Taking COSATU Today Forward, 13 September 2021
Norman Mampane
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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
Monday, 13 September 2021
‘Deepen
the Back to Basics Campaign, Consolidate the Struggle
for the NDR and Advance the Struggle for Socialism’
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Fight against intransigence of employers who do not register workers with UIF at all workplaces!
Mobilize against #COVID19 infections Now!
We shall overcome!
Contents
o Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- NUM Highveld Region to embark on a total shutdown at ESKOM and calls for the removal of the power utility CEO Andre De Ryter
o South Africa
- COSATU statement on the President Ramaphosa's decision to move the country to COVID-19 Alert Lockdown Level 2
- ANC Statement on attempts to undermine the independence and legitimacy of the IEC
o International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Ukraine: ITUC concerned about wave of regressive labour laws
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
NUM Highveld Region to embark on a total shutdown at ESKOM and calls for the removal of the power utility CEO Andre De Ryter
Keagile Pholoba, NUM Highveld Region Deputy Regional Secretary,09 September 2021
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in the Highveld Region held an urgent Eskom Regional Shopsteward Council today to discuss the concerns of Eskom insulting its employees by unilaterally implementing a 1.5% salary increment and changing the conditions of service.
Eskom CEO is violating the South African Constitution, Eskom recognition agreement and other regulations. He is undermining organised labour/ unions by communicating directly with our members on Central Bargaining Forum (CBF) issues.
The council has resolved for the removal of the Eskom Golden Boy (CEO), Andre de Ryter, as he has not been held accountable for the 18 billion Eskom loss and the Medupi Power Station incident due to his skin colour.
The Golden Boy went as far as lying to the public that employees were paid R129 million in production bonus when in reality some got as little as R3.00 in production bonus. He is the worst-performing Eskom CEO since its establishment in 1923
The council has also resolved that No Salary increases, No voting in the coming local elections. The council also supported the NUM NEC decision to march to Luthuli House about the crises at Eskom.
South Africa
COSATU statement on the President Ramaphosa's decision to move the country to COVID-19 Alert Lockdown Level 2
Sizwe Pamla, Cosatu National Spokesperson, 12 September 2021
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) notes President Ramaphosa's decision to move the country to COVID-19 Alert Lockdown Level 2 and the various updates in the fight against Covid-19.
The Federation calls upon all South Africans to continue to abide by the various health and safety measures, in particular wearing masks, sanitising, social distancing etc.
These are vital to curbing the pandemic.
We applaud the progress on speeding up the vaccination campaign and the tireless efforts of all health care workers. The procurement and delivery of vaccinations programme has shown a positive improvement.
It is however deeply worrying that many people have failed to vaccinate. All adults need to vaccinate because the vaccines have proven to be highly effective in minimising infections and saving lives. It is critical that everyone vaccinates not only to protect themselves, but also their co-workers and families.
It is only through achieving mass population immunity that the economy will be able to emerge safely, and jobs saved. The economy cannot afford to continue absorbing periodic lockdowns, nor is there enough in the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to provide relief to workers. COSATU and its Affiliates will be strengthening their campaign to mobilise all workers and their families to vaccinate.
The Federation welcomes the easing of some restrictions in the hope that this will provide relief for badly battered sectors of the economy and enable jobs to be saved and workers to be paid. Whilst acknowledging the lifting of some restrictions on alcohol sales, it is critical consumers drink responsibly and do not force government to reinstate bans on the sale of liquor again.
The state of the UIF remains a matter of deep concern to millions of workers. The continous delays in processing payments to thousands of desperate workers is unacceptable. The Department of Employment and Labour needs to intervene and provide the UIF with the necessary assistance to unblock these delays and ensure it has the necessary capacity to dispense relief timeously.
Employers in affected sectors of the economy eligible for relief under Level 4 and those affected by the violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, need to apply for UIF TERS relief for their employees.
The progress in processing the Covid-19 SRD R350 Grant is welcome.
We hope payments will be done electronically and that the endless queues at Post Offices will not be repeated. COSATU welcomes Parliament’s adoption of the three Gender Based Violence (GBV) Bills. The President should now quickly sign them into law.
However, they will only have the desired impact if the courts, police, and prosecuting authority are properly resourced and trained to implement them. Government needs to embark on a mass education campaign to ensure that all South Africans are aware of the Bills’ provisions so that they can exercise their rights and that those who abuse women and children know the consequences of their cowardly actions.
Issued by COSATU
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ANC Statement on attempts to undermine the independence and legitimacy of the IEC
9 SEPTEMBER 2021
The African National Congress (ANC) is concerned about a poster circulating on social media platforms seeking to undermine the legitimacy and independence of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)
The maliciously driven fake social media poster seeks to push a false narrative of a non-existent partnership between the ANC and the IEC - a clear demonstration of desperation - which we vehemently reject with the contempt it deserves.
The vicious attacks on the IEC’s credibility, integrity and standing is an assault on our Constitutional democracy and the legitimacy of state organs that have been created to protect, promote and advance our democracy.
The IEC has a proud history and record of acting independently, and not pandering to the whims of any political party. All of us have a duty to protect this independence and insulate all our independent institutions from political interference and unwarranted political attacks.
Attempts to deligitimise the IEC are nothing but the work of unpatriotic forces that are hell-bent on undermining our democratic gains.
The ANC fought very hard for this democratic dispensation and will never do anything to undermine it. We will never interfere with the work of the IEC or any organ of state. The independence of the IEC and all Chapter 9 institutions remain sacrosanct.
END
ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
Enquiries:
Pule Mabe
National Spokesperson
071 623 4975
International-Solidarity
Ukraine: ITUC concerned about wave of regressive labour laws
10 September 2021
The ITUC has written jointly with the ETUC to senior politicians in Ukraine to raise serious concerns about ongoing regressive labour reforms in the country.
Several draft laws are being considered by the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) that are incompatible with international and regional labour standards, which has been confirmed by several reports, including by International Labour Organization (ILO) in the country.
The letter to the president, prime minister and chair of the Verkhovna Rada, explains that in their current form, draft laws 5388 and 5371 contain numerous violations, including:
· excluding working people in medium and small enterprises from the protection of the general labour law;
· a lack of safeguards to ensure work contracts comply with minimum labour standards;
· the ability of employers to abuse the system and use successive fixed-term contracts;
· a lack compatibility with requirements to guarantee working time, rest periods, minimum daily rest, overtime and leave.
ITUC General Secretary, Sharan Burrow, said: “The officials in Ukraine must not ignore this serious criticism of these laws that comes directly from the ILO technical assistance programmes, including with the European Union, which the government benefits from, as well as from labour law experts and Ukrainian unions. The draft laws are simply not compatible with international labour standards.
“We call on the government and parliament to respect these standards, to fully utilise ILO expertise and assistance, and sit down with the Ukrainian social partners to work on this together and ensure that all working people benefit from economic, social and democratic change in Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, the Verkhovna Rada recently adopted the law “On Stimulating Digital Economy Development” despite strong criticism by Ukrainian unions. The law establishes a special category of “gig-specialists” and special “gig-contracts” that create the conditions for exploitation. The changes deprive IT workers of pay guarantees, rights to holiday, regulated working hours, safe working conditions, protection against unlawful dismissal, and the rights to join a trade union, strike and conclude collective agreements,
The ITUC Global Rights Index rates Ukraine as 5 – no guarantee of rights for working people.
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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