owner representatives, the ANC and the AMCU with the stated aim of bringing ‘peace’ to the mines.
The ‘peace’ they were looking for is nothing less than a framework for the continuing exploitation of workers while giving the green light for the state to continue with its murderous attack on strikers.
This framework stated that its aim was: ‘Repositioning the mining industry to become more attractive to investors and a more meaningful contributor to job creation.’
One of its main points was that the unions ensured ‘the rule of law and all due processes addressing criminal activities’ while the ANC government committed itself to hunting down workers who had fought for higher wages and better conditions, with the Agreement stating:
‘To achieve all this, the police, the intelligence service and the courts must act effectively and without delay to bring those guilty of violent crimes to justice. Impunity must be rooted out and the confidence in the justice system restored. Government must implement these measures without any further delay.’
COSATU fully endorsed the Agreement’s view that ‘The South African mining industry is central to our economy and job creation’ and that ‘we must work together to ensure the sustainability of the mining sector for the future of our country and our people.’
All this cosy relationship between the trade unions and the ANC and the mine owners has been blown apart by the refusal of the leaders of AMCU to sign up to this treacherous stitch-up, and their insistence that any agreement has to be ratified by the membership before it can be signed up to.
Such an exercise in trade union democracy is a complete anathema to the leaders of the NUM and COSATU.
With the AMCU now the dominant union in the country’s platinum and gold mines and its influence growing in industries throughout South Africa, the refusal of its leaders to toe-the-line represents a death blow to the framework agreement.
Central to the objections raised by AMCU president, Joseph Mathunjwa, was a mandate from his members insisting that any agreement had to contain a section outlawing politicians or union leaders having a financial stake in the mines that they organise.
This is a burning issue amongst mine workers who have seen ANC and union leaders like Cyril Ramaphosa sit on the board of mine companies like Lonmin while workers are being shot dead by the state’s police at the behest of these companies.
The framework agreement was nothing more than an attempt to draw the leadership of the AMCU in the orbit of ‘peaceful’ trade unionism – that is acting as the ‘policemen’ of their membership, keeping the workers in line with promises of a few reforms while above all maintaining the capitalist system at all costs – including the cost of workers’ lives.
That the AMCU leadership were unable to go along with this betrayal is a testament to the revolutionary strength of the working class who are not interested in agreements designed to provide a ‘peaceful’ framework for their continued brutal exploitation, but are demanding the nationalisation of the mining industry.
This demand can only be met through the victory of the South African socialist revolution.
This revolution is well underway, but it requires the building of a revolutionary party to lead it to victory, a victory that will revolutionise the whole of Africa.
