Taking COSATU Today Forward, 7 June 2024
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY |
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, 7 June 2024
‘Building a strong and united COSATU in mobilizing for the ANC electoral victory”
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
Organize or Starve!
Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- NUM set to convene its National Policy Conference from the 11th - 13th June 2024 at Birchwood Conference Centre
- South Africa
- Government commemorates 48th anniversary of Youth Month
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Nigerian unions suspend strike to allow for negotiations with government
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
NUM set to convene its National Policy Conference from the 11th - 13th June 2024 at Birchwood Conference Centre
Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM National Spokesperson, 05 June 2024
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) will from the 11th - 13th June 2024 convene its National Policy Conference, set to take place at Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg.
The National Policy Conference is organised under the theme “41 Years of Unbroken Revolutionary Struggle for Workers”.
A range of organisational policy related issues within the four sectors that the NUM is organising (Mining, Energy, Construction and Metal Sectors) are scheduled to be thoroughly discussed and future plans outlined.
Amongst speakers invited and scheduled to give messages of support to delegates are leaders from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and other fraternal local and international organisations.
COSATU has already confirmed deployment of its General Secretary Solly Phetoe while SACP and ANC are still yet to confirm.
Members of the media are therefore invited to attend and cover the event and the full programme will be distributed to journalists at the venue.
For more detailed information, please contact:
Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM National Spokesperson, 083 809 3257
Luphert Chilwane, NUM Media Officer, 083 809 3255/ 073 354 6569
South Africa
Government commemorates 48th anniversary of Youth Month
06 Jun 2024
The Government roll out the 2024 Youth Month by committing to acceleration of opportunities for youth empowerment and skills development.
The government commemorates the 48th anniversary of Youth Month since the Soweto and other related uprisings by Actively Embracing the Socio-Economic Gains of Democracy. The 2024 Youth Month comes during a season where South Africans are also celebrating 30 years of freedom and democracy.
With government commitment and determination to prioritise youth development and empowerment, the development of the National Youth Policy, which emphasises the key pillars such as quality education, skills and development, economic transformation, entrepreneurship and job creation, physical and mental health promotion; social cohesion and nation building remains a framework to address and accelerate positive youth development.
South Africa is a developing country with a population of 62 million where a majority of its population is young and below the age of 34. What this translates to is that the youth population in South Africa is almost a third of the population, this includes 9.04 million males and 8.80 million females.
“A majority of young people in South Africa are confronted with the government’s triple challenges (poverty, unemployment, and inequality, as well as corruption), with unemployment being a weighty burden facing the country’s youth, with adolescent girls and young women facing far more challenges”. said Minister Dlamini Zuma.
The Presidential Youth Employment Initiative has identified several priority interventions to accelerate youth pathways into the economy including the establishment of a National Pathway
Management Network, to help with the delivery of agile workforce development, support for youth self-employment and enterprise in the township and rural economy, the strengthening of workplace experience, and the National Youth Service programme.
“Providing young people with access to opportunities is at the core of the National Youth Development Agency’s mandate. It is important for us to ensure that our youth know what opportunities are available to them to transform their lives, their communities
and ultimately the country and it is for this reason that the agency has directed the commemoration of Youth Day around careers and opportunities expo,” said Waseem Carrim, NYDA Chief Executive Officer.
As part of government efforts to address youth unemployment, over 100,000 young South Africans between the age of 15–34 years are placed in paid internships, apprenticeships, mentorship and entrepreneurship across the country through the Youth Employment Services (YES) programme.
In response to a call by the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative to collaborate with various stakeholders. The Government recently launched the South African National Service Institute in partnership with the National Defence Force an initiative aimed at addressing skills shortages in Maritime, the Ocean Economy; Engineering, Construction; and Skills of the future which includes Artificial intelligence as well as Defence and security.
In honour of the youth of 2024 for playing an active role in ushering in the 7th democratic government. The youth of today has carried the baton forward with its exceptional contributions
in various sectors of society, to accrue the gains of 30 years of our freedom and democracy that we all enjoy today.
The enormous participation of young people in the peaceful 2024 national and provincial elections which ushered in the 7th democratic administration signals their commitment to protect the country’s hard-earned freedom and the legacy of those who came before
them
Media Enquiries Contact:
Director Communication
Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
Cassius Selala
E-mail: Cassius...@dwypd.gov.za
Cell: 060 543 0672
Issued byDepartment of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
International-Solidarity
Nigerian unions suspend strike to allow for negotiations with government
5 June, 2024
After calling for an indefinite strike over national minimum wages, and the reversal of electricity tariff increases, trade union federations, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), suspended the strike on 4 June to allow for negotiations with the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The unions announced they are entering into dialogue "to achieve favorable outcomes and safeguard the rights and welfare of all Nigerian citizens and workers."
The unions, who proposed 494 000 Naira ($332) as a national minimum wage, rejected the government’s minimum wage proposal of 60 000 Naira ($40) which they say is inadequate for workers to meet the ever-increasing cost of living. According to official reports, the Tripartite Committee on the national minimum wage is meeting to consider the union proposals.
Workers strated the strike on 3 June with most economic activities brought to a halt. Other union demands are on the reduction of the electricity tariff which they say worsens the workers’ financial difficulties.
“The indefinite nationwide strike action is therefore relaxed for one week from today to allow for a concrete and acceptable minimum wage,”
said Joe Ajaero, NLC president and general secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), in a joint statement with the TUC.
Afolabi Olawale, general secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) added:
“We urge the Federal Government to utilise this grace period of one week to do all the needful for meaningful engagement and address the concerns of Nigerian workers to avoid further escalation of the crisis.”
both NUEE and NUPENG are affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union.
“The calls for a national minimum living wage by the union federations are important for Nigerian workers to meet their living expenses and be able to provide for their families. It is unacceptable to promote conditions that create the working poor – where wages fail to lift workers out of poverty,”
said Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa.
In February, unions protested the removal of petrol subsidies through demonstrations and pickets. They argued that the subsidy removal triggered food and transport costs increases and hiked inflation currently over 33 per cent according to the Central Bank of Nigeria. This is the highest level that inflation has reached since 1996, adversly affecting workers' wages. Additionally, the unions expressed concerns that the government’s austerity economic policies were anti-worker and exposing the poor and marginalised communities to poverty.
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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