Selfie-struck delegates enjoy tablets

UNION’S GOODIE BAGS BRING SMILES

POLICE and Prisons Civil Rights Union delegates were all smiles yesterday.

But do not be fooled into thinking they were happy to have a winter holiday in warm Durban.

There is more to that, judging by a number of cheesy selfies around the banners that dotted Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.

Who wouldn ’ t smile when each of the 1 500 delegates were relishing goodies like brand-new Lenovo tablets that were in their conference issued bags.

Their bags also came loaded with golf T-shirts, fleece jackets and caps.

Much of the concentration appears to have shifted from the tedious commission and plenary sessions to figuring out how to set up and use the devices.

“It ’ s a necessary distraction after vicious wage negotiations,” quipped a delegate from North West when approached.

“If you can help me set [up] my Facebook account I would be grateful,” said the shop steward from Ventersdorp.

“This will help me a lot in organising the functions of Popcru. If not, I will give it to my fiancé,” she said with a giggle.

Popcru spokesman Richard Mamabolo said there were more goodies coming before the conference wraps on Friday.

Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) president Sdumo Dlamini said the time had come to ask serious questions about who was running and governing the country.

He said the classic example was the recent public sector wage negotiations that clearly showed and depicted the employer as anti-ANC government.

“How is it that an official employed by the ANC government decides willy-nilly how the workers were going to be remunerated?

“There ’ s a type of official that is pushing to undermine this ANC government,” Dlamini said.

Dlamini added that if the ANC government was in charge and ruling, and the ANC was the leader of the alliance, surely officials employed should be adhering to the policies formulated by the ANC.

“You speak to any ANC leader about this and they also do not know where this comes from.

“It can ’ t be that workers when they were employed signed up for 7%,” he said.

Last week, the government processed public servant salaries with only a 6.4% increase.

The government had agreed to 7%, thus causing some unions to withdraw from an agreement reached three weeks ago.