Not even the noisy traffic could deter more than 200 workers from Cobra Watertech, Gundle, Maksal Tubes and others from attending a lunchtime meeting on a traffic island in the midst of New Era Industrial Area in Springs. On the occasion was the upcoming national government elections and Rain Chiya, ex-Numsa shop steward Rain Chiya who is now a councillor in the Ekurhuleni region, was there from the ANC to answer workers’ questions.
Perhaps it was because she was dressed in a Cosatu t-shirt with a Nehawu cap. For instead of playing politician and fending off tricky questions, she was interrogated about trade unions’ lack of delivery! – ‘We have a health and safety problem in our workplace. How can we solve it?’ ‘Shop stewards don’t report back, what can we do?’
It took Numsa Ekurhuleni regional secretary, George Choshane, to pick up on the real reason for the meeting. “There are mistakes that government has made, but please vote well, don’t let the country go back to the amaBhunu!” he told workers. But then time was up, and workers drifted back to the factory gates in time for the afternoon shift.