Taking COSATU Today Forward, 29 July 2022
Norman Mampane
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#2022YearofWorkersParliament #COSATU President delivered a message of support at ANC National Policy Conference at Nasrec, Johannesburg #PoliticalStruggle #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
Friday, 29 July 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 Minister Blade Nzimande sends condolences to families of Ikhala TVET College employees
- South Africa
- PYA Statement on the ANC National Policy Conference
Ø Treasury on pre- budget consultation for 2023 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
Ø Brazilian metalworkers sign agreement with TK Elevator
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
Minister Blade Nzimande sends condolences to families of Ikhala TVET College employees
28 Jul 2022
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, passes his condolences to the families, friends, colleagues and fellow students of the Ikhala TVET College on the passing of five (5) staff members (three staff members and 2 interns) who were involved in a car crash, that happened yesterday, the 27th July 2022.
Their vehicle was involved in a crash with a truck as they were driving towards the Aliwal North Campus.
The deceased were driving a College vehicle from Ikhala TVET College Central Office to do some work at Aliwal North Campus of the College.
It is reported that all five (5) of them were certified dead on the scene by the medical and emergency personnel.
The names of the deceased are Monwabisi Siwa - Senior Exam Officer, Christina Tingashe-Caba - Secretary to the Deputy Principal Academic Services, Melisizwe Manzi - Intern in the Office of the Principal, Bukelwa Baleka-Intern in Corporate Services, and Yandiswa Cwayi- Intern at Ezibeleni Engineering Campus.
Minister Nzimande said this unfortunate incident happens at a time when the Department of Higher Education and Training is holding an inaugural two-day TVET Colleges Strategic Industry Partnerships Summit which aims to foster dynamic and strategic partnerships between the Department, TVET colleges and the Industry.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased at this difficult moment,” said Minister Nzimande.
Minister Nzimande has directed Higher Health to join the management of the College in providing the necessary psycho-social support and comfort to the family and immediate staff members of the deceased.
May
their soul rest in peace.
Enquiries:
Ishmael Mnisi
E-mail: 066 037 8859
Issued by: Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
South Africa
PYA Statement on the ANC National Policy Conference
Progressive Youth Alliance, 28 July 2022.
“Intensify youth mobilisation in the year for youth safety and jobs for youth”.
The Progressive Youth Alliance composed of ANCYL, COSAS, SASCO and YCLSA extended to COSATU YW and Young Women’s Desk working committees, jointly representing the vast majority of young people, the employed, unemployed, learners and students in this country met to consolidate the youth perspective towards the national Policy Conference.
It remains our firm view that the untransformed nature of property relations is at the center of the fundamental challenges confronting the youth. The young people bare the most brunt of the crises of the society and economy, the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment.
The Policy Conference takes place while the ANC workers are not paid and face a possibility of some of their basic and important assets being repossessed. The PYA will tomorrow join the picket on the basis that majority of this workers are young and those who are relatively old, have a responsibility to feed families too.
The meeting reflected and took stock on all discussion documents for the conference and agreed on an approach to respond on pertinent policy proposals.
At the centre of persisting challenges of sky-rocketing unemployment, unabated inequality and abject poverty is the rise of the neoliberal policy trajectory and austerity measures on the economic policy characterized by servicing international debt, sales of public productive assets.
On Balance of Forces around the South African Transformation Agenda
Domestic
The national economy has hit a brick wall in terms of economic expansion and is experiencing internal combustion. Restructurings of industrial capital occasioned by declining rates of investment, mechanization, and relocations of industrial bases have all conspired to narrow the framework for sustainable employment creation in the country.
The consequence of this is the erosion of the social and economic position of the social classes that constitute the motive forces of the national democratic revolution. Added to this mix has been the fragmentation of the progressive labour movement, COSATU, with its industrial unions suffering significant losses of ground in mining and manufacturing. This has meant that a revolutionary workers’ perspective on the industrial economy is fast evaporating, thereby draining the progressive movement of an effective presence in that critical pillar of our national political economy.
South Africa’s National Treasury is undoubtedly of the most untransformed and concerning department post the 1994 democratic transition. The institution harbours the most reactionary intellectual-moral based on capitalist neo-liberal ethics undoubtedly enforced by a leadership that lacks vision and touch with reality. This has led to policy postures that are anti-working class and anti-youth!
International
The current period reveals emergence of a nexus of power in eastern Europe and Asia that is mounting a challenge to US hyper dominance. Importantly, this must not (as yet) be interpreted to be a global challenge to neoliberalism per se but rather a challenge to the institutional power structure that globally enables neoliberalism to thrive. Similarly, this challenge also has significant implications for the extent to which imperial domination, or rather the imperial tendency to dictate terms to all and sundry is now being limited.
The PYA also notes the rise of right-wing populism globally, originating from the United States and Continental Europe, and its reliance on social media platforms for mobilization. This manifests as a combination of racism, anti-immigrant sensation, an infringement on bodily autonomy via anti-abortion campaigns, and all kinds of bigoted offensives. Implicit in this systematic use of social media mobilization for the rightwing is the cooption of young people as peddlers of negative ideology.
On Organisational Renewal
We propose that a branch must be in good standing if and only if:
i) It has paid up membership as outlined in the constitution
ii) Provides a credible record of activism in championing community struggles
iii) Holds regular branch general meetings, as contemplated in the constitution to report back and plan community campaigns
iv) Produce proof of continuous political education workshops
On application for Membership of the ANC, we advocate that before a member is confirmed in good standing:
v) they should have been vetted to prevent sexual predators and criminals from joining and leading the ANC.
vi) Must be assigned and fulfil community work tasks in line with the objectives of the ANC. They must provide regular reports to branch general meetings . This will assist us in reconfiguring structures of the ANC into activist structures that center the people in their work.
We also propose the following organizational redesign measures to improve efficiency:
i) All NEC members must also have set functions to ensure all elected members are held accountable for the positions they hold
ii) All Chairpersons of ANC NEC Subcommittees must be responsible for holding government deployees accountable for the ANC programme of action. This means that Chairpersons of ANC NEC Subcommittees must be full-time at Luthuli House, not in government.
iii) That all structures must comprise at least 40% youth and 50% of gender representation.
The PYA will also be advocating for the retirement age of deployees to be 65 years as lawmakers, they are public servants themselves.
On Battle of Ideas and Communication
We move for the adoption of the social media policy of the ANC as a measure to deal with the gross ill-discipline demonstrated by ANC members on social media platforms while bringing the organization into disrepute.
We also call for an improved rollout of broadband connectivity infrastructure to allow more South Africans to benefit from the dividends of the information age. Attached to this is the urgent need to rollout USSD communications channels for free access to educational, news, and health content.
The PYA supports 60% local content as a minimum. However, a strategic framework must be created which includes implementation timelines and tangible metrics to measure the progress made by media entities about the quota.
The PYA calls for lowering costs of deploying fiber infrastructure and a continued decline in the cost of mobile internet access (data) by the major service providers in South Africa to increase access at a reasonable price. We are highly opposed to the roll-out of spectrum through big conglomerate.
On Arts, Culture, and Heritage
We call for investment in the Motion Picture value chain of the sector to afford young previously marginalized film producers to compete in the space. The Department of Arts and Culture, working with the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition, must build a Motion Picture Precinct that will afford young South Africans in the film production value chain an environment with a comprehensive set of training, talent development, and production opportunities. This is more urgent now in the age of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV, etc whose impact has been substantial rise in demand for film content at a rate that global film. We further call for the signing into law the copyright amendment bill.
In pursuit of Progressive Internationalism
We call on the ANC to discuss seriously ways of strengthening our participation in BRICS. We must demonstrate our commitment to a reformed global trade and economic system by leveraging our BRICS membership to call for the de-dollarization of international trade and for multiple currencies to be given a chance.
The PYA noted the watering down of the ANCs position on the question of Palestine and the seemingly growing Zionist lobby within the movement. We demand that South Africa cuts diplomatic ties with the Apartheid state of Israeli and expel the Israeli ambassador to South Africa until such time a two-state solution is found.
The same applies to the state of Morocco. South Africa must cut all diplomatic ties with this state, and expel the ambassador until the people of Western Sahara have a right to self-determination.
Any member of the ANC who attends the Israeli and Morocco propaganda trips must immediately be suspended.
On Peace and Stability
The PYA calls for a comprehensive peace and stability plan to be developed before December 2022. This plan must be people-centered, and people driven, anchored on community structures and resourcing of partnerships between the police and communities. This plan must articulate linkages between municipal by-laws, liquor boards, gambling boards, the police service, and community policing structures to ensure seamless principles of licensing and enforcement of accountability.
Similarly, we want to warn about the crisis of a decline in the allocation of resources to the SANDF and the threats that this poses to our borders and sovereignty. The decline in personnel numbers and aging of defense equipment is a cause for concern. Connected to this is the ailing state of Denel as a key manufacturer of defense equipment and the weak state of ARMSCOR as our country’s defense equipment procuring agency.
The retention of DENEL as a parastatal is a position that we want to advance and defend. Investment in defense technology has proven, the world over, to be a strategic avenue of national expenditure on Research and Development. Defense technology has positive externalities that have pioneered serious advances in telecommunications, electrical engineering, cybersecurity, drone technology for medical use, weather observation, explorations in sea-mining, etc.
On Legislature and Governance
We support the call that 50% of NEC members should not be eligible for positions in the National Executive to ensure there are checks and balances between the organization and its deployees. This must cascade down to all elected structures.
To monitor the implementation of ANC policies, all ANC Caucus in legislatures must have an ANCYL deployed Parliamentary Officer who will strictly deal with policy and legislative measures as is the case with COSATU.
On Economic Transformation
The PYA notes with deep concern that the recently released Discussion Document on ‘Strengthening Economic Recovery and Reconstruction to Build an Inclusive Economy’ altogether avoids the matter of macro-economic policy and is thin on industrial policy.
a) We call for a robust National Industrial Development Strategy as our only realistic chance at getting the SA economy out of the current crisis.
b) The National Industrial Development Strategy must be the overriding framework that informs our macroeconomic policy, both fiscal and monetary.
c) The National Industrial Development Strategy must be anchored on manufacturing, innovation, import-substitution, and localization focusing on youth-owned businesses.
d) The National Industrial Development Strategy must also deepen the transformation of the Oceans Economy for disadvantaged youth and women. We have a 3000-kilometer coastline as a country with immense potential for developing new coastal cities and towns, sea-mining exploration, defense technology installation, democratized fishing, tourism, and seawater harvesting.
e) An appraisal of the state of all SOEs needs to be done and they need to be strengthened to assist in the re-industrialization of the South African economy.
f) Mass-based skills accreditation and transfer for youth.
g) Implementation of youth set-asides in government contracts.
We also note that, in times of crisis the state must serve as an employer of last resort, and while welcome, the injunction in Phase 4 of the EPWP to employ 55% youth must be enforced as a mechanism to facilitate pathways into earning and learning opportunities, alongside the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention.
On Energy
The PYA calls for a rejection of the move to privatize energy generation in the country. It is unsustainable and will lead to runaway energy cost escalation. Government must simply fire the current board and executive, and pay off the Eskom debt so that the utility can raise funds to improve its infrastructure and end these rolling blackouts.
Furthermore, we note the global concerns for climate justice. We agree that South Africa must also de-fossilize. However, we are for a just transition and our argument is that:
i) as witnessed in the vase of Germany, Renewables currently are not able to power up an industrial economy at the required scale. Our country needs an energy mix that includes nuclear and hydrogen
ii) South Africa must scale down on coal over 30 years. The same period must be used to scale up our capacity in renewables technology for solar, wind, hydro, hydrogen, and nuclear.
The PYA lobbies the Policy Conference to resolve on a need to move all entities from Public Enterprises to their legislative departments and further scrap the Department of Public Enterprises. The fixing of the power utility cannot only be systematic however heads must roll in that entity. We call for the termination of De Ruyter’s contract.
On Education, Health, Science and Technology
The crisis of youth unemployment is largely characterized by skills mismatch or lack thereof. The National Development set a target of about 5% of increase for the student intake in institutions of higher learning and TVETs colleges, however, we observe a decline on the students funded by NSFAS when we compare the current financial year with the previous. This is despite the fact that the need for higher education space increases annually.
The PYA calls for free, compulsory and quality education for all. Education should be free in both monetary terms and free from the ideological struggle hold of capital from the curriculum. We need a curriculum which responds to the political economy of our communities.
We call for a speedy rollout of the National Health Insurance. We also call for the implementation of the decision to build a State-Owned Pharmaceutical company. These two are more urgent, especially with our experience of the Covid-19 pandemic.
We reaffirm our call for Free and Compulsory Education for all now and call for its full implementation. We call for an increased speed for the Transformation agenda which will see TVET colleges being institutions of choice instead of being dumping sites.
The student movement calls for each grade certification as early as Grade 8 and that Driver’s Learner’s License and Driver’s License be made compulsory and free for all high school learners.
We call on the regulation of the pricing structure of the student accommodation because majority still charge exorbitantly way above the NSFAS accommodation allocation. We further call on the local municipalities to take responsibility for the student accommodation by making available facilities to increase the provision of decent accommodation for students in their localities and monitoring them.
On Youth development, increased funding for youth enterprises and cooperative development and access to markets.
The Progressive Youth Alliance notes with dismay that over a decade since the approval of the youth employment accord that place among others the duty to set aside funding and procurement for the youth to support youth enterprises. It remains our considered view that small enterprises employ majority of the national workforce and thus there is ought to be a concerted effort to invest funding to small medium enterprises especially the ones owned by the youth. We call on DFIs to fund youth business and that 30% of youth set asides to be part of their KPIs and audit requirements. Young people must be persistent in their entrepreneurial endeavors in the context of Letsema campaign and take responsibility for the struggle for economic freedom in our lifetime.
On Land reform through land expropriation without compensation and introduction of wealth tax.
In our view, the land question is strategic and important in advancing the transformational agenda of our revolution and correcting the “imbalances of the past” which continues to haunt the present unequal society. The land question is also important in developing South Africa’s productive capacity in a way that does not only benefit a few and rather mobilizes the majority as active participants in the economy.
We call on parties especially those who claim to be pro-working class, to put their ideological differences aside and support the Expropriation Bill in their majority which will enable the constitutional amendment for land expropriation. This will significantly disrupt the racialized poverty in the country that culminated from colonialization and land dispossession.
Issued by PYA Secretariat
COSAS – Tebogo Magafane, SASCO – Buthanani Thobela, COSATU YW – Siyabonga Mkhize, ANCWL YWD – Precious Banda, YCLSA – Tinyiko Ntini and ANCYL – Joy Maimela.
For more information contact:
Mzwandile Thakhudi – YCLSA National Spokesperson
Mobile: 079 994 6391.
Sizophila Mkhize – ANCYL National Spokesperson
Mobile: 078 436 6831
Luvuyo Barnes – SASCO Media & Communication Liaison
Mobile: 079 393 7131
Douglas Ngobeni- COSAS National Spokesperson
Mobile: 068 5845344
Siyabonga Mkhize -COSATU YWF National Secretary
Mobile: 074 793 6738
_________________
Treasury on pre- budget consultation for 2023 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework
28 Jul 2022
Introduction
National Treasury is soliciting the public’s views on South Africa’s Fiscal Policy in its pre-budget consultation process. South Africa is one of five pilot countries that are participating in the Fiscal Openness Accelerator Project (FOA) that was launched
in 2019 by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) and the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT). The project’s overall objective is to build the technical capacity of selected governments, enhance fiscal transparency and to support the implementation
of a public participation pilot in the national budget cycle.
This is the second and final year of the FOA pilot and a slightly different approach will be taken. This year, we will focus on written submissions on a broad range of themes. An online platform will be provided for respondents to discuss and debate issues
raised in the submissions. The written inputs will be analysed and the recommendations will be shared with Medium-Term Expenditure Committee (MTEC). All submissions will be published on the Vulekamali budget data portal. The lessons drawn from the two-year
pilot will be used for future developments of public participation in the budget process.
Submissions of a maximum of ten pages, including an abstract and a conclusion with specific recommendations, should be emailed to FOAsubm...@treasury.gov.za(link
sends e-mail) by
19 August 2022.
Guiding themes:
(a) Fiscal policy (debt management, budget deficit)
(b) Cross cutting (climate change financing, gender responsive budgeting)
(c) Topical Issues
· Unemployment
· Social security funding
· Energy choices and fiscal subsidies
· Safety and crime
· Health
· Food security
Please complete the biographical and contact information, so that we are able to contact you. You may submit your written views on one or more themes by 19 August 2022 to FOAsubm...@treasury.gov.za(link
sends e-mail).
Citizens without access to emails can drop off their clearly written submissions at the National and Provincial Treasury offices.
The National Treasury is responsible for Fiscal Policy. Therefore, public consultation is not intended to inform sector policy priorities as this goes beyond the mandate of the National Treasury, which is to ensure transparency, accountability and sound financial
controls in the management of public finances.
Enquiries:
Communications Unit
E-mail: me...@treasury.gov.za(link
sends e-mail)
Tel: 012 315 5046
International-Solidarity
Share
Brazilian metalworkers sign agreement with TK Elevator
28 July, 2022
Metalworkers' unions in Brazil signed a national agreement with TK Elevator that establishes that, employeesof the company, throughout the country will be able to receive Profit Sharing (PLR) fairly distributed.
The text determines that metalworkers at TK Elevator's 13 factories will receive the same amount of PLR, regardless of the state or region of Brazil where they are located.
"Having a national PLR agreement is good to avoid disparity between workers in the same company. TK Elevator has many branches in several states, and although some sell more, the agreement unifies this same resource for all"
explained Taise Gonçalves Almeida, the coordinator of the workers' network at the Guaiba plant in Rio Grande do Sul.
The unions affiliated to the National Confederation of Metalworkers of the CUT (CNM/CUT, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union) held an assembly where they voted and approved the final proposal. It established that the value of the PLR will be R$ 2,800 + 50% of the nominal salary, if the stipulated goals are reached.
The interim president of CNM/CUT, Loricardo de Oliveira, stated that the agreement helps to distribute income and guarantee equality in working conditions nationwide.
"National collective bargaining agreements, which guarantee equality among workers of the same company in the most diverse plants, are a priority for a better distribution of income. Therefore, collective bargaining agreements, such as those of TK Elevators, are fundamental to guarantee equality of conditions for workers in the same company and is a priority of the CNM/CUT."
added Oliveira, he emphasized that the workers demonstrated that, with good faith negotiations, mobilizations and unified work, it is possible to achieve a better future for all.
ThyssenKrupp's elevator business recently transformed into an independent group of companies called TK Elevator. IndustriALL signed a Global Framework Agreement (GFA) with the TK Elevator business in 2021, to update the agreement it used to have since 2015 with thyssenkrupp. As in the previous agreement, the core labor standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO) formed the basis for the text of the GFA.
IndustriALL deputy regional secretary Cristian Alejandro Valerio said:
"I congratulate the comrades of the network for signing this national agreement this is a great achievement for the company's workers throughout the country.
This achievement is another example of how important it is to be able to form global, regional and national networks of workers from different plants of the same transnational comapny, whether from different trade union organizations or from the same confederation, as in this case here. This allows them to connect with each other and coordinate actions that provide them with greater strength when negotiating with the company."
__________________________
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