COSATU Today, 13 June 2013
Norman Mampane
COSATU Today
Our side of the story
Thursday 13 June 2013
‘Strengthen COSATU for total emancipation’
Contents
Workers’ Parliament
Ø SACTWU launches R25m youth development programme
Ø Enabling COSATU Members to Tweet Effectively
South Africa
Ø COSATU condemns Kapsch profits
Ø COSATU’s comments on the Presidential Review Committee’s Report on State Owned Entities
Ø Building a Drug-Free Society
Ø Launch of NUMSA & FAWU campaign for agrarian transformation & land redistribution in South Africa
International
Ø Palestinian "Bieber" makes it to final of Idols, plans to host him in South Africa
Ø New ITUC Report on Violations of Trade Union Rights
Ø Bangladesh Labour Law Changes Inadequate
Ø Bangladesh: The WFTU affiliates discuss about their struggle and organize during WFTU Workshop
Ø ETF fisheries chair to back EJF forced labour report
Ø Route of Shame: PSI protest against Greek TV shutdown
Ø From classroom to college – A champion for child workers
Ø EI warns ILO Conference of deprofessionalization trend
Ø Child labour undermines quality education
Ø Education unions fight for tax justice
Announcements
Ø Education Trust Public Debate Invitation: Topic: The State of our Education System
Ø WWMP to run Media Training Courses for Trade Union media persons
Ø COSATU Western Cape Vacancy for Provincial Administrator
Ø Media Invitation to NEHAWU 10th National Congress
Ø SADTU vacancy for a Gauteng Provincial Organizer
Ø COSATU skinning in the game of social media-Enabling the trade union movement to nurture a communicative platform
Ø Follow Fred van Leeuwen on Twitter!-EI GS
Ø Follow ITUC Secretary General-Sharan Burrow
Workers’ Parliament!
SACTWU launches R25m youth development programme
Andre Kriel, SACTWU General Secretary, 13 June 2013
The COSATU-affiliated Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers' Union (SACTWU) has set aside R25m for a youth employment development programme, as our contribution towards the implementation of the Youth Employment Accord signed on 18 April 2013.
This programme was adopted by the SACTWU National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting yesterday, and will be rolled out over a 3 year period.
In summary, this R25m youth employment assistance package will help about 94 000 youth and children.
It includes support for workplace internships, job placements for unemployed graduates, work experience placements in trade unions for unemployed graduates, setting aside 25% of new employment opportunities in the 100% union owned clothing factories, artisan apprenticeship job application assistance for unemployed matriculants, 500 university level bursaries per year, support for numeracy and literacy development for young learners, development of young SACTWU members, and other initiatives (see details below).
The union's NEC is proud to make this announcement as a concrete trade union contribution to help make Youth Day a special one this year, now that we have national consensus on the core priorities as set out in the Youth Employment Accord.
The details of the SACTWU programme are as follows:
· 20 industry machinist internships at about R550 per week for a 6 month period, for inexperienced unemployed youth = R286 000;
· 10 industry workplace internships for unemployed graduates (SACTWU bursars) at R6 000 per month for 6 months =R360 000;
· 10 union workplace experience placements in SACTWU for unemployed graduates at R6 000 per month for a 6 month period = R360 000;
· 10 grants to help 10 unemployed matriculants with applications for artisan apprenticeship programmes in our industry =R 6 000;
Totals: assist 50 unemployed youth at about R3 300 per month for a 6 month period with direct job placement related assistance = R1 000 000
In addition, we will:
· introduce a policy that, starting from June this year, at least 25% of all new employment opportunities at the two 100% union controlled clothing factories in KZN would be set aside for unemployed school leavers, supplemented with new/additional internships; this is expected to be about 50 new job opportunities . this is expected to cost R2m per annum;
· subject to a feasibility study, set up a new clothing factory in the Eastern Cape with new employment opportunities for approximately 50 unemployed youth, later this year. This is expected to cost at least R6m (inclusive of once off set up costs of about R4m plus a wage bill of about R2m during the first year for the new youth employees only. Total employment would probably be about 100 during the first year though);
· 5 interns at about R700 per month for 6 month period in the SACTWU Worker Health Programme = R91 000 per annum;
· R5m per annum in bursaries for about 500 students;
· R700 000 per annum to support numeracy and literacy programmes for 93 000 young learners in 236 schools;
· Matric Winter School support for 345 matriculants at R500 000 per annum;
· development support for SACTWU young members at R650 000 per annum.
In the period ahead, we will develop a clear project management plan to implement this programme, the first of its kind announced by a local trade union.
Issued by
Andre Kriel
SACTWU
General Secretary
____________________________________________________________
Enabling COSATU Members to Tweet Effectively
Introduction to COSATU Official Twitter Accounts
Ø @COSATU2015
Official tweets on current affairs, ideological disposition and for a Question & Answer platform
Ø @COSATU TODAY _cosatu
Seconds- COSATU roving official tweets on events, quotable sound-bites on speeches/interviews, newsflash etc.
How to Register a COSATU Member Twitter Account
Ø Go Google and type twitter/sign up
Ø Versions of name/surname must be completed
Ø Choose a username/password and don’t forget them
Ø Update your profile; picture, bio
o Picture size should be 700k
o Bio-short narrative who you are
Ø Examples of Bio; Africa's largest Federation Official tweets, the home of the toiling classes across the world, with more than 2million membership...Amandla! Johannesburg, South Africa · http://www.cosatu.org.za
Ø Choose who to follow and type @cosatu2015 and @COSATU TODAY _cosatu
Ø And you’re skinning in the game through COSATU tweets
Communicating messages that matter is like artwork
Social Media generation is here and is unavoidable
‘Let’s skin in the game of COSATU Tweets’
South Africa
COSATU condemns Kapsch profits
Patrick Craven, National Spokesperson, 13 June 2013
The Congress of South African Trade Unions is appalled that Austrian e-tolling company, Kapsch TrafficCom, expects to rake in annual revenue of 50 million Euros (R664 million) every year, for the next eight years, from Gauteng's e-tolling system.
The e-tolling system is planned to collect total revenue of between R3 and R3.5-billion a year, of which, we now know, approximately R1.5-billion a year will be spent on the actual process of collecting tolls by Kapsch, which will be at least as much as the cost of the road improvements themselves. This makes the argument for tolls more and more untenable, and the argument for using taxation more and more obvious.
This is further evidence that e-tolls amount to the commodification of our highways - a business opportunity for a private company, rather than a basic public service for the community.
As OUTA Chairperson, Wayne Duvenage, has pointed out: "Every Rand we send overseas to Kapsch is one Rand less which is available for infrastructure development. And it is also one Rand less in disposable income for the citizens who have to pay."
He added that the scale of Kapsch's earnings left no doubt about the reasons for the high costs involved, making this the most expensive tolling system in the world. “If road-building was funded from taxation, the gross waste of half a billion Rand per year on a private overseas company's services could be averted".
COSATU fully supports OUTA’s call "for the Public Protector, or possibly even a judicial commission of enquiry, to deeply probe the e-tolling deal. South Africa's citizens deserve to know why government has committed itself to outsourcing infrastructure funding to the private sector despite the vast wasted costs of doing so".
This news will make workers more determined than ever to fight e-tolling and support the call for an efficient, safe and affordable public transport system.
COSATU urges all its members, and all the citizens of Gauteng and the rest of South Africa, to support the next round of mass protest on the highways, on 24 June in Johannesburg and 2 July in Tshwane, and to continue not to register with Sanral and not to buy e-tags, so that we make the system unworkable.
_________
COSATU’s comments on the Presidential Review Committee’s Report on State Owned Entities
Patrick Craven, National Spokesperson, 13 June 2013
On the 28th May 2013, the Minister in the Presidency, Comrade Collin Chabane, released a long-awaited report of the Presidential Review Committee (PRC) on State Owned Entities (SOEs).
According to the report, there are about 715 SOEs performing various functions at the national, provincial and local government levels. The PRC did not conduct a micro-assessment of SOEs and recommends that such an in-depth assessment should still be done to help the process of rationalising them.
While the Congress of South African Trade Unions supports a number of the recommendations of the PRC report, some of the recommendations aim to take the country back to the disastrous privatisation and commercialisation policies of the past.
We welcome the acknowledgement by the report of the centrality of SOEs in economic and social development in the country.
COSATU has been consistent in arguing that the task of fundamental transformation of our economy, the creation of decent work and the provision of basic services to the majority of our people cannot be left to the market forces.
For all this to happen there is a need for strong developmental state, which harnesses the developmental potential of SOEs.
In its Growth Path for Full Employment, COSATU contends that the developmental state must intervene decisively in the economy to redistribute resources in order to address unemployment, inequalities, poverty, and the rural-urban development divide; and it must ensure the achievement of universal access to decent work, quality education, quality healthcare, comprehensive social security, decent housing, and access to water, energy and sanitation
The recommendations COSATU supports in principle, subject to the qualifications outlined below, include:
· Enactment of a single over-arching law to govern SOEs;
· Reincorporation of functions that can be optimally performed by government departments;
· Establishment of an SOE Council of Ministers;
· Establishment of a Central Remuneration Authority to regulate SOE board and executive pay;
· Mandatory collaboration among SOEs;
· Alignment of CEOs’ incentives to performance;
· Use of a portion of resources tax to fund infrastructure development;
· Contribution of SOEs in skills development; and
· Leveraging SOEs procurement to transform the economy.
Recommendations for consolidation of SOEs that operate in similar sectors, and rationalisation of the number of SOEs, need to be subjected to criteria and processes which ensure that this reorganisation is indeed aimed at maximising the developmental impact of the SOEs, and not driven by a market or commercial logic.
Further, one of the overriding considerations in the rationalisation process must be that there should be no job losses.
The proliferation of SOEs has in part been a product of outsourcing of services to agencies operating along commercial lines and at arm’s length from government. Although this practice does not entail outsourcing to the private sector, it fragments the state and thus has a potential of weakening its capacity.
The numerous entities performing responsibilities that should be performed by government departments are a challenge to coordination and alignment to the strategic and developmental objectives set by the state.
The crisis in relation to the funding of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project created by South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), a company operating at arm’s length from the Department of Transport and along commercial lines, with the mandate to maintain and develop South Africa’s national road network, is a classic example of this coordination problem.
COSATU is also on record raising a concern that many SOEs tend to use consultants extensively and this amounts to the extension of the sunset clause as most of the former officials in the SOEs and DFIs are used to execute the responsibilities of these entities.
However, the PRC has failed dismally to use an opportunity presented by the review process to correct disastrous policies of the past. There is no recommendation on renationalisation and de-commercialisation of strategic SOEs that were privatised and commercialised by the apartheid state and the democratic state. These include Sasol, Arcelor Mittal (former Iscor), Telkom which was partially privatised and Eskom which has been corporatised. The PRC also missed an opportunity to propose the establishment of new state-owned enterprises like the state owned food company, a state owned pharmaceutical company, and state owned steel company.
Instead the report sadly recommends that government must exit from “those sectors where market failure no longer exists and/or that can be adequately provided for by the private sector, or the mandate is no longer justifiable”. The report goes further to recommend that government must “divest fully or partially from those SOEs observed to be under-performing that are competing unsuccessfully against the private operations” and “inject private sector practices in non-financially viable SOEs and gradually phase them into commercial entities with a mix of public and private equity ownership”.
The report leaves us in the dark about the specific SOEs that should be dealt with in the manner proposed here. As the PRC by its own admission did not conduct micro assessment of SOEs, it not clear how a conclusion that there are SOEs that are financially unviable was arrived at.
We would also need to be convinced that in the South African economy, which is dominated by private monopolies, there is any sector where “market failure no longer exists”. It is worrying for example that the developmental role of a key SOE like Telkom (albeit partially privatised) is classified by the PRC as “unknown”, which implies that the provision of an essential service such as Telecommunications should be left to the private sector.
This market-driven logic continues to be entrenched by the report when it boldly recommends that “private sector participation in partnering with SOEs to deliver on the provision of both economic and social infrastructure should be encouraged and expanded”. While the report encourages public-private-partnerships, it is silent on the importance of public-public partnerships.
The report raises critical issues around the funding of SOE provided infrastructure, but ends up giving a mixed and confusing message. At one point it states that “Arguably, the massive national requirements for investment-– in social infrastructure such as schools, health facilities, communal infrastructure, public amenities and roads as essential social goods and services - largely remain a direct responsibility of the State and cannot justifiably and sustainably be funded on a ‘user pays’ principle in a country where most citizens have limited means.”
It notes that the ‘user pay’ principle favoured by Treasury for economic infrastructure has been called into question by popular resistance to the E-tolls, but the issues it raises has implications going way beyond road infrastructure. It states that “It is unusual that basic infrastructure is funded such that the servicing of that debt must rely on exorbitant increases in tariffs as exemplified by funding methods being use for infrastructure development by Transnet, Eskom and ACSA, and those proposed by Sanral for Gauteng’s freeways. Other countries like China have chosen an economic development policy in which Government takes full responsibility for infrastructure investment…”
Nevertheless it strongly encourages the Treasury-supported user-pays model of funding for economic infrastructure as opposed to social infrastructure, recommending that “Economic infrastructure, where relevant, must be funded on a ‘user pays’ basis… and funding of social infrastructure, including roads, should have less reliance on the ‘user pays’ principle, and more on taxes.”
Having made this recommendation it then questions the consistency of this approach, stating: “The PRC engagements with both National Treasury and the Department of Public Enterprises revealed that a model is still evolving with inadequate policy convergence among them… National roads are considered economic infrastructure that should be tolled to fund their development and other roads as social infrastructure.”
The PRC fails to learn from history of privatisation of state owned assets post-1994 and the impact it had and continues to have on the provision and affordability of basic services. Privatisation of state owned assets involved:
· Outright sale of the enterprise;
· Partial sale of the enterprise;
· Introducing strategic equity partner;
· Introducing management contract between government and the private sector; and
· Commercialisation and corporatisation.
For instance, with the corporatisation of Eskom and privatisation of Telkom in the early 2000s, the prices of the services provided by these entities have shot up dramatically. After the privatisation of Telkom, while the democratic government had managed to connect many of our people who had been denied telephone services in the past, these services had to be disconnected due to affordability problems.
The high electricity tariffs by Eskom, which are compounded by huge municipal surcharges and water disconnections for those who have pre-paid meters, are some of the sad stories which are an outcome of privatisation.
The report does not properly consider the concern that the private sector in the public-private-partnerships takes less risk while government takes most of the risk involved. While we welcome the report’s proposal to use a portion of a minerals resources tax to fund infrastructure, it fails to go far enough to explore other funding options like prescribed assets, tax on imported luxury goods, and a financial transaction tax.
While the report talks about the leveraging of procurement by SOEs to promote economic transformation, it says nothing about local content and procurement. It merely recommends the revision of the threshold for BEE preference point system from 80/20 and 90/10 to a uniformed 70/30 system.
This neglect of the need to systematically promote local procurement undermines the local procurement accord signed by the social partners, and sends a problematic message to the private sector.
Finally the report does not make any recommendation about the role of SOEs in sustainable development and preservation of environment.
This should be an important consideration particularly for SOEs that fund social and economic infrastructure projects.
COSATU will be requesting that the PRC report is tabled for engagement at Nedlac, and will also be tabling our concerns at the Alliance Economic Summit next month, in the commission focusing on the role of SOEs.
___________
Building a Drug-Free Society
Jackson Mthembu, ANC National Spokesperson, 13 June 2013
The African National Congress has noted and commends government led by Comrade President Jacob Zuma and Comrade Nomvula Mokonyane on the significant and visible actions taken to deal with the scourge of drug abuse in our communities.
In the 30 days since the community of Eldorado Park requested that the President intervenes to assist them with the crisis, government has been unrelenting in their quest to ensure that we rid our communities of this pandemic evil that has inflicted our communities.
The ANC welcomes the decisive interventions to date including the closing down of drug dens the so-called "loli lounges and the arrest of drug peddlers.
Much more still needs to be done in other parts of our country and we are therefore encouraged by the focused and interventionist attitude of government in the quest to build a drug-free society.
No one is society can be a spectator to this problem, drugs are an evil that is destroying the youth of this country and must be rooted out to never rear their ugly heads in our communities again.
The ANC calls upon all members of society to jealously and vigilantly guard our youth against this scourge and to stop hoarding in our midst criminals who seek to turn our children into drug addicts dependent on the next fix, prepared to harm and destroy their families, friends and indeed their lives in the process.
Drug pedlars must be exposed and isolated by reporting to the police anybody suspected of trade of these deadly narcotics in our communities.
Issued by
Jackson Mthembu
National Spokesperson
African National Congress
_____________
Launch of NUMSA & FAWU campaign for agrarian transformation & land redistribution in South Africa
Irvin Jim, NUMSA General Secretary & Moleko Phakedi, FAWU Deputy General Secretary, 13 June 2013
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) held a bilateral meeting on 26 May 2013 in Johannesburg.
Among numerous issues discussed at the bilateral was an agreement to launch a Campaign for Agrarian Transformation and Land Distribution in South Africa.
The objectives of the campaign are:
to put pressure on the state so that the latter can fast-track agrarian transformation and land redistribution in South Africa
to engage the owners of the agriculture and food sectors with the aim of changing the exploitative agrarian social relations and concentrated patterns of ownership in the sector
to make sure the implementation of the provisions of the Freedom Charter that says that “the land shall be shared by those who work it”
to struggle for zero hunger and food security in South Africa where nutritious food is available and accessible on a sustainable basis to all people in the country
to build a strong and formidable movement for agrarian transformation
to support moves and measures that are in line with aims of the Campaign for Agrarian Transformation and Land Distribution in South Africa.
The two unions agreed to launch the campaign next week Wednesday 19 June to coincide with the centenary of the notorious Native Land Act of 1913. The 1913 Act limited black African land ownership to 7% despite the fact that black Africans made up two-thirds of South Africa’s population. Although preceded by more than two centuries of land grabs and theft, the piece of legislation codified one of the most violent forms of land dispossession. It was preceded by more than two centuries of land grabs and theft. It also opened floodgates for the most brutal campaign to move black people from their land and from their properties. It is on the day of enactment of the 1913 Native Land Act that NUMSA and FAWU have decided to launch their Campaign for Agrarian Transformation and Land Distribution in South Africa.
Next week Wednesday 19 June, our members will go to work wearing headbands inscribed with the campaign slogans: Lefatse (Land in Sesotho) … Ons soek ‘it (We want it in Afrikaans)! Mawubuye! (Let it return in Nguni languages). Inside the factories, they will hold lunchtime pickets and meetings.
On the same day and after work, we will hold jointly rallies in the major cities and rural towns of our country.
The launching rallies will be held in the following town:
Ekurhuleni: Thokoza Auditorium in Thokoza (17h30)
Nelson Mandela Bay Metro: Nangoza Jebe Hall, New Brighton in
Port Elizabeth (16h00)
Johannesburg Metro: Constitutional Court Hill, Braamfontein
(18h00)
A picket for food security under the slogan: Price controls on basic foodstuffs will also be held in front of Bloemfontein’s Pick n’ Pay in 111 Benade Drive.
NUMSA and FAWU national office bearers will address these gatherings.
What are our demands?
On 8-9 June 2013, joint Numsa/Fawu workshops on land and agrarian transformation were held across the country to develop a shared perspective on land reforms, prepare for National Day of Action and endorse a joint Programme of Action (PoA).
These are the demands that came out of the regional workshops:
1. Amend the property clause in the Constitution to unblock land redistribution
Although we appreciate the tabling of the 2013 Expropriation Bill and fully support the President Jacob Zuma’s announcement when he opened parliament in February 2013 that government was moving from “willing buyer, willing seller” principle, we are of the view that the good intentions of the Bill and the President will be frustrated by the clause in Section 25(2)(b) that makes courts the final arbiter on compensation. We do not think that an untransformed judiciary will have a broad interpretation of what is meant by ‘just and equitable’ compensation.
Our workshops explored the possibility of the Expropriation Advisory Boards that were in the 2008 version of the Expropriation Bill, together with the proposed Office of the Valuer-General and a reconstituted Land Claims Court, instead of ordinary courts, being the institutions that deal with compensation.
2. Complete the land register
The National Land Summit in 2005 agreed on land register to indicate who owned what in South Africa. The call for a register was gain echoed at the 52nd ANC national conference in Polokwane. Unfortunately the register has not been made public and we keep hearing that “it is complete but being finalised”. As NUMSA and FAWU, we are calling for the finalization of this and publication of the register.
3. Appeal to the Competitions Commission to complete its investigation into restrictive practices, abuse of dominance and anti-competitive conduct in the food and agro-processing sectors
In 2008, the Competitions Commission launched an investigation into restrictive practices, abuse of dominance and anti-competitive conduct in the food and agro-processing sectors. Unfortunately this investigation seems to have run out of steam. We are calling for its completion and the publication of the findings.
4. Get the Green Paper on Land Reform into a Bill
In September 2011, the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform and Department unveiled the Green Paper on Land Reform. The Green Paper has been slowly making its own way through the policy pipeline. It seems to be stuck in ever-expanding advisory teams dominated by academics and farmers. It is high time that the Bill moves speedily into a Bill.
5. Sort tenure in communal areas
Insecure land tenure in communal areas is a key legacy of apartheid, but addressing it has proved to be one of the thorniest problems facing tenure reform policy makers. Government promulgated the Communal Land Rights Act (CLARA) 11 of 2004 in response to Section 25 (6) of the Bill of Rights.
By 2010, however, the Constitutional Court had declared the Act unconstitutional, and it was not at all clear how government intended to fill the legal vacuum. For the Green Paper on Land Reform to just say that tenure in communal areas will sorted out different was highly insensitive to the people who reside in former Bantustans. We need a clear strategy on how tenure will dealt with in communal areas.
6. Stop evictions of farmworkers and labour tenants
As NUMSA and FAWU, we call for a reviewal of the following pieces of legislation:
Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act 3 of 1996,
Extension of Security of Tenure Act 62 of 1997 and
Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998.
As part of attempts to protect farmworkers, the ANC-led government passed the above laws whose aim to give security of tenure to labour tenants and farmworkers. Despite the enactment of these laws statistics show that in the same period that these legislations were in operation, huge numbers of labour tenants and farm dwellers were evicted:
Between 1995 and 2004, over two million black people left white farms where they lived, of whom about 930,000 were evicted and the principal reason for evictions was loss of farm employment.
The eviction peaked in 1997, when the government passed the Extension of Security of Tenure Act (ESTA), and in 2003, when a minimum wage for farm workers was introduced.
It is because of the failure of these Acts that we are calling for a reviewal so as to tighten the loop.
Why are we embarking on this campaign?
Land redistribution has been moving at a snail’s pace in our country. Although the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) called for the redistribution of 30% of agricultural land within the first five years of the land redistribution programme, the date for meeting the stipulated target has shifted from the “first five years of the programme” to 2014. To date only 7% of actual land has been distributed. Also, most of the land distributed is also not being used productively.
In his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) President had to admit, without offering an alternative target date to 2014, that “we will not be able to meet our redistribution targets”. In the absence of a target date, what we are left with is the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform’s Green Paper on Land Reform that has slowly been making its way through the policy-making pipeline since 2011. We also have the National Development Plan (NDP) that pleads with us to rely for land reform on the benevolence’s of white commercial farmers who in cash or in kind will donate the other 50% of what is required to purchase 20% of readily available land (land already in the market, land of farmers under financial pressure, land of absentee landlords willing to exit and land in deceased estate) in each district municipality with commercial farming land. Instead of proposing a new target date for redistributing 30% of commercial land, the NDP counsels us with a line that “land transfer targets must be in line with fiscal and economic realities”; a code line that land redistribution targets must be within the government’s fiscal constraints.
The NDP also calls for the following principle to underlie the country’s land reform programme:
• A land reform programme that must not upset land markets or business interests in the agricultural sector
• Protection of land markets against corruption, opportunism and speculation
• Creation of opportunities for white commercial white farmers to contribute to land reform.
In addition to the failure to move land redistribution forward through existing policy measures, we note the high levels of concentration and centralisation that characterise the agricultural sector in South Africa. Not only is agricultural production dependent on a few large-scale and predominantly white commercial farmers, what we have witnessed in the last few years is vertical integration of grain storage and trading; food processing and manufacturing and retail as they came into key agro-food commodity chains. We also witness high levels of concentration in the manufacture and supply of inputs such as fertilizer, and high levels of concentration also in processing, packaging and retail.
We also see conglomerates playing a dominant role in the sector. In sub-sectors such as fish and fish products; fruit and vegetables; oil and fats; dairy products; bakery and confectionary; milled grain products; and animal feed, five biggest companies take more than half of the sub-sector’s turnover. In all these sub-sectors, multinational corporations such as Nestle, Unilever, Dole, Parmalat and McCain are very active. International equipment suppliers such as Tetrapak, APV and GEA, their presence in South Africa has grown over the last few years.
The effects of this concentration and centralization are the following:
Collusion in procurement and price-fixing leading to higher prices and lack of food security for the poor High prices, particularly in essential goods and services Small, micro and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) being denied access to markets or being subjected to exploitative conduct by cartels. | |
How will the campaign unfold?
Our National Day of Action marks the beginning of a three month-long campaign. We intend to intensify our campaign as we build up to a ‘mock referendum’ to be held in September 2013 where will ask our members to vote on whether the property clause in the constitution should be repealed or not. We hope to use the ‘mock referendum’ to build a momentum for the campaign and show that our demands resonate amongst our members.
Between the launch and the ‘mock referendum’ in September, we plan to do the following:
organise marches to AgriSA, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
engage as part of COSATU the Expropriation Bill and Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill when the two pieces of legislation come to NEDLAC
Look at practical ways on how to get farmworkers organized.
Conclusion:
We, NUMSA and FAWU have resolved to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, together with COSATU, the SACP and the leader of the Alliance – the ANC, in the struggle to advance a radical phase of our national democratic revolution. We see our campaign as contributing to this new phase of our revolution.
Issued by NUMSA and FAWU National Office Bearers (NOBs)
International
Palestinian "Bieber" makes it to final of Idols, plans to host him in South Africa
Tahir Sema, Coalition for a Free Palestine Convenor,13 June 2013
The Coalition for a Free Palestine, the Palestine Solidarity Alliance, BDS South Africa and other affiliates congratulate and send our best wishes to Mohammed Assaf, the 23 year old Palestinian youngster from the Gaza Strip who has made it into the final rounds of the Arab "Idols" television music contest. While affectionately known as "the rocket", Assaf has also become known as Palestine's Justin Bieber, during his climb in the popular "Idols" show.
Assaf, now a finalist on Arab "Idols", has since childhood, been singing for Palestine, the Palestinian struggle and specifically the plight of Palestinian political prisoners. Assaf's patriotic Palestinian folk songs and romantic ballads - with their themes of grit, longing and love - have caught the attention of not only the "Idols" judges but has also proven to unite Palestinians from Fatah to Hamas from those in the Palestinian West Bank, the Gaza Strip, those living under Israeli rule together with the thousands of Palestinians in neighboring refugee camps.
Assaf's --literal-- journey to the Idols contest was fraught with the all too common obstacles that Palestinians face due to Israel's occupation and associated movement restrictions against the indigenous Palestinians.
Assaf first tried to enter Egypt through the Rafah crossing to journey to Cairo for the Idols auditions but was denied permission due to the Israeli blockade and siege, requiring him to find lengthy alternatives. He arrived an hour too late, and the gate to the recital hall was locked.
His mother, the story goes, told him on the telephone to hop the wall, and he did. Security guards took pity on him, but there were no more slots for the audition. Assaf began to sing in the hallway, and another contender who heard him told Assaf that he could win - and gave him his ticket to try out.
The Coalition for a Free Palestine together with the Palestine Solidarity Alliance and BDS South Africa are in talks to arrange for Assaf together with Palestinian spoken-word artist, Rafeef Ziadah
(see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2vFJE93LTI) and others, to perform in South Africa early in 2014, in promotion of the Palestinian struggle and in furthering the international boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel campaign. Plans are to host concerts similar to the Free Mandela events and music concerts that took place in the 1980s in support of the South African struggle and in furtherance of the international boycott against Apartheid South Africa.
A recent example of cultural solidarity was the launch of the music albums "Amandla Intifada I" and "Amandla Initfada II" by the South African Artists Against Apartheid collective, The Mavrix music band and the PSA.
The CFP supports Assaf's talent and has communicated this with the Embassy of the State of Palestine in South Africa to request them to encourage the support of Assaf. Those wishing to support Assaf can vote for him (Number 3) via text (+88 216 2277-4111) or dial (011 88 216 2277-4111).
Videos of Mohammed Assaf performing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWUpoQbejIU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S099Q0S2B8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zSgbAWnA4mw (singing Backstreet Boys' "I want it that way")
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/mohammad-assaf-performs-on-arab-idol/2013/05/27/897ace22-c70a-11e2-8da7-d274bc611a47_video.html
For further information or to arrange an interview with Mohammed Assaf contact Mr Tamer Al-Massri, the Media and Cultural Officer at the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Pretoria: +27 79 702 7303
*The Coalition for a Free Palestine is the largest South African Palestine solidarity umbrella body, which includes youth groups, trade unions, human rights organizations, faith based groups, artists collectives, student organizations and political parties. Some member organizations include the South African Council of Churches, Congress of South African Trade Unions, African National Congress, South African Communist Party, Muslim Judicial Council, Union of Muslim Students' Association, Palestine Solidarity Alliance, Palestine Solidarity Committee, Palestine Solidarity Group, Media Review Network, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions in SA, StopTheJNF South Africa, Open Shuhadah Street and the student society.
_________
New ITUC Report on Violations of Trade Union Rights
Zuzanna Muskat-Gorska, International Trade Union Confederation,12 June 2013
Special focus on seven countries at risk for trade unionists and trade union rights: Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Guatemala, Burma, Fiji, Georgia and Bahrain
Brussels, 12 June 2013 (ITUC OnLine): Unemployment rates and income inequality are increasing globally. Trade unionists continue to fight for jobs, rights and equality. This fight often costs them their jobs, and sometimes even their lives, in various parts of the world. Since 2006, the ITUC, the largest and most democratic social movement of the world, has been monitoring violations of trade union rights. This report points at key findings in 87 countries with a special focus on seven countries where the existence of trade unions and other democratic institutions are under extreme risk: Burma/Myanmar, Bahrain, Fiji, Guatemala, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Georgia.
According to the ITUC report, despite international legal instruments that protect and promote freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, unions and their members are still exposed to severe violations of their rights. Unions are increasingly under attack, fighting to maintain the ability to effectively promote and defend the interests of workers.
In more than half of the countries surveyed, workers have been dismissed or otherwise subjected to discrimination because of their trade union membership. The report includes detailed information on physical violence committed against trade unionists for their trade union activity in 24 countries. For example, 18 trade unionists were murdered in Colombia in 2012, and at least four already this year. Two workers were killed by police in Sierra Leone for protesting for better working conditions in mines in January 2013. Collective bargaining has been severely weakened in countries with strong industrial relations such as Portugal, Greece, Romania, Spain and Italy. In 28 of the countries surveyed, the report examines the arrest and detention of workers for their trade union membership and activities. Ninety-one members of the trade union KESK (22 women and 69 men) are still in detention in Turkey.
Guatemala has become the most dangerous country in the world for trade unionists. Since 2007, at least 53 union leaders and representatives have been killed, and there have been numerous acts of attempted murder, torture, kidnapping, break-ins and death threats, which have created a culture of fear and violence where the exercise of trade union rights becomes impossible.
Trade unionists in Africa’s last absolute monarchy, Swaziland, are calling for the election of a democratic and accountable government in 2013 and have therefore been targeted by the King and the authorities. The only national centre, the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland, was de-registered in April 2012, and six trade union leaders were arrested in May 2013.
In Fiji, the military regime is trying to strengthen its illegitimate power at the expense of workers’ rights. Trade unionists are excluded from bringing the voice of workers into the political debate by decree which prohibits them from expressing support for political parties.
“Hundreds of millions of working people, in developing and in industrialised countries, are denied the fundamental rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining,” said Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary. “For many, especially those in precarious employment, this denial wreaks havoc on their lives, as they work extremely long hours in hazardous or unhealthy situations with incomes so low that they are unable to support themselves and their households properly. Lack of respect for workers’ rights has increased inequality around the world, and that inequality helped trigger the global economic crisis and stand in the way of recovery.”
An online website with constant updates on trade union rights violations will become publicly available in October 2013.
Read the whole report here: http://www.ituc-csi.org/countries-at-risk-2013-report-on
For further information or to request an interview, please contact Mathieu Debroux on +32 476 62 10 18 - mathieu...@ituc-csi.org
The ITUC represents 175 million workers in 156 countries and territories and has 315 national affiliates.
Follow us on the web: http://www.ituc-csi.org and http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI
For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2 224 02 04 or +32 476 621 018
____________
Bangladesh Labour Law Changes Inadequate
Zuzanna Muskat-Gorska, International Trade Union Confederation,12 June 2013
Changes to Bangladesh's notoriously weak labour laws being discussed in parliament are inadequate and will leave workers still without protection guaranteed under global labour standards, according to the international trade union movement.
Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the ITUC, said, "After years of inaction, the government is trying to hose down criticism of a system which has cost thousands of lives and kept the country's garment workers on dollar-a-day wages to feed the corporate bottom line. The changes being debated in parliament won't change that, so major trading partners including the US and the EU will now need to step up pressure for real reform."
The 360,000 workers in the country's eight export processing zones will remain excluded from labour law coverage and instead relegated to a separate law that prohibits workers from even forming a union. Remaining union-free appears to be one of the promises made to investors who set up in the zones.
"With so many factory owners holding seats in parliament, it is no surprise that workers' rights are still being stifled," said Burrow.
One of the worst clauses in the old labour law, a requirement that factory owners be given the names of workers wanting to join unions, is likely to be scrapped; however, cosy relations between many government officials and the country's employers mean that workers will still risk their jobs by signing up to unions. The revised law, through a series of administrative obstacles, still makes it extremely hard for workers to form unions; such obstacles include high membership thresholds for registering unions, restrictions on who can serve as a union official and unreasonable limits on collective bargaining and the right to strike.
There is no sign that another common anti-union tactic, where government officials simply don't process union registration requests, will diminish. Registrations have often increased when previous factory disasters have put Bangladesh under the international spotlight, only to taper off when the global pressure eases.
"Partial measures are not good enough. Bangladesh needs to bring its laws fully into line with ILO standards, especially on freedom of association and collective bargaining. We're pressing for that in tomorrow's debate at the ILO Conference, and we're keeping up the pressure on the global clothing brands and on governments to convince Bangladesh to do the right thing by its own people," said Burrow.
The ITUC represents 175 million workers in 156 countries and territories and has 315 national affiliates.
Follow us on the web: http://www.ituc-csi.org and http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI
For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2 224 02 04 or +32 476 621 018
_________
Bangladesh: The WFTU affiliates discuss about their struggle and organize during WFTU Workshop
WFTU, 12 June 2013
The WFTU Affiliates in Bangladesh joined together in a Workshop of the WFTU to discuss and organize the struggle for the protection of the working people and the demanding of safety measures at the workplaces against the murderous policy of the multinationals who in seek of profit do not care about the human lives.
The organizing of the workers from the ground, the coordination in national and sectoral level and the international fraternal solidarity is the only secure way to pave a future for the working people in Bangladesh that will not include predetermined accidents, deadly earthquake and flooding impacts.
______________
ETF fisheries chair to back EJF forced labour report
International Transport Workers’ Federation, 12 June 2013
Juan Trujillo, president of the ETF (European Transport Workers’ Federation) fisheries section, will speak today in support of a report into abuses in the fishing industry and the need forreform and enforcement.
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) is holding a press conference today to introduce its report Sold to the sea: human trafficking in Thailand's fishing Industry(www.ejfoundation.org/soldtotheseafilm) in Spain. It will be held at 12 :30 at the Sede de la Secretaría General de Pesca, C/ Velázquez, Nº 147 – 28071, Madrid.
Trujillo, who is also fisheries secretary of the maritimesection of the FSC-CC.OO and member of the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) fisheries task force, will be one of the speakers at the press conference. He will state that: “The ratification by the (Spanish) government of the ILO’s (International Labour Organization’s) Work in Fishing convention number 188 would provide an effective tool to combat human trafficking, forced labour in the sector and illegal fishing.”
He will continue: “We call on the Spanish government to ratify this convention, which was adopted by the 2007 International Labour Conference and which provides an essential tool to promote the socio-economic development of the sector. The Spanish delegation at that conference was made up of representatives of the Spanish government; the General Union of Workers (UGT), Workers’ Commissions (CC.OO); Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE); and the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CEPYME), and it voted unanimously to adopt the convention.”
ETF fisheries section secretary Livia Spera also welcomed the report, saying: “Negotiations for a free-trade agreement between the EU and Thailand have just started. The ETF is working, also through its contribution to the recommendations issued by the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs), to draw the European Commission’s attention to the findings of the EJF report. We see these negotiations as a unique occasion to contribute deterring forced labour in fisheries. Thailand is one of the major exporters for fish and seafood and the signature of a free trade agreement should be conditional to a clear engagement from the Thai government to fight forced labour and ensure respect of labour rights in the sector.”
Liz Blackshaw, programme leader for the joint ITF/IUF (International Union of Food Workers) from catcher to counter initiative, added: “In lifting the lid on what is happening in Thailand this new report also helps expose what is happening to fishers worldwide, and the desperateneed for more countries to ratify convention 188 and act to prevent these terrible and ongoing abuses.”
For more details please contact
ITF. Sam Dawson, ITF press and editorial manager. Tel: +44 (0)20 7940 9260. Email: dawso...@itf.org.uk
ETF. Livia Spera, political secretary for dockers and fisheries. Tel: +32 (0)2 285 46 68. Email:l.s...@etf-europe.org
__________
Route of Shame: PSI protest against Greek TV shutdown
Teresa Marshall, PSI Communications Coordinator, 12 June 2013
During the "Route of Shame" cycle ride around Geneva on 12 June 2013 for social justice and trade union rights, participants will gather in front of the Greek Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva to protest against the closure of Greek public television.
The Greek government is gradually eliminating workers’ and citizens’ rights, one after another, with the unique aim of satisfying the commitments made to the Troika (the EU, the European Bank, and the IMF). The latest example is the decision of the government which, by a legislative act, ordered the “sudden death” of the public television and radio ERT, blocking public broadcasting, access to information and news pluralism in an unprecendented move that has shocked the Greek population.
They fear that 14,500 workers will be laid off by the end of July.
Together with the Executive Committee of PSI’s affiliate ADEDY, PSI strongly condemns this policy and extends our solidarity to the workers of ERT who are fighting to overthrow the destructive plans of the government and the Troika. They will protest outside the Radiomegaro ERT today, Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 6:00 pm and hold a 24-hour nationwide general strike on Thursday, June 13, 2013.
In solidarity with the workers, participants at the PSI Route of Shame will protest in front of the Greek Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva on 12 June.
____________
From classroom to college – A champion for child workers
ILO, 12 June 2013
When Farzana Hassan began teaching a handful of child labourers at an ILO project in Pakistan, she never imagined that, years later, she would have turned her classroom into a fully-fledged college for girls.
Hundreds of young girls, clad in blue shirts and white shalwas – baggy trousers – teem through Bahgwal Awan girls’ college – an uncommon sight in rural Pakistan.
Fifteen years ago, this was a small centre set up by the International Labour Organization and a local NGO, Bunyad, providing non-formal education to children who had been working in Pakistan’s lucrative soccer ball industry.
At the time, the ILO estimated that 7,000 children had been working in the industry, hand-stitching soccer balls for export - a market that generated US$ 1 billion in retail sales annually.
So it partnered with the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and UNICEF, in a project to remove child labourers from the business and to provide them with educational and other opportunities.
Farzana was recruited as a teacher at one of the non-formal education (NFE) centres, which were set up in Sialkot under the scheme. She had 20 children in her class.
But when the project ended, as scheduled, after 18 months, Farzana, decided to keep the centre going.
“Today, with the support of the community, it is now a college with 650 students,” she explains. “It gives me great pleasure to see that girls from my community can now have their dreams fulfilled. Girls who have graduated from here have managed to carve out their own career and destiny, instead of stitching soccer balls.
“We also offer school education which has helped rehabilitate many child labourers, particularly girls.”
The ILO, jointly with the Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP) and Sialkot Chamber of Commerce (SCCI), presented Farzana with an award in recognition of her services to the community, at a ceremony in Sialkot on June 11, to mark the World Day against Child Labour.
“She is not only a role model for her community but also for women in other places, demonstrating that individual commitments can bring positive changes to the community and address complex issues like child labour,” says Francesco d’Ovidio, director of the ILO’s country office.
“This is one example of how an ILO project to address child labour in the soccer ball industry turns into sustainable results. This success could be replicated in other areas and sectors, such as child domestic workers, who should be taken out of work and placed into schools,” he adds.
Shekih Abdul Majid, President of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industries, also praised Farzana for her efforts. He thanked the ILO for helping to establish institutions like the Independent Monitoring Association of Child Labor (IMAC) and the Child Social Development Organization (CSDO) in Sialkot, which were set up as a follow-on to the Soccer Ball project.
The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry passed a resolution to say “No Child Labour in Domestic Work”.
Many villagers in Sialkot have adopted and continued several non-formal education centers in the region.
“Community participation has helped to promote education as a right for every girl and boy in the area,” Farzana says. “I will ensure that education will continue to be offered to children and youth, particularly the girls.”
By M. Saifullah Chaudhry, Senior programme Officer, ILO Country Office for Pakistan
___________
EI warns ILO conference of deprofessionalisation trend
Education International, 12 June 2013
Speaking on behalf of the Workers’ Group at the ILO Conference Committee on the Application of Standards on June 7, Antonia Wulff, from Education International, warned of global trends leading to the deprofessionalisation of the teaching profession.
“Hiring of untrained and unqualified teachers, a short-view measure of governments to respond to rapid increases in enrolment is becoming an established practice. For example, Chile has recently changed its policy and no formal teaching qualifications are now required to be a teacher.’ she stated.
Wulff highlighted other areas of concern, including the increased use of short-term contract teachers and the growing disparities between teachers’ pay and comparable professions. Teachers’ salaries had been frozen or cut in many European countries, for example, in Latvia, Romania, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Ireland and Portugal.
She noted that such practices were linked to the deterioration of collective bargaining rights and the consequent negative impact on working conditions.
Wulff also highlighted the narrowing of curricula as well as a view on teaching not requiring any preparations as further signs of deprofessionalisation, and criticised the increasing use of standardised testing and “high-stake” teachers’ evaluations. These reforms are often poorly designed and reduce the role and influence of teachers as professionals.
Social dialogue in danger
Julia Ondina Ortiz, from the Federation of Teachers’ Organisations in Honduras spoke of the lack of social dialogue and anti-trade union practices in her country, which was having a terrible impact on the quality of education.
Salaries have been frozen for a number of years, and the government owes millions in Lempiras in back pay. New teachers are not recruited on merit but because of political criteria and the teachers’ pension system has been reformed with the introduction of a much less favourable system.
“Many teachers have been dismissed because their trade union permits were cancelled. Edgardo Antonio Castaña, President of the Professional College of Teachers (COPRUMH), who is present here with me, has been threatened with dismissal for attending the ILO Conference,” Ondina Diaz concluded.
The Joint ILO/UNESCO Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendations concerning Teaching Personnel met at its 11th session in October 2012 and the report is submitted to the ILO Governing Body and the ILO Conference.
The ILO/UNESCO Committee clearly recommends that salaries and working conditions of teachers should be negotiated through their organisations, by statutory or voluntary machinery.
_________
Child labour undermines quality education
Education International, 12 June 2013
Every 12 June, Education International (EI) and its member organisations worldwide celebrate the World Day against Child Labour (WDCL). On that day, they highlight the global extent of child labour and raise awareness on the situation of millions of children, girls and boys, working across the globe.
EI is the largest global teacher organisation, representing over 30 million teachers in more than 170 countries and territories. For the organisationand its affiliates, World Day against Child Labour is also a crucial opportunity to reiterate that every child has the right to a free quality public education.
“EI wants to eradicate the scourge of child labour, as it undermines children’s basic right to education, as well as the achievement of Education for All goals by 2015,” says EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen. “Quality education must be equally accessible to all. It will not be achieved until all children have access to healthy and safe schools, and are taught by qualified teachers.”
Teachers’ unions have been pioneers in the movement to prevent and eliminate child labour. In previous years, many EI member organisations have carried out successful campaigns in their respective countries. They consider the fight against child labour to be a core component of their advocacy for the right to education.
On 12 June, thousands of teachers will participate in activities organised in their countries, aimed at ending child labour and promoting education opportunities for all children.
The EI ‘One Hour against Child Labour’ activity will be practised in classrooms, staff rooms and union offices. The objective is to increase the awareness of teachers and students about child labour and to encourage them to take action at various levels throughout the year.
If you are looking for ideason possible actions to be implemented at union or school level, have a look at EI’s latest brochure: ‘Teacher unions at the forefront of the fight against child labour: good practice’!
For more information on child labour or World Day against Child Labour, click here http://www.ei-ie.org/en/events/event_details/62
__________
Education unions fight for tax justice
Education International, 12 June 2013
EI has called on its affiliates and all concerned citizens to take action for tax justice by signing a statement from the Global Alliance for Tax Justice (GATJ). EI believes that there is an increasing appreciation that tax avoidance by big corporations undermines public spending and equality in both developed and developing countries.
Working together across borders, the GATJ partners, of which EI is a member, support each other in a variety of tax justice campaigns. These campaigns have focused on ending tax havens, tax avoidance and corruption. Other initiatives have sought to introduce progressive tax systems – including financial transactions taxes - that are enforced and curb speculation.
The statement with the list of signatories will be publicised in the third week of June, in connection with World Public Services Day on 23 June, and be shared with government leaders at upcoming G8 and G20 meetings.
The fair share commitment
The key demands in the declaration are:
· Tax justice must be put into action to end poverty, inequality and climate change.
· Multinational corporations, financiers and the very rich must pay their fair share of taxes.
· National and international systems that support tax avoidance and tax havens must be stopped.
· Governments must enforce fair, progressive and transparent tax administration.
· The people of every country must receive a fair share of public services and social protection.
“In signing this declaration, we call on world and community leaders, organisations and people to join together to take action – we demand that governments deliver tax justice now,” says EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen in the circular sent to member organisations.
Sign the declaration online here! http://gatj.org/
The EI study, “Global Corporate Taxation and Resources for Quality Public Services”, can be read in its entirety here
Announcements
Education Trust Public Debate Invitation: Topic: The State of our Education System
Join us in discussion as Nick Taylor presents the findings of the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit’s Report on the state of literacy teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase
Dear Guest,
The University of Johannesburg, Kagiso Trust and the City Press cordially invite you to the Education Conversations 6th Series event.
Date:
Tuesday 2 July 2013
Time:
07h00 for 07h30 (morning)
Guest Speaker: Nick Taylor, CEO of the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit (NEEDU)
Venue:
University of Johannesburg,
School of Tourism and Hospitality - Protea Auditorium,
Bunting Road, Auckland Park,
Johannesburg
____________
WWMP to run Media Training Courses for Trade Union media persons
Martin Jansen, Director/Editor, Workers’ World Media Productions, 13 June 2013
Dear Comrades
You are hereby invited to apply to the WWMP Media Training course taking place at our training facility in Braamfontein, Johannesburg during 16 – 20 September 2013.
The course is aimed at full-time trade union media officers, including office-bearers who need to deepen and broaden their knowledge of the media landscape as well as sharpen their skills in areas of your work such as press releases, radio and TV interviews etc. It is a relatively advanced course that will draw upon experienced media educators and personalities in the field to put you through your paces such Siki Mgabadeli and Jeremy Maggs.
Please find our training brochure detailing more about the course at www.wwmp.org.za or call the office and the cost as well as the application form for you to complete and send to us once you’ve gotten the consent from your union for attendance and payment.
Please note that only 20 participants will be allowed on the course and you are advised to apply soonest.
Yours in labour education.
Martin Jansen
Director/Editor
Workers’ World Media Productions
________
COSATU Western Cape Vacancy for Provincial Administrator
The Congress of South Africa Trade Unions [COSATU] has a vacant position of the Administrator in its Cape Town Provincial office.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the smooth running of the provincial office and finances.
Functions include;
1. Task related to reception;
· Answer switchboard and take messages
· Receive visitors and direct them to the relevant office/person
· Assists workers who might need advice
2. Tasks related to finances
· Prepare financial statements for the approval of the Provincial Executive Committee or Provincial Congress
· Submit financial statements to the Provincial Accountant at Head Office
· Prepare cheques with necessary requisition forms and supporting documents to be approved by the Provincial Secretary and signed by the office bearers
· Control, record, reconcile and account for all petty cash of the Province in terms of the Federation Financial policy
· Record copies of all financial records of the Federation in safe files
· Collect all necessary documentation from the bank from time to time
· Deposit all monies received on behalf of the Federation within three 930 days of actual receipt
3. Administrative tasks
· Type and write all notices, reports and minutes of the constitutional meetings that might be called by the Provincial Secretary or other Federation’s officials
· Do all logistical tasks for the office
· Attend PEC and RC and /or any other meetings as may be requested by the Provincial Secretary
· Coordinate Gender
· Collect mail from the post and bank
· In consultation with the administrative Secretary, order station for the office
· Develop a filling system
4. Other
· Keep the office surroundings tidy and in clean conditions
Requirements
· A level 4 NQF qualification with a minimum of 5 years experience in Trade Union work or in non-governmental organization in an equivalent job
· Bookkeeping
· Understanding of South African Labour Laws
· Good administrative skills
· Be computer literate
· Numeracy and literacy skills
· Be proficient in English
· Be prepared to work unlimited hours
All applications should be sent before 14th June 2013 with detailed CV and contactable references to:
The COSATU General Secretary c/o Khanyisile Fakude
Email to :Khany...@cosatu.org.za
Please not that communication will only be made to those who will be shortlisted.
______
Media Invitation to NEHAWU 10th National Congress
Sizwe Pamla, NEHAWU Media Liaison Officer, 12 June 2013
The NATIONAL EDUCATION, HEALTH AND ALLIED WORKER’S UNION {NEHAWU} will be holding its 10th National Congress from the 26th -29th June 2013, at Birchwood Hotel ,Benoni ,Gauteng under the theme:”BUILD STRONG WORKPLACE ORGANISATION,CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS AND INTERNATIONALISM”.
The National Congress is the highest decision making body of the union that has the powers to adopt new resolutions and elect new National Office Bearers{NOB}.
Delegates from all structures of the union will attend and assess the progress that has been made by the union in implementing its resolutions since the last congress that was held in 2010.
The congress will also pass the new resolutions and map the way forward for the next three years.
The gathering will be addressed by the tripartite alliance leaders{ ANC,SACP and COSATU} and other international fraternal organisations.
The 10th National Congress is scheduled as follows:
Ø Date : 26-29 June 2013
Ø Venue : Birchwood Hotel {Gauteng}
Members of the media are invited to attend, cover and report on the congress. To confirm attendance, journalists are requested to send their responses to the National Spokesperson: siz...@nehawu.org.za
The following information should be included in the confirmation reply for accreditation and logistical purposes.
Ø NAME AND SURNAME
Ø MEDIA INSTITUTION
Ø E-MAIL AND CONTACTDETAILS
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
For further information, please contact:Sizwe Pamla {NEHAWU Media Liaison Officer} at 011 833 2902- 082 558 5962 or email siz...@nehawu.org.za
Visit NEHAWU website: www.nehawu.org.za
____________
SADTU vacancy for a Gauteng Provincial Organizer
SOUTH AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC TEACHERS’ UNION (SADTU)
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) has the following vacancy at its Provincial Office in Gauteng.
Provincial Organising Secretary
This is a senior position within the organisation and only experienced persons need to apply.
The above incumbent will be required to perform the following duties:
- Develop a provincial recruitment campaign/ strategy for all education institutions
- Organise and attend to launches of union structures in all institutions, e.g. schools, colleges, universities
- Ensure the smooth running of the organising department
- Represent union members at different forums
- Develop capacity within the structures of the union
- Assist with conducting elections within the union structures
Qualifications
- Post Matric qualification and or relevant experience
- +/- 3 years organising experience
- Thorough understanding of the trade union movement in SA
Other requirements
- Good negotiation and bargaining skills
- Computer literacy (MS Office)
- Ability to work under pressure
- Report writing skills
- Good interpersonal skills
- Good written and communication skills
- Valid Driver’s License
Interested persons are invited to apply for the above mentioned post. Application letter together with a detailed CV and certified copies of educational qualifications should be forwarded to:
The Provincial Secretary
Gauteng Province
1st Floor TFC Building
32 Von Brandis Street
Marshalltown
2001
Enquiries: (011) 331 1443
Kindly take note of the following:
- The salary is negotiable.
- Correspondence will only be entered with short-listed candidates.
Closing Date : 14 June 2013
_________
COSATU skinning in the game of social media-Enabling the trade union movement to nurture a communicative platform
The Congress of South Africa Trade Unions has broken new grounds by enabling its members and the society at large, to shape its progressive work.
Follow COSATU General Secretary, cde Zwelinzima Vavi @zwelinzima1 and also COSATU’s Official twitter handles @_cosatu and @cosatu2015, for a second to second update on issues affecting the working class in South Africa and elsewhere.
And the Federation has a Facebook Page ; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Congress-of-South-Africa-Trade-Unions-Cosatu-Today/390972744302076?fref=ts
Forward with building a strong and vibrant trade union movement through a communication platform.
An injury to one is an injury to all!
____________
Follow Fred van Leeuwen on Twitter!-EI GS
Education International
EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen is now on Twitter - follow @fredvanleeuwen for news, views, insights and highlights from the global education scene.
"Twitter is an amazing tool. Anyone can publish, and re-publish, information instantly, and thus distribute knowledge to thousands of people within minutes. Look at the revolutions in Arab countries that relied on Twitter for rapid communication; or the heated debates that spring up on Twitter during large events like the State of the Union address in the United States - these events show the immense potential the service has," he said.
"I am happy to be able to contribute, and look forward to sharing and discussing with colleagues and friends via Twitter."
To follow Fred van Leeuwen on Twitter, click here to go to@fredvanleeuwen, his Twitter profile. It is also possible to follow@eduint, Education International's offical Twitter account.
____________
Follow ITUC Secretary General-Sharan Burrow
___________
Norman Mampane (Communications Officer)
Congress of South African Trade Unions
110 Jorissen Cnr Simmonds Street
Braamfontein
2017
P.O.Box 1019
Johannesburg
2000
South Africa
Tel: +27 11 339-4911 or Direct 010 219-1342
Mobile: +27 72 416 3790
E-Mail: mam...@cosatu.org.za
