By Obakeng Maje
North West- The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West province has noted with appreciation that the Auditor General has recommended that there be investigation into the business dealings of the Amalgamated Logistics and the Department of Health in Mpumalanga.

“As COSATU in the North West we welcome this action but we also feel that it will be very important to the country that the investigation be extended to all the provinces where the company has had a similar business arrangement with the Department of Health” Cosatu North West spokesperson Solly Phetoe said.

In this province Amalgamated had a contract which ran for many years and extensions were given without following the correct procurement processes.

“We feel that there could have been some elements of financial irregularities which must be investigated. When poor workers were dismissed in 2010/2011 it was publicly announced that the company had won the tender procedurally from the former MEC of Health in 2007 and the contract was then extended by the current MEC with his officials while our members were dismissed for fighting for their rights” Phetoe said.

COSATU pleads with the Auditor General to look at the business activities of the company in the NW province in the same way that they have done in Mpumalanga.

“We are also calling the Department of Health in the NW to reinstate all workers who were employed by Amalgamated and dismissed unfairly by the same labour broker that continues to steal from the poor people of the NW for allegedly providing medication to our clinics and hospitals. We are also calling for the Department of Labour to do a full inspection at the exploiter’s company today, not tomorrow, as workers are facing challenges now” Phetoe concludes. –TDN
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