Cape Argus (Cape Town)
August 28, 2001

By Steven Otter

At a press conference yesterday [Monday], Cosatu's Western Cape secretary, Tony Ehrenreich, said teachers would now join the two-day mass action in the province.

"But it's not our wish that emergency services must suffer due to the action, so traffic, electricity, water, ambulances and other essential services will be operated by skeleton staff," he said.

"We have approximately 260 000 members in the province and the consequence of the strike will be that industry here will come to a standstill."

The looming strike has caused severe strain in the tripartite alliance of the African National Congress, SA Communist Party and Cosatu.

Ehrenreich responded by confirming Cosatu's opposition to "most privatisation", and said his organisation was committed to prolonged mass action "until our demands are met".

"We are concerned about the effect the wholesale privatisation of state assets will have on the country's poor.

The tone adopted by the ANC in response to our decision has not been helpful. Mature talks are needed.

"This organisation has never agreed to privatisation because the main aim of that process is to pursue profits," he said.

Echoing the sentiments of government members over the past week, he said the in-fighting in the alliance represented a "grave challenge Š especially if our demands are not met.

"And Cosatu will never give up the ANC to rightwing elements within it.

It is the state's responsibility to provide for the poor and to provide each child with an equal education."

Ehrenreich said there would be a mass rally at the Good Hope Centre and a march on parliament during the strike.