Taking COSATU Today Forward, 1 June 2022 #YouthMonth
Norman Mampane
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#2022YearofWorkersParliament COSATU affiliates are preparing for National Gender Conference scheduled for June 2022 #InternalDemocracy #WorkerControl #EndChildLabour #Back2Basics #JoinCOSATUNow #ClassConsciousness |
Taking COSATU Today Forward
‘Whoever sides with the revolutionary people in deed as well as in word is a revolutionary in the full sense’-Maoo
Our side of the story
Wednesday, 1 June 2022
‘Deepen
the Back to Basics Campaign, Consolidate the Struggle for the NDR and Advance the Struggle for Socialism’
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- NEHAWU in response to misleading statements by UNISA Management
- SADTU-NW statement on the shooting and murder of Rutanang Primary School Teacher
- POPCRU Collective Bargaining Conference Declaration 25- 26 May 2022
- South Africa
- COSATU statement on the 1st Quarter unemployment numbers
- NUM calls for Petra Diamonds Finsch Mine to pay workers the Covid-19 TERS money
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
Ø Union reaches wage agreement with ArcelorMittal South Africa
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
NEHAWU in response to misleading statements by UNISA Management
May 30, 2022
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] wishes to set the record straight in terms of the Labour Court outcome or judgement. On the 19th May 2022, the union filed an urgent application against the summary terminations of our branch office bearers at the University of South Africa (UNISA) without holding any hearing, which we contend are unlawful. The matter was finally heard in the Labour Court on the 26th May 2022, where UNISA raised two points in limine, one being lack of urgency and the second the lack of jurisdiction, after the court heard both parties, the matter was adjourned for about 40 minutes for the judge to prepare her ruling. After the adjournment the court found in favour of NEHAWU on urgency but also found in favour of UNISA on the jurisdictional point in that it determined that NEHAWU has alternative remedies and can approach the CCMA for their claim.
It is important to note that the actual merits or substance of the case were never argued and the matter was dismissed on a point in limine and the union has already referred the matter to CCMA accordingly as a platform to fully ventilate the actual merits of the unfair dismissals. Indeed, this is an opportunity to clearly show that the employer has violated the Labour Relations Act, as amended for basing the suspension and termination of our office bearers on a non-existent clause of the LRA.
Further noted that UNISA has been issuing a variety of statements through Internal Communications to staff members whereby they claim that the strike is illegal, in this regard, we wish to advise the employer to approach the Labour Court in order to set the strike certificate aside if UNISA is convinced that the strike certificate was issued irregularly.
The union remains committed to resolving the current impasse with UNISA Management as we would like to see normal operations resuming at all UNISA campuses. However, this cannot be done by undermining collective bargaining and the rights of employees whereby members are dismissed without a hearing and following Section 23 of the Constitution.
The union will meet with UNISA Management on Tuesday, the 31st May 2022 to continue with talks and hope for a speedy resolution.
END
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
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SADTU-NW statement on the shooting and murder of Rutanang Primary School Teacher
01 June 2022
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union in the North West Province (SADTU NW) is shocked and saddened by the news of the shooting and murder of an educator at Rutanang Primary School. It is alleged that the horrific incident happened just outside the school gate in the morning of the 31 May 2022. This incident confirms our long-standing view that our schools are no longer safe for Teachers and Learners.
We continue to call on every member of the society to protect teachers, learners, and education workers. The union implores the community at large to support our campaign of I AM A SCHOOL FAN that seeks, amongst others, to denounce violence in our schools.
Whilst we might not be aware of the motive for the killing, we condemn such a heinous act. We call on the law enforcement agencies to do everything possible to hunt down, apprehend the perpetrators and successfully prosecute.
We appreciate the swift move by the department of education to send a team of counselors to deal with the trauma affecting staff members, learners, and community of Rutanang Primary School.
We send our heartfelt condolences to the family as well as the school community.
ISSUED BY: SADTU Secretariat.
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POPCRU Collective Bargaining Conference Declaration 25- 26 May 2022
26 May 2022
We, the delegates of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union’s (POPCRU) Collective Bargaining Conference convened at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg, Gauteng, from the 25th to the 26th of May 2022 under the theme “Defending our gains and advancing our struggles against attacks on Collective Bargaining”. This august occasion brought together the leadership of POPCRU from all spheres representing approximately 150 000 members organized within the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), Traffic and other Agencies of the Department of Transport.
We appreciate informative contributions from the Congress of South African Trade Unions [COSATU] represented by its 1st Deputy President Cde Mike Shingange; the Acting National Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, Mr Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale; RTMC represented by the Senior Executive Manager Kopano Maponyane; LEPOSA and BOPEU.
We further acknowledge the presence of Safer South Africa Foundation (SSAF), our business arm Workerslife, POLMED, GEPF, Medscheme, Essential Services Commission (ESC) and representatives from various Collective Bargaining Councils.
We met over the three days to robustly deliberate on a series of attacks and a plethora of challenges on collective bargaining. We further developed a roadmap for defending our hard-earned gains through assessing the impact of signed collective agreements which are mainly aimed at improving the working conditions and the living standards of our members.
We have also assessed the impact of policies and legislation with the key objective of transforming the public service; in particular the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster.
This conference has noted that workers all across the world are facing similar challenges related to job losses, retrenchments and abuses by employers and further identified a need to develop strategies to ensure that these common challenges are met with resistance.
We have also noted that the attacks on collective bargaining are now a global phenomenon, heightened by among others the introduction and implementation of austerity measures as well reneging from signed collective agreements by the employer.
These developments are taking place at a period wherein there is increased uncertainty in the future of work, while pandemics and disasters are adding to the woes of organising and retaining workers by trade union movement.
We align this declaration to the vigorous deliberations ensued in the various commissions, and finalized at plenary. We remain steadfast that these deliberations and proposed interventions are our greatest strengths as we move towards the future. We are also content about the remarkable progress thus far in shaping our organisational posture towards transformation.
We therefore resolve;
· To strengthen POPCRU as a labour movement for transformation and a strategic axis within the security environment is principally about shaping the organisation’s resilience, enhancing its transformative capacity and its ability to adapt to changing situations so that it can continue to serve and lead its membership;
· The organization must spearhead the change and lead the struggle in the Public Service against the onslaught on collective bargaining.
· Correctional Services should be a stand-alone department to ensure efficiency within the Ministry.
· The Department of Correctional Services should enhance rehabilitation programmes to ensure that inmates are adequately skilled to add value in rural development and agricultural programmes.
· Commit to have a comprehensive programme of action in solidarity with other workers in different sectors, including mobilisation of membership in all structures and industrial unions.
· We also commit to speed up engagements to have the Department of Correctional Services migrated to the SSSBC.
· POPCRU in particular, must defend its majoritarian status within the Security Cluster, defend and advance the workers’ struggles amidst unprecedented low levels of cohesion within COSATU and lack of leadership and ineptness of negotiators on the part of employers in some Departments where we organise.
· Strategic endeavours must be engaged at the political level to encourage the ANC to implement its decision on single policing under the command of one National Commissioner;
· We must continue to be vigilant in influencing policy and legislative review to advance transformation process within the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster
· Disciplinary regulation of 2016, Clause 9 (expeditious process), should be removed from the Regulations, as it has largely been utilised to unfairly charge and dismiss members. In the immediate, the organisation should engage the National Commissioner on the negative impact of its implementation.
· We must ensure that there are proper monitoring tools to ensure that there is compliance with the legislation and policies;
· We must develop a policy position for the establishment of an enforcement agency within the Collective Bargaining Councils to enforce implementation of signed agreements;
· Correctional Services must address the long-standing challenge of staff shortages and overcrowding for improved productivity and subsequently better service delivery;
We are determined as we move out of this conference to take care of our members’ needs by continuing to provide and deliver professional and high-quality service that will keep our membership committed to this union’s vision.
South Africa
COSATU statement on the 1st Quarter unemployment numbers
Sizwe Pamla, Cosatu National Spokesperson, 31 May 2022
The Congress of South African Trade Unions has noted the latest unemployment figures by StatSA showing that unemployment has remained stable from a record 35,3% to 34,5%. The creation of 370 000 new jobs and the decrease in unemployment from the real unemployment of 46.2% to 45.5% is welcome but is no reason for celebration.
This, to a certain extent, can be attributed to the removal of restrictions including government’s decision to invoke the disaster management act that removed all restrictions that were put in place to stem the tide of COVID-19 infections.
This means that amongst those who were allowed to go back to work, some still found their jobs open. This speaks to the resilience of some of these affected sectors.
What is needed is for government to honour the ANC’s commitments in its 2019 elections Manifesto that include the commitment to “promote a developmental growth path “. The ANC 2019 Manifesto said, “Our macroeconomic framework, including fiscal and monetary policies, will be aligned to support the commitments made in this Manifesto. The ANC believes that the South African Reserve Bank must pursue a flexible monetary policy regime, aligned with the objectives of the second phase of transition. Without sacrificing price stability, monetary policy must take into account other objectives such as employment creation and economic growth.”
Government also needs to deal with other detrimental problems like vast and deepening corruption and wastages in the state.
What will not create jobs is an austerity programme. The current economic strategy is neither geared towards achieving structural economic transformation nor inclusive growth. It can be best described as a strategy for containing public-debt and reducing budget-deficit through a fiscal austerity programme – mainly fixated on the so-called public service wage bill. It has long abandoned the perspective of a capable developmental state, which is supposed to be the overarching thrust of the role of the state in terms of NDP.
In the short-to-medium term, government needs to fix the loadshedding problem and ensure a reliable electricity supply. Fuel costs and data costs also need to be greatly reduced to support small businesses and business startups.
The government also needs to sort out the problem of funding for small businesses by establishing a State Bank that will fund small medium enterprises and focus on productive lending and not consumption lending. The Land Bank needs to be adequately resourced to fund those who are interested and are already involved in farming and food production. The NYNDA needs to be given enough resources to help young people to start and expand their businesses.
The government institutions like SOEs, departments and municipalities need to be compelled to prioritize young people when it comes to procurement.
The government needs to intervene to save Transnet and Metrorail. A revived Metrorail will get 10 million workers to work on time and off the costly fuel dependent transportation. This will boost economic productivity and lessen our dependence on petrol.
The Presidential Employment Stimulus funding needs to be doubled to R30 billion to help create 1 million job opportunities for young people.
Our education system also needs to be responsive and equip young people with the necessary skills to be competitive. Without urgent and targeted action to manage the near-term transition and build a workforce with futureproof skills, we are likely to continue to cope with ever-growing unemployment and inequality.
This is a massive problem that cannot be solved by government alone and requires a genuine Social Compact that involves communities, labour, and the private sector. Government does have a responsibility to take the lead and invest its resources instead of believing that the private sector will solve this problem of employment creation.
Issued by COSATU
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NUM calls for Petra Diamonds Finsch Mine to pay workers the Covid-19 TERS money
Mosepedi Sanane, NUM Kimberley Regional Secretary, 31 May 2022
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Kimberley Region calls for the Petra Diamonds Finsch Mine in LimeAcres to pay workers Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) that was claimed on their behalf.
The TERS benefit was introduced to help workers affected by the Covid-19 lockdown. It was introduced as the government’s wage protection scheme that could provide relief to workers who did not receive much-needed money during the first five months of the lockdown.
"It is alleged that Petra Diamonds Finsch Mine claimed the TERS money on behalf of the company during the lockdown of 2020 and the TERS money was processed and paid into Petra Diamonds accounts. The company claimed the TERS money even though they continued to pay workers their full salaries. Petra Diamond failed to return the money to the Department of Labour as it could not pay the money to their employees. When workers visited the Department of Labour for different personal claims, they were told that their money is already paid to the employer Petra Diamond Finsch Mine, therefore, they should claim at their employer," said Mosepedi Sanane, NUM Kimberley Regional Secretary.
The company claims that they tried to return the money to the Department of Labour with no success.
As the NUM, we believe there is deliberate fraud and corruption between the Department of Labour and Petra Diamond Finsch Mine. What is also worrying us is the fact that the company could not disclose the amount of money sitting in their accounts for more than 2 years.
NUM members are furious and angered by this. They feel that the money should be paid to workers. We are calling for the Department of Labour and Finsch Mine to resolve this issue and make sure that workers are paid what is due to them.
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COSATU statement on the extension of temporary fuel price relief measures announced by government
Sizwe Pamla, Cosatu National Spokesperson, May 31, 2022
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) appreciates the announcement of the extension of the R1.50 per litre reduction in the fuel price by government until the beginning of July. This will provide badly needed relief to workers, commuters and the economy struggling to cope with painful increases in the fuel price and the subsequent rise in transport, food, and consumer goods’ costs.
The Federation is disappointed that this will not be enough to shield commuters from a R2.43 increase per litre increase in 93ULP and LRP fuel, R2.33 increase in 95 ULP and LRP, R1.10 in diesel, R1.56 in paraffin and 51 cents increase in gas on the 1st of June.
These will further spur inflation and thus eroding workers’ meagre salaries, bleed businesses, dampen the economy and further frustrate efforts to create jobs and reduce unemployment.
The Federation is dismayed by the absence of medium- and long-term proposals by government on a more sustainable long-term fuel price regime and how to protect workers and the economy from international oil price volatility.
South Africa will continue to be hostage to international crises and oil and fuel price hikes unless bold measures are undertaken by government and business. These must include:
- A comprehensive review to the fuel price regime to reduce costs because currently half of the fuel price goes to taxes.
- Deregulate the fuel price regime to enable competition to help reduce prices for consumers.
- Urgent interventions to ensure all Metro Rail lines are reopened. This will help take 10 million rail commuters off our roads. Immediate steps need to include deploying the SANDF, the re-establishment of a dedicated SAPS Railway Unit to secure our railway network as well as the ban on scrap copper and steel exports and cracking down on scrap dealers involved in cable theft.
- Retable the Road Accident Fund and Road Accident Benefits Scheme Bills at Parliament by August 2022. These are key to overhauling the RAF, addressing its ballooning R400 billion liabilities, and placing it on a sustainable path where its funds go to road accident victims not money hungry lawyers.
- Massive investments in public transport to reduce the number of commuters travelling in private cars.
- Converting our motor manufacturing industry from fossil fuel to electric and hydro vehicles.
The government needs to table its proposals at Nedlac as a matter of urgency so that a common and comprehensive set of interventions can be developed with Organised Labour and Business. Lukewarm proposals will not address one of the largest millstones around the economy.
A more affordable fuel price regime and a reduced dependence on fuel will protect workers’ wages and enable them to spend more on their families and in the economy.
It will help companies reduce their losses and invest in employment creation.
Issued by COSATU
International-Solidarity
Union reaches wage agreement with ArcelorMittal South Africa
30 May, 2022
After a two-week strike in which workers marched on the streets and engaged in negotiations simultaneously, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) signed an above inflation agreement of 6.5 per cent with ArcelorMittal South Africa.
The
increase, signed on 25 May, means that housing, retention, compulsory overtime, pension, shift, standby and other allowances will also increase by the same percentage. According to NUMSA, the increases will be backdated by June and workers will also receive
ex-gratia once off cash payments of R5000 (US$320) each.
The strike started on 11 May with demands for a seven per cent increase. During the strike NUMSA, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, highlighted that the steel manufacturing company had declared high profits in 2021.
ArcelorMittal,
with plants in Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging, Saldanha and New Castle, wanted to stop the strike through the courts, but lost. The union argued in the Labour Court that the workers have a constitutional right to strike, protected by labour laws. The court concurred
with NUMSA's arguments that the strike could not be stopped because ArcelorMittal had a pending application for workers in some sections of its steel production to be declared essential services - where workers would be barred from going on strike. The strike
continued after the court ruling, while negotiations continued.
Says Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary:
“We signed a one-year agreement effective from April and expiring on 31 March 2023. The employer started by offering zero per cent, and we have moved significantly to achieve this result. This agreement is a victory for all NUMSA members who made the ultimate sacrifice to fight for improved wages and conditions. They did not do this only for themselves, but also, for future generations of workers. To achieve an above-inflation increase during the Covid-19 pandemic is a major achievement and it would not have been possible without them. We also wish to thank NUMSA officials for working extremely hard to secure this deal on behalf of employees.”
“We congratulate NUMSA for this wage settlement which comes at a time when the cost of living is increasing in South Africa. It is commendable that the union remains resolute and militant when fighting for living wages and improved working standards,”
says Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa.
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Norman Mampane (Shopsteward Editor)
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 Direct line: 010 219-1348