Public services need a tough anti-corruption drive, not privatization

POPCRU, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, says public services need a tough anti-corruption drive, not privatization. “With the emerging allegations about the looting of state owned enterprises and the continued retrenchments of workers, it is clear that their underperformance is mainly due to corruption that has penetrated deep into the state. We cannot accept that workers are made to suffer through losing their jobs or forfeiting salary increases in the midst of the constant increases in prices of basic needs, while some within these enterprises are let off. Our call on our government to start taking harsher measures in dealing with the shortcomings that have expressed themselves in these sectors not by way of privatization, but by ensuring their credibility and integrity is returned.” COSATU has said “the plans by government to privatize state assets without consulting social partners and stakeholders will backfire. COSATU will not support privatization as this will see permanent decent jobs scrapped in favour of labour brokers and will also wreck havoc and compromise workers' salaries, job security and pensions.”