Taking COSATU Today Forward, 10 August 2022

[Norman Mampane]

 

COSATU TODAY #2022YearofWorkersParliament This week, #COSATU Young Workers are leading a National March to the Unions Building on Friday #HappyWomensMonth #ClassStruggle #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

Wednesday, 10 August 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!

Ø  Employment and Labour on arresting of employer over attempt to bribe inspector

• South Africa
• COSATU Women’s Day Statement
• SADTU National Women’s Day Statement

• COSATU welcomes government's proposed temporary ban on scrap copper and steel exports

• International-Workers’ Solidarity!

• Mali: Alarming situation in schools under attack from armed groups
• India: CTUs support the decision of the Postal Employees to strike work on 10.08.2022
• Ghana: unions win improved living conditions for public service workers

Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics 

Employment and Labour on arresting of employer over attempt to bribe inspector

5 Aug 2022

Employer arrested over attempt to bribe an Employment and Labour Inspector

An employer was nabbed for attempting to bribe a Department of Employment and Labour inspector in Reitz, Free State. The inspector had been conducting a workplace inspection when the accused offered a bribe of R300.

The arrest comes as the Department ‘s Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) Branch embarked on blitz workplace inspections throughout the province.

The inspection conducted at the accused’s business premises revealed that the store owner failed to comply with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), The National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA), and Sectorial Determination 8 (SD8).

The inspection also revealed that the employer had underpaid workers’ salaries to the tune of R66 418,70 and failed to pay overtime amounting to R32 891,04. The inspector therefore made the store owner aware of these findings and ordered for the remedial actions to be effected. Following this instruction, the store owner asked the inspector to withdraw the Compliance Order in exchange for “Cool Drink”.

In an effort to expose the unethical behavior of the store owner, the inspector engaged the SAPS Office in Reitz, Free State regarding the bribery efforts by the store owner. Surveillance was then effected by SAPS, where the store owner was immediately arrested after handing over an amount of R300 to the inspector.

A case of bribery has since been opened against the store owner.

The Department continues to embark on aggressive campaigns to root out non-compliance with labour laws. The inspectorate, despite persistent challenges across all sectors, is determined to enforce compliance with South African Labour Laws.

For media enquiries contact:
Cebisa Siyobi
Provincial Communication Officer: Free State
072 427 6034
Cebisa...@labour.gov.za(link sends e-mail)

Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour

South Africa

COSATU North West wishes ANC in North West a successful and fruitful Provincial Conference

Kopano Konopi, COSATU North West Provincial Secretary, 10 August 2022

The Congress of South African Trade unions in the North West is delighted to learn that the ANC in the province will finally convene its provincial conference in the coming weekend from the 12^th to the 14^th August 2022.

This is exciting because the conference takes place three years after the PEC has been disbanded and replace with the IPC which was running the affairs of the organisation.

As COSATU we hope that the ANC will use this opportunity to reflect on itself in the province and nationally.

The ANC should also take time to discuss policy issues which will take the province forward and improve the lives and the livelihood of the people of this province.

The conference must find time to discuss and resolve on the following policy discussions

1. Organisational
1.  To build strong branch of the movement which are able to champion issues of the communities and the workers.
2. Champion the clause on the ANC constitution which state membership is joined on voluntary basis and remove the tendency of bulk membership payment and remove gate keeping
3. To build the capacity of the leadership and the membership to understand the history and principles of the organisation and its allies
4. To develop a program to unite renew the organisation from the ground and combat factionalism
5. To build a leaving alliance all levels of the organisation.
2. Political
1. Building a non-racial, non-sexist inclusive democratic country
2. How to fast-track the call for the reconfiguration of alliance underpinned by the principles of the NDR as conceptualised by the second communist international.
3. Empower the alliance as the strategic political centre
4. To build a capable developmental state which is able to intervene in the economy and the development of society.
3. Socio economic
1. Transformation of the provincial economy to be inclusive of the majority of the people of the province.
2. Build a sustainable economy that is able to get rid of the migrant labour system and there is equal economic development in all areas of the province
3. Create a sustainable economy which will be able to support the policy of building sustainable livelihood and create jobs.
4. Improve the working and leaving conditions of the people of the province to a point where the provincial Human development index becomes the highest in the country
5. Improving the dignity of our people through provisioning of reliable and affordable services
4. International
1. Intensify our campaigns on the international solidarity and continue to participate on campaigns and support the global agreements between organisations.
2. Intensify our ideological exchange program with countries which share the same political and ideology perspective.
3. Develop a strategy to an equal continental development with the initial focus being the SADC region.

As COSATU we have taken a posture of not resolving on individuals but have agreed on the set of principles to guide us in identifying and supporting the leadership.

Over and above the existing ANC principles like through the eye of the needle, the step aside resolution and many others.

The comrades who we are going to support must demonstrate the following:

1. The Understanding that the alliance is the political centre, and any strategic political decision and program must be a product of the alliance and be driven by the alliance.
2. A commitment to drive service delivery to the communities of the province and it the process revives the economy of the province and create jobs. 
3. The understanding of our ideological conviction that the NDR is the minimum program of the alliance, and the ANC is responsible for mass mobilisation of society in support of the NDR.
4. The understanding of the pillars of our struggle
5. A commitment to redirect the ANC towards the realisation of its commitments especially those in the freedom charter.
6. A commitment to unite the alliance in the province and convene alliance activities in the province.
7. A commitment to build; unite and renew the ANC and assist it getting rid or minimising of the factions in the province.
8. To have a commitment to combat corruption
9. Have a strong sense of accountability and understanding of the principles of democratic centralism and organisational discipline
10. The ability to work within a collective and despise individualism
11. Must be assessable, available, and willing to engage with the workers with an intention to resolving their challenges.
12. The PEC must be inclusive of all national groups.

We therefore wish the ANC a fruitful and peaceful conference, and we will attend the conference as invited.

International-Solidarity 

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Mali: Alarming situation in schools under attack from armed groups

achieving sustainable development goal 4 leading the profession democracy, 9 August 2022

More than 1,800 schools in Mali have closed following attacks or direct threats from armed groups. These groups kidnap teachers, set fire to schools and school materials, and start shooting during lessons. Moustapha Guitteye, General Secretary of the Syndicat National de l’Éducation et la Culture (SNEC), recently went to the conflict zones to meet the teachers there.

"Over 750,000 children are missing out on their education because of these school closures. In some localities, children have not been to school since 2012. Some of these children are at risk of being recruited as child soldiers by Jihadist groups," warned Guitteye.

Some teachers are braving the dangers and doing everything possible to maintain a minimum of education for the children.

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India: CTUs support the decision of the Postal Employees to strike work on 10.08.2022

09 Aug 2022

The CTUs take note of the decision taken jointly by various unions of the Postal Employees to go on strike on 10^th August, 2022, against Central Government’s move to corporatise and then to privatise Postal Service.

Various sections of government departments/establishments are being forced to go on strike because the Government’s adamant stand on privatizing everything that they put into National Monetisation Pipeline, through multi pronged routes viz., aggressive pursuit of corporatisation, outsourcing of various services of postal department to outside agencies, casualisation and temporarisation of substantial section of workforce with precarious service conditions and non-filling of sanctioned regular vacancies etc.

It started with the sale of Air India, followed by the LIC IPO, Railway stations, Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and now, the Postal Department is up for grabs!

It is a known fact that eversince private courier services were allowed, the cost of posting has not only shot up, but the service is not available for rural areas, just like private versus public sector banks, private versus public road transport, where the private entities do not go to rural areas, on the same plea that “there, the business is not profitable”. BSNL is a prime example where a good PSU was deliberately killed by this Government to favour private mobile service providers. The Government, through the Railways, is putting pressure on the Postal Department to shift their cartage to road transport – where private sharks are waiting !

CTUs stand with the Postal Employees in their opposition to privatise the postal service. CTUs also support their demands for filling up large number of vacancies and improving other service conditions.

The Joint Platform of CTUs and Federations/Associations calls upon the mass of common people to rise to the occasion and extend active support to the united struggles of the working people in various sectors, including the Postal Sector to resist and decisively defeat the anti-people, anti-national destructive policy regime of the BJP Government.

Privatisation through multi pronged routes viz., aggressive pursuit of corporatisation, outsourcing of various services of postal department to outside agencies, casualisation and temporarisation of substantial section of workforce with precarious service conditions and non-filling of sanctioned regular vacancies etc.

                                                   INTUC             AITUC                  HMS                         CITU                           AIUTUC

         

                                                       TUCC         SEWA               AICCTU                     LPF                    UTUC

                                                                              And Independent Sectoral Federations and Associations

____________

Ghana: unions win improved living conditions for public service workers

trade union rights are human rights standards and working conditions leading the profession, 9 August 2022

The Agreement on a cost-of-living allowance (COLA) concluded on 14 July between the Government of Ghana and workers’ unions and associations within the public sector in this country gives all public sector employees increased remuneration.

The Government and union leaders have agreed to retroactively implement COLA as of 1st July, and the allowance will represent 15 % of basic wage.

Speaking at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) conference on 16 July, President Akufo-Addo thanked organised labour for reaching the agreement and said that the NPP government “has and will continue to have their interests at heart”.

Teachers’ industrial action

Following the agreement, unions in the education sector affiliated to Education International, i.e. the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the National Association of Graduate Teachers, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union, called off the strike that had been going on for almost two weeks. They had, on 4 July, begun an indefinite strike over COLA.

Unions had initially demanded a 20 per cent allowance due to the current economic situation in the country.

Continuous social dialogue is crucial

Dennis Sinyolo, Director of Education International’s Africa regional office, welcomed the agreement reached between the unions and the Government of Ghana. “The Government should engage in continuous dialogue with the unions in order to ensure decent salaries and working conditions for teachers and education support personnel, as well as quality education for every Ghanaian student”.

The country currently counts 18,530 primary schools, 8,850 lower secondary schools, 900 upper secondary schools, 20 vocational education and training institutions, six public universities and over 15 private universities for a population of 32 million Ghanaians. There are also 46 public Colleges of Education – main teacher training institutions – across all regions of Ghana.

Fight against privatisation

Teacher unions in Ghana are strong opponents to privatisation in and of education, saying no to Ark schools and denouncing plans to give tax money to for profit education companies.

They have made it clear that they will resist any attempt by the Ghanaian government to privatise, commercialise and commodify public education in their country, and ask public authorities to ensure quality public education for all students.

__________________________

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

 

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