The Western Cape government hit back at the provincial Cosatu leader for accusing it of avoiding talks on economic matters.
|||Cape Town - The Western Cape government hit back at provincial Cosatu leader Tony Ehrenreich on Thursday for accusing it of avoiding talks on economic matters.
He had had numerous opportunities to communicate with the province, said premier Helen Zille's spokesman Zak Mbhele.
“Ehrenreich’s latest attack on the Western Cape government is another example of his pattern of political grandstanding and hypocrisy and it is important to put the facts on the table,” he said.
Ehrenreich claimed on Wednesday that repeated Congress of SA Trade Unions' (Cosatu) requests to talk to the provincial government about economic matters had been ignored in the past three years.
He threatened a general strike in the province next month over socio-economic issues unless the provincial government, the city of Cape Town and municipalities showed a willingness to meet, discuss, and “partner” on these issues.
Ehrenreich came out in support of a number of strikes expected in various sectors, and a call for a minimum wage of R4500 a month and increases above 10 percent.
Mbhele said Zille had not received a request for a meeting from Ehrenreich since 2011.
“The only meeting request we have received from him was in August 2011 which we agreed to, and the meeting took place in October 2011. He then failed to attend the follow-up meeting that took place a month later.”
Mbhele said finance and economic development MEC Alan Winde had also invited Ehrenreich to attend several meetings in the past, which Ehrenreich apparently declined or failed to attend.
Ehrenreich had repeatedly refused to join the Economic Development Partnership (EDP), an independent organisation geared for economic growth, development and inclusion.
The Cosatu leader told reporters on Wednesday he had not joined the EDP because the business sector was over-represented.
Democratic Alliance labour spokesman and MP Sej Motau said he would ask Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi to educate Ehrenreich on the different spheres of government.
He said the provincial government had no power over labour relations.
“Instead, it seems that Ehrenreich has chosen to use the plight of the workers he purports to represent as a disappointing platform for launching a political onslaught against the DA.” - Sapa