Taking COSATU Today Forward, 17 June 2022
Norman Mampane
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#2022YearofWorkersParliament Today, #COSATU KwaZulu-Natal scheduled to lead a massive provincial march against rising costs of living in South Africa #YouthMonth #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
Friday, 17 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 statement on the remuneration of public office bearers
- NUM Youth Structure to embark on a march to Union Buildings this coming Saturday
- South Africa
- NEHAWU Statement on Youth Day
- DENOSA Student Movement statement on Youth Day
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
Ø Good jobs and a Just Transition into wind technology
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
NEHAWU statement on the remuneration of public office bearers
Zola Saphetha, NEHAWU General Secretary, June 16, 2022
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] is angered by the absurd decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to increase the remuneration for Public Office Bearers by three (3) percent, which is retrospectively from 01st April 2021.
This irrational decision to increase the remuneration follows the recommendation by Independent Commission for Remuneration of Public Office Bearers. In April 2022, as NEHAWU, we rejected in the strongest terms the proposed 3% salary increase for Public Office Bearers by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration and called on President Ramaphosa to ignore the recommendation.
As NEHAWU, we are taken aback by this decision by President Ramaphosa amidst the context of a country confronted with record of high level of unemployment, extreme poverty and social inequality. What is further infuriating about this increase in remuneration for public office bearers is that government has been persistent with austerity programmes and reversing the gains of workers by mainly focusing on freezing salaries of public servants in order to reduce the public sector wage bill, whilst politicians and judges are to receive salary increases which public servants were denied.
The decision to increase remuneration for public office bearers occurs when government is hell-bent on not paying public service workers who are owed by the state as a result of refusing to implement the collective bargaining resolution – Resolution 1 of 2018. This is even evident in the current round of public service wage negotiations, where the government tabled a zero percent increment and rejected all other demands tabled by trade unions.
Since the beginning of the current public service wage negotiations, we have been frustrated by the employer at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council [PSCBC] as they claim that government has no money yet the President has decided to be generous to public office bearers by giving them remuneration increase while workers and ordinary citizens are on the receiving end with many experiencing financial hardships amidst the escalating cost of living.
There is absolute no justification why Public Office Bearers should be getting a remuneration increase especially with all challenges confronting the country instead they should be putting their energies and focus on getting the country on the road to recovery.
Lastly, as NEHAWU, we call on the President and his government to do the same for public service workers and pay them their salary increment as per the tabled demands at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council.
END
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
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NUM Youth Structure to embark on a march to Union Buildings this coming Saturday
Sandra Maseko: NUM Youth Structure Acting National Secretary, 14 June 2022
The National Union of Mineworkers Youth Structure (NUMYS) will embark on a march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria this coming Saturday on the 18th of June 2022. The march will aim to address the following issues:
1. No to the closure of mines and power stations.
2. Persistent high unemployment and retrenchments
3.Lack of Social and Labour Plans implementation by the mining companies
4. Arrogant employers through wage negotiations
5. Petrol Hike
The decision to march to the Union Buildings was taken recently by the NUM Youth Structure at its National Youth Committee meeting at EBMTC Midrand. This year marks 46 years since the student uprising of 1976 and 28 years in a democratic South Africa. 46 years later the youth of this country finds itself in a state of a disaster which demands confrontation to change the reality faced by young people in this country.
"We can't commemorate June 16 this year the same way we did over the past years, we need to fight for a better life for our generation," said Sandra Maseko, NUM Youth Structure Acting National Secretary.
The memorandum will be handed to the Minister of Minerals Resources and Energy (DMRE), Minister of Labour and Employment as well as the office of the Presidency led by his excellency Cyril Ramaphosa. We, therefore, call on all NUM Regions, COSATU Young Workers, ANCYL, COSAS, YCL, SASCO and the Youth in our communities to come out in numbers to support this demonstration to liberate ourselves from this onslaught. Frantz Fanon said, "Each generation must discover its mission, fulfil it or betray it".
We will assemble at Burgers Park on the corner of Andries and Jacob Mare Streets in Pretoria at 10 am.
South Africa
Zola Saphetha, NEHAWU General Secretary, June 16, 2022
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] joins millions of South Africans in commemorating the 46th Anniversary of the Soweto Uprising of 1976.
In commemorating this historic day, NEHAWU salutes the generation of 1976 for their unwavering commitment to the liberation of their country. We pay homage to the gallant martyrs of our national struggle for liberation, who selflessly sacrificed their lives for a democratic South Africa.
The occasion of Youth Day presents an opportunity for the youth of this country to reflect on the gains and achievements made since the uprising of 1976.
Equally this day, presents the current youth generation with an opportunity to chart its own decisive path just like the generation of 76 did in confronting the brutal system of apartheid.
The commemoration this year occurs against the background of recorded high level of unemployment, extreme poverty and social inequality.
According to the Statistics South Africa, youth unemployment for those between the age 15 – 24 stands at 63.9% and for those aged 25-34 is at 42.1%. This is an abnormal situation in a country where the youth constitute the majority of the population.
This situation requires more than ever before that young people from all walks of life stand united and fight for their place in society just like the generation of 1976.
The youth should use this day to send an unambiguous message to government and business community that they should create jobs and must be provided with opportunities to meaningfully participate in the economy.
The youth must demand concrete interventions geared towards youth development and empowerment through education and training, learnerships and internships and also creating space for youth entrepreneurship.
Equally, young people should use youth day to intensify the fight for young people to have access to higher education. Young people must wage a struggle for the government to fully implement without any delay free tertiary education.
Lastly, this Youth Day should be used to concretely provide solutions that will help address the challenges of youth unemployment, poverty, hunger and other problems that confronting young people in the country.
END
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
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DENOSA Student Movement statement on Youth Day
Sphumelele Blose, DENOSA Student Movement National Secretary, 16 June 2022
PRETORIA - As today marks the commemoration of Youth Day in South Africa, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) Student Movement is saddened that there is nothing worth celebrating this day by the youth in the nursing profession due to endless challenges that prevent many post- community service nurses from being absorbed in the workplace.
Thousands of nurses who have completed their community service and are ready to work as nurses and save lives in hospitals and clinics are languishing at home simply because the departments of health in provinces don't have budgets for their absorption to facilities where they are needed by patients and communities.
The poor planning by the government officials, often the elderly people who have their beds and medication safely reserved for them in the private health, is striking a knife right in the hearts of thousands of young people who have qualified as nurses.
As a results, the country's healthcare system is taking a great strain because of severe shortage of staff at the time when young people are fully qualified as nurses but are made to sit on the sidelines of employment.
Instead of employing the post- community nurses permanently, this democratic government has resorted to the most embarrassing phenomenon of giving some of the nurses short-term contracts of three months, which is downright casualiszation of nurses.
This is a clear proof of lack of both political and administrative will to address the big issue of youth unemployment in the country. Unfortunately in nursing, there will be no lies spread about lack of fully qualified nurses as is often the case in many other sectors.
Over and above the unemployment of the young and well-qualified nurses in the country, there is also an additional challenge in the nursing profession of an aging nursing population which will virtually wipe away almost half of the current crop of nurses from the healthcare system in the next five to ten years.
This challenge calls for a sharp thinking at the leadership level so that the production of nurses for the country is increased drastically by institutions of higher learning from the current low levels.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and International Council of Nurses (ICN) estimated in 2020 that the world would experience a global shortage of 10 million nurses in the next 10 years if countries do not increase their production of nurses by at least eight percent every year.
A further study by ICN earlier this year, however, has uncovered that the global shortage would be increased by a further three million to 13 million in the next 10 years, owing to pressures caused by COVID-19 which have become pushing factors for millions of nurses out of the profession due to depression, burnout and poor pay, among others.
Countries in Africa stand to feel the most severity of this challenge as the developed world stands to fill their shortages with nurses from the continent through migration.
Yet the South African government does not even see this looming crisis and has zero plan and strategy on its table to counter this looming crisis which will see many patients dying in facilities.
These problems have been flagged to the South African government, but it has been unresponsive which is a sign of blatant neglect and giving up on solving the increasing challenges in the country's healthcare system.
The youth is the one that should be solving these challenges throught their absorption into the employment arena as they are newly-qualified. But, alas! No minister is showing any appetite to bring the solution to this big South African problem.
The Student Movement will be delivering a letter to both the ministers of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, and of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, about the solutions that the government must implement to help the country avoid the catastrophe that awaits its healthcare system from the next five years onwards.
Unfortunately, the many challenges in youth unemployment make this important day to young people not worth looking forward to.
As part of its programme for this day, the Student Movement will be holding a virtual discussion on The Role of the Youth in Healthcare, which will be addressed by COSATU Young Workers Forum National Deputy Secretary, Tsakane Zitha. The programme will commence at 20h30 this evening via Zoom and will be broadcast on DENOSA Student Movement Facebook page.
End.
Issued by DENOSA Student Movement.
For more information, contact:
Nathaniel Mabelebele, DENOSA Student Movement National Chairperson.
Mobile: 0716245490
Sphumelele Blose, DENOSA Student Movement National Secretary.
Mobile: +27793004409
Facebook: Denosa Student Movement
International-Solidarity
Good jobs and a Just Transition into wind technology
16 June, 2022
On 7 June, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), LO Norway and IndustriALL held a second workshop on wind technology as part of the Just Transition and the energy sector initiative. The initiative provides a platform for unions around the world to exchange information on energy transition technologies and the jobs, skills, markets, investments, and emissions related to them.
Workers want good jobs and just transition in the energy sector. This workshop looked at offshore and onshore wind technology, which employers and government see as a potential pathway for oil and gas companies to diversify their assets and bring down emissions. The information is not always easy to get but unions want to see how many jobs there are, when they will come, what kind of jobs they will be, what kinds of skills workers will need for these jobs, and the transition that workers will be faced with.
To get a better view of what the future holds, participants looked at the value chains of oil and gas, and onshore and offshore wind, breaking both value chains down to production, processing, distribution, and end-use (upstream, midstream, downstream).
According to Michael Brenner from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the wind sector employs approximately 1.3 million workers globally and ranks amongst the top five renewable technologies in terms of workforce.
“Gender balance is quite poor in the sector, mainly due to access to education, hiring practices, discriminatory workplace policies and a lack of flexibility,”
Brenner said.
“This is an indication that unions have work on public policy when it comes to gender equality and bringing youth into these emerging sectors.”
Brenner explained that new installations drive jobs in the wind sector, as they in turn drive jobs in construction, manufacturing, and project design. But long-term employment is determined by the installations that are in place and that create the jobs in operations and maintenance. Since wind technology is not that new and many installations are reaching the end of their life, there are also potential jobs in dismantling and recycling of old wind turbines.
Restrictive spatial planning and other polices make wind technology difficult to bring into some countries. The lengthy process for securing permits for new wind farms has a major influence on the technology developing further and in many countries there is a need for strategic industrial policy.
In the UK, the focus has been on lowering costs, in particular labour costs. Component production is outsourced and some of the offshore vessel crews use cheap labour from abroad. Capital expenditures are what drive jobs in the supply chain and construction. A recent study showed that only 29% of capital expenditures on UK offshore wind projects are spent within the UK. If you include development cost and maintenance and operations, that rises to 48%.
In comparison, Denmark, a much smaller country, has a much more complete domestic supply chain and is home to major turbine manufacturers like Vestas. Danish companies have an estimated 40 per cent of the European offshore market, primarily in operations and maintenance, but also installations. The number of jobs that Danish companies can create in and outside of Denmark is significant.
Ole Philipsen from Dansk Metal presented the Danish model; a highly unionized workforce that have managed to secure quality jobs in the wind sector, demonstrating that unions are crucial in ensuring that workers get quality jobs in the is transition.
The industry’s equipment manufacturing footprint is a big factor affecting where jobs are created. It determines a country’s abilities to establish a strong local domestic supply chain and the ability to implement and to upgrade and update power grids to feed wind electricity into the grid.
In Norway, eleven offshore floating wind installations will be developed with employers, governments, and unions. These will be the first floating wind facilities powering offshore oil and gas installations. As oil and gas production emissions represent a quarter of Norway’s CO2 emissions, it was important for Norway to electrify these platforms.
“Unions have set clear targets for the development of the sector: Norwegian working conditions, safe working conditions and preparedness and security,”
said Ane-Beth Skrede from LO-Norway.
Manuel Riera from UGT In Spain, reported that the UGT and CCOO have put together a manifesto, in view of the potential for wind technology in the country. They have involved companies in the sector, ports and shipyards in the value chain, universities, and research institutions. The manifesto is an attempt to be ready in view of the emerging wind technology, unions want to be prepared and make sure that workers and communities will be part of the discussion.
Lebogang Mulaisi from COSATU reported that South Africa relies heavily on oil, gas, and coal for energy, but there is a rush for clean energy. There is potential to develop wind powered energy and to organize workers in this new sector.
“Wind technology is piloted in South Africa and studies show conflicting results. But there is hope that this technology will create many jobs, especially if there is local manufacturing. Our demand is to have public and worker ownership, including through worker cooperatives,”
Mulaisi concluded.
The country reports gave a snapshot of how the technologies are developing in each country and to what extent unions can be a part of the transition. While regional challenges are different, participants drew from the examples to better prepare for the future.
Two more workshops on energy transition technologies will follow later this year:
- Carbon capture storage
- Battery, solar, photovoltaic
Hydrogen workshop meeting report here: Good jobs and just transition into hydrogen
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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