It seems that the following statement was issued by the Cosatu Free State Provincial Executive Committee on 17 June 2015.
“6. Free Market Foundation (from the statement by Cosatu Free State PEC)
We have noted with keen interest the attempts of the Free Market Foundation to push back the gains made by the workers in attempting to secure the bargaining rights in the workplaces. Our Provincial Congress would take a closer look at this matter and an appropriate action would be determined. Such action may include but not limited to calling for a boycott of ‘Black Like Me’ products owned by a Mr. Herman Mashaba the current face of FMF who seem to think that his clients, who are mainly young black women should not have decent jobs and currently have to forfeit multiple of fundamental worker’s rights as employees! He seems to be comfortable raking in super profits from people who support his business the meagre (sic) wages earned by precariat (sic) employee women of our country and seems set to perpetuate such a situation!”
It is assumed that by ‘gains’ is meant the power of trade unions to prohibit job-seekers from deciding what wages they are prepared to accept in return for work. In other words unionised employees want to exclude competition and force all enterprises in an industry to meet the standards set by the ‘big’ players. Surely the Minister of Labour should not be forced to extend such agreements automatically? It seems obvious that the Minister should be required to exercise a discretion in the best interests of everyone in that industry? In other words the word ‘must’ should be changed to ‘may’ in s 32 of the Labour Relations Act.
See the response of the Free Market Foundation and Herman Mashaba to the threat of a possible boycott – Boycott: Cosatu ‘threat’ to Herman Mashaba.