The Star reports that the government’s plan to restructure state-owned entities (SOEs) could be met with resistance by trade unions.  

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Tuesday warned the government that it would oppose any privatisation and job losses at SoEs.  This came after President Cyril Ramaphosa this week said the government would consolidate and rationalise all 740 SOEs in the country.  The reconfiguration of SOEs also comes after the ANC National Executive Committee lekgotla met at the weekend and took a number of decisions, including on state entities.  The government has in the past few years spent over R570 billion in bailouts for SOEs.  Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said they would reject attempts to fire workers during the restructuring of the SOEs.  He added that the federation was prepared to engage the government on this matter, viz.:  “We will have a conversation.  But all we are saying, no privatisation, no job losses.”  Meanwhile, Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), said his federation would need to obtain further clarity on Ramaphosa’s remarks.  “At the moment it is not clear what he meant by consolidating and rationalising SOEs.  The problem is that we don’t know what he is talking about because we have not seen the details,” Vavi indicated.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyabonga Mkhwanazi at Independent News

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