Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 17 August 2023
Norman Mampane
|
COSATU TODAY #MandelaMonth #ClassStruggle “Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism” #Back2Basics #JoinCOSATUNow #ClassConsciousness |
Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin
‘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
17 August 2023
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
Organize at every workplace and demand Personal Protective Equipment Now!
Defend Jobs Now!
Join COSATU NOW!
Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- NUM and JB Marks Education Trust Fund to honour 95 graduates at Emperors Palace tomorrow
- COSATU Message of Support: Commemoration of Steve Tshwete Municipal Workers
- UNTU and SATAWU combined senior leadership feedback session: Labour seeks legal opinion on the privatisation of DCT PIER 2
- South Africa
- COSATU demands urgent intervention in Tshwane Municipality
- SAMWU remembers slain worker at Steve Tshwete Local Municipality
- City of Tshwane illegally locks out workers, hampering service delivery to residents
- COSATU Western Cape statement on the passing of the former Provincial Chairperson of SACTWU, Comrade Mymoena Williams
- NEHAWU Western Cape welcomes probe into NSFAS CEO
- SADTU condemns the racist conduct of Crowthorne Christian Academy and is calling on the Department of Basic Education to rein in private schools
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Ugandan unions sign MOU on social dialogue
- Ecuador: ITUC demands immediate government action
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
NUM and JB Marks Education Trust Fund to honour 95 graduates at Emperors Palace tomorrow
Jako Mokgosi, JB Marks Education Trust Fund Principal Officer & Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM National Spokesperson, 17 August 2023
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) together with the JB Marks Education Trust Fund will once again honour 95 graduates at its prestigious 12th Annual JB Marks Graduates Awards Ceremony, which will be held at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park coming Friday (18 August 2023) starting at 6 pm.
The JB Marks Education Trust Fund was founded in 1997 by the NUM and named after its first president of the African Miners Union JB Marks. The Trust is also celebrating its 26th anniversary and has so far spent R600 million in funding bursaries for its members and dependents. Over the past two decades, JB Marks Education Trust Fund has provided bursaries for members of the NUM and their families; ultimately enabling 1, 812 bursars to graduate with mainstream qualifications (including 26 medical doctors and 4 Pilots).
For this year’s graduation ceremony, the main speaker is Dr Pali Lehohla who has served 17 years as South Africa's Statistician-General with roles at UN and Oxford University. An advocate for enhancing Africa's Civil Registration and Vital Statistics systems. He is a professor at the University of Johannesburg.
"For those who have graduated amidst the challenges, it is important to remain humble and recognise that there are greater challenges ahead. The earth can be dark or bright, but it is a vicious place, your skills will be tested and refined as you navigate its obstacles," said Jako Mokgosi, Principal Officer JB Marks Education Trust Fund.
Educating and empowering young Southern Africans is the centrepiece of the NUM strategy meant to break the yoke of the triple evils of poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
These bursaries are an effort of educating and empowering the dependents of NUM members. The education of an individual is by definition the education of a society.
The NUM through the JB Marks Education Trust Fund will continue to educate its members and their dependents.
The NUM is inviting members of the media to attend and report.
_________________________
COSATU Message of Support: Commemoration of Steve Tshwete Municipal Workers
17 August 2023
Comrade chairperson,
Leadership of our militant municipal workers’ union, SAMWU,
Leadership of COSATU, the ANC and SACP present,
Most importantly, the workers and members of COSATU,
Please accept the revolutionary support of your Federation as we commemorate the 1st anniversary of the Steve Tshwete Municipal tragedy. A year ago, municipal workers were shot at on the orders of their employer, by private security guards.
Their sin?
To demand to be paid the salaries they were legally entitled to. Their crime? To exercise their constitutional right to protect, to picket, to strike.
On this day one year ago, we tragically lost comrade Tshepo Maseko. Comrades Harris Sithole, Sibusiso Thabang and Sarel Vilakazi were brutally shot and wounded. This painfully occurred as we were mourning the 10th anniversary of the Marikana Massacre where 44 workers had been murdered before and during that strike.
Workers fought for this democracy. Unions, including SAMWU, the union of Petrus Mashinini and Salie Manie, valiantly fought for this constitutional democracy. COSATU, the Federation of Elijah Barayi, helped give birth to our democratic breakthrough in 1994.
This struggle was paid for in the lives of countless workers. It did not come cheaply. Workers have the constitutional right to protest, to picket, to strike and no one will take that right away. No Mayor, Municipal Manager will ever stop us from exposing corruption and demanding workers be paid their wages.
Our workers here in Steve Tshwete had been on strike to protest against their employer pickpocketing their wages and victimizing through dismissals. It is our unity as workers, as SAMWU and COSATU that stopped this abuse of workers.
Whilst we won that battle, it came at a heavy price for the Steve Tshwete Four, in particular our fallen comrade Maseko.
Never again must we allow this to happen.
Workers must not allow themselves to be divided. We must work with our comrades in SATAWU to ensure that security guards, who are also workers, must be conscientized to never allow themselves to be used to shoot workers for protesting against their exploitation.
We must work with our comrades in POPCRU, to ensure that our SAPS members, who are also workers, to protect the right of all workers to protest and strike.
Karl Marx correctly reminded us that workers of the world must unite, we have nothing to lose but our chains.
It is only when we are united that we can stand up to our enemies, to defend workers and to emerge victorious.
Our struggles are not here alone in Steve Tshwete. Today municipal workers have been denied their increases in 2021 and 2023 in Tshwane. And now the municipality has dismissed 50 workers for protesting this theft of their wages.
We are witnessing with the mismanagement and collapse of local government, workers in 36 municipalities in 6 provinces routinely being denied the salaries due to them.
SALGA tricked Parliament into amending the Municipal Systems Act to ban all 350 000 municipal workers from holding leadership positions in any political party. This is a deliberate move by the leadership of SALGA to demobilize the working class, to weaken SAMWU and COSATU. It is yet another attack on the hard-won constitutional rights of workers.
COSATU and SAMWU will continue to defend workers. Not only here in Steve Tshwete and across Mpumalanga, but also in Tshwane, in the North West and the Free State and all provinces.
We have submitted papers to the Constitutional Court to declare the ban on municipal workers from holding positions in political parties.
We can only be victorious as the working class if we are united, if we build a strong and militant SAMWU that leads across all municipalities, if we build a well organised COSATU that is present in all workplaces and sites of struggle. We cannot afford to be divided or to neglect SAMWU.
COSATU will remain side by side with our mighty SAMWU of Koena Ramatlou in this struggle. This is a war we cannot let up on. It will be difficult, but we must persevere and ensure that we are victorious.
We must ensure that we make this Municipality a place that our late leader, Steve Tshwete would be proud and not ashamed of.
We owe to his struggles and sacrifices. We owe it to the memory of Cde. Tshepo Maeko and the pain of comrades Harris Sithole, Sibusiso Thabang and Sarel Vilakazi.
Their sacrifices must not be in vain.
Thank you.
Matla!
_______________________
UNTU and SATAWU combined senior leadership feedback session: Labour seeks legal opinion on the privatisation of DCT PIER 2
Jack Mazibuko, SATAWU General Secretary & Cobus van Vuuren, UNTU General Secretary, 17 August 2023
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) and the United National Transport Union (UNTU) Senior leadership provided feedback to all members at the Durban Container Terminal (DCT) Pier 2 Auditorium on Tuesday 15 Aug 2023 and Wednesday 16 Aug 2023 as part of recognised Labour’s continued efforts to ensure that our members are informed of the potential recourse avenues available to Labour and the members should Transnet’s decision to forge ahead with the privatisation of DCT Pier 2 continue.
It is clear that Government and Transnet management is determined to forge ahead with privatising yet another State-Owned Enterprise (SOE). Despite the resistance during the engagements with Organised Labour and pushback received from its own employees, Government and Transnet is forging ahead with its privatisation plans. This in the absence of meaningful consultations with Recognised labour which represents many voices of employees who face the uncertainty of what the future holds should this PSP process goes ahead.
Labour is of the view that Transnet management has no respect for the collective bargaining process and has no understanding of what meaningful consultations should compromise of, in fact the way in which this process has been handled thus far is an outright attack on meaningful collective bargaining processes as enshrined in the Labour Relations Act. When Transnet announced that they have partnered with ICTSI (a foreign company who will potentially put profits before the South African people and the South African people’s interest), the negotiations were still ongoing between the Management and Labour in order to find ways to rescue the entity. Labour is extremely concerned about the job security of the Transnet workers, as with many privatisation initiatives it is the workers that are mostly affected, often as a result of automation and restructuring to increase profit margins, the workers on the ground are the ones that is most likely to lose their jobs if there is any restructuring in the next coming few months. It is extremely concerning and disturbing that even the Government is supporting the privatisation of Transnet. Although Transnet alleges that it is only DCT Pier 2 in Durban and NCT in Nqgura that may be affected, Labour is perturbed that this may be only the beginning of privatising the rest of the State Owned Enterprises, we have already lost South African Airways (SAA) which has been sold for almost nothing, subsequently entry as part of the sale of SAA many of our Comrades who worked at SAA have lost their jobs and are currently at the mercy of our ever-deteriorating economy where the expanded unemployment rate is above 42%!!!
Recognised Labour stands united on the fact that it is not in agreement with the implementation of PSPs and the Privatisation of any of the SOE’s, and it has not entered into any agreements pertaining to the selling of Transnet DCT Pier 2 to the foreign Philippines multi-national company, International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI). Recognised Labour will not sign any agreement that gives away key State-Owned Enterprise that stands to threaten the job security of South Africans, millions of South Africans are already unemployed and struggling to survive.
The employees of DCT Pier Two have drawn the line in the sand and they are vehemently opposed to the privatisation of this Port. Recognised Labour remains the voice of the employees who have said hands off DCT Pier 2 and NO to privatisation of Transnet or any of the Operating Divisions within Transnet. Our members have given Labour a nod and a sense of direction on which step to take next in this ongoing fight against the privatisation of DCT Pier 2 following the two-day feedback sessions.
Transnet Management has failed to answer key questions posed by labour including pertinent questions around job security. While Transnet has run to the media to state that no jobs will be lost during the privatisation of this Port, this statement is simply misleading as the legal opinion obtained by UNTU and SATAWU highlights the fact that Transnet has failed to guarantee job security, and in terms of Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act as Management has only given Labour an undertaking that no retrenchment will be implemented for a period of 12 months from the effective date of the transaction but it is of importance to note that after this period lapses, Transnet will be entitled to implement a Section 189 retrenchment process should there be redundant positions.
This means that after 12 months current Transnet employees could lose their jobs! Transnet has shamelessly misled the public and it is very clear that there is no guarantee that there will be no retrenchments, should the privatisation of Transnet proceed. The issue of automation remains a grave concern for labour which could render the jobs of Transnet employees obsolete. The reality of the matter and history has taught us, it has been proven repeatedly that privatisation leads to unprecedented job losses and precarious forms of employment. The Private sector’s sole focus is often on profit, even if such must be made at the expense of employees. The Private sector will sometimes not think twice about retrenching workers as a first measure to cut costs to maximize profitability, furthermore, sometimes maximizing profitability comes at the expense of the health and safety of workers. The duty of Labour is to protect the interests of the workforce, if we cannot negotiate meaningfully on behalf of employees then we cannot protect their interests!
Labour will study the legal opinion obtained and decide on the best recourse to pursue while considering that whichever route we pursue should have the least detrimental effect on sustainable employment, no job losses, and the daily the bread-and-butter issues that the Transnet employees face every day. It is never lost on Labour that we are not dealing with just statistics and numbers, in this case especially as we are dealing with the livelihoods of people who have families that depend on them to put the bread on the table, and this remains of paramount importance to Organised Labour. One thing that is as clear as daylight to Organised Labour, is that our Government, together with Transnet Management and its Board of Directors has long since forgotten to put the interests of South Africans first when presented with a blank cheque. The struggle continues for the working class of South Africa, Aluta continua!
Issued by SATAWU and UNTU
COSATU demands urgent intervention in Tshwane Municipality
Matthew Parks, COSATU Acting National Spokesperson & Parliamentary Coordinator, 17 August 2023
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) demands urgent intervention by the Ministry for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) in the ongoing conflict in Tshwane Municipality that is in serious danger of getting out of hand if left to in the hands of a leadership of the Council that is clearly out of its depth.
Municipal workers are aggrieved that not only has the Municipality pickpocketed them of their duly signed wage increases of 3.7% in 2021 and 5.9% in 2023 but is now reported to be embarking on a mass intimidation and victimisation campaign with over 50 municipal workers already dismissed.
This callous approach to its poorly paid employees is seeing these municipal cleaners, refuse collectors, traffic officers and other municipal workers plunged into absolute poverty. The Municipality will not be able to achieve its developmental mandate by treating its workers like glorified slaves.
Neither is presiding over modern day show trials and dismissing workers en masse for simply being aggrieved at being pickpocketed.
COSATU’s dedicated affiliate, the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU), has been working on the ground to resolve this dangerous impasse. The Municipality has refused to engage in good faith and has instead spent its time seeking court interdicts.
The Federation fears that this situation is now on the precipice of spiralling out of control. It is time that the Minister for COGTA and the leadership of SALGA intervene to resolve this impasse and ensure that this recalcitrant Municipality upholds agreed upon SALGA settlements.
If they fail to do so, they are provoking labour market unrest that society cannot afford. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration needs to be enlisted to facilitate these engagements.
Issued by COSATU
__________________
SAMWU remembers slain worker at Steve Tshwete Local Municipality
Dumisane Magagula, SAMWU General Secretary, 17 August 2023
Today, the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) along with the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality in Mpumalanga province held a commemoration event to remember Cde Tshepo Maseko who was murdered by security personnel appointed by the municipality.
On 17 August 2022, members of SAMWU at the municipality embarked on a protest action demanding the implementation of the correct salary grading of the municipality. In response to the demands by workers, security was unleashed on workers resulting in the unfortunate death of Cde Maseko and injuries of Cdes Harris Stofile, Sibusiso Thabang and Sarel Vilakazi. As a result of this action, one worker remains wheelchair bound as a result of the injuries suffered from the gun shots.
The commemoration of this dark day in the history of the municipality is to honour the life of Cde Maseko and three other municipal workers. Importantly, the commemoration is meant to foster healing to the families of the affected employees, friends and colleagues.
This day should serve as a reminder to the municipality, and many other municipalities that the heavy-handed and disproportional responses to demands by workers results in irreversible consequences as was seen in the Steve Tshwete.
The death of Cde Tshepo Maseko will not be in vain, his death will fortify the resolve of municipal workers to demand better working conditions. May the spirit of Cde Tshepo Maseko rest in peace!
Aluta continua!
Issued by SAMWU Secretariat
___________________
City of Tshwane illegally locks out workers, hampering service delivery to residents
Mpho Tladinyane, SAMWU Gauteng Provincial Secretary, 17 August 2023
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in Gauteng Province has noted with concern the decision by the City of Tshwane to illegally lockout employees from accessing their workplaces and municipal vehicles which they use in delivering services to residents.
It has also come to our attention that yesterday, 16 August 2023, the City unleashed Red Ants on workers at the Temba Water Department plant who harassed and physically removed the workers from municipal premises.
As SAMWU, we are concerned that workers who have been reporting for duty as per the July 28 Labour Court rule nisi and the instruction by the Union have been harassed, removed from municipal premises thus rendering them unable to deliver services to residents.
Our members have also been illegally locked out of municipal premises in Centurion where municipal offices were cordoned off with razor wires thus preventing workers from accessing the workplace. As a result, workers have been clocking in for duty at Tshwane Metro Police vehicles which are stationed outside the offices.
The actions by the City to illegally lockout employees, harass them and refuse to handover key to municipal fleet has resulted in service delivery backlogs throughout the City.
As things stand, the Tshwane Bus Service has temporarily halted operations while workers, especially those from Water and Sanitation are unable to respond to breakdowns. Many areas within the City’s central business district and predominantly black areas such as townships have not been receiving any services from the City.
These illegal actions by the City are part of the propaganda being spread by the City and its Mayor, which seeks to portray workers as not reporting for duty or having have neglected their duties. Furthermore, these actions are a desperate and idiotic attempt to turn community members against municipal workers, and have contributed to the lapse in service delivery in Tshwane.
As a Union, we condemn this poorly planned publicity stance by the City. We have been on record that SAMWU and its members have been complying with the rule nisi issued by the Labour Court. The Union and its legal team are prepared for the Labour Court to fully ventilate the matter.
Importantly, the Union has already began work in opposing the exemption application by the City in the Bargaining Council. We remain committed to opposing this frivolous application and ensuring that municipal workers receive their 3.5% and 5.4% salary and wage increases.
Issued by SAMWU Gauteng Province
_______________________
NEHAWU Western Cape welcomes probe into NSFAS CEO
Baxolise Mali, NEHAWU Western Cape Provincial Secretary, August 17, 2023
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in the Western Cape welcomes the decision by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme [NSFAS] Board to place on leave of absence the scheme’s CEO, Mr Andile Nongogo and to institute an investigation into his questionable role in the appointment of certain service providers that are responsible for the problematic Pay Direct project.
The union believes the rot at NSFAS is deeper than what is happening with the Pay Direct Project and calls on the Board to extend the terms of reference of the investigation to include a probe into appointments of all the service providers and consultants at the scheme.
As NEHAWU, we have raised serious concerns with the Board in July this year about the overreliance on service providers and consultants by NSFAS management. We could see then that there was a systematic effort to ensure certain individuals are given contracts to enrich themselves with taxpayers’ money because NSFAS management started taking away certain duties from our members and outsourcing them to service providers and consultants,”.
We believe that the probe was inevitable because the union has been applying pressure on all fronts in a bid to ensure that maladministration at NSFAS was uprooted.
On the 26th of July 2023, NEHAWU held a picket programme in front of NSFAS Offices in Cape Town where the union submitted a memorandum of demands which included a call to the Board to probe the very same issue of overreliance on service providers by NSFAS.
We have been concerned that money intended to benefit poor students and to improve the working conditions of workers was now being used to enrich friends of certain people at NSFAS and we wanted the Board to probe that and force management to cut down on service providers. We are glad to see that the wheels have started to grind.
NEHAWU will be making a written submission to the investigating authority, once appointed, with a view to assist the process and will also be available to give oral evidence if so necessary.
END
Issued by NEHAWU Western Cape Secretariat
____________________
COSATU Western Cape statement on the passing of the former Provincial Chairperson of SACTWU, Comrade Mymoena Williams.
Malvern De Bruyn, COSATU Western Cape Provincial Secretary, 17 August 2023
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the Western Cape has learnt with sadness of passing away of Ms. Mymoena Williams, a former Provincial Chairperson of our Affiliate, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) and member of the Provincial Executive Committee of COSATU in the Western Cape.
Comrade Williams died peacefully on Tuesday 15 August 2023 at her home. Her death is a painful loss to SACTWU and COSATU in the province.
COSATU extends its heartfelt condolences to the Williams family and SACTWU. We have lost a dear friend, comrade and a mother.
Mymoena was the longest serving shop steward in SACTWU. She was a dedicated and exceptional leader who made a huge impact in the lives of her colleagues, the members of SACTWU and clothing and textile workers across the province over her many years of service.
Mymoena was a true working-class activist. Workers struggles always came first in her life. She was a hero in her own right and a giant who fought to unite workers. Her life epitomised the best of what a good trade unionist should be.
COSATU dips its spear to this fallen warrior of the working class. Her place and seat at our meetings and events will be empty, but her legacy will remain forever live in our hearts
Hamba Kahle comrade Mymoena Williams.
Issued by COSATU Western Cape
__________________
NUM KwaZulu-Natal Post-Regional Committee Statement
Muzikayise Zakwe, NUM KwaZulu-Natal Regional Secretary, 17 August 2023
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) KwaZulu-Natal Region convened its Regional Committee meeting on the 12th -13th August 2023 in Durban and deliberated on a number of issues affecting the NUM members in the region and also resolved on other issues of national importance.
The Regional Committee resolved as follows:
The unbundling of Eskom - Privatisation of Eskom’s Distribution Unit
The NUM KwaZulu-Natal Regional Committee unanimously resolved that Eskom must stop with its plans to privatise Eskom through the back doors. We are totally opposed to the notion of unbundling Eskom and selling its distribution unit to a new state-owned company.
We view the actions by Eskom and that of the Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan as a direct bashing of trade unionism, simply because there were never any proper and meaningful consultations with the NUM and other relevant stakeholders. If the unbundling is not reversed, we have no option but to organise a series of marches against Eskom until our voices are heard.
The Pietermaritzburg High Court ruling on Tendele/Somkhele Mine
The NUM KwaZulu-Natal Regional Committee welcomed a decision of Pietermaritzburg High Court, dismissing the urgent interdict application by MCEJO, GET Foundation, MACUA, SAHRDN and ActionAid South Africa.
The Court has given the mine to proceed with the mining activities in the future mining areas at Emalahleni and Ophondweni in terms of its existing approvals.
As a region, we view the court judgement as a victory to workers and the poor community of Mpukunyoni. We are hopeful that all the retrenched workers will be re-employed and be able to support their families.
The non-compliance culture adopted by the Landscaping Companies
We are crossly flabbergasted by the landscaping companies such as the Litchi Landscaping LTD for compromising the health and safety of the NUM members. This company is failing to provide a mere Personal Protective Equipment to its employees. The company is failing to pay some of the employees according to the national minimum wage. The company still owes our members adjustment in accordance to national minimum wage as from the 1st March 2023 when it was gazetted. Litchi Landscaping is currently operating without proper offices which makes it very difficult for the NUM shop stewards to deal with labour related issues.
As a region, we are calling upon the Department of Labour and Employment to urgently intervene. The department should, with immediate effect, send out a qualified labour inspector to visit the company with the aim of interrogating its operations. Our members are not being paid on time by Litchi Landscaping, and the company is always pleading poverty.
On trade unionism bashing
The NUM KwaZulu-Natal Regional Committee has taken a clear decision to decisively deal with all companies that are resorting to barbaric actions or are employing apartheid tactics, marginalising and bashing the NUM members at their respective workplaces. The NUM KwaZulu-Natal region would not hesitate to march against all the employers, including the Kulu/Kingdom Crete, Jindal mining and Servest Landscaping for mistreating our members.
___________________
SADTU condemns the racist conduct of Crowthorne Christian Academy and is calling on the Department of Basic Education to rein in private schools
Nomusa Cembi, SADTU National Media Officer, 17 August 2023
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) strongly condemns the assault and expulsion of a 13-year-old Crowthorne Christian Academy learner for refusing to cut her dreadlocks. SADTU regards this whole saga as downright racist.
We condemn the granting of bail to the husband of the school principal and owner of the school who dragged and pulled the 13-year-old’s hair as he forcefully removed her from the classroom in full view of other learners. Such an act was a gross violation of the learner’s right. Children have a right to be free from all forms of violence, to enjoy their education and not to be treated in a degrading manner.
It is quite alarming that nearly 30 years into the new democracy, some schools are still using hair policies to discriminate against African learners. African hair is at the centre of the many reports of learners being discriminated and barred from schools due to their hair not conforming to the schools’ code of conduct which use Eurocentric or Westen values to define what is neat.
SADTU is calling on the Department of Basic Education to rein in private schools as some are being run like spaza shops. Apparently, the principal of the school called her husband, who happens to be the owner to the school to remove the learner. According to media reports, the parents interviewed said the school’s new hair policy was communicated via WhatsApp. We call on the Department to conduct proper background checks on individuals before granting them licences.
While the legality of the school has also come under the spotlight, we urge the Department not to grant owners of the Crowthorne Christian Academy the licence to run any school as they have clearly demonstrated they have no empathy for children and education but use the school as a profit-making venture. We reiterate that education is not a commodity but a public good.
ISSUED BY: SADTU Secretariat
International-Solidarity
Ugandan unions sign MOU on social dialogue
15 August, 2023
Boosting collective bargaining, improving working environments, upholding decent work, promoting social dialogue, and promoting trade union rights are some the principles of a social dialogue Memorandum of Understanding between the Federation Uganda Employers (FUE) and four Ugandan IndustriALL affiliates, which was signed on 10 July.
This memorandum will make improvements to workers’ lives, currently there is an industriALL East African Union Building project (IEAUBP)with affiliates in Uganda which focusses on more systematic social dialogue. It improves labour market framework conditions, increases gender equality and equity, and just transition to climate change and environment friendly production.
Before the signing, there were restrictions on trade union rights on freedom of association and collective bargaining, which allowed many employers to not recognize trade unions.
Moving forward the team, who consists of national council members, general secretaries, facilitators and chairpersons will meet in September to develop a road map on how to move forward.
Other clauses in the memorandum include promoting good industrial relations and economic and social justices.
“The MOU is an important breakthrough which we have been waiting for quite some time. If implemented well, it will reduce the restriction of trade union rights in Uganda creating decent work and the promotion of workplace social dialogue,”
says the general secretary of Uganda Printers, Paper,Polyfibre and Allied Workers Union (UPPPAWU).
IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa regional secretary Paule Ndessomin says,
“creating social dialogue between employers and unions is fundamental to achieving better conditions for workers. We applaud our affiliates for their continuous fight for workers’ rights.”
The four Ugandan IndustriALL affiliates include Uganda Chemical Petroleum and Allied Workers Union (UCPAWU), Uganda Textile, Garment, Leather and Allied Workers Union (UTGLAWU), Hotels Tourism, Supermarket and allied Workers Union (HTS-U) and Uganda Printers,
Paper, Polyfirbre and Allied Workers Union (UPPPAWU)
_____________________
Ecuador: ITUC demands immediate government action
14 August 2023
The heads of the ITUC and TUCA, the ITUC’s regional organisation for the Americas, have written to the President of Ecuador demanding immediate action to halt the spiral of violence in the country.
Dozens of people have been hurt and killed in pre-election attacks, including the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
In their letter, ITUC Acting General Secretary Luc Triangle and TUCA General Secretary Rafael Freire Neto condemn the murder of Fernando Villavicencio and demand that the government of Ecuador immediately:
· Guarantee the safety and fundamental human rights of activists in trade unions and civil society groups and all the people of Ecuador.
· Investigate fully the murder of Fernando Villavicencio and all other victims of violence to ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished and to support the rule of law.
· Take action to defend the democratic system in Ecuador.
The letter continues: “We are committed to the defence of human rights, social justice and the active participation of working people in the political and social life of Ecuador.
“We urge you to take concrete measures to prevent future acts of political violence and guarantee the safety of everyone participating in the democratic process.
“We urge the international community to unite in condemning these tragic events and to support efforts to create a peaceful and just Ecuador.”
______________________________
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