'Compromise on labour brokers'

President Jacob Zuma took a safer route on the question of labour brokers by calling for a middle ground to be found.

His political partner, Cosatu, wants labour brokers banned, whereas business defends them.

In his State of the Nation address yesterday, Zuma said: "Government seeks to eliminate all forms of abusive practices inherent in labour broking, in order to strengthen the protection of vulnerable workers. We trust that common ground will be found this year on this matter."

His statement said nothing about the "total ban" on brokers that Cosatu wants.

Yesterday, Vavi said Cosatu were disappointed that Zuma hadn't announced an outright ban of labour brokers. He said Cosatu would go ahead with a planned strike to protest the continuing operation of labour brokers.

"We wanted him to announce that the labour brokers will be banned . and that they create conditions where a big number now, 33% of all workers in the country, working under near-slavery conditions. We would have liked him to say they create conditions where human beings are used in almost like trafficking by these fellows.

We are going ahead with the strike, this is not good enough for us," he said.