Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 23 May 2016
Norman Mampane
Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin…
COSATU ordinary CEC resumes today at COSATU House!
‘Whoever sides with the revolutionary people in deed as well as in word is a revolutionary in the full sense’-Mao
Our side of the story
Monday 23 May 2016
‘Unity and Cohesion of COSATU to Advance the National Democratic Revolution’
COSATU Cares!
Contents
Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
Ø SATAWU and Teti Traffic sign wage agreement
Ø Statement by the NUM-YF National Committee
Ø The Minister of Labour tables the Inquiry Reports on Tongaat Mall and Meyerdal Structural Collapses on Tuesday 24 May
South Africa
Ø Last chance to register for Local Government Elections
Ø 'Jobs for cash' report released
International-Workers’ Solidarity!
Ø Teacher unions push government to boost investment in education
Workers’ Parliament!-Back to Basics…
SATAWU and Teti Traffic sign wage agreement
Zanele Sabela, SATAWU Media Officer, 23 May 2016
South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (SATAWU) is pleased to announce the strike at Teti Traffic (Pty) Ltd is over and workers will be reporting for work today.
SATAWU members downed tools on 3 May following a deadlock in wage increase negotiations. Workers were aggrieved as they had not received a salary increase since they started working for the company in 2012.
Teti Traffic (Pty) Ltd manages all traffic incidents including clearing up accident scenes on behalf of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).
According to the signed wage agreement, workers will receive a 7% increase across the board backdated from 1 January 2016. A minimum wage of R5 250 backdated from 1 January 2016 has also been agreed on. Payment of both will be made at the end of June with the normal payroll.
Members are also entitled to a 13th cheque, also to be paid at the end of June. However, the employer was not able to make provision for the establishment of medical aid and provident funds as Teti Traffic’s contract with Sanral comes to an end in December this year.
The parties have until end of August to work out the terms (including benefits) of a Full Time Shop Steward Agreement.
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Statement by the NUM-YF National Committee
Sabelo Mgotywa, NUM Youth Forum National Secretary, 22 May 2016
Background
The National Union of Mineworkers Youth Structure (NUM-YS) held its second National Committee meeting this year starting from the 19th to the 20th of May 2016 at Elijah Barayi Memorial Training Centre in Midrand.
The meeting took place when the movement is facing a number of challenges that call for the unity of the working class in dealing with them; they need sober and dedicated cadres of the movement. We met when the African National Congress (ANC) is at the cross road.
The R25 wage agreement signed between Sibanye Gold Mine and Joseph Sell-out Mathunjwa
The NUM-YS is very perturbed by the continuous apartheid tendencies of divide and rule led by Sibanye Gold Mine in the mining Sector, we reject the so-called R25 stability settlement. We call upon Sibanye Gold to respect the agreement signed at the Chamber of mines in 2015. If they want to open wage negotiations they know the right place. We call upon workers to reject the deal between Joseph Mathunjwa and Sibanye Gold CEO Neil Froneman. We refuse to be counted amongst the sell-outs who sold workers at a price of R25 because it is an insult to poor workers.
If Joseph Mathunjwa wants sell workers he should do that at his own peril, our members are not for sale.
We demand a living wage, not peanuts given by the mining companies.
Mining Charter Review
The NUM Youth Structure welcomes the Gazetted draft of the Mining Charter for public comments.
This opportunity will give life to the founding objectives of the Freedom Charter, amongst them is to ensure that the wealth of this country is shared amongst who those who work it.
The NUM-YS will submit the following proposal to the minister that will focus on the development of young people of this country who are the majority in the workplace and in the entire country.
We welcome the decision by the department to retain the current 26% ownership by people from the historically disadvantaged background. We further welcome the removal of the ‘’once empowered always empowered” principle.
We are also calling for Chamber of Mines and its members to refrain from always pointing fingers at DMR when they are failing to implement the Charter.
The draft charter further calls for a minimum ownership of 5% for workers, communities, and BEE entrepreneurs relatively. We believe this will benefit the majority of this country who have been robbed of their rights to own the minerals.
We are calling for 10% (broadly), set aside for youth in mining and the labour-sending areas.
On the procurement, we welcome the increased targets, however, we have a strong view that the following should be revisited, on the BEE compliant the companies must have 10% set aside for youth and on the 60% locally manufactured capital; goods from the BEE compliant manufacturing companies should ensure that 10% of the workforce is young people.
The 10% of the above targets must be from 100% youth owned companies, thus ensuring their enterprise development initiatives are inclusive of the youth. Human Resource Development, Employment Equity and mine community development, these initiatives should be inclusive of many unemployed and employed qualified youth.
The issue of Free education in our country cannot be left unattended the NUM Youth Structure is calling for big businesses to include 5% of their yearly budget to fund the
education in this country as they are the most beneficiaries in the process. This should not replace the 1% that the companies are paying for skills levy.
Ubank (Workers Bank)
The NUM-YS welcomes the decision taken by the NEC of NUM to clarify once and for all, that the Ubank is not for sale.
We further thank the governor for giving us an opportunity to consult our members on how are we going to protect their assets.
We strongly believe that Ubank is the strategic asset of the workers and its ownership must and should remain in the hands of workers.
We should expose those who were pushing for the sale of Ubank at all costs undermining the decision of the NEC. Based on the above background we have completely lost confidence that they will focus their energy to save the bank and further grow it to the benefit of the workers, we are left with no options but to request the CEO of Ubank Mr Luthando Vuthula to do the right thing and the right thing is to give others a chance who are going to respect NUM and the workers. His departure in our view will assist to grow the bank.
The bank needs sober minds and dedicated people who will work tirelessly to serve the interest of the workers.
We further call upon those who were hell bent to sell the bank to vultures to refrain from that and other further tricks of undermining the NUM NEC.
Ubank is not for sale, we will defend it with everything we have. Our members are encouraged to bank with the workers bank (Ubank).
Social responsibility
As part of our social responsibility, the NUM Youth Structure handed over three soccer kits at Rooipoort Primary School in Carletonville region in March 2016. The donation was made possible by Teba Trust Fund.
We will continue with our social responsibility activities and we are still expecting more clothes from other donors.
We have also donated over 250 school shoes to seven schools at Nelson Mandela Metro region in the Eastern Cape. The following schools benefitted from the initiative: Dumani Primary School, Ikhwezelihle Primary School, Imbasa Primary School, Khulile Primary School, Nxanelimfundo Primary School, Kwanoxolo Primary School, and Zanoxolo Primary School.
June Month
According to stats SA this year alone we have lost 75 000 jobs through retrenchments and we can confirm that majority of those jobs are from mining, as companies have decided to downsize without looking at any other options.
Where we are there is nobody who is sure of his or her future based on this we are left with no option but to take the matter to the streets, on the 15 June 2016 the NUM-YS will be marching to Eskom, mining companies and department of labour. We call upon all young people in the country to join us in this fight as the majority of the people retrenched are young people.
To mark the youth month the structure will be visiting Free State Region, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Highveld region (Mpumalanga province) to embark on a month-long programme that includes recruitment, sports activities, marches and political education.
We call upon the Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) formations to support the programmes.
Developments in the Progressive Youth Alliance
The NUM-YS has been following the SRC elections with keen interest, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate SASCO for ensuring that Fort Hare University is reclaimed from counter-revolutionary forces DASO.
We are further calling for the leadership of SASCO to ensure that all institutions of higher learning are under its leadership.
We call upon our regions to avail themselves of the process of campaigning for our reliable allies.
Vuwani Situation
Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour religion, language or any other status.
We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.
We are using the above lines precisely because young people’s rights to education are being undermined. Irrespective of frustrations and the predicaments our communities faces there is no justification for resorting to violence.
Burning schools and destroying public property is a criminal offence and it must be condemned with the contempt it deserves. We call upon the state security to act swiftly in dealing with all those who are found guilty or the perpetrators of violence.
The ANC must at the same time listen to our communities. We are calling for calm in Vuwani to allow children to go back to school.
Local Government Elections
The NUM National Congress that took place in June 2015 resolved that we are going to campaign for the ANC in the next local government elections.
The NUM-YS commits itself in implementing the congress resolution in ensuring that ANC wins all municipalities with a vast majority.
The NUM members are encouraged to vote correctly to ensure victory of ANC is certain
NUM Central Committee
The NUM Youth Structure wishes the NUM a successful Central Committee meeting. Unity of the NUM is sacrosanct.
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The Minister of Labour tables the Inquiry Reports on Tongaat Mall and Meyerdal Structural Collapses on Tuesday, 24 May
The Department of Labour, 22 May 2016
The Minister of Labour Mildred Oliphant tables the Inquiry Reports on the Structural Collapse of the Tongaat Mall and the Meyersdal Residence to the media on Tuesday 24 May 2014. The Minister will also table the Department of Labour’s budget vote to the NCOP in the same media briefing.
On the 19th of November 2013 a slab in collapsed and caused several deaths and several injuries to employees working on the construction of the Tongaat Mall. A formal inquiry into the collapse was instituted by the Department of Labour and has now been concluded.
The second structural collapse inquiry involves the Meyersdal residential incidence that happened on the 18 of August 2014 resulting in deaths and injuries of several employees.
A media conference will be held by the Minister, the Deputy Minister, the Director General and the Chief Inspector to present these technical reports to the media. The department will also present its Budget Vote in this media conference which will be tabled to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on the day.
The media conference will be held as follows:
- Cape Town
Date: 24 May 2016
Time: 16: 00
Venue: Imbizo Auditorium; 120 Plein Street; Parliament of South Africa
AND
- Pretoria via Statelite
Venue: Tshedimosetso House, 1035 Cnr Francis Baard and Festival Street in Hatfield
For more information please call:
Sithembele Tshwete
Media Liaison Office
Ministry of Labour
071 675 9849
South Africa
Last chance to register for Local Government Elections
SAnews.gov.za, 22 May 2016
Pretoria - The Electoral Commission has reminded voters wishing to participate in the 2016 Local Government Elections that tomorrow is the final opportunity to register, re-register in a new voting district or to update their registration details (including providing addresses) at their local IEC office.
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, David van Rooyen, indicated his intention on Saturday to proclaim the 2016 Municipal Elections on Monday.
Once the election is proclaimed, the voters’ roll will be closed and no changes to the voters’ roll, including additional registrations or re-registrations, may be accepted.
“To make use of the final opportunity, voters should visit their local IEC office with an official South African ID document, either a green barcoded ID book, a smartcard ID or a valid Temporary Identity Certificate. They will also need to provide details of their address on the registration form,” the IEC said in a statement on Sunday.
The IEC has over 230 offices across the country including at least one in each municipality.
A list of offices per province is available on the website:http://www.elections.org.za/content/About-Us/Contact/ or voters can call 0800 11 8000 between 7am and 9pm weekdays to find out about their nearest office.
IEC offices will open at 08h00 and will remain open until 17h00 tomorrow to accommodate last minute registrations. – SAnews.gov.za
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'Jobs for cash' report released
SAnews.gov.za, 23 May 2016
Pretoria – Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has released the long awaited Ministerial Task Team (MTT) report into the allegations of selling of posts for teachers (‘jobs for cash’).
According to the department, the recommendations of the task team will be carefully considered and implemented to ensure that the system is strengthened for a better quality education.
Minister Motshekga set up a Task Team led by Professor John Volmink following allegations in the media in 2014 that some members of teacher unions and department officials were involved in illegal activities involving the selling of educator posts.
Prior to the release of the report, the Minister held meetings with the various stakeholders including the Teacher Unions as well as the Associations of School Governing Bodies and agreed on the need for an investigation.
A total of 81 cases were investigated, 38 of which provided grounds for reasonable suspicion or wrongdoing.
“Investigations into most of these allegations have not been concluded and an extension of the forensic part of this report has been granted.
“The forensic part of the whole investigation is expected to be completed in August 2016 after which, the necessary remedial action will be instituted,” the department said in a statement.
The department says there are general recommendations regarding the conduct of unions and officials in relation to their lack of adherence to their roles and responsibilities as prescribed in the applicable laws and procedures.
“The report of the Ministerial Task Team on the selling of posts highlights a lack of consistency and understanding of School Governing Body members regarding the appointment systems and procedures.
“These challenges require the Department to reform laws and regulations regarding appointments in the basic education sector,” the department said.
There are allegations and specific recommendations about a number of identified individuals, who it is alleged, participated in one or other form of corruption or selling of posts.
The key findings are that there is a need to strengthen accountability in education, with a special emphasis on short-term measures, by ensuring that:
- The department take control as an employer of appointing the most suitable teachers in terms of qualifications, skills, attributes, and ability. The department will do this, by establishing interviewing and appointment panels that are independent, that would be vetted regularly, and that would undergo training on appointment procedures and requirements for posts in education,
- The changes to appointment procedures, require large-scale advocacy of parent and school communities, so that everyone is informed of the changes, and
- The department should protect the integrity of the appointment procedures by setting up a dedicated call centre, where any irregular activities can be reported with a short-term turnaround response.
- A proposed legislative amendment, which is still in the process of being finalised, deals with a number of issues emanating from the Report of the Ministerial Task Team to review education legislation. Inter alia, the amendment will contain a proposal that any appointment, promotion or transfer will be the responsibility of the Heads of Provincial Education Departments, with an initial focus on promotional posts on post levels 2 to 4.
- The amendment will furthermore propose that the Minister be empowered to make regulations to prescribe the manner in which this and employment practices in general will be carried out. This may include the composition of interviewing panels, vetting of panel members, and a number of other matters which could prevent the practices of selling of posts.
The Minister has paid tribute to the Task Team members for undertaking such a delicate task and doing it without fear or favour. – SAnews.gov.za
International
Teacher unions push government to boost investment in education
Education International, 20 May 2016
Mongolian education unionists are urging their national public authorities to increase financing to the education system in an effort to improve quality and make education for all a reality.
The call to increase spending was made during a joint roundtable in late April organised by Education International (EI)’s affiliate, the Federation of Mongolian Education and Science Unions (FMESU), along with partners of the Education for All Coalition.
Over 50 participants took part, including representatives of civil society organisations and government agencies, to debate ideas surrounding the2016 Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) theme, “Fund the Future: Education Rights Now”.
Government promise
Participants insisted that the Government must keep its promise and increase the education budget in order to achieve quality public education over the next 15 years, which is the aim of the FMESU “Education 2030” agenda.
In his keynote speech, FMESU President Jalkhar Batzorig urged the Government to invest 90 billion Mongolian Tughriks (about €39 million) in education, a commitment promised in 2015.
Announcements
Enabling COSATU Members to Tweet Effectively
NB: @cosatu2015 has been revamped and now it’s @COSATU2015_
Introduction to COSATU Official Twitter Accounts
Ø @COSATU2015_
Official tweets on current affairs, ideological disposition and for a Question & Answer platform
Ø @COSATU TODAY @_cosatu
Seconds- COSATU roving official tweets on events, quotable sound-bites on speeches/interviews, newsflash etc.
How to Register a COSATU Member Twitter Account
Ø Go Google and type twitter/sign up
Ø Versions of name/surname must be completed
Ø Choose a username/password and don’t forget them
Ø Update your profile; picture, bio
o Picture size should be 700k
o Bio-short narrative who you are
Ø Examples of Bio; Africa's largest Federation Official tweets, the home of the toiling classes across the world, with more than 2million membership...Amandla! Johannesburg, South Africa · http://www.cosatu.org.za
Ø Choose who to follow and type @COSATU2015_ and @COSATU TODAY @_cosatu
Ø And you’re skinning in the game through COSATU tweets
Communicating messages that matter is like artwork
Social Media generation is here and is unavoidable
‘Let’s skin in the game of COSATU Tweets’
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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 010 219-1348
E-Mail: mam...@cosatu.org.za
