Taking COSATU Today Forward, 1 September 2021 #HeritageMonth
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #Unionize #Organize #Educate #HeritageMonth
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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
Wednesday, 1 September 2021
‘Deepen
the Back to Basics Campaign, Consolidate the Struggle
for the NDR and Advance the Struggle for Socialism’
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Contents
o Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- COSATU presents its submission on the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill to Parliament
o South Africa
- SAMWU welcomes Hawks arrests at Mogalakwena Local Municipality
o International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Cameroon: Education organisations’ joint project for democracy and union renewal
- World Day for Decent Work: Just Jobs
Workers’ Parliament-#Back2Basics
COSATU presents its submission on the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill to Parliament
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, August 30, 2021
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) presented its submission on the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill on 31 August 2021 to the Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services.
The Bill is a welcome step forward to ensure compliance with the Constitutional Court directive that personal possession and consumption of cannabis should no longer be criminalised. The provisions of the Bill to effect this, and to provide for the expungement of criminal records for such cases is positive.
Whilst drugs, including cannabis, have been criminalised by governments across the world given the negative impact, they have on consumers’ health, it has not helped to address the problems of substance abuse. In fact, it has worsened it. It has driven such trade into the arms of violent gangs and criminal syndicates. It has not collapsed demand. It has meant addicts spend more of their money on a now inflated product. Gangs have waged bloody wars that have cost the lives of countless young people across South Africa’s townships. This approach has not delivered and a more creative one is needed.
Decriminalising the cannabis sector may be a step forward in removing this industry from the control of criminal syndicates. It should help collapse the monopoly and exorbitant prices imposed on addicts that fuel gangs. It will enable the South African Police Service to focus on arresting the traffickers and not the addicts.
The cannabis industry itself has many potential opportunities for the economy. These include its positive contributions for medicinal, clothing, and industrial uses. It is an emerging industry internationally. If South Africa does not move to manage it, it will simply be displaced by cheap imports from other countries.
COSATU is concerned however that government does not appear to have a single position on the way forward. The Bill speaks to decriminalising personal use of small amounts.
The Department of Health is processing approval for its medicinal uses. The Departments of Trade, Industry and Competition as well as Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform are working on a developing a Hemp Master Plan to support its industrial uses.
The Master Plan cannot work if the Bill will continue to criminalise possession and development beyond minor personal uses.
If government wants to nurture the industry’s
growth and to ensure that its products are used for the benefit of society, then it needs to speak with one voice and not send a myriad of mixed messages.
Issued by COSATU
South Africa
SAMWU welcomes Hawks arrests at Mogalakwena Local Municipality
Patrick Aphane, SAMWU Limpopo Provincial Secretary, 31 August 2021
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in the Limpopo province welcomes the decision by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations (DPIC) also known as the Hawks to effect long overdue arrests of persons, officials and business owners that have been fleecing the municipal coffers over a very long period of time.
The rampant fraud, corruption and maladministration in the municipality led to the subsequent collapse in the delivery of services and residents opting to lodge a complaint with Parliament and other state institutions, leading to the municipality being placed under administration.
SAMWU Limpopo is particularly elated about this developments happening whilst the Special Investigation Unit proclaimed by the President is hard at work to investigate alleged corruption, maladministration and malfeasance that happened in the municipality over a long period of time.
We hope that many arrests will be effected to rid our municipality of corrupt people for better delivery of much needed public services to our communities who are suffering.
The union is also confident of the ability of state institutions such as the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) to leave no stone unturned in their pursued for justice for residents, workers and communities of Mogalakwena in order to complete this great puzzle of accountability to restore society‘s trust in our institutions and integrity within the Municipality of Mogalakwena.
SAMWU is celebrating with leaders of Mogalakwena for standing up against bullying by corrupt few and will continue to mobilise in remembrance of Comrades such Faltyn Kekana, Timson Musetsho, Ronald Mani, Maupa, Babita Deokoran many of our comrades and shop stewards who died and some were suspended, intimidated, arrested and harassed in many municipalities for speaking out against corruption such as the one these suspects were arrested for.
As a not so class neutral an organisation, SAMWU will however wish to reiterate its commitment to work very hard to assist all ailing municipalities by making sure that we restore order and normalcy in the municipal environment in service of the working class and the communities we serve.
Issued by SAMWU Limpopo Province
Patrick Aphane, Provincial Secretary (076 875 9022) or Nditsheni Mufamadi, Deputy Provincial Secretary (071 607 4391)
International #Solidarity
Cameroon: Education organisations’ joint project for democracy and union renewal
democracy union renewal and development union growth, 31 August 2021
Education International and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES, German acronym) are working together in Cameroon on a capacity building project, “Union renewal: building strong, inclusive, democratic and effective unions in the education sector in Cameroon”. The project involving all of Education International’s national member organisations will run from 2021 until 2023 and will help the education unions strengthen their organisational structures and build political dialogue.
Trade unions face multiple challenges globally. These challenges include “repressive regimes and closing spaces for trade union work, digitalisation, climate change, privatisation, integrating young workers”, according to Mirko Herberg, Head of the FES Project Team International Trade Union Policy. These challenges demand “a high level of organisational flexibility and a constant need to develop political and organisational responses that should come about in democratic and transparent ways.” That is why FES, whose aim is to support trade unions all over the world, believes it is important to support capacity building projects led by Education International and affiliates.
Unions need to keep up, spend time and invest resources in building their capacity to respond to those challenges, he said. “With limited budgets available to unions, solidarity partners such as FES can and must play a role to support initiatives by trade unions to stay on top of the game.”
The Foundation does this via financial support, and by engaging in the development of content and methodology, he said.
FES is present in 108 countries around the globe. In these countries, its experts on local policies, politics, traditions, economy, etc., work with education and other trade unions and civil society organisations.
In Cameroon, Education International’s member organisations, the Fédération Camerounaise des Syndicats de l'Education (FECASE), the Fédération des Syndicats de l'Enseignement et de la Recherche (FESER) and the Syndicat des Travailleurs des Etablissements Scolaires Privés du Cameroun (SYNTESPRIC) pointed out that they “operate in a repressive political context that undermines union activity. Our challenge is to reset the balance of power in our favour through massive unionisation so we are able to set union activity free.”
The Syndicat National Autonome de l'Enseignement Secondaire (SNAES) has been working with FES for five years, said Roger Kaffo, SNAES General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary of FESER. The latter is one of Education International’s member organisations that is part of SNAES. The FES “has been a strategic partner for years. The foundation is engaged with my union in several types of cooperation. For four years, they have been training members of the union leadership (four or five per year) through the foundation's young leaders’ programme.”
He added: “I know that the foundation is involved in the movement of social democracy and that in the history of the foundation there is also a good part of trade unionism. It is a foundation that historically has deep connections with trade unionism. They try to promote the values of social justice, social engagement, and politically, democracy with a social focus. We connect there.”
Generating a genuine political debate
Kaffo noted that FES’ analysis of the Cameroonian democratic forum, revealed gaps to be addressed. It realised that political parties have the monopoly of expression on television. This made it necessary to open the debate on the future of society, of institutions, to a larger panel, for example with unions and researchers.
“They called it the 'political debate'. A team selects themes and partners and supervises the debates. It works very well and touches on sensitive topics, for which it would be difficult to get permission to organise a public debate. We can do it within this frame,” Kaffo said.
FES also funds particular union projects, including for example, a campaign on education support personnel or work on the textbook crisis in Cameroon. According to Kaffo, this support allows unions to do things they would not otherwise be able to do, especially due to lack of resources.
“We are in a restricted political space. We have a certain margin of freedom but are sometimes monitored and thwarted. What the foundation helps to do is set up an accessible infrastructure that is not under external control.”
Describing FES as “a reliable strategic partner with a lot of ambition, not only for the union, but also for democracy more broadly”, Kaffo highlighted that this goal “brings together organisations around the ideas of debate, openness, commitment and fight”.
Going towards development unionism
Kaffo added that the SNAES has changed since 2004, broadening its focus out from union interests to the entire education system. “That is why we called it development unionism. Step by step, it was explained that, in underdeveloped countries, education is at the heart of development. Teachers must be involved in this goal of making children open to the perspective of development,” he concluded.
Facilitating union renewal
In addition to democracy, union renewal is also a key aim in projects piloted by the foundation, according to FES’ Herberg. “Understanding that this is highly sensitive work that requires a lot of trust, internal deliberation and time, we encourage our trade union partners to be brave, ask hard questions and take strategic decisions as to where to take the union. The proper role of an organisation like FES is to support such union transformation processes, by facilitating or reflecting on the process dimension. We encourage Education International and its affiliates to continue this work.”
In Cameroon, with the project supported by FES, FECASE, FESER and SYNTESPRIC are resolute to act jointly towards trade union revitalisation, taking into account the new political and social realities, and questioning their role and their internal organisation.
To carry out this difficult task, the Cameroonian teachers' unions intend to rely on the recommendations resulting from “Organising teaching: Developing the power of the profession”, the research carried out in 2018 by Professors Bascia and Stevenson, on behalf of Education International, and aiming to improve the image and efficiency of unions.
Cameroonian education unions are also determined to provide adequate space for:
- Young members and women.
- All categories of staff, including teachers, education support personnel, contract workers and private school staff.
- All components of the union, including regional and local sections.
Among union activities planned are:
- A national workshop to establish a diagnosis and related alternative responses concerning trade union practices in the education sector.
- A national workshop to identify the real needs of teachers to enhance the planning of union action.
- Regional capacity building workshops for union leaders and new members within five regional coordination bodies on the following themes: social dialogue, transparency and internal democracy, leadership in trade union regional coordination bodies.
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World Day for Decent Work: Just Jobs
30 August 2021
With more than 200 million jobs lost to the pandemic, another hundred million still at risk and large numbers of unemployed people – the vast majority of whom are women – simply dropping out of the labour market, the World Day for Decent Work on 7 October will call on every government to develop jobs plans.
ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow said: “Governments must have one overriding priority, and that is jobs. They need to recommit to full employment. This provides the basis for economic security and for social justice.
“The ITUC demand is a target of 575 million jobs and the formalisation of at least half of informal jobs by 2030. That’s the only way to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goal 8, and reaching Goal 8 is the key to reaching the other SDGs.
“Trade unions are calling on governments to get around the table with unions, employers and others to set ambitious targets to create and retain jobs as a matter of urgency. And then they need to meet those targets by ensuring the creation of climate-friendly jobs to stabilise the planet and deliver a zero-carbon economy.
“There must be a strong focus on employment in the vitally important care sector and in infrastructure. Our jobs demand is achievable, in particular if governments pursue tax policies that are equitable instead of designed to allow a tiny number of people to hoard hundreds of billions of dollars by avoiding tax. That revenue could kick-start job creation.”
A New Social Contract
“The global labour market is broken. Governments have failed to regulate work and lost sight of the objective of full employment. Work is even more precarious than it was before the pandemic hit, and this requires the rules to change so that people are protected from growing exploitation and rampant insecurity.
“Jobs are absolutely central to recovery and to building the resilience needed globally to deal with the pandemic and other existential threats. Job creation is central to the New Social Contract, along with rights, social protection, equality and inclusion. The World Day for Decent Work will amplify the Just Jobs call, and as our campaign brief points out, to tackle the crisis of informality,” said Sharan Burrow.
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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