SATAWU welcomes and feels vindicated by the South African Airways (SAA) verification process with regards to NTM and all the lies that had been flying in the public domain regarding the credibility and legitimacy of SATAWU as a trusted trade union representing the bona fide issues of the workers. We are glad that the illegal strike at SAA will no longer hold water and operations will proceed peacefully.

Before the verification process could begin there was massive media based propaganda against SATAWU, with numerous baseless allegations and accusations lodged against its leaders as a means to gain popularity by NTM amongst our members. Our members have always been clear about who their true leaders are. Even amidst highest forms of intimidations and victimizations our members remained true to their convictions about defending their loyal and trusted union, SATAWU.

We wish to thank all our members working at various divisions of SAA. To them SATAWU is not just a union that recuses them when it comes to matters of employee employer relationship, but a voluntary, democratic and yet disciplined organizations joined with ideals and all intents of defending the national democratic revolution and the ultimate workers triumph against capitalism. Their truthful commitment to the union is informed by their understanding of democratic principles based on worker control and highest levels of political consciousness. They also understand that SATAWU belongs to no individuals but to all workers in the transport and services industry with all workers united behind a common goal and therefore its leadership is always as a result of democratic worker conventions as the final arbiters of who leads.

We warn the extremist adventurists who still dream of bargaining for their personal ambitions at the expenses of workers’ jobs and lives to desist form such acts and face the realities of being led. Failure to such will lead tounfortunate instances of anarchy and chaos. We also caution them to stop their smear filled disinformation campaign against the revolutionary alliance in general, because no matter how many times the lies can be repeated, to us and all our members they remain that, lies.