Hamba Kahle Qabane

Number 1 • March 2015
Parliament
10
9: Shopfloor
Hamba Kahle Qabane
“Bosses are there to make super profits and exploit the workers”
Nene tightens up on
government spending
Benefits
11
Preservation on pension
suspended until 2016
Workplace
13
Shame on you GIFLO!
Gender
16
Sexual and Reproductive
Health and Rights
Dear Judy
21
Servicing our members
Numsa News is
produced by the
National Union of
Metalworkers of
South Africa,
153 Bree Street,
Johannesburg 2001
Tel: 011-689 1700
Fax: 011-833 6330
In his new memoir “P’s Memoir” Frederick
Sylvester Solomon Petersen shares candid, neverbefore-heard details about his life. This excerpt
conveys his experiences as a Numsa organiser:
“…I made it my duty to train shopstewards so that they could have
confidence and defend their members effectively. We even negotiated
amendments to company policies after we had studied them with
the shop stewards committees. We were very busy in Atlantis and it
was like a new challenge for us to see our membership grow.
Workers from all sectors wanted to join NUMSA, so we had membership forms of all unions. We let them join COSATU unions and
we (NUMSA office) would be their office for any problems. We
brought them into our COSATU local and arrange that their organiser
service them from time to time as many COSATU unions did not
have offices in Atlantis.
They would come to NUMSA office and we would assist them as
far as possible. When we took over from Andy Wilson, we went on
a recruitment campaign at ADE, whose membership then was more
than all the factories combined in the branch in Bellville. When we
had to integrate the staff, we saw at the MICWU office, that the
female comrades made tea for the males. We stopped this immediately.
Some were very upset and refused to make their own tea; they
rather opted to bring a flask of tea from home.
The MICWU organiser took me to the work places organised by
MICWU and I saw that they were not well organised. The MICWU
organiser would drive and stop at a workplace, and shout to the
members from outside the premises to enquire how they were doing.
What he asked mostly was if they had received their medical aid
cards. If the employer emerged, he would ask how the business was
doing, and if the employer complained, he would feel sorry for him
and wished him that things would get better soon. I was taken to a
company Grapnel who manufactured exhaust systems. This I could
see was an arranged meeting. I was introduced to the HR Manager
as the new organiser for the area and we had a discussion as MICWU
was busy negotiating a recognition agreement with the company
which I had to conclude. When the organiser enquired about the
shop stewards, the HR manager told him that he had fired them all a
while ago…”
Excerpted from “Ps’ Memoir: An autobiographical note” by Frederick Sylvester
Solomon Petersen. Copyright © 2015 Adrian Sayers
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Editorial
Comment
2
Irvin Jim,
GENERAL
SECRETARY
Sandra
Hlungwani
EDITOR
Rest in peace
cde Fred,
Numsa is still saddened by
the untimely death of cde
Fred. I personally wasn’t
privileged enough to interact with him. But I do know
him as a principled funny
comrade. Below are some of
the messages of condolences
from those who knew him
well:
“When I first met my
comrade Fred, I was still
young in the organisation
and he was like a father figure to me. I learned a lot
from the old man. He called
me the Iron Lady, Comrade
Fred was a much disciplined,
neat, dedicated and a good
listener,” Sharon Theresa
Linnert.
“To God we belong and
to him is our return. May his
soul rest in peace. Let us remember the good times we
spent with him and the valuable contribution he made
to the struggle of the workers,” Mohammed Ismail.
“He will be sadly missed
and most fondly remembered. Our thoughts and
prayers are with his family,
friends and loved ones,”
Martin Louw.
“Indeed sad news. I have
known Fred at least for
more than 20 years when
were still young shopstewards together with likes of
the late Cdes Mtutuzeli Tom,
John Gomomo,” S.M. Tsiane.
“It is with great sadness
that we learnt of the passing of comrade Fred the
past weekend. He was a
family man, a worker, an activist, a unionist who will be
sadly missed. Hamba kahle,
Qabane,” Grischelda Hartman.
s Numsa General Secretary, and on
behalf of the Numsa National Office
Bearers collective, I must greet metal
workers across the length and breadth of
our country in both old and new sectors.
Whether you are new or whether you are
old, you know one thing: this union belongs to you. The union doesn’t join workers; it is workers who join the union. Now
that you are a member, with all other
workers you own and control the union
through your elected Shopstewards and
the elected leadership.
A
All leaders of the union have a
duty to service workers and to
act in your interests.
It doesn’t matter the size of your company.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a giant
steel company or a garage or a panel beater.
It doesn’t matter whether you lead security
workers, or work deep in the belly of the
earth in the mines, or in the union head
office. We work to improve the lives of all
workers, not the bosses who exploit us by
paying us starvation wages, and not a government whose policies destroy the jobs of
workers.
We must resist the bosses’ greed
The greed of the bosses is shocking and
frightening. We must resist and fight back
against this unscrupulous, selfish, inhuman
greed for profits:
Numsa says no to labour brokers
The new law says that every job must be
made permanent after three months unless
there is a very good reason why it is a shortterm contract, and workers must approve
such a reason. That is why we are calling
on all workers to demand that employers
must make all workers who are more than
3 months permanent.
Numsa says no to super-exploitation
Racist, greedy employers, who are doing
everything they can to maintain the super
exploitation of black and African labour,
have found a champion – this Papenfus who
calls himself the CEO of the National Employers Association of South Africa (NEASA).
He is organising and encouraging employers
in the motor sector to cut workers’ wages
by half. He is now being supported by component companies who supply car manufacturers, like Lear Corporation, Johnson
Control and Glio.
And the workers who are victims are
black and African. They are women and
youth. And the ones who are doing the cutting are racist white men and racist conservative white institutions like the Free Market
foundation. They enjoy political support
from white racist institutions; traditionally
they enjoy political support from the DA alliance. Now the ANC has joined this club by
introducing right -wing policies in the NDP
that support this super exploitation of workers.
Numsa says no to any reduction in
rights or conditions of workers
These same companies constantly attack
the hard won gains and benefits of workers.
We reject their restructuring of the workplace.
They use nice English, like ‘multi–skilling’.
But in practice they have no mercy. And if
they don’t get what they want, they just
shift production to other countries. Right
now we are fighting component suppliers
who are trying to shift of production from
South Africa to Lesotho.
Numsa says no to their attacks on
collective bargaining.
NEASA, together with the right wing Free
Market Foundation, is attacking collective
bargaining. They don’t want to improve
workers’ wages at all. In fact they have declared war. They want no increase as a
matter of principle. Papenfus is united with
the DA and the ANC / SACP on one thing:
they don’t want workers to strike, but they
won’t increase their wages.
We must fight the Government
as well
In order to fight the employers we also have
to fight the government which has taken
sides with them. It’s a pity and a hard truth
that even though this government is elected
democratically and is led by the ANC, which
is a movement with a history of
struggle, it is selling out workers
openly. Let’s look at what it has
done to support the interests of
these exploiters, the bosses:
“
they unable to see that poverty, unemployment and inequality have worsened? South
Africa has become number one in the world
for inequality. There are about 26 million
people without a plate of food and only now
in February statistic SA review has announced that there are 27 million people in
South Africa living in poverty.
The government refuses to end
apartheid wages
The ANC government has failed to destroy
the apartheid colonial wage and they are
doing nothing to stop employers who are
attacking workers’ wages. The bosses are
free to exploit workers as they wish. Last
year, to win votes for the election, the ANC
made an announcement on the national
minimum wage. But even then, all they
were willing to offer was an investigation of
a national minimum wage, not the actual
minimum wage we need. Meanwhile, the
gap between black and white has got worse.
CEOs of companies earn 1,728 times more
than ordinary workers.
We reminded them about this in the recent public hearings on the
National Minimum Wage
when they didn’t even want
to allow us to say what we
wanted to say. We reminded
them of the Freedom Charter
and its commitment to the
National Minimum Wage.
The
government has
refused to ban
export of scrap
metal
The government has
championed policies that
have destroyed jobs across
sectors.
For instance it has liberalized
trade, allowing dumping of production from
China which destroys jobs in South Africa.
The government lied to Cosatu and
Numsa by promising to champion
localization.
It promised that state institutions would buy
locally produced goods and services. But its
State Owned Enterprises like Transnet go
and purchase trains and locomotives from
overseas, spending billions on Chinese companies.
When they do this, they are exporting
jobs. We are able to build trains and locomotive in a South African company in Nigel,
which used to be called Union Carriage and
is now called Commuter Transport & Locomotives Engineering (CTLE). Why are South
African trains not being made by South
African workers? As a result this company
has no work and workers are being retrenched.
The government has refused to ban
export of scrap metal
This is a very simple policy that could create
jobs. Because they have failed to do this,
seven foundries have closed. The last one
was in Dimbaza, a poverty stricken community in the Eastern Cape. This creates
even worse social problems in the deep
villages of the Eastern Cape and the old
border region.
Government economic policy has
failed
We have been telling this Government that
its right wing policies have dismally failed
the country. Instead of listening, they see
Numsa as public enemy number one. Are
”
The worst victims are
Black and African
Those who suffer the most are still black
and African. This can only mean that racial
supremacy in SA has continued by other
means. It has continued by co-opting the
black elite leadership of the liberation movement to run the country.
The so-called anti-imperialist ANC
benefits from imperialist capital
The governing party says that it is anti –imperialist, but the past 20 years show that
imperialist ownership and control of the
South African economy has increased. At
the same time, the ANC / SACP government
has refused to nationalize strategic minerals,
which are our country’s national endowment. They have allow our gold, our platinum, our diamonds, our manganese, our
coal, our uranium and our copper to just be
extracted and taken out of the country. Of
course some in the leadership of the ANC
Government benefit directly from this looting.
They own shares in these companies. There
is no dog that bites the hand that feeds it.
We were expelled from Cosatu for
telling the truth
We told the truth – that the conditions of
the working class are worsening. We refused to accept that after 20 years of our
democracy, less than 10 % of the land has
been returned to its rightful owners.
They attack us and try to divide
us
SACP waged a vicious propaganda
campaign against the Numsa
leadership
They say that we want to overthrow the
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
3
We have opened our scope
Workers from other unions want to join
Numsa. We didn’t go looking for them. We
used to organize for Cosatu unions. We kept
taking workers to Satawu, Ceppwawu, Sadtu,
Num. But we quickly learned that these
workers came back to us saying that they
got very poor service from those unions. We
know that, even for Numsa, service is a challenge, so we didn’t rush.
But we learned after some time that some
of these unions were not practicing worker
control in the true sense. They were completely bureaucratic. They didn’t respect
workers’ views and aspirations. Workers
and shopstewards who know how the union
should operate completely rejected this style
of leadership. When you listen to some of
the leaders speak, you don’t hear any faith
in the working class. It’s like listening to the
CEO of a company speaking emphasizing
profits for the bosses. And they don’t even
hear themselves.
democratically elected government. They
claim that we work with imperialist forces
because we meet trade unions and socialists
in the United States. They continue to repeat
their lie Numsa leaders own business. They
are trying to convince workers in general,
and metal workers in particular, that the
Numsa leadership is corrupt. Not just corrupt,
but also won over by imperialist forces. The
Sacp of Blade Nzimande has been running a
war room of such stupid propaganda. On
the latest allegation that were made by Blade
Nzimande about NUMSA Investment Company (NIC), we have advised the NIC to
take him to court because these repeated
lies and propaganda by Blade Nzimande
who have become not different to Goebbels
of the Nazi Germans who repeated lies until
they became the truth.
They are trying to divide Numsa
members from the leadership
On the back of such propaganda, they deliberately plotted the dismissal of Numsa from
Cosatu. Then they called on Numsa members,
as if there is Numsa outside its members,
not to leave Cosatu, with a repeated slogan
we love you metalworkers. The people who
have been the champion of this now open
and now hidden inferior strategy has been
Blade Nzimande, Sdumo Dlamini and Gwede
Mantashe, we wish them good-luck. This
was the caucus of Gwede Mantashe and
Blade Nzimande.
They have set up a union and
recruited rejects from Numsa to run it
Immediately they have assembled a bunch
of lazy, corrupt, cowardly, spineless opportunists. All of them have been rejected by
our members, removed as Shopstewards and
failed workers’ cases when they were in the
union. Their actions show that they are the
type of individuals who are ready to eat with
their hands and feet at the same time, like
Izithunzela. They are Impimpi who have
been serving on all sides (UHili uphumile
ezingcongolweni).They publicly announce
that their mission is to create divisions in
Numsa and destroy Cosatu.
But suddenly, because there is money to
throw around, they are out to destroy Numsa
using these past and present opportunists
to form a new Union called Limusa, whose
mission is exactly the same as the Uwusa of
Inkatha. Its mission is to defend the current
government.
They must know that Numsa is not for
sale. Workers’ struggle is about selfless sacrifices and struggle in the interest of the
working class and the poor. Workers must
be united and tell this fake, yellow union of
self-appointed marauding gangs to look for
the nearest cliff and jump.
We must focus on building Numsa
We are calling on you, both young and old
workers, to remain focused on building a
massive, fighting Metal workers Union. We
believe that you are too wise to be confused
by omalalaphayiphu. You know and they
know that Numsa resolutions were taken
in a National congress, not by any leader of
Numsa. But they are still able to openly lie
about such a democratic process of metal
workers for their own selfish ends.
TRUTH: Numsa members picket outside Cosatu House against Numsa expulsion. Photo:
William Matlala
They are leaving because Numsa is an
honest trade union
They are leaving Numsa because it is not an
organization of Tsotsis. You don’t become a
leader or win positions, or decisions, or resolutions by being a crook or by being a manipulator. This union gets its power from its
democratic worker control.
They forget democracy
They forget too quickly the advice of the
late President of Numsa, Mthuthuzeli Tom
when he said that democracy in the organization is unfortunately about majority decisions. And he used to put it crudely: democracy is about suppression of the minority by
the majority.
We are forging ahead with the
United Front and the
Movement for Socialism
We are launching the United Front
Their cheap lie has been that we are changing
the union into a political party. The truth is
that Numsa is sick and tired of the worsening
conditions of the working class. So we have
resolved to be a catalyst and champion of
mobilizing the workers and unemployed in
our country to fight poverty, unemployment
and inequalities. We are mobilizing them
in a United front, to struggle and to fight
their miseries together. We will launch the
United Front nationally in June.
We are making progress towards the
Movement for Socialism
There is no SACP that represents the working
class. Blade and his friends represent their
pockets in parliament. We are forging ahead
to form a political party of workers to take
the space that was traditionally occupied by
the SACP. That’s why in their minds Irvin
Jim has suddenly become such a dangerous
sell- out, a CIA agent who works with imperialists to destroy the liberation movement.
We are busy with international study tours
in our research on the Movement for Socialism. I went with the Numsa delegation to
learn what has been happening in Latin
America:
• We visited Brazil, talking with Comrades
from the PT, the workers party of Lula.
• We went to Venezuela to learn what has
happened after the inspiring revolutionary
legacy of Hugo Chavez.
All the Numsa study tours will give reports
and we will debate these reports in all our
structures. They will help us to make a good
decision about what sort of Workers Party
will be best to fight together with workers
for full economic freedom of our country
and our people.
I have also been in the United States to
brief our Sister unions and former antiapartheid movement revolutionary forces.
We are now organising along the
value chains
The way production is organised has
changed
We have opened Numsa’s scope because
capital in our sectors has decided to restructure production and to outsource. For example:
• They have outsourced warehouses in
both Tyre and Auto.
• They have outsourced spares.
• They have outsourced components.
These workers used to belong to Numsa.
Doors for cars, pedals, gears, door mirrors,
windscreens and wipers….all the parts of a
car used to be in the actual platform where
these workers used to work, direct for Ford
or VWSA.
Now those components have been outsourced to companies like Schneleke SA.
And these companies who are given this
outsourced work are foreign companies.
German car manufacturers outsource to
German suppliers. There is absolutely no
intention to build local content. As a result, all South African companies with capacity have to close, and our members’
benefits and conditions have been seriously down-graded and their working conditions continue to get worse.
The Department of Labour has
approved our new sectors
The Department of Labour has now approved
our right to organise in all the new sectors.
So it is legal for these workers to belong to
Numsa. We are the only union with a Constitution which champions unity and worker
control. We are breaking new ground as a
revolutionary union. We are putting into
practice the commitment we have had since
our launch in 1987 - to unite workers and
lead them to fight our economic exploitation
and oppression by both the bosses and the
state.
We are growing in our new sectors
We have implemented the Resolution of our
Special National Congress. As a result, we
are growing in the mines, we are growing
in Petro-chemicals, we are growing in Transport. We are organizing every worker in our
sectors. We are organizing into Numsa every
unorganized worker along the value chains
where we have traditionally organized, and
that includes the two new sectors of Petrochemicals and Mining.
We must organise all workers in our
workplaces
We are organising security workers, canteen
workers, outsourced suppliers of components,
warehouse workers, canteen workers, workers in hospitals, workers who transport goods
and services. We are recruiting every worker
in the value chain. So for example every
worker in the Tyre sector, in companies like
Sumitomo SA, Bridgestone SA, Good year
and Continental SA, must be a Numsa member. Every worker in the car manufacturers
(VWSA, Toyota SA , MBSA, Nissan SA,
Volvo SA, and Ford SA) must be a Numsa
member. Every Numsa member in Transnet
and Eskom must be a recruiter and an organizer for Numsa.
7 unions have rejected Numsa’s expulsion
and we are campaigning together
The Cosatu plot backfired
Since I wrote to you in the last Numsa
News, the Sdumo faction of Cosatu has expelled us from Cosatu. But this narrow, selfinterested plan has turned around and hurt
them, instead of hurting us. Seven Cosatu
affiliates rejected our expulsion. Since we
Turn to page 4
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Comment
4
of the Cosatu 11th Congress. We are mounting a campaign of mass action for exactly
those demands. We demand, now, the full
implementation of the Freedom Charter. We
demand radical improvement in our socioeconomic conditions. To achieve this, we
demand a new socialist economic order!
We are tired of suffering meaningless
and useless political freedom in the absence
of economic freedom. We shall force both
government and the bosses who exploit us
to meet workers’ demands to address poverty,
unemployment and inequality.
We demand a socialist South Africa as
the only viable alternative to the current
savagery of the South African racist colonial
capitalist system. This has been Cosatu’s demand all along. That is why Cosatu is in an
alliance with the SACP!
SOLIDARITY: The eight Cosatu unions joined Numsa's picket at Cosatu House. Photo:
William Matlala
From page 3
were expelled, they have refused to participate
in any Cosatu national structure or activity.
We are committed to reclaim Cosatu
with mass action
Numsa, together with these seven affiliates,
has responded by committing ourselves to
fight to reclaim Cosatu. We believe that the
unity of Cosatu is paramount and that Cosatu
belongs to workers. Cosatu must be both a
shield and a spear. It doesn’t belong to 33
individual leaders of some affiliates who receive instructions from some Sacp and ANC
leaders.
This is the Group of 7 who are
supporting Numsa
These are the unions which remain resolute
to build a Cosatu that champions working
class struggle and takes on poverty, unemployment and worsening inequality:
• Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu)
• SA Catering Commercial and Allied
Workers Union (Saccawu)
• Democratic Nursing Organisation
(Denosa)
• SA Football Players Union (Safpu)
• Communication Workers Union (CWU)
• South African State and Allied Workers
Union (Sasawu)
• Public and Allied Workers of South Africa
(Pawusa)
These are the Cosatu affiliates who
are trying to destroy our federation
There are two unions from the private sector.
One of them is Ceppwawu. We know that
the Ceppwawu leadership has no mandate.
They haven’t convened any constitutional
meetings for more than three years.
These are the leaders of the caucus:
• South African Democratic Teachers
Union (Sadtu) National Education, Health
and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu)
• National union of mine workers (Num
• Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union
(Popcru)
• South African Transport and Allied
Workers Union (Satawu)
These unions are also purging
workers and worker leaders by
expelling them.
As a result some of them are facing serious
splits. For example, the Sadtu Eastern Cape
Province refused this reactionary agenda.
So they disbanded a democratic provincial
congress and the democratically elected leadership. As a result, members are talking
about forming a new union. But these unions
are learning to blame Numsa for all their
problems. For example, Satawu can’t afford
to pay their Staff because they have dismissed
members, but they blame Numsa.
The President of Nehawu said we must be
expelled because we extended our scope to
include cleaners. According to him, cleaners belong to Satawu. But he has admitted
that he himself is a cleaner. Yet he is the
President of Nehawu, not Satawu.
And of course the leadership of both Nehawu and Num has been well rewarded.
Slovo Majola, the former General Secretary
of Nehawu, is the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy.
Senzeni Zokwana, former President of Num,
is the Minister of Agriculture.
We will mobilise to implement
Cosatu’s Congress Resolutions
As the Group of 8 Unions, we have resolved
that the best way to reclaim Cosatu is to
mobilise the working class around the campaigns and demands of the Cosatu 11th
Congress. Cosatu made this declaration at
its 11th Congress:
“We are not prepared to tolerate massive levels of unemployment! We want
labour brokers banned now! We will
not accept widespread poverty! We
cannot live with grotesque levels of
inequality which have made us the
most unequal society on the planet!”
This next paragraph from Cosatu’s 11th
Congress declaration sums up our position
very well::
“Our members are telling us that they
have had enough of the unfulfilled
promise to implement the Freedom
Charter. They demand a radical
change in their socio-economic conditions, and the creation of a powerful
developmental state, which intervenes
decisively in strategic sectors of the
economy. This requires a radical shift
in economic policy, and a full implementation of the Freedom Charter!
They are communicating a strong
message that political freedom may
soon be meaningless without economic freedom.”
We, the 8 unions, continue to support that
position. We continue to support the demands
We will take this campaign to the
locals and provinces
All 8 unions have agreed to go out into the
workplaces, to the local shop steward councils
and to the provincial shop stewards councils
to mobilise rolling mass action for these demands. We will be processing the demands
through Nedlac so that our strike action
will be protected.
These are our key demands
A democratic, socialist,
interventionist state which represents
the interests of the working class and
the poor
• Nationalise mines, banks and the Reserve
Bank, major construction, and all minerals, under working class control. We
must nationalise South Africa’s key companies so that they can become the engine
to drive the rest of the economy. We can
use the profits from the mines and the
banks to build factories and create jobs.
At the moment, they send their profits
to their shareholders – foreign and South
African capitalists
• Stop privatisation, unbundling, PPPs,
concessioning or whatever words are
used to take public assets and put them
in the hands of private capital for profit.
• Stop using the state as a tool of private
enrichment.
• No to tenders: build the capacity of the
state; stop sub-contracting the work of
the state
• Scrap the user pay principle on public
goods and services such as e-tolls now!
• Stop police brutality, victimization and
harassment against both South Africans
and foreign nationals.
• Clean up government
• Stop corruption
• Transform the judiciary to give equitable
access to the working class and the poor
An economy for the working class
and the poor, not global capital and
its local parasites
• We say No to the National Development
Plan, the latest version of Gear! We demand a poverty eliminating, job growing
and inequality abolishing socialist economic strategy
• We say no to load-shedding: government
is responsible for failing to plan properly.
Government must pay. If workers are
sent home because of load-shedding,
employers must pay them and claim
back from the government.
• Impose exchange controls to stop capital
•
•
•
•
•
•
leaving the country
Promote local content
Fill all public sector vacancies
Ban labour brokers.
Implement the National Minimum Wage
now.
End the apartheid wage structure.
Move immediately from to an economy
powered by a socially-owned renewable
energy sector.
Quality, free social services for all
who live in South Africa
• Medical services must be free for everybody when they receive the service
• Quality housing for all
• Quality education for all
• Safety and security in all communities
for men, women and children
• Reliable, affordable, safe, integrated public
transport
End the injustices of the 1913 Land
Act by restoring the land to all the
people of South Africa!
• Restore land justice by taking land without compensation and redistributing it
fairly.
• Provide tools, inputs and support to
make redistributed agricultural land productive.
• Redistribute urban land fairly
• Abolish apartheid geography!
• Stop evictions of farmworkers and their
families.
Viable, sustainable, equitable, honest
local government for all
• Provide access to the local state to all
people in South Africa based on human
needs
• End the unworkable, apartheid local
government boundaries. Restructure
them around human need and democratic allocation of resources.
• Redistribute urban revenues to small
towns and rural areas.
• Make it possible to recall corrupt and
non-performing local councillors
End the triple crisis of poverty,
unemployment and inequality
• The state must guarantee work for all
as both a right and a duty.
• We demand full state support for the
unemployed, the sick, the elderly and
orphans.
• Everybody must have food. No person
in South Africa must starve or go hungry.
• Clean, running water, modern sanitation
and electricity in every home.
Election of Shopstewards
This year is a year of organizational renewal.
As Numsa members, empowered by the
constitution of the union, you are called
upon to exercise your rights and elect Shopstewards of your own choice.
This is a process that will finish in our
10th National congress in 2016, where
new National office bearers will be elected.
There are those who lie about Numsa. They
claim that there is no longer worker control
and worker democracy in our union. These
elections are living proof that this claim is
simply lying propaganda.
Shop steward elections are more than
just a factory issue
We must also accept that Numsa is the
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
5
most hated union because we champion
workers’ struggles. The bosses wish that we
would be a sweetheart union. Others want
us to follow the ANC and keep quiet about
workers’ issues. So election of Shopstewards
is not just a factory issue.
There are forces who are awake 24/7,
plotting how to remove particular Shopstewards who have remained loyal to the
discipline of the organization and championed workers’ interest from a principled
stand point. They want to remove those
shopstewards and replace them with individuals who account somewhere else.
As Numsa members, you have the right
to elect shopstewards and to be elected yourself. This year you will be exercising those
rights at a time when the working class is
under siege. In this dangerous situation,
Numsa is a beacon of hope to fight in defence
of its members and of the broader working
class. The unemployed and the youth of
our country put their hopes in the struggle
that Numsa is pursuing to fight to defend
the existing manufacturing industries and
to fight for new jobs.
Sisedabini, sikwintlaba Mkhosi as our forebears sad before “Zemka -inkomo Magwala
Ndinini “The struggle we must now fight in
this country is an economic struggle, finish
and klaar:
• We must transform the workplace and
democratize it. There must be a clear
career path for black and African workers.
At the moment those workers are at the
bottom of the food chain.
• Companies must not just benefit shareholders. They must plough back to workers. They must pay a living wage. But
they must also redistribute the social
wage - they must contribute towards
building proper infrastructure in communities where their companies operate.
For instance the children of Numsa members must be able to access quality
schools. Where these Schools do not
exist, Numsa must partner with companies and Government to create them.
• Numsa members must have access to
quality houses. In my recent visit to
Venezuela, I saw the legacy of Hugo
Chavez: communities set themselves up
in cooperatives that are supported by
the State. People build proper houses
for themselves, not dung houses like the
ANC, not inferior RDP houses ( Ovezinyawo). Of course government can’t do this
alone. It must partner with Numsa. Business must come on board. The United
front must support such projects. These
are the kinds of things that Numsa Shopstewards must champion.
You must choose shopstewards who are
able and willing to fight for these objectives.
We need cadres
This task of building a union that can represent workers and service workers is not
like a Spaza shop or driving a Skorokoro as
others think. It needs cadres both in membership and in leadership that are prepared
and ready to learn from each other. Such
leadership must have capacity to teach
members. But leadership also requires principle, discipline and revolutionary organizational culture where both young and old
learn from each other. That includes accepting that like all children they start by
crawling and fall before they can walk.
We need leadership
The union is represented by worker leadership at all levels of the organization. This
includes the national union which is managed and run by worker leaders. The President, the two Vice Presidents and the National Treasurer all come from the shopfloor.
For them to continue their work they must
continue to be shopstewards in the factory.
They have a very difficult task because
they must satisfy workers in their plants
and still serve all workers in other plants.
The current Numsa National office bearers
have done their best to achieve this. They
have consistently prioritized problems affecting their constituencies.
In the past we have experience painful
situations where the national union can
lose a good national leader. They have been
doing a good job of serving the union nationally, but they haven’t been in the plant.
Then, when members evaluate their performance, they don’t take into account their
national duties.
In some plants NOBs have been evaluated
only from a plant perspective and there is a
decision not to re-elect them. As a result
the organization suffers.
We call on our members to balance their
interests at all levels of the organization as
they exercise their rights as members. You
must have good shopstewards in your plants
and good National office bearers to build a
powerful national union based on concrete
solidarity at plant, regional, national and
international levels. If you elect weak leaders
at any level of the union, you, the members,
will be the victims
BARGAINING: A call to unite in fighting back racist employers. Photo: William Matlala
Evaluate your shop stewards
As members, you must discuss and debate
shopstewards and evaluate them on the
basis of their performance not on whether
you like them or you are friends. Where
you have good shopstewards, don’t change
them for the sake of changing. Keep them
through a democratic process. If you see
potential as well as mistakes, give honest
criticism and, if you think it is right, keep
them with that honest criticism and feedback
about their performance and service to you
as members. On the other hand, if your
shop steward has consistently failed to do
their duty then it would be wrong to reelect them. You will need to analyse what
went wrong with the previous shop steward
so that you can avoid the same problem
again.
We need to be vigilant
As we elect new shopstewards ,the recent
past must be a lesson to us all. We can be
infiltrated at the level of shopsteward. We
have witnessed in the recent past individuals
who have completely lost their position only
for money. They resign today from the union
and the following day they join a project of
someone in the ANC, Cosatu, SACP or the
State who are plotting to destroy Numsa.
They are like criminals planning to rob
a bank. They have a mission to weaken
and fragment Numsa. Their objective is to
ensure that workers and their union are
permanently tied to the apron strings of the
ANC Government. This is the very same
government that is destroying workers’ jobs
and the economy .
Workers must not be deceived by individuals who appear to be more militant
than anybody just in order to be elected.
Look at their history, not just at what they
are saying today. Make sure to elect strong
leadership, committed to building Numsa
as an organization. They must be ready to
abide by Numsa’s constitution with its preamble, and by the traditions, custom and
practice of the union. They must be ready
to operate on the basis of mandate and accountability.
Our struggle is an economic struggle
I Numsa Ibatla Macadre ,I -Numsa ufuna
amacadre uleleleni ? Vuka -vuka Urobaletseng
,Tshoha –Tshoha.
Metal workers must be extremely vigilant.
Shop stewards in Auto and
Components must be ready for a big
battle
Numsa is convening a meeting with all
African Countries because we now know
that many companies are shifting production
from South Africa to other African countries.
These companies are mainly component
manufacturers for the Auto industry, such
as Johnson Controls. They have the blessing
of the Auto companies. Some of them, like
Nissan, have already set up plants in Nigeria.
Some are planning to set up plants in Morocco.
We know that we dealing with capital
that has no mercy. They are always making
changes in benefits and conditions of workers
as a condition of signing a new contract. I
appeal to members to take those processes
seriously. We must find our own information.
We can’t just lead by opposing everything
the bosses say without information. We
must be ready to negotiate in the best interests of workers.
Elect militant, capable shop stewards
In all our sectors, the shop stewards you
elect must firstly be ready and able to defend
you against your bosses and improve your
conditions in your workplace. Secondly they
should be ready and able to support community struggles and link them with the
workplace.
In order to create jobs in a growing
South Africa, we need to build a massive
working class movement that will fundamentally change the strategy of the South
African Government. If we fail to do this,
we will remain suffering for ever from poverty, unemployment and inequality.
Irvin Jim, Numsa GS
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Letters
6
Dear Numsa News
Shop stewards are the negotiators between
workers and management. Members have a
tendency to want even when they are wrong.
When mandates are being carried out to the
bosses and it does not work out in the favour
of our members, then the leadership gets the
blame, when they are just the mouthpiece
for the voiceless. Comrades we must not let
certain individuals in our organisation misled
us, we have “spineless” cowards amongst us
that works as ‘spies’ for management who
act as if they are in the same struggle, but as
soon as our general meetings are finished
they run to their masters. Comrades the capitalists’ puppet masters will never even dream
about you! As soon as you get older and
Dear Numsa News
tired and are unable to produce like a slave
anymore, they try to get rid of you with retrenchment and restructuring English. A
way to employ young and hot blooded workers
who know nothing about the means of production! So let us unite comrades rather than
trying to create instability within our organisation, and start believing in our shop stewards as they also do not own the means of
production but rather are the watchdogs of
our organisation, so that the capitalist’s class
cannot do as they please. As long as air
comes through our lungs, we will fight the
system of divide and rule by the capitalists!
Lucien Windwaai is a Numsa shopsteward,
P.E Local
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Do you have something to say? Write to us at:
Numsa News, PO Box 260483, Excom 2023• The
winner will receive Numsa gifts.
Na ho na le seo o ratang ho re bolella sona? Re ngolle
atereseng ena: Numsa News, PO Box 26048, Excom
2023 • Mofenyi o tla fumana le dimpho tse ding tsa
Numsa.
Het jy iets om te sê? Skryf aan ons by:
Numsa News, Posbus 260483, Excom 2023 •
Die wenner sal geskenke van Numsa ontvang.
Izincwadi Ngabe kukhona ofuna ukusho? Sibahlele
wa: Numsa News, PO Box 26048, Excom 2023 •
Ozonqoba uzothola izipho ezivela kwaNumsa.
Editor-in-chief:
Irvin Jim
153 Bree Street,
Johannesburg 2001
Tel: 011-689 1700
Fax: 011-833 6330
E: [email protected]
Web: www.numsa.org.za
Numsa News is produced
6 times a year by the
National Union of
Metal workers of South
Africa.
It is time for Numsa to claim its victory. Our
victory for the working class is the rescheduled
time-line for the implementation of the Pension fund reform by Treasury.
The working class is not aware that
Numsa declared a dispute against the Reform
through NEDLAC. Through these robust engagements, Numsa won the dispute and implementation date was rescheduled to allow
for further consultation with all stakeholders.
Numsa must claim its victory and spread
the message before opportunistic leaders
who were nowhere to be found during bad
times where workers were resigning in numbers kept quiet.
Today the Treasury and Finance Minister
are embarrassed because their proposed plan
failed.
If the organisation is not going to occupy
their turf and be bold enough to claim its
victory those who supported the proposal
will occupy that space and claim our victory.
This is an indication to the world that
Numsa is a force to be reckoned with and a
true fighting giant for the working class
gains and rights.
Aluta continua to better conditions and
benefits of the working class!
William Dikotsi is a Numsa shopsteward,
Arcelormittal
S U B S C R I PT I O N F O R M
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(3 editions) for a year posted to you at your factory or your home, then fill in this form and
send it with R30 to: Numsa News, P.O. Box 260483, Excom 2023
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NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Letter from the president
7
Andrew
Chirwa
PRESIDENT
Let's build a strong organisation on the ground
elcome back from a well deserved
break during the festive season!
We hope and trust that our entire
350 000 and more members of Numsa are
ready to pick up the spear and continue the
fight, in 2015, for the victory of the working
classs over our class adversaries, the capitalist
class.
The year 2015 is not going to be any different from 2014; we expect it to be more
hectic because of the intensification of the
class war the capitalist class is wagging
against the working class in South Africa
and our revolutionary program that we have
resolve to undertake, since our Special National Congress in 2015. We all know that
the failure by the ANC government to radically and fully implement the Freedom Charter has combined with the continuing world
crisis of the capitalist system to worsen our
conditions of mass poverty, unemployment
and extreme inequalities.
If we are to succeed in our fight for a socialist society, the only society in which
workers will not be seen as mere raw materials
for production for profits, we must spend
time and energy in building a strong organisation on the ground, to be our shield and
spear against the bosses.
More than any other time in the history
of our struggle for socialism, today there is
an absolute need for the working class to
organise itself as a class for itself.
W
Xenophobic violent attacks on
fellow Africans
Early this year we have observed with disgust,
the barbaric attacks on Africans especially
Somali small traders in working class communities. We know that at the centre of
this violence are the crises of capitalism and
the failure to implement the Freedom Charter
which breed poverty, joblessness and inequalities. We call on all workers and working
class communities to unite, defend all small
traders and take the battle to where it belongs:
the capitalist ANC government and the entire
South African capitalist class.
As a union we must always condemn
such acts and call for the swift arrest and
trial of those who are responsible. We South
Africans, all of us, must always remember
how the whole world in general and Africa
in particular united in condemning the
apartheid regime. These small traders are
essentially self-employed workers who need
our solidarity and defence, especially as the
majority of them are in fact victims of violence
in their own countries.
The struggle for a Minimum
Wage
We started the year 2015 with the campaign
for a National Minimum Wage during the
public hearings convened by the portfolio
committee on labour. What we do not understand is why government has decided to
“investigate” the need for a minimum living
wage, in a country where over 50% of those
PS — you can write to me
c/o Numsa, PO Box 260483,
Excom 2023, fax to 011 834
4320 or e-mail to
[email protected]
UNITED FRONT: The team behind a successful march held in parliament during budget speech. Photo: Nazzema Samuels
who are employed earns less than R2800
per month but carry the burden of supporting
those who are unemployed, in a country
where 54% of workers have not received
any regular annual increase in their earnings
for the past five years, where half of the population is leaving below the poverty line, in
a country where more than 40% of the population is unemployed and with the highest
disgusting levels of inequality between the rich and the poor. Dogs
and cats kept by the rich capitalist
class of our country leave a far
much better life than the lives of
more than half of the South
African working class.
Rather than wasting time on
“investigating” the need for a minimum wage, any progressive government in South Africa would
have, twenty years ago, swiftly
abolished the apartheid wage gap,
implemented and monitored sectoral minimum wages, immediately declared a minimum living
wage, created a universal support system
for the unemployment and guaranteed employment for every one – all these things
are contained in the Freedom Charter!
We demand the abolition of the apartheid
wage gap, the immediate implementation
of Minimum National Wage and the provision
of full support for the unemployed by the
government!
“
shopstewards comes to an end this year.
We expect all our members in all the workplaces we organise to respect the constitutional requirements of our Union to elect
new shopstewards this year. Our constitution
allows members to exercise their rights every
four years, to carefully elect their shop stewards. The Union carries the responsibility to
induct and train those who are elected to
enable them to perform their
functions. The responsibility
to choose a right candidate
is every member’s responsibility, because ultimately
those who are elected become
the first line of defence of the
Union in its duty to service
its members.
For us in Numsa, shopstewards are a very important layer of the Union for it
to function effectively. Any
failure to elect right candidates who are dedicated to
serve workers, committed to
the struggle of workers, and knowledgeable
will haunt us for the next four years. I want
to call on all members of Numsa to make
sure that when we elect shopstewards we
do not elect shopstewards based on personal
friendship but for revolutionary leadership:
this must never be an opportunity for cheap
populists who want to ride on member’s
backs for their own interest.
I believe that it must be members who
see leadership qualities in us, but not ourselves. We should all of us be aware by now
that the coming elections will be highly con-
For us in
Numsa,
shopstewards
are a very
important layer
of the Union for
it to function
effectively
Shop Stewards Elections
2015 is a year of shop stewards elections
campaigns. The current term of office of
”
tested because some who want Numsa to
become a sweetheart union or a government
union have decided not to leave but contest
the union from inside. Further, our intensification for a socialist South Africa has wakened up all our class enemies and they want
to capture the union from inside!
Some will clearly spell out what are the
challenges confronting us today but say
nothing on how to overcome those challenges. We should always bear in mind that
our strength is not based on individual wisdom but on our collective unity for a purpose:
to defend our members in all the work places
we organise and to fight for a socialist world
and socialist South Africa. All of us must be
vigilante at all material times,
United Front and the budget
Speech March
On the 26 February 2015 the United Front
pulled a very successful march at Parliament
in Cape Town demanding for a peoples budget, demanding that government should allocate more money to provide basic service
to the poor communities, and to prioritise
water, sanitation and electricity. The finance
minister confirmed our long held view that
the ANC government is steeped in the neoliberal formulas and instructions of the
World Bank, instead of taking the side of
the workers; the minister chose to punish
the workers and the poor. The working class
cannot just sit and wait to be butchered; we
need to build a working class power with
speed in this country under the leadership
of Numsa through the United Front.
Andrew Chirwa, Numsa President.
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Bua
8
Minimum Wage to dent racialised Apartheid wage structure
CASTRO NGOBESE
South Africa’s billionaire deputy president
Cyril Ramaphosa, when addressing the National Economic Development and Labour
Council’s (NEDLAC) Summit in November
2014 alluded to the fact that in post-apartheid
South Africa, “millions still live in poverty…
we are [one of] the most unequal societies in
the world”. This uncomfortable reality as
stated by Ramaphosa is the
outcome of South Africa’s failed
and disastrous economic policy
choices prescribed by National
Treasury, rating agencies, and
the international financial institutions namely the World
Bank; and the International
Monetary Fund (IMF). Post
1994, the democratic state has
pursed the market-led economic
policies with religious zeal. Given his stature as South Africa’s
second most senior government leader,
Ramaphosa’s openness and honesty buried
once and for all the ideological fog of a ‘good
story to tell’ punted around by the ANC
since the 2014 general elections.
It was during this Summit that
Ramaphosa threw the cat out of the bag by
revealing government’s intention to introduce
a ‘national minimum wage’’. He ardently
stated that at the Labour Relations Indaba
to be held in the same month of November
2014 “… all social partners are expected to
present their proposals so that we can thoroughly
and thoughtfully engage on this national minimum wage issue. This will help us identify areas
of commonality and measure how far social
partners are from each other, thus shaping
further engagement as we move towards preparing a framework document outlining possible
modalities and parameters for the introduction
of the national minimum wage”.
But what does the Freedom Charter say?
The Freedom Charter does not speak about
convening a “Labour Indaba” to discuss
“
the “framework and modalities” for the introduction of a national minimum wage. The
Freedom Charter says “There shall be a fortyhour working week, a national minimum
wage, paid annual leave, and sick leave for
all workers, and maternity leave on full pay
for all working mothers”. It is an indictment
not on the Freedom Charter, but on the
ruling ANC, that after more than two decades
in power, that it has spectacularly failed to implement such
a basic thing as a national minimum wage in the country.
Interestingly, the ANC as
liberator has dismally failed to
accelerate and fully implement
the key demands of the Charter
including the demand that “the
mineral wealth beneath the
soil, the banks and monopoly
industry shall be transferred to
the ownership of the people as
a whole”.
Rather than deliver on the
popular mandate given to it by
the workers, the unemployed and
the poor, the ANC has instead
become a security guard of white
monopoly capital, the guardian
angel of big business and its fellow
travellers.
As Numsa, we fully support
the introduction of a legislated
national minimum wage in South
Africa as demanded by the Freedom Charter. Obviously, some of
our class opponents will be opposed to such
a minimum wage since they have been dependent on cheap, black labour for many
years, dating back to the colonial and
apartheid eras.
For us, we see the introduction of a minimum wage as a tool to start undoing the
colonial and apartheid wage structure inherited from the past; and which continues
to be reproduced given our failure to radically
We fully
support the
introduction of a
legislated
national
minimum wage
”
“
transform the old apartheid economic order.
In the recent past, we have seen farmworkers in De Doorns and mineworkers in
the platinum belt, organised outside Cosatu’s
traditional unions, leading struggles of workers for decent pay and decent conditions.
The platinum belt strike was unprecedented post-1994because it was the longest
ever strike of workers in South Africa’s
history.
These and many other collective forms
of action demonstrate a heightened level of
class consciousness amongst workers, and
also helped to further sharpen the contradictions between labour and capital in the
new South Africa.
The minimum wage will help cushion workers from the severity of our hugely exploitative
labour market. Furthermore, it will ease the
socio-economic burden imposed on workers,
given our notoriously high rate of unemployment which has constrained the poor and unemployed to rely on those
earning an income for survival.
Amidst the triple crisis of
poverty, unemployment and
inequality, we have seen a
rise in mass anger as evidenced by violent service delivery protests across many
of South Africa’s apartheid
designed townships.
Bosses have enjoyed a
glorious run during our two decades of
democracy, raking in excessive salary packages, benefits and share options. At the same
time, workers, who are the back-bone of
our economy, and who have kept the wheels
of our economy turning, have been continuously subjected to low, starvation wages.
These inferior wages can only deliver
squalid shacks, inferior food, ailing public
health-care, and a collapsing education sys-
The minimum
wage will help
cushion workers
from the severity
of our hugely
exploitative
labour market
”
tem. On the other side of the divide, the rich
and the middle-class have created for themselves an oasis of opulence. They have access
to a luxurious, first world private healthcare system, well-resourced private schooling,
quality and accessible public transport; food
security.
Their economic status enables them to
live in segregated, high-walled houses in
boomed off suburbs, where effective and visible policing insulates them from the wrath
of the poor.
The demand for a national minimum wage
is necessitated by the scandalous conditions
the black African working class still finds
itself 21 years after our
Under President Lula, Brazil introduced
a national minimum wage to alleviate poverty
amongst workers. This saw the number of
workers described as ‘poor’ fall sharply from
61, 4 million to 41, 5 million, a change of
some 20 million individuals. It is in this context that we are calling for a wage policy,
combined with appropriate macro-economic
and industrial policies as opposed to the neoliberal National Development Plan whose
policy proposals will entrench deregulation
of the labour market; repress wages and
foster the de-industrialisation of our ailing
economy.
If the working class is to realise a national
minimum wage, it will have to abandon its
reliance on politicians and the elites for the
articulation of its demands.
It is important for the working class, as
class for itself, to take control and ownership
of its destiny by swamping the streets of our
country to demand a minimum wage.
It is through workers’ unity and solidarity
with the unemployed, mainly the unemployed
youth, that we can achieve the minimum
wage. Victory is certain! Aluta continua!
Castro Ngobese is the National Spokesperson of
Numsa
NB: Article first appeared on Daily Maverick
A socially-owned renewable energy is an alternative
ENOS MBODI
he issue of energy, electricity in particular is a challenge that needs
careful attention. This is because
there is no way industrialisation will happen
without sustainable energy supply. Electricity
is the bloodline of any economy.
In the context of the current electricity
load shedding debacle, we have a situation
of supply and demand mismatch which leads
us to load shedding. The other side of the
coin is when supply is more than the demand,
as it were in the late 80’s and the 90’s. That
was when Camden, Grootvlei and Komati
amongst other were mothballed. The only
acceptable and workable mix is when the
demand equals the supply.
Electricity was for the privileged few during Apartheid era. The drive with good intentions in making electricity a right comes
at a cost. Exactly where I am not entirely
sure is how the government wanted to do
so without investing in the generation infrastructure to meet that demand. When
Eskom was given the score card to electrify
all around the country; that was a stimulation
of demand but that was not met with a decisive supply improvement.
It was only in 2003 when the Eskom
T
board decided to return to service of Camden,
Grootvlei and Komati. That was in response
to the spike in demand. This was supposed
to be the end of the demand and supply
crisis. The build project had to initiate new
Power Stations like Medupi and Kusile.
To cut the long story short the project is
late by four years. This has escalated the
cost of building, which is essence has to be
recouped somehow through the tariff increases.
This directly threatens the issue of accessibility, because the grid is accessible but
without enough supply to match the demand.
When there is electricity, for the poor and
the marginalized there is affordability issues
real issues to get around.
With a 25% unemployment rate and us
rated amongst the countries with high income
inequality, the issue of moving from a right
to those who can afford is very real. Very
soon the black middle class will be the new
privileged few.
Power stations have a life span of at least
40 years, whilst we are currently averaging
at thirty plus. We are at a stage as a country
where we have been failed in the policy formulation level. Globally the issue of nuclear
has a burden of no transparency and corrupt
deals. We can’t be immune to that! We have
already been informed of how unclear and
how not transparent the deal with the Russians has been.
Renewable energy is a very much needed
alternative that is needed in the grid. That
is because irrespective of whether we finish
the build project or not, there will still be no
balance. The oldest power stations at a
certain stage will be decommissioned and
as much as 10000mw will be lost in the
system. There is a need to keep the work
going to keep us away from blackouts or
rolling load shedding.
There is a need to have a socially owned
renewable sector but it does not look like it
is being seriously considered. This would be
a turning point for poor areas where the radiation is enough for the harvest of solar
energy and wind speed enough to build wind
farms.
The government for some reason is not
keen on taking the risk of introducing the
renewables. Our thought on the renewables
is that the poor and the marginalised should
not let another capitalist grab on the opportunity to introduce the renewables in so far
as development, maintenance and sharing
of profit. That would create local economies
in as far as allowing for co-operatives for instance to run with this projects and own
them.
The other thing is, whist the IRP20102030 is relatively clear about the direction
the energy planning is taking, but the Sector
Skill Plan is not moving in that direction.
This presents another challenge of skill deficit
which might compound the energy problems
we have. In fact on the nuclear sphere we
do not have skills to talk of.
We might even not only lose energy sovereignty, if we do not move with speed to
have skill to meet the demands of the changing generation capacity. We must be wary
of over reliance in other countries for their
technology and the skill to run the technology. We do not want to be so desperate
simply because we want to create balance
in the grid.
In 1947 October 12, there was a huge
headline on the paper called Die Transvaler.
It was first page news that there was a blackout, even if it lasted for 35 minutes. One
wonders how the headlines would look like,
if this load shedding should have happened
then!
Enos Mbodi is Numsa shopsteward, Eskom
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Shopfloor
9
SHOP FLOOR is a new section. SHOP FLOOR is the space for workers’ battles, victories, innovations
and more. These pages will highlight shopfloor issues across all nine regions. SHOP FLOOR was born
from a media workshop, earlier this year, in which shopstewards decided to pen and share stories on
what’s happening in your area...So, please write for SHOP FLOOR…
Western Cape Region
National
Author: Mduduzi Nkosi, Head Office
WHERE? National
WHAT’S HAPPENING? CCMA to facilitate verification processes at Autopax
Autopax Passenger Services is a division
of PRASA, a state owned entity that
operates the City to City and Translux
busses servicing predominantly long
distance passenger services.
Numsa has more than 600 members; 150 of these members resigned
from other unions.
Numsa initiated a section 21
process from August 2014, until thus
far the company had been resisting
recognising Numsa as a representative
trade union. Numsa then declared a
dispute with the CCMA, such was conciliated and on the 02nd December
2014 the CCMA issued a certificate
certifying that the matter remains unresolved.
Throughout, Numsa engaged the
company with a view to change their
stance and reason with us to no avail.
Numsa members mandated the
union to serve the company with a
notice to strike which we duly
obliged. The strike was supposed to
start on the 30/01/2015 but the company called an urgent meeting
wherein a memorandum of understanding was entered into to the effect as follows;
That the parties will subject themselves to a process of verification to be
facilitated by a CCMA commissioner
The terms of reference of the verification was agreed between parties
The verification dates are the 10th,
11th and 12th March 2015.
That the target date for implementation of union subscription will
be 31st March 2015
Immediately after the first deduction Numsa will be calling national
general meetings to induct members
on Numsa and ultimately elect their
own preferred shopstewards
The unity that was shown by
workers of Autopax, together with
their union was palpable in that the
company itself could not penetrate
and divide the workers as it was their
plans in collusion with the now discredited union that is in bed with
management.
Numsa has made a firm commitment to workers of Autopax and the
passenger sector as a whole that we
stand ready to be given direction in
their battles firstly to transform the
bargaining council, the SARBPAC to
serve the interest of workers as opposed to now where it is seen as an
executioner of employer’s suppression.
We dare not fail! Aluta continua!
Mduduzi Nkosi is Numsa National batteries
and chemical coordinator
Author: Vuyo Lufele,
WHERE? Western Cape Region
WHAT’S HAPPENING? S.A Metal on
strike over wages
About 350 Numsa members at SA Metal
Group Company branches in the Western Cape have embarked on an industrial action since Tuesday the
17th February 2015. This was after parties deadlocked on wage talks that
started on the 8th October 2014. Issues
that are in dispute are wage increases
and end of the year bonus.
The employer initially refused to give
increase to the workers, claiming that
the business is not doing well. He then
claimed that he is contributing 100%
workers’ Provident Fund, which is 9% of
each worker’s salary. In order for him to
give increase he offered that, he deducts
4% from the 9% that he contributes towards workers’ provident fund and
just add 3% to make it a 7% increase.
This meant that all workers would
get 3% increase from the
employer and subsidise themselves by
channelling 4% employer’s contribution
towards their provident fund to
their wage increases. This would further
mean that the employer
would only make 5% contribution towards their provident fund after 4% deduction. Workers have rejected such a
move and they are firm on their 10%.
Numsa’s initial demand was 15% and
4 weeks bonus. The employer was also
not willing to give bonus to the workers.
He had unilaterally implemented a 6%
increase and 2 weeks bonus to our members. This is an increase less than inflation rate and thereby rejected by Numsa
members. The company pays workers
apartheid wages and our members have
remained firm on their 10% increase demand. Workers in the production line
continue to be paid about R521.00 per
week.
Numsa 1st deputy president Christine
Olivier and United Front provincial chairperson Abraham Agulhas addressed
striking Numsa members on the
4thMarch.
‘Down with poverty wage, down’
Vuyo Lufele, Numsa regional secretary,
Western Cape Region
JCBEZ Region
Author: John Manana,
WHERE? Johannesburg
WHAT’S HAPPENING? Auto-Shield
faces closure
Right in the beginning of the year, AutoShield issued the notice to close the company on the 27th February 2015.
The possible business closure would
affect 24 employees and their dependants respectively. The first consultation
meeting took place on the 10th February
2015. Despite the fact that 18 employees
opted for the voluntary severance package (VSP) and in the process negated all
avenues that could have been explored
to save the company.
Employees feel that it is safe to take
voluntary retrenchment package due to
low levels of trust on the part of employers. “Other employers run away and reopen the business elsewhere, taking the
package is wise and probably the best
thing one can do,” Hansie Mothibedi, an
employee at Auto-Shield.
Consultations between Numsa official, shopstewards and Auto-shield held
on the 10th February 2015 was more of
an information exercise and setting the
template for the meeting which was set
to take place on the 27th February
2015.
Numsa organiser, Peter Thobejane’s
view is that “The issue of losing jobs is
not just matter of 22 employees. But a
matter of public interests given the multiplier effects associated with job losses
in light of high level of unemployment
and poverty. As such retrenchment or
business closure should be avoided at all
cost”.
Numsa shopsteward, Kingston Ngobeni said “The fact that our fellow union
members and workers in general accepted retrenchment packages does not
stop us from fighting. And of course our
employer must do everything in accordance with the provision of labour law
and allow meaningful consultation to
prevail”.
Update
On the 27th of February 2015 after a
lengthy discussion Numsa and AutoShield resolved as follows given the
worse state of the company. The employer offered:
Voluntary Severance Package in accordance with the motor industry standards
2. Offered full annual leave
3. Four weeks’ notice pay
4. Pro rata bonus accrued from January
to 27 February 2015
5. Exgratia pay of R6000.00
“Our fight is a just course”
John Manana is a Numsa Johannesburg
central local secretary, JCBEZ Region
National
Author: Mduduzi Nkosi, Head Office
WHERE? National
WHAT’S HAPPENING? Numsa concludes negotiations at FNB
Last year Numsa concluded negotiations
at First National Batteries (FNB) and
achieved our mandate. The wage Agreement was for the period of two years
ending in 2016. The previous year (2013),
we had entered into a wage agreement
with Willard batteries for a three year
period also ending in 2016.
Tactically, Numsa accepted the two
year Agreement at FNB in order to
streamline the negotiations in these two
most important and biggest battery
companies.
Taking into consideration that both
these Agreements expire next year and
that negotiations will be due, it is important that the program of the sector talks
to that.
Hence the OCCB in Head office accepts that we will need to start early
with the collection of the demands form
our members and ensure that negotiations start imminently in order to so
allow ample time for negotiations.
In this regard, general meetings with
our members will have to be called,
mandates taken, consolidation of positions and so on. We will need to make
sure that we are on the same par with
our members
From the Head office point of view,
we will ensure that the demands are
consolidated and tabled on employers;
we will engage the services of the
Numsa’s publication department to popularise the demands and ensure that our
members own these demands.
What is important in this round of
negotiations is that Numsa ensures that
there is parity in the increase that these
companies’ grant our members this time
around.
During the second quarter of this
year, the union will embark on massive
ear to the ground meetings that will culminate in factory meetings, regional and
national meetings to sharpen our resolve
and get fresh mandates.
Mduduzi Nkosi is Numsa National batteries and
chemical coordinator
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Parliament
10
Nene tightens up on government spending
PARLIAMENTARY
FOCUS
Dear Comrades
In each Numsa News I
provide updates on
what’s happened in parliament. If you have
questions about parliament, send them to:
Woody Aroun, at
[email protected];
fax to 021- 4617546 or
post to Numsa Parliamentary Office
Unit UA57-59 4th Floor,
No. 6 Spin Street
Cape Town CBD, 8001
Left: PROFITS BEFORE PEOPLE: Numsa
and the United Front led a successful
march against the budget speech in the
Western Cape. Photo: Woody Aroun
On the 25 February 2015 the
nation took stock of the budget.
For Numsa the 2015/16 ‘radical
phase’ budget does not
represent a major or significant
shift from the conservative
outlook of previous budgets and
remains grounded in the
neoliberal policies of Minister
Nene’s predecessors.
wo weeks ago President Jacob Zuma
addressed the nation and sent out a
message to the people of this country
that all is well thanks to a caring people’s
government. Ironically, the Budget speech
does little to reinforce the ‘good story to tell’
line of the President and with the all too familiar language of “budget constraints”, “fiscal consolidation”, “slower growth and rising
debts” the current budget falls short from
addressing the basic needs of local communities and their constitutional rights to Free
Basic Services such as water, sanitation and
electricity.
Businesses, banks, multinational corporations and a range of international finance
institutions want guarantees that South
Africa is still a good country to invest in and
the Minister, like his predecessors has played
the fiddle according to their tune. Fiscal discipline and liberalised markets will remain
the bedrock of government economic policy
and will not be compromised in favour of a
developmental trajectory that seeks to redistribute wealth and restore the resources
of our country through common or public
ownership.
The Budget Speech has been a spectacular
disappointment to the working masses and
the poor of our country for the following
reasons:
• The government is cutting expenditure
that will make the situation of the poor
and working people even worse. The
government should be held responsible
for destroying jobs in the public service
and critical positions in education (teachers) and health (nurses and other healthcare workers) have been done away with
or frozen.
• Government alleges that it has no choice
to cut spending and present a GEAR
T
budget because of rising debt levels. Yet
billions of rands are leaving our shores
through illicit capital outflows, transfer
pricing and the like.
• Despite the growing concerns on rising
debts levels, government wants to spend
trillions of rands on building nuclear energy plants. This amounts to nothing
more than a massive corruption pool
and has the potential to dwarf the much
publicized arms deal – an issue that continues to defame our new democracy
amidst claims of slander and unethical
behavior.
In the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement
the Minister called for the sale of non-strategic
government assets – a warning that government is prepared to sell-off what’s left of
the family silver irrespective of the consequences this might have on service delivery
and the promise to build a better future for
the people of this country. NUMSA vows
that it will use all the resources at its disposal
to strengthen the forces of the working class
and its allies to oppose such capitulation to
monopoly capital and the narrow interestsof
the bourgeoisie that it seeks to protect.
The nine strategic priorities for the year
include encouragement of private investment
and unlocking the potential of small enterprises. There is hardly any reference to the
provision of Free Basic Services (water, sanitation, refuse collection and electricity) for
local communities. Neither do they include
the provision of quality public service delivery
nor increases to curb gender based violence.
Since the dawn of our new democracy the
interests of big corporations have taken preference over the rights of working people
and the poor.
With reference to the energy crisis the
Minister has emphasized the importance of
having a non-stop flow of electricity for manufacturing and mining. Not once did he
mention the effects of load shedding on local
communities or the exorbitant price of electricity that has been passed on to the consumers by Eskom through the Multi-Year
Price Determination (MYPD) and the Regulatory Clearing Account (RCA) mechanism
that permits ESKOM to recover additional
costs through increased consumer tariffs.
According to an article by Terrence
Creamer (Polity, 05 Feb 2015) the National
Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA)
‘agreed that Eskom had under recovered
R7.82-billion between 2010 and 2013 and
announced that 2015/16 power tariffs would
increase by 12.7% on April 1, instead of the
8% originally sanctioned in MYPD3.
Moreover, in times where half of working
South Africans are earning less than R3033
a month new electricity tariffs, fuel levies
and excise duties would be implemented to
offset a shortfall in government revenue.
The personal income tax would be in-
THE MASSES HAVE SPOKEN: United Front does not want an Anti-poor budget. Photo:
Woody Aroun
creased by 1%, the fuel levy will go up by
30.5 cents, the Road fund levy by 50 cents,
and excise taxes will increase from 15 cents
to R3.77 on certain goods. In addition Eskom’s MYPD3 RCA related application will
exacerbate the current situation leading to
more disconnections amongst poorer communities.
These increases would be balanced precisely on the backs of the poor. The people
of South Africa would be forced to pay more
for the inadequate and unpredictable electricity supply and for taking a taxi or using
their own vehicle to get to work. At the
same time, small businesses would enjoy
tax reliefs and large corporations would not
contribute even an additional cent to the
benefit of the country.
The failure to create an adequate social
grant system seems to be a tradition of every
Budget. The proposed increases to social
grants are falling short from both the inflation-related increases and from the actual
needs of the people. With the inflation of
over 6%, the R60 rise of the old age grant
(only 4.45% increase) seems more like an
insult to the entire social grant beneficiaries
rather than government assistance. The increase of the child support grant up to R330
a month still does not cover even parts of
child-related expenses.
The Budget proposals to shift R1.5 billion
from the provincial budgets to the national
Department of Health also undermine the
provincial capability of delivering quality
health services. Such a move will hinder the
service delivery capacity of local municipalities
and subsequently worsen the life of people,
household, and communities.
The Budget Speech of 2015 fails to put
people of the South Africa first. Such core
demands as food and social security, water,
decent sanitation, housing, and waste removal have been neglected or have been allocated insufficient resources.
The Budget, contrary to the Constitution
of the South Africa, does not give priority to
the basic needs of the local community. Instead, the Budget Speech confirmed the wellknown truth: the government is more interested in pleasing big businesses and international organizations rather than being
concerned with the well-being and prosperity
of its citizens.
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Benefits
11
Preservation on pension suspended until 2016
SAM TSIANE
umsa members were worried that
the government is going to nationalise their pension fund in March
N
2014.
Numsa had to intervene because government wanted to impose the reforms with-
out negotiating them at Nedlac.
Vusi Cibane, a Numsa trustee at the
Metal Industry Retirement Fund said “our
members have mandated us to fight against
preservation of provident/Pension fund because this is not a comprehensive but a
piecemeal reform”.
“We demand a comprehensive social se-
Numsa is asking workers to answer this question below
and give their shopstewards a mandate. Ensure that at
least every month you get a feedback from your shopsteward.
Are you prepared to contribute more for
pension/provident fund?
YES
NO
Are prepared to contribute to the road accident fund?
YES
NO
Are you prepared to contribute to the COIDA
YES
NO
Are ready to preserve your pension money
until retirement?
YES
NO
Are prepared to retire at thirty percent of your salary?
YES
NO
Are ready to pay one percent from your salary
as a solidarity tax.
YES
NO
Do you agree to reduce your working hours to
create more jobs?
YES
NO
Do you agree that we must have one pension fund
for all the workers?
YES
NO
Do you that the death benefit within the pension fund
is adequate?
YES
NO
Our provident fund, our money
Cynthia Machaba speaks to
workers about the proposed
provident fund scheme that has
been put on hold for now due to
NUMSA’s intervention.
Zabeth Maabane from QEC placement
cc has been employed and contributing
towards the provident fund for the past
30 years: “I have heard about the treasury
proposed provident fund scheme and not
sure if this is done to benefit the workers as
this is their money.
“We don’t know where our money will
be invested. I have worked in the metal industry for the past 30 years and about to go
on pension. This will affect my dreams and
my long standing plans towards my provident
fund.
“As workers; we feel we are being taken
back to the apartheid era where laws were
imposed on us without our concern on issues
that affect us directly. The solution to this
will be that our trade union should continue
to engage our government on the issue and
a national campaign must be considered to
put a stop on this immediately”.
Nomvula Zikalala a shopsteward at
Mpact plastic: “Government should not
initiate any policy without hearing the views
of the working class and explain the advantage and the disadvantage of the provident
fund scheme. Until such engagement has
not being made this initiative by the government shouldn’t be implemented. Workers
are resigning from work to get their money
because they don’t trust the government to
invest their money. As all of this is happening
we lose members as worker leaders and the
employer gets an opportunity to implement
Employment incentive tax act (EITA). When
we checked we found that old workers resign
and young workers are then employed and
not paid the same rate as other worker who
do the same work and they get an opportunity
to use labour brokers. The sad thing is that
those who resigned would want to come
back to work but they have been replaced
already.”
The working class enters the job market
with the hope of to eliminate poverty. It is
now clear that their dreams will remain
such as long as this proposal on the provident
fund scheme continues.
This scheme has been introduced after
the EITA has been signed and that raises
concern to the working class as to where is
the government taking their money to? This
scheme has been put on hold due to Numsa’s
intervention and continues to engage on
the matter.
Cynthia Machaba is a Numsa shospteward,
Johannesburg North local
curity. No person must be left without social
protection. The unemployed must get sufficient
benefits; the elders must have adequate financial security; enough benefit, transport
must be accessible and be subsidised, every
child must get quality education, treatment
at hospital must be good quality irrespective
of whether one is poor or not, people who injured at work must be paid on time,” he said.
Government has announced in November
2014 that the reform will be suspended until
2016. During that period; negotiations will
take place with the trade unions at NEDLAC.
This is a victory for the working people. Victory comes with a strong organisation.
Now that the government has agreed to
the process of negotiations that will take
place this year; are we ready as workers to
deal with the matter?
Junior Gusha is a Numsa appointed
trustee Iscor Umbrella provident funds and
a shopsteward at Arcello Metall Company
said negotiations are about give and take.
But do we have anything to give as workers?
Currently some of the challenges that
we are confronted with are as follows:
• Unemployment benefit — the rate of unemployment in South Africa is more than
twenty five percent.
• Social grants — there are more than
thirteen million people who are on social
grants which is about twenty five percent
of our society.
• Road accident fund — does not have
enough money to pay for the people who
were involved in an accident.
• Compensation currently appears as if it
has enough money but the reality is that
the people are discouraged from claiming
because it takes long to process claims.
Sam Tsiane is Numsa National benefits
coordinator
Numsa Rosslyn
local organiser
Tshosha
Sekome
addresses
locked-out
GIFLO workers
under the tree.
Employer
allegedly
refuses to pay
pension fund.
Shopstewards who will not be reelected should not feel sorry or useless
JACK MAMABOLO
Amidst the end of office term, the leadership
from the work floor up to National level is
asking itself whether they have done enough
in terms of fulfilling their obligation to the
union’s mandate. As this will determine
their return to office. I am writing this as I
am not immune to this dilemma.
There are certain leaders barking in other
leaders’ work floor with the intension of
making sure that leader is not re-elected.
Unfounded allegations are flowing from all
over, especially in the social network sites.
One wonders where this energy comes
from. I wish this energy would be channelled
into implementing the most paramount resolution taken in Birchwood, i.e. ‘’Service
Charter’’ this also includes our wonderful
Numsa staff. History has taught us that leaders come and go, but their role would be forever remembered, through archives, captured
for the purpose of history.
Shopstewards who will not be re-elected
should not feel sorry or useless. I want them
to know that no one is useless in the revolution: your contribution, your sacrifices, your
help and contribution to teamwork, cannot
be tarnish by anyone except the Almighty.
You should be prepared to work on the floor
with the experience you have gained during
your term of office. Aluta Continue, com-
rade!
Numsa members and the leadership have
been meeting to assess 2014 and doing
analyses of the implementation of the resolutions taken in the last congress. Those
constitutional meetings must be the mirror
for the organisation’s past, present and
future.
The reality of these assessments is very
important in the sense that it will help us
stop emerging unions from successfully recruiting our current and aspiring members.
In as much these assessments come with
differences, the leadership should guard
against our internal differences being used
to temper with the unity of union. Instead
they should be used as a tool to better the
union and make it stronger than ever.
Our tradition of robust debate should
not be compromised by our differences during
meetings.
This is the character which makes Numsa
standout of all unions in this country.
My little energy of trying to bring my
memory in writing should not be analysis
in a way of a colonial judgement (death
penalty) I have written in a capacity as
worker member and leader within the ranks
of Numsa structures
Jack Mamabolo is Numsa Johannesburg North
local chairperson, JCBEZ Region
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Workplace
12
Scaw Metals Workers Indaba
XELIMUSA NKOSI
SENZO MANYATHI
VUKOSI MABILA
HANSIE BEUKES
Scaw Metals’ three Indaba
sessions were held on 15th, 16th
and 22nd September 2014 at
Scawlands in Germiston. This was
more of a dialogue between
management, employees and the
different trade unions on issues
and barriers to effective team work.
stayed for the rest of the day in order to observe the proceedings. Messages of support
of the process from Numsa General Secretary
Irvin Jim was conveyed to participants.
Delegates were split in groups and were
requested to state work related problems
and solutions thereof coupled with the expected behaviour to be exhibited when resolving the solutions and action plan.
Numsa News was there and spoke to
some of the participants.
Senzo Manyathi is a 33 years old Quality
control officer. He is the son to Manyathi
whim Numsa local was named after: “I applaud Numsa for taking care of its members.
Scaw Metals in 2008: “My brother was a
Numsa member. People still relate Numsa
to the ANC. When some people heard that
my brother is a Numsa, they burnt my
father’s house in Richardsbay.
My view is that Numsa should sit down
with Cosatu and solve these issues. We need
to unite to get solutions so that unions can
fight for workers and stop going to court
over these issues.
We need more people to join the Numsa.
Cedrick Gina, Numsa former president, is
now using ex-shopstewards. We cannot
allow him to do that. Here at Scaw, we
cannot allow Limusa here. Numsa is not a
from the shopfloor. Ear to the ground”!
Vukosi Mabila is a 35 year old Moulder
with an N6 Mechanical method quality control qualification: “Managers don’t have
qualifications here. I joined Numsa because
Numsa makes things happen. We now have
women in engineering because of Numsa.
People who did not have matric are now
Artisans here…because of Numsa. I joined
Numsa for Growth. Indabas must happen
to all companies. It keeps us moving forward
as workers”.
he leadership of Scaw Metals including the General Manager of the division and the employee representative made brief presentations which focused
on clarifying the objectives of the sessions
T
The common challenges from the three groups are:
andChallenges
inviting open and robust discussion in
the sessions. Numsa officials who attended
the Communication.
sessions also addressed employees and
sell-out. We fight for freedom and education.
Numsa
is still Solution(s)
a union that takes mandate
Measurable
We are happy that you check on us from
from the workers”.
Head office.
Numsa
is taking
issues
Xelumusa Nkosi,
a Grinder who
joined Having
Establishment
of communication
structures.
regular
meetings
and workers’
/ or briefing
sessions with staff. Managers to adopt open door policy.
Feedback from management.
Regular feedback meetings. Use of notice boards and the distribution of written circulars or bulletins.
Outsourcing of work/ contractors
Review or formulation of supply chain management policies and procedures with dedicated teams.
Wage differences for similar jobs and
not being rewarded for their skills e.g.
welding.
Implement and comply with Bargaining Council’s Collective Agreement. Implement and
comply with relevant policies and procedures. HR to monitor compliance.
Management style (non- consultation
and arbitrary decisions).
Consultation process to be implemented and parties to reach consensus on matters for
consultation.
Vacancies not filled, employees acting
continuously coupled with inconsistency with the payment of an acting
allowance e.g. acting positions.
HR to speed up the filling of vacant positions. Acting Allowance to be regulated by Policy. Period for Acting on position to be limited and rotated. Vacancies to be advertised
internally. Job specification to accommodate applicants with prior learning and experience, Section 20 of EEA to apply.
Inconsistencies with the payment of a
heat and dust allowances, other departments not receiving the allowances.
Policy guidelines to be formulated, implemented and HR to have records of allowances
paid. Line Managers to identify departments not receiving allowances and HR to implement in line with policy.
Barriers to access training & development, no career path /succession planning and no skills audit conducted.
Bursary and Study Loan Policy to be in place. Employees to pass examinations to have
their study loan reimbursed. Skills audit and need analysis to be conducted by an accredited Skills Assessors. Training programmes to be drafted and implemented. Trained
and skilled certified employees’ salaries to be reviewed.
Inconsistencies with the allocation
of overtime
Allocation of overtime to be evenly distributed and monitored.
Management who attended the sessions
were given an opportunity to speak to some
of the issues as they were raised. There was
an agreement that most of the issues raised
by employees will require proper planning
and consultation with key stakeholders before
being implemented. It is important to implement some quick-wins in the interim and
provide feedback to employees in order to
ensure buy-in.
The suggested actions are captured directly from participant’s inputs. It is important
that employees who voiced their opinions
during the sessions should not be made to
feel that they are targeted or victimised for
their open contributions no matter where
some people may disagree with them.
Agreed Behavioural
Protocols
Systemic
Investigate heat allowance per department.
Investigate noise/dust (health/allowance).
Feedback to employees by 30 November 2014.
Review job descriptions.
Behavioural
Educate one another.
Respect each other.
Treat each other with dignity.
Be willing to corporate with one another and support each other.
Embrace Transformation and change.
Do not judge each other based on
gender or race.
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Workplace
IFLO Engineering, trading as Excalibur vehicle accessories was one
of the successful companies in South
Africa before Argent Group took over.
Poor management led to GIFLO Rosslyn
plant closing its doors earlier this year.
The misuse of funds was the main reason; theft, unnecessary braais, late deliveries to customers, unplanned overtime
and new employment for unnecessary positions.
Numsa News spoke to some of the (former)
employees of GIFLO Rosslyn plant.
Mirriam Modimokwane has been
working at GIFLO for more than 23 years.
She urges GIFLO employees in other plants
to support them in the struggle to get their
pension fund. “Workers must remain strong.
We thank Numsa for supporting us to this
end.”
Jacob Tau’s main worry is that they
have been under labour brokers for a long
time. “They are failing to pay us packages
yet they used to have braais every Friday.
Please Numsa, help us! Don’t let these guys
13
Shame on you GIFLO!
G
Mirriam Modimokwane
Jacob Tau
Godfrey Phooko:
get away with our monies.”
Godfrey Phooko: Phooko has a message
for Ardent Group employees in other plants.
“They will start taking away your benefits,
including milk. Then production bonuses.
By then you should know that once you
commit a small mistake, you are gone! They
fire you right away! Ardent Group recycle
Managing Directors (MDs) to confuse us.
We always negotiated with new MDs who
will not take our issues forward.”
GIFLO has no willingness to meet with
the union.
However, Numsa, through its legal department is doing everything in its power to
ensure that workers’ get what is due to them
from the company.
Ford workers’ Indaba
Innocent Mathebula, Thokozani Shoba and Sipho Mguni
Numsa News caught up with
some of its members at the
Ford Indaba which took place
on the 17th and the 18th of
November 2014.
hese members are Ford Motors employees who attended the Indaba.
They were all asked questions, on
the current affairs at Numsa.
T
Amukelani Chawe
Joined Numa in 2011.
Q. How do you feel about Numsa
being kicked out of Cosatu?
“I think Cosatu is being unfair to the Metalworkers. It’s like they are challenging the
workers and overlooking our rights as the
workers”.
Q. Do you think Numsa will ever
rejoin Cosatu?
“I do not think so. The way things have
gone down, it seems as if Cosatu NOBs have
been planning for a long time to get rid of
Numsa.
And I believe Cosatu will also fight to
ensure that we stay out.”
Ouma Chauke, Surprise Nkosi, Precious Mampuna, and Fundiswa Dube
Q. Do you still have confidence
in Numsa, since we have been
kicked out of Cosatu?
Yes I am still confident, although it will get
tougher, we will come out stronger”.
Innocent Mathebula, Thokozani
Shoba, and Sipho Mguni
They all joined Numsa in 2013.
“It is not right what Cosatu did, because
Cosatu was built by the workers and it’s for
the workers. We believe that Numsa will rejoin Cosatu.
I think Cosatu will realise the importance
of Numsa as an affiliate and the importance
of the unity of workers as a whole. Yes I still
have confidence, Numsa is a strong union.
It won’t be easy to get rid of it, and I know
the workers will fight with all they’ve got
for Numsa”.
Xolelwa Theko
Xolelwa Theko
Amukelani Chawe
rejoin Cosatu?
“Yes, if we have the determination to come
back, and should Cosatu see things our way”.
Ouma Chauke, Surprise Nkosi,
Precious Mampuna, and
Fundiswa Dube.
Q. Do you still have confidence in
Numsa, since we have been kicked
out of Cosatu?
“Not really, because there is a reason we
joined Cosatu, I think we still need Cosatu
to fulfill the mandate of the workers as a
whole”.
They all joined Numsa in 2013.
“It is very disappointing to see Numsa
being kicked out of Cosatu, but on the other
hand it’s good for us to stand on our own.
We do not think Numsa will ever go back to
Cosatu, because they kicked us out like dogs.
We still have confidence in Numsa! 100%
siyaya phambili! NUMSA 4 LIFE!! There’s
no turning back”.
She joined Numsa in 2000.
Q. How do you feel about Numsa
being kicked out of Cosatu?
“I am very worried, that we might have to
go on without Cosatu. And how the split
will affect us metal workers”.
Q. Do you think Numsa will ever
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Legal
14
Opinion on secondary strike
ALFRED MOTANE
1: Introduction
The union is always faced with a challenged
especially during protected industrial actions.
In some cases some of our strikes are very
weak and or the attendance is very minimal
as a result a strike comes to an end before
we could get the desired results. Even some
members of the union in some regions end
up not supporting their own strike. This
could be for a number of reasons but the reality is, for now a solution has to be found to
intensify our strikes. The Labour Relations
Act encourages employees/unions on a protected industrial action to consider the implementation of a secondary strike. We have
observed the problems we encountered during
the Motor strike (2013) and the Engineering
strike (2014). Even the NEASA could have
been dealt with through the secondary and
such could have resolved our problems now
and in future. This is the only proactive way
as the strike is our only weapon against the
greedy employers.
2: Applicable law
2.1
The Labour Relations Act 66 of
1995 (“the Act”) recognises and legislates
for protected secondary strikes. Section 66
of the Act regulates secondary strike:
“66 Secondary strikes
(1) In this section ‘secondary Strike’ means
a strike, or conduct in contemplation or furtherance of a strike, that is in support of a
strike by other employees against their employer but does not include a strike in pursuit
of a demand that has been referred to a
council if the striking employees, employed
within the registered scope of the council,
have a material interest in that dispute.
(2) No person may take part in a secondary strike unless –
(a) the strike that is to be supported
complies with the provisions of section 64
and 65;
(b) the employer of the employees taking part in the secondary strike or, where
appropriate, the employers’ organisation of
which that employer is a member, has received written notice of the proposed secondary strike at least seven days prior to its
commencement; and
(c) the nature and extend of the secondary strike is reasonable in relation to the
possible direct or indirect effect that the secondary strike may have on the business of
the primary employer.
(3) Subject to section 68(2) and (3), a
secondary employer may apply to the Labour
Court for an interdict to prohibit or limit a
secondary strike that contravenes subsection
(2).
(4) Any person who is a party to proceedings in terms of subsection (3), or the
Labour Court, may request the Commission
to conduct an urgent investigation to assist
the Court to determine whether the requirements of subsection (2)(c) have been met.
(5) On receipt of the request made in
terms of subsection (4), the Commission
must appoint a suitably qualified person to
conduct the investigation, and submit, as
soon as possible, a report to the Labour
Court.
(6) The Labour Court must take account
of the Commission’s report in terms of subsection (5) before making an order.”
STRIKING FOR JOBS: Numsa members strike for decent jobs. Photo: William Matlala
3
3.1 Carole Cooper, after an extensive analysis
of sympathy strikes or secondary strikes in
other jurisdiction, and in the context where
the LRA was still in Bill form, summarised
the proportionality test envisaged by section
66(2)(c):
“The requirements concerning the reasonableness of the nature of the sympathy
strike would mean, for instance, the prohibition of a sympathy strike where the primary
and secondary strikers work in unrelated
sectors or occupations and where, as a result,
the secondary strike can have little impact
on the primary employer’s business. Thus
for instance, the Bill aims to prohibit the
holding of a sympathy strike by health workers in support of a primary strike by miners
with the matter in dispute is nothing to do
with the interest of health workers. As far
as the extent of the strike is concerned, this
could relate to the length of the strike and
its scope both in terms of the area and numbers. It could mean, for instance, that a
lengthy sympathy strike, which is causing
serious loss to the secondary employer, will
fall foul of the section if there is little chance
of its having a direct or indirect effect on the
primary employer’ business. On the other
hand, a secondary strike involving a large
number of employees or more that one enterprise, because of the possibility of its
having the required effect, could be found
to be permissible.
4
4.1 After some earlier confusion, the applicable legal principle were succinctly (briefly)
summarised as follow in SALGA v SAMMU:
“In short, whether or not a secondary
strike is protected is determined by weighting
up two factors - the reasonableness of the
nature and extent of the secondary strike
(this is an enquiry into the effect of the strike
on the secondary employer and will require
consideration, inter alia, of the duration and
form of the strike, the number of employees
involved, their conduct, the magnitude of
the strike’s impact on the secondary employer
and the sector in which it occurs) and secondly, the effect of the secondary strike on
the business of the primary employer, which
is in essence an enquiry into the extent of
the pressure that is placed on the primary
employer.”
5
5.1 The above principle was upheld in the
Labour Appeal Court three years later. The
LAC further noted:
“Under the head of proportionality, the
court must weigh the effect of the secondary
strike on the secondary employer and the
effect of the nature and extend of the secondary strike on the business of the primary
employer. The subsection does not require
actual harm to be suffered by the primary
employer but there must the possibility that
it may. The harm that the employer may
suffer is not required to be direct. It may be
harm that indirectly affects the business of
the primary employer. It would, therefore,
in every case require a factual enquiry to
determine whether or not the possible effect
the secondary strike will have on the business
of the primary employer is reasonable. The
harm that may be suffered by the secondary
employer must be proportional to the possible
effect the secondary strike may have on the
business of the primary employer.”
6
6.1 In the earlier judgement before the
Labour Court, Van Niekerk. J who was then
the Judge also noted in Clidet No 597 (PTY)
Ltd v SAMMU:
“The legitimacy (or otherwise) of the secondary strike must be determined by determining the nature and extent of the proposed
secondary strike, and weighing that against
the harm that will be caused to the business
of the primary employer. This approach is
obviously better suited to employers that
stand in a relationship of customers and
supplier, all who enjoy a connection by way
of a common shareholding or some other
nexus that bears on the capacity of the secondary employer to place pressure on the
primary employer to resolve its dispute with
the union.”
7
7.1 However, the LAC in SALGA v SAMMU
disagrees that the secondary employer should
be able to place pressure on the primary
employer:
“There is no requirement in section 66
of the Act that the secondary employer
should exert influence on the primary employer or that the secondary employer should
have the capacity to exert influence on the
primary employer in order to encourage it
to compromise or capitulate to the demands
of the workers. What section 66 requires is
that the secondary strike should have a possible direct or indirect effect on the business
of the primary employer and that the nature
and extent of the secondary strike should be
reasonable in relation to the possible direct
or indirect effect on the business of the
primary employer.”
8
In conclusion
It is therefore that a fact that the primary
strike complies with the requirements of section 64 and 65 as required by section 66(2)
(a). For a secondary strike to be protected;
and
the employer of the employees taking
part in the secondary strike or, where appropriate, the employers’ organisation of
which that employer is a member, has received written notice of the proposed strike
at least seven days prior to its commencement
as required by section 66(2)(b); and
the nature and extent of the secondary
strike is reasonable in relation to the possible
direct or indirect effect that the secondary
strike may have on the business of the
primary employer as required by section
66(2)(c) . If the above are complied with,
then one would conclude that such secondary
strike would be protected.
Alfred Motane is Numsa National legal officer
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Infrastructure
15
Victory to the workers at Transnet
VIWE JAMES
umsa scored a remarkable victory
against State-Owned Company,
Transnet SOC Limited, at the
Labour Court, in Port Elizabeth, Eastern
Cape province.
This victory happens at the backdrop of
where workers find themselves vulnerable
and under-represented, amidst the paralysis
within Cosatu; and on the other hand, the
bosses are abusing their powers by suspending
and dismissing workers willy-nilly.
Numsa had approached the
Labour Court for relief and in
defence of its members, after
Transnet illegally locked-out our
members for no valid reasons.
The lock-out was a veiled attempt
by Transnet management in cahoots with Cosatu’s aligned business trade union to undermine
worker’s freedom of association
or belonging to a trade union of
their choice – Numsa.
The lock-out was unlawful
and unprotected, due to the fact that Transnet
wanted to protect SATAWU from being exposed that they are losing membership, and
workers have identified Numsa, as a union
to take their struggles forward.
After our breakthrough special national
congress resolutions, to organise along value-chain, Transnet was one of the key company’s identified, accompanied by many
N
“
cries from workers for Numsa to come and
organise them. An unholy fight back strategy
was hatched by Transnet in collaboration
with their sweetheart union – SATAWU –
to block Numsa from organising within
Transnet.
The lock-out fed to a bigger ploy to undermine Numsa’s rights to organise and represent its members at Transnet. This was
done deliberately to protect SATAWU, a
union that has lost its ground and majority
at Transnet.
Judge Lallie made an order against
Transnet to; (1) the lock-out
was unlawful; (2) affected
workers by the lock-out should
resume their work in accordance with their contracts of
employment; and (3) affected
workers should be compensated for their loss of income;
(4) Transnet to pay legal cost
for the application made by
Numsa .
This latest judgement has
emboldened Numsa to continue fighting for our recognition agreement.
We refuse to allow Transnet maverick Brian
Molefe to dictate to workers which union
there should join or belong. Workers, particularly Transnet have a right to join a
union of their choice, and Numsa is willing
and prepared to welcome them in its fold
with open arms.
Numsa recently won its long battle
The lock-out
fed to a bigger
ploy to
undermine
Numsa’s rights
to organise
”
to have all its cases, to be arbitrated by
CCMA after we discovered Transnet
Bargaining Council was dragging our
members’ cases working along with
Transnet and its sweethearts unions
SATAWU and UNTU. This was done purely
to confuse workers, so as to lose interest
and re-join two sweet hearts unions. Currently CCMA nationally only members whom
their cases will go to TBC. For instance the
following cases recently won:Bonga Jama v Transnet Port Terminals has won his case at CCMA after 9
months battle with TBC, the commissioner
rendered his suspension unlawful and granted
him 1 month compensation.”
Numsa obo 63 Members vs Transnet
Engineering all warnings issued were withdrawn during arbitration
Transnet deducted SATAWU & UNTU
subscriptions including agency shop fee unlawfully and Numsa lawyers are dealing
with the matter to recover the money. These
monies were paid to TBC account in order
to sustain the two unions that have breach
the law. Transnet is demanding union to
have 30% members that its two sweet hearts
don’t have as they ran away from verification
at TE. Numsa has a track record of fighting
its battle with recognition agreement.
Reasons why sweethearts unions still
exist in Transnet
Transnet is discriminating workers based
on their employment status assisted by SA-
TAWU and Utatu-Sarhwu for example both
union have concluded collective agreements
that exclude fixed term contract workers to
receive social benefits such as Medical Aid,
Provident Fund, Housing allowance, annual
bonus.
SATAWU and UNTU signed an agreement with Transnet for Fixed Term Contract
workers, reducing their conditions of employment by undermining the wage agreement of 2013 to 2015.
This is in light of new LRA amendments
that require a worker not to work for 3
months without being permanent and Employment Equity Act that enforces equal pay
for work of equal value. The above agreement
reduced the salary of a general worker in
grade L1 from R66 000 per annum in 2013
and R 74 000 per annum in 2014 currently
Transnet pays R53 OOO per annum.
Workers in both TFR; TE; TPT and TNPA
are exploited through slavery and unhealthy
shifts called “Quad Shift”.
Numsa will fight irrespective of recognitions Numsa is prioritizing the training of its
activist in Transnet to be able in representing
workers during disciplinary hearings. Our
experience organisers and legal officers nationally are representing workers successfully
at CCMA. Some unions are mismanaging
the union’s monies doing corrupt activities
but Numsa is a worker controlled union.
Viwe James is Numsa National Infrastructure
coordinator
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Gender
16
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Towards a positive, safe and
respectful approach to sexuality
and sexual relationships! Busisiwe Tshabalala
BUSISIWE TSHABALALA
he National Reproductive Health
month was proclaimed in February
2006 as an annual event.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and
Rights (SRHR) is the concept of human
rights applied to sexuality and
reproduction. The World Health Organisation
(WHO) defines sexual health as a state of
physical, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality.
According to the 1995 Beijing Conference
on women; Human Rights include the right
of women freely to have control over and
make decisions concerning their own sexuality, including their own sexual and reproductive health.
If women had more power they are in a
better position to protect themselves against
violence. WHO definition of health is not
merely the absence of disease; but for people
are able to have a responsible, safer, sex
life, the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do
so.
This means that men and women must
have access to safe, effective, affordable and
acceptable methods of birth control. They
also need access to appropriate health care
services of sexual, reproductive medicine
and implementation of health education
programs.
Reproductive rights is about everyone
being able to decide freely and responsibly
the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means
T
to do so, and the right to attain the highest
standard of sexual and reproductive health.
However working class men and
women face inequalities in
reproductive health services. In
addition many working class men and
women on a daily basis deal with the
negative consequences or conditions
such as:
• Infections with human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV), sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and their adverse outcomes
(such as cancer and infertility);
• Unintended pregnancy and abortion;
• Sexual dysfunction;
• Sexual violence; and
• Harmful practices (such as female genital
mutilation, FGM).
With the emergence of HIV and AIDS and
the increasing incidence of STIs, as well as
growing public health concerns about gender-based violence and sexual dysfunction,
issues relating to sexuality and the implications for health and well-being have become
more important, influencing a broad range
of health and development agendas on education, economic benefits, gender equality,
broader health and environment.
Numsa campaigns for a reproductive
health care free of discrimination
coercion and violence
Working class communities are currently
experiencing a marked increase in unplanned
and unwanted pregnancies, including
teenage pregnancy (more than 10% of annual
deliveries are from teenagers) and sexually
transmitted infections, including HIV.
Accurate data for termination of pregnancy is not available as many poor women
terminate illegally. Therefore working class
ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE: Workshop on sexual reproductive health in Sedibeng. Pic:
Busisiwe Tshabalala
people must have access to freely available
and effective contraceptive methods at a
local health facility or in a workplace to protect themselves and each other.
•
•
Various other interventions are
required to promote and strengthen
reproductive health and health care.
These interventions include:
• Maternal deaths can be reduced by attending antenatal clinics early in the
pregnancy
• Cervical cancer can be prevented by
screening at your nearest clinic
• Treating STI’s can prevent reproductive
health problems later
• Men’s involvement in sexual and reproductive health can make a difference
• Local health facilities should be providing
all of these services but workers struggle
to access these services as:
• Most primary health care facilities are
currently inadequate for the number of
people it provides services to and are
•
•
•
•
often under-resourced in terms of equipment, staffing and medication
Workers often do not get time-off to
access these health facilities
Unemployed people do not have access
to funds to pay for transport and user
fees
Many women have no control over their
choices and their bodies and we must all
struggle to ensure that women can choose
and protect their bodies
We must struggle for quality public health
service delivery
We must struggle for better relations between men and women so that both can
jointly exercise their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in a progressive
way
We must struggle to support safe conception, pregnancy, child birth and breast
feeding at home and in the workplace.
Busisiwe Tshabalala is Numsa National Gender
coordinator
Celebrate women and “make it happen”
n 2015, we celebrate International
Women’s Day as women around the
world gather to march for women’s social and economic autonomy. The first International Women’s Day was held in March
1911. Thousands of events occur to mark
the economic, political and social achievements of women.
The 4th Global Action of the World
March of women will bring together women
activists from every continent on the planet,
united in their demands for a sustainable
and caring economy and for social justice,
peace and democracy.
Twenty years ago, governments adopted
the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – a ground breaking road map for governments, civil society, trade unions and
private sector for the advancement of gender
equality and women’s rights.
I
Twenty years on, the challenges
remain stark:
• Women’s trade union membership stands
on average at 40 per cent, yet women
occupy only 15 per cent of the top decision-making positions in their organizations.
• Women’s labour force participation rates
are stagnating at 26 percentage points
lower than those of men.
• Women continue to predominate in in-
formal, low-quality, precarious and undervalued jobs.
• Women’s average wages are between 4
and 36 per cent less than those of men.
• Gender-based violence remains an alltoo-tolerated feature of the workplace,
with no comprehensive international
legal standard to outlaw it.
The long shadow of austerity continues to
affect women heavily, cutting jobs where
women have traditionally worked; slashing
public services which women tend to rely
on more than men and increasing their already disproportionate share of care responsibilities. Women living in poverty are particularly vulnerable to economic policies
that redistribute wealth away from the 99%
to the 1%, whilst their labour subsidises
global and local economies by providing the
care services that governments won’t fund.
On the 8th of March 2015 Numsa calls
for trade unions, governments, policy makers
and business to adopt an economic agenda
for women. Numsa makes this call when
levels of violence against women and children
are at an all-time high both in South Africa
and in other parts of the world.
Our demand for an economic agenda includes a jobs and growth plan to increase
women’s access to decent work. An economic
agenda that will tackle structural barriers
to women’s effective labour force participa-
tion, including through adequate investment
in care provision, creating decent care jobs
for women and men, family-friendly workplaces and workplaces free from violence.
An economic agenda that will lift women
and families out of poverty and provide a
sustainable model of growth.
After centuries of counting on us, on
this International Women’s Day working
women everywhere say, “It’s time to Count
Us In!” In to the economy, into the labour
force, into decision –making and in to leadership.
Healthcare, education, gender inequality
and limited access to quality public services,
however, have posed a number of challenges
for women and more on rural women. Further, the global food and economic crisis
and climate change have aggravated the
situation. It is estimated that 60 percent of
chronically hungry people are women and
girls.
“Countries with more gender equality have
better economic growth. Companies with more
women leaders perform better. Peace agreements
that include women are more durable. Parliaments with more women enact more legislation
on key social issues such as health, education,
anti-discrimination and child support. The evidence is clear: equality for women means progress
for all.”
Make it happen in 2015 – count us in.
BACK TO SCHOOL: Pietermaritzburg
gender substructure donated shoes at
the function held on 13th of November
2014 at Sinamuva Primary School (Imbali)
and Nogqaza at Howick. Photo: Nokulunga
Bele
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Youth
17
Skilling Young Metal Workers on Media Dynamic
JOHN MANANA
special workshop for skilling young
metal workers on media and writing
skills took place on the 14th-16th
of November 2014 at Vincent Mabuyakhulu
Conference Centre. The workshop amongst
other things sought to empower young metal
workers to contend with media and writing
dynamics such as reporting, writing stories,
defining of news, mastering a variety of interviews techniques to mention few proponents of journalism.
On the second day of the workshop a
particular emphasis was given to interview
techniques. As such a mock interview was
conducted in order to depict a picture of the
real interview and its relative challenges
which should be taken in consideration.
A
The former journalist and a consultant
on media matters, Shehnaaz Bulbulia raised
the following views on the workshop;” You
must be fully aware how to handle tough
situations or interviews in light of Numsa
initiative to establish a United Front.”
“Certainly you must get ready for tough
interviews and interviews of any nature”
She said. She proceeded to say “It is imperative
to be calm during the course of interview.
Anticipate the nature of questions that might
be asked. Yes you need to be prepared for
whatever eventuality.”
On the same breath, one of the participants Msimelelo Jantjies stressed that;” For
us to survive and to master interviews we
must read beyond the issues of the United
Front and take charge of the situation of
any kind”
Mastering and appreciating interview
techniques and dynamics remain critical to
members of a vibrant organisation. Since
the variety interviews serves as a useful tool
for gathering information, probing certain
matters, conducting a particular analysis,
conducting research to mention a few but
critical aspects.
“It is important that you take control of
the situation and master non-verbal communication skills, for the purpose of buttressing or complimenting your massage.
And most importantly reflect confidence
during the course of the interview” Shehnaaz
Bulbulia added.
John Manana, Numsa Writer, Mbuyiselo
Ngwenda Brigade and JHB Central Local
Secretary at JCBEZ Region
Lessons
to be
drawn
from EFF
awful
behaviour
BONGANI TSHABALALA
bout a year ago, South Africans
witnessed an inception of yet another political party, formed by disgruntled ANC members, the EFF. Many community members saw the EFF as a beacon
of hope for the youth. They believed that
this party had potential to challenge and
defeat the ruling party. However many are
starting to doubt the party’s ability to fight
for the issues that concern the youth.
The EFF has been robustly debating in
Parliament and their ability to raise critical
issues in debate has not gone unnoticed by
ANC and other organisations such as DA.
They have made their mark to such an
extent that DA has adopted the trend. Although the EFF has only been concentrating
on issues that concern one man and that is
our president, Jacob Zuma. And in the process
failing to control those debates. Issues that
concern the youth have taken back seat.
Their failure to control debates in the
national assembly is caused by their uncultured behaviour. In their scheduled provincial
conference or provincial people assembly as
EFF members prefer to call it. It was reported
by EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi that
there was a disruption of the conference by
EFF members and violence that led to some
of EFF members being hospitalised. This is
an indication that disruption and intolerance
is embedded with the organization. It is not
only this conference where such behaviour
has been portrayed. In their March to the
Gauteng Provincial Legislature, violence and
disruptions of proceedings was witnessed.
This kind of behaviour is a reminder of the
2008 ANCYL Bloemfontein conference where
Julius Malema was voted to presidency of
ANCYL, It was a chaotic conference.
Lessons must be drawn by the NumsaYF
from the failures of the EFF. Numsa Youth
Forum must be effective and maintain composure in their fight for recognition, and always remember what the Numsa Preamble
demands from its young side, which includes
maximum unity from all its members. It is
important that we do not become architect
or champions of defiance and disruption
tendencies.
A
Bongani Tshabalala is Numsa Youth Forum
regional secretary, Ekurhuleni
“
Lessons must be drawn
by the NumsaYF from the
failures of the EFF
”
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Education
18
Black youth can no
longer be patient
MASIXOLE KADLAMINI
ost-1994, South Africa, children of
black working-class share a struggle
of unemployment. If employed, they
are exploited as cheap black labour by white
capitalists in local factories and farms, just
like their parents. This apartheid legacy is
still institutionalised and sustained to this
today. There are a few aspects which highlight this reality.
The collaboration of white monopoly
capitalists with black political elites that
maintained the apartheid socio-economic
patterns which continues to marginalise
and exploit black poor people. The deliberate
dysfunction of the public education system
(attended by the child of black workingclass). And finally, through legalised alcohol
consumption which inevitably create all
types of social ills, such as social fragmentation, degradation, and crime mostly in township and rural communities, where the working class are subjected to reside.
Omali Yeshitela a fearless revolutionary
leader noted that “what the imperialists and
capitalists with white power have done was
to take all the other options and said if you
want to live, this is what you have to do to
survive. They distribute drugs in our black
communities, to demoralise the African
workers and poor people who are at the
heartbeat of the revolution”.
These carefully socially engineered struc-
P
tural-trappings still dehumanise black working-class communities particularly the youth.
It was Bantu Biko, who made a critical observation of our conditions in townships,
when he succinctly pointed out that “Township life alone makes it a miracle for anyone
to live up to adulthood”.
This persisting status quo which economically marginalises black youth must
be radically dismantled by revolutionary
means. The momentum behind such a
course must be that of apolitical action that
is founded on a common struggle of being
black and poor, even by the black youth
outside party-politics.
We as the children of the black working
class in rural-townships can no longer be
patient or tolerate the pacifying discourse
and political rhetoric from liberal academic
commentators and political elites, ANC in
particular. To tell us, ‘to be patient and understand, that 20 years of democracy is not
enough to redress the historical injustice
perpetuated against black people’. But funny
enough the same Twenty years of democracy
is absolutely adequate for private capital,
political elites and white privilege community
to collaborate and thrive to accumulate
wealth, living in mansions, with their children
in private schools with invested funds for
university. While majority of black working
class children with their public education
are set-up for failure. It is time for the revolution by marginalised black youth.
NSFAS bursary a
hopeless scheme
ZWIITWAHO RAIDANI
Contrary to the Freedom Charter
that “The doors of learning shall
be opened”
he National Student Financial Aid
Scheme (NSFAS) is a government
student loan whose sole objective is
to finance the needy students, is failing the
same students to pursue their education due
to financial discrepancies within the scheme.
NSFAS blames former students for not
paying back the loan; causing a credit of
over billions of rand.
Amongst those who couldn’t obtain a
bursary, are students whose parents or
guardians earn a gross salary of R6000 to
be shared with siblings. Most of these students
make appeals motivating why they should
get a bursary; but they are given a waiting
period until mid-year to know their fate,
meanwhile they pay the non-refundable registration fees of about R4000 out of their
pockets in order for them to secure their admission. In most cases, their appeals are
turned down despite their circumstances
and they are not allowed to write final exams
with an outstanding amount.
NSFAS cannot even prioritise final year
students whose financial circumstances
haven’t changed since they had started
T
studying.
The negative impact is that many students
drop out and add to the statistics of the unemployed youth who roam around looking
for employment, and it becomes difficult for
them to find employment due to lack of
working experience.
Bogus companies and institutions prey
on students who cannot afford university
and college fees and drop out students due
to their desperation and vulnerability. University of Witwatersrand Student Representative Council (SRC) reported that during
registration, students sleep in corridors and
libraries and they get assistance from the
donation from their fellow students.
Government encourages high pass rate
without considering how or whether they
have enough resources to assist more than
half a million pass rate that was achieved in
2014.
The department of education’s attempted
to remedy the impasse by poor students to
consider the Further Education and Training
(FET) colleges. This persuasion to consider
FET’s ignores the need of a student and the
manner in which they have passed when
they achieved bachelor’s percentages. Students who achieve all distinctions are the
lucky ones to be approached by bursary officers.
Zwiitwaho Raidani is Numsa membership
administrator, Ekurhuleni region.
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
United front
19
Township based United Front
political discussion forum prevailed
JOHN MANANA
he community based United Front
political discussion forum took place
in Soweto, Emdeni, on the 18 October
T
2014.
There was a good turn-up, given the fact
that the political discussion forum is not a
mass meeting but a relatively small gathering,
aimed at dissecting the concept of the United
Front. Out of more than fifty audiences, were
some members of the community, activists,
and a range of public organisations.
The expectations of the audience were
met, and the United Front was presented as
the social structure and forum which will
cease to identify itself along lines of Numsa
as the revolution intensifies.
During the discussions, convenor John
Manana explained, “The United Front is the
instrument at disposal of the vulnerable and
marginalised section of the society. And for
the community to tackle a series of pressings
challenges such as poverty, drug abuse,
criminal activities, unemployment, mal-administration, etc.”
He went on to say, “The difficult phase
in the struggle is the democratic dispensation.
And most importantly political parties must
be measured by how they bring quality services that change the lives of the people. And
that their services are in line with the principles of the Freedom Charter which sought
to level playing field in economic terms. The
United Front seeks to incorporate workers
and community struggles in pursuit of the
implementation of the Freedom Charter.”
A community member asked, “Where
does Numsa stand with workers issues when
Trevor Ngwane’s take on the UF
Lethukuthula Mkhatshwa spoke
to Democratic Left Front (DLF),
Trevor Ngwane
What made you join the united front?
The organisations that I belong to, namely,
the Socialist Group, the Democratic Left
Front, the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee
and the Operation Khanyisa Movement, all
decided to support and join the United Front.
I had to carry out the mandate. But as a socialist I would have also independently decided to join the United Front. It is an idea
whose time has come. The working class is
beginning to move into struggle in South
Africa after 20 years of demobilisation and
demoralisation. The United Front gives new
hope because it shows us that the workers
movement is waking up from its long sleep
and beginning to move into action. The
strongest way to move forward is to unite in
struggle, in action.
Do you believe that the UF can
revolutionise politics in South Africa?
The United Front has the potential to revolutionise politics in South Africa, Africa and
the world. There is a lot of anger and frustration
among ordinary working class people. Even
the lower middle class are feeling the squeeze
of the capitalist crisis. The capitalist class is
trying to shift the burden of the economic
crisis onto the shoulders of ordinary people.
That is why there is a rise in unemployment,
poverty and inequality, not only in South
Africa, but throughout the world. Look at
what is happening in Greece; a left-wing party
has won elections and taken power on a platform that is anti-austerity. The working class
of Greece, Spain and other countries are
feeling the pressure and fighting back. The
United Front can do the same in South Africa,
it can unite and give new hope and confidence
to the working class. The revolution will be
led by a militant and fighting working class.
Can workers and communities work
together? Can the gap between the
employed and the unemployed (who
stand for the communities) be closed?
During the struggle against apartheid we
saw trade unions, community, youth and
student organisations coming together in
struggle. There was the United Democratic
Front and the National Forum. These were
umbrella organisations to unite different
struggles. The formation of the United Front
is an important step in the struggle of the
working class. Today there are many strikes,
community struggles and service delivery
protests in South Africa. But they are not
very strong because they are not united.
These struggles will be stronger if they unite.
No one needs to leave their own organisation.
All we need is to support each other’s struggles. The division between the unemployed
and employed workers will be closed if workers on strike get the support of the unemployed, and communities protesting for water,
electricity and houses are supported by the
unions. The United Front should invite all
employed workers and their trade unions to
join. AMCU and NUMSA must unite under
the banner of the United Front. The nine
COSATU affiliates that support NUMSA must
join the United Front. Workers must put
pressure on their leaders at work and in the
community to join the United Front.
As an activist and a leader what does
the United Front mean to you?
It is very important to me that NUMSA, the
biggest trade union in Africa, is the one who
initiated the United Front. Remember that
NUMSA pulled out of the ANC-SACPCOSATU Alliance and withdrew its electoral
support for the ANC. NUMSA leadership is
clear that the working class needs its own
political party, its own government and its
own state. It is in the course of joint struggle
in the united front that workers can discuss
the best way of achieving these political
goals. It will not be easy. There are no guarantees. But what we can guarantee is that
under capitalism the working class and the
poor will suffer. The pain and suffering must
stop. Kwanele! These developments give me
a lot of hope as a socialist activist.
What do you think must be prioritised
by the United Front?
It is important that we follow the NUMSA
Special National Congress resolutions that
encourage union members and shop stewards
to be active in the communities where they
live, supporting struggles on the ground.
Trade unions, organised workers are the
backbone of the workers movement. There
can be no socialism without organised labour.
Everything we see in the world, the cars and
the aeroplanes, the food and the drink, the
houses and the skyscrapers, everything is
made by the hands of workers. The reason
working class communities do not get all the
things they need is because the capitalists
steal everything that the workers produce.
The United Front must encourage unity in
action between employed and unemployed,
between work and community struggles, between young and old. It has to avoid the
tempting and seductive short cut of constitutionalism. I don’t think it is a problem of the
constitution not being implemented that
makes the rich richer and the poor poorer.
The problem is capitalism, the system of profits
based on the exploitation of workers. It is
capitalism that must be overthrown. This
should be the language of the United Front.
How would you like the United Front
to be structured?
The United Front has to be structured as an
umbrella body and home of all organisations
in struggle. It should be democratic and encourage maximum debate among its members. It should be able to mobilise all its
member organisations to support the smallest
of struggles in the smallest of villages in the
country. It should be internationalist in outlook and pledge solidarity with other struggles
in the world. It should be inspired by a
socialist vision. But it should allow any organisation that wants to fight to join irrespective of whether it is pro-socialist or not.
Political parties and groups should be allowed
to affiliate to the United Front. No one must
be turned away who wants to struggle as
long as they agree with the founding principles of the United Front and observe its discipline. However, the United Front should
not allow a capitalist organisation to join
because the capitalists are the class enemy
of the working class.
The most important thing that I want to
say is that the 34 miners who were shot
dead in Marikana, their blood is crying out
for revenge against our class enemy. The
turning point in the development of the
workers movement in South Africa is the
Marikana Massacre. This is where we saw
the brutality of the capitalist system and
how the ANC government has become the
mantshingelana of capitalism. It is where
we saw the organic capacity of the working
class, that is, the power of workers to fight
against all odds, to jump over the bodies of
their fallen comrades and continue with the
strike. This combative mood, this willingness
to fight to win, this courage is what Marikana
gave us. It is the Spirit of Marikana. The
NUMSA moment and the United Front were
born of the Spirit of Marikana. Comrades,
our duty is to take forward and protect the
Spirit of Marikana.
Lethukuthula Mkhatshwa is Numsa publications
intern
it is attempting to form a political party? We
are confused because Numsa is still part of
the ANC led alliance yet is taking a different
direction.” Areas of concern and confusion
about Numsa and its alliance to the ANC
were addressed and ironed out.
The community members and civic organisations appreciated Numsa’s move on
establishing the United Front.
John Manana is Numsa Johannesburg central
local secretary, JCBEZ region
Numsa members
speak their
minds!
ZWIITWAHO RAIDANI
Since Numsa introduced the United
Front, membership has rocketed
within short space of time. The article
titled “Numsa no longer democratic”
in ‘The Star’ released on 12 August
2014 raised eye-brows within the organisation when amongst other accusations, Numsa is said to be no longer
the union it was as it has drifted from
worker issues into politics. The following views are from Numsa:
Siyabonga Mbuqe, a local secretary
of Fanie Molefe: “Individuals who are
making allegations that Numsa is now
more on politics than workers seem to
not understand the capitalistic system.
Workers face Neo-liberal policies at
the point of production, hence we
can’t separate UF with workers since
they don’t own production. Communities need leaders who understand
the need for unity to pursue a vision
of servicing. The ground-work we’ve
done was to engage with the office
of the Premier because Councilors
don’t respond to communities’ pleas.
Community can now see contradiction of the Alliance that make promises and not deliver until next
elections. In this case, United Front
and workers are inseparable and people should be able to differentiate between Numsa and the United Front.”
Bongani Tshabalala belongs to the
Youth structure in Fuzile Kheswa
Local: “The youth affected is represented both in workplaces and communities. United Front is a tool to
fight Neo-Liberal policies that have
also affected our Education system.
Currently the huge unemployment
category in the country is Youth;
mainly because education that is offered is not equipped with skills that
link students to jobs, hence United
Front intends to demolish Apartheid
objectives and implements the Freedom Charter whose policies are subjected in linking a student to a job.
The Freedom Charter states that jobs
would be there for all.”
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Skills
20
Skills development in
the workplace
MALEBO LEBONA
umsa will be embarking on a national roadshows to empower, capacitate and prepare
members to be able to actively participate and represent the interest of their members in the training
plans of their companies which were developed into
Workplace Skills Plans (WSP). Companies with 50
+ 1 or less, levy paying or not, will also be working
on the preparation of Workplace Skills Plan /Annual
Training Report. Employers are forced by law to engage and consult labour unions on anything relating
to skills development. As per SETA Grant Regulation,
13 December 2013.
Consultation is not just about formalities but it
means a decision on all issues of training will be by
consensus.
N
How does it work? Where do we
start?
Every company with 50 + 1 employees must have a
Plant Training and Employment Equity Committee
in place.
Where the company has less than 50 employees
but unionised, they still have to be consulted on all
issues of education and training of workers. The
stakeholders will have to agree on the forum to be
established for this purpose.
National or Group companies must have Training
and Employment Equity Committee at each site and
a National Training and Employment Equity at Na-
Corruption attacks trade
centres in South Africa
ZWIITWAHO RAIDANI
tional level.
The Plant Training and Employment Equity Committee
• Will appoint an SDF
• Where an SDF is already appointed, mostly from
employer, Labour union with majority member
in the plant, will nominate a Labour SDF who
will work with employer SDF.
• Labour SDF has the same powers as employer
SDF.
• The employer must ensure that the Labour SDF
is registered on the Merseta on line system and
to have access to the system for monitoring and
viewing purposes.
It would be critical to consider Employment Equity
Plan when drafting the WSP. The purpose of skills
development is to give effect to Employment Equity
and address the imbalances and drive transformation
across all categories of staff. National Skills Development Strategy 111 will be guided and measured
against 7 key developmental transformation imperatives, i.e. Race, Class, Gender, Geography, Age, Disability and HIV and HIV pandemic.”
It is critical to know that any internal policy that
requires a worker to resign or to take a salary cut if
he/she wants to go on training is against the law as
it tampers with Basic Conditions of Employment and
undermines Collective Bargaining Agreements.
Some Artisan Trade test officials in Olifantsfontein Trade Centre are
contributing in drowning the image of our beautiful South Africa by
condoning bribery where they accept couple of thousands of rands
from the applicants for them to pass the trade test to become Artisans; if they don’t give out money, they fail.
There’s an Irregularities and Offence rule to Artisan development
that discourages bribery to avoid disqualification from attempting a
trade test for a period of five years, however, it’s not a person bribing a staff member, but it’s the other way round, and it’s been years
this was happening under the nose of both the Quality Council for
Trades and Occupations (QCTO), together with National Artisan
Moderation Body (NAMB). Individuals who blew the whistle would
like to remain anonymous, and it’s upon the Artisan development
bodies to investigate and rectify the process.
For a democratic country that has the vision to increase the number of Black Artisans in order to close the existing huge gap between
Black and White Artisans as well as to create scarce skills, training is
even taken to the companies without having to stop any production
by workers attending at some venue, and the focus is there because
the practical experience is vast.
Engineering learners achieve N3 course from the Further Education and Training (FET) with an intention of getting an apprenticeship at the company to be financially secured, then pursue their N4
up to N6 while at workplace which is then considered a National
Diploma thereafter but after a couple of practicing months, then
become relevant candidate to do a Trade Test, hence a qualified Artisan; and yes, there’s pre-trade test evaluation done by the QCTO
that determines suitable candidates to do the trade test.
Malebo Lebona is Numsa National skills training
coordinator
Zwiitwaho Raidani is Numsa membership administrator, JCBEZ Region
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Dear Judy
21
Servicing our members
Martin Tsita
Dear Tsita, In terms of the Motor Agreement,
only your employer contributes to the Sick,
Accident & Maternity Fund.
The employer must pay you sick leave
for the first 10 days in the year and claim
75% from the fund. The fund does not pay
for medical expenses.
If you need medical expenses paid, you
need to join the Moto Health Care medical
Fund. It has different options that you can
choose, depending on your needs and income.
We have heard your demand for
the Dear Judy page. In line with
the Numsa service charter;
please direct any complaints
you have about your union to
us, we will gladly solve it.
Dear Judy
My name is * Busisiwe, a Numsa member; I
had a case in the office whereby my manager
was harassing me. I reported the matter to
higher management and it was settled internally. Sometime later, I was told an appeal
request was granted, even though the first
ruling still stands.
They then ruled that the charges I laid
against him were dismissed, at the second
hearing. Although they agree the first disciplinary hearing took place and warnings
were issued to my manager, the management
including the generalists turned and took
his side accusing me of incompetence and
laziness.
I became an employee in this company
years before he was hired. And in the two
years of working under his leadership, he
was always impressed with my performance
and never complained about me. Suddenly,
I am performing poorly, because of my complaint against him. Can you please assist
me in solving this matter, without losing
my job?
*Busisiwe Xulu (not her real name)
Dear Busisiwe, The union has made your
struggle their number one priority, and is
currently tackling the matter with the management. Don’t worry, we will do all that is
possible to get you justice. Your struggle is
our struggle.
Dear Judy
Dear Judy
Students joined the Gauteng United Front budget March. Photo:NUMSA
Shocks, Plessey in Cape Town) between
1976 till 1982, is there a surplus for us?
Please, would you be able to check for me?
Martin
Dear Martin, All you have to do is send us
your identity numbers and the name of the
company you were employed in, and we
will process it for you and make sure you
are compensated. We appreciate the work
you and your wife do in our communities,
and we support you all the way.
continent represent the majority of the people
living on the continent of Africa. The Red in
the Star represents the blood of the exploited
workers, whilst the star itself represents communism and socialism, which Numsa believes
in.
The yellow represent our greatest mineral
resource in our country, which is Gold. The
silver in statue of a man holding a hot spade
with furnaces coming out in the foundry,
which is mental.
I would like to enquire on the calculation of
Numsa’s 1% deduction premium.
In the case of our monthly salary staff, is
it based on their Monthly salary? And will
this premium remain the same irrespective
if there is unpaid leave and other leaves
which will reduce their income.
And for our weekly wages staff, is it
equivalent to the monthly salary staff? And
will this premium remain the same irrespective of the fact that there are fewer hours
worked or if there is unpaid leave etc....
which will reduce their income?
I just need clarification on how we calculate the deduction.
Leani Bornman is a Payroll Supervisor at
Bell Equipment Company in Richards Bay,
KZN.
Dear Leani, The Numsa 1% subscription is
deducted on the Basic Wage/Salary of time
worked. If less income is received in that
week or month, the 1% applies on the less
income. It must be reflected in the remarks
on the Subscriptions Schedule and Remittance
Advice that you submit with your payments.
Dear Judy
Dear Judy
I am the HR for New Africa Autobody, a
member of MIBCO (8381914). I do not
have the union numbers of some of my staff
and I require it for the claims for sick/accident
pay.Whom can I approach to aid me with
this information, please?
Liz Ferreira
Dear Liz Ferreira, You must provide us
with you company physical address and
contact numbers, in order for us to direct
you to the correct office and person to help
you.
Before we do that, we wish to advise that
the Basic Conditions of Employment Act
provisions on Sick Leave still apply to all
those workers. You pay and then claim from
MIBCO. We need you confirmation, in order
to avoid any dispute relating to this provision.
Dear Judy
Dear Judy
I would like to let you know that while other
comrades are out there negotiating for better
wages and salaries, we don’t have the chance
to do so. Our boss threaten us with dismissal
if we join the strike, as such I would like you
guys to help us come out of this situation
that we are in.
We really want to be part of the strike
but because of the situation we can’t. Seventy
five of the employees are undocumented foreigners, they are not registered, and they
don’t want to employ South Africans. As
most of you guys are on strike, we are at
work, welding and grinding. He told us if
striking members ask us, we should just say
we are cleaning.
Company Details: Superfab & Eractors
Dear Cde, Your query is referred to your
nearest Numsa office. Our official will visit
the company and as well check with the
bargaining council to check its status.
I have been a community worker for the
past 11 years, this is how I try to help our
people. Therefore I do not earn an income
from this work. It is completely voluntary,
God provides.
Would you be able to assist for the New
Year with our Senior Citizens Christmas
Lunch? I would appreciate. My wife & I
worked in an engineering industry (Gabriel
I hope you can assist me. I am doing an assignment on your Union, Numsa. One of
the questions on my assignment reads: What
is the meaning of the logo? The black Africa?
The Red star? The man who is a worker.
And the yellow at the back. Could you please
as soon as possible assist me with an answer?
Melinda Coetzee
Dear Melinda, In the Numsa logo, Black
Dear Judy
My name is Martin Tsita, I am a Numsa
member working at MIT Auto Parts.
I want to ask about the sick fund, have I
been paying, and how can I claim it? I am
asking about this, because I recently did an
operation to remove tonsils. Hope to hear
from you soon.
I need your assistance on the matter mentioned below. I recently moved offices as I
was having a problem with one of my colleagues.
She ill-treated me and made it unpleasant
for me at work. I once reported these issue
and nothing came out of it, as I was told
that “she is a ‘boere meisie’ and we differ
culturally and I should accept it”.
Basically I had to still continue sharing
an office with her and still get treated unfairly.
I went to my Dealer Principal couple of
weeks ago and tried to resign but he didn’t
accept it, and he then moved me out of the
office which I was very happy about.
But now am being told to go back to the
very same office to make space for JP and
Werner.
How am I expected to go back there after
everything that has happened? As we speak
this lady is not speaking to me at all, am
very frustrated and I really don’t think I can
work under these circumstances.
I need your advice on how to handle
this matter because I AM NOT WILLING TO
GO BACK TO MY OLD OFFICE. Kindly get
back to me, I really need help on this one.
Thanks in advance.
Warm Regards, Thato Matjele
Dear Matjele, We understand your frustration, the union, through the local office
has been in talks with your management
and they have promised to do all they can
to ensure your comfort at work.
Dear Judy
We are trying to reach your office but there
is no answer. Our employers have a few
questions they want to ask about our
wages/salaries and hours of work.
Please advice if the documentation on
your website is the latest.
Best Regards, Rhodes Mellissa Michelle
Dear Rhodes Melissa Michelle
1. You do not state which number you
called that was not answered. Kindly
provide the unanswered number so that
we can improve our service.
2. Our website, www. numsa.org.za, contain
information on different sectors. Kindly
inform us the name of your company,
what it does and, if you know, which
sector it is in. is it in MIBCO or MEIBC,
Electrical Contracting, Battery, Eskom,
Auto, New Tyre.
3. Numsa has shop stewards in most companies, I hope in yours too. We also have
Local and Regional Offices with Organisers
and Administrators the can help. Kindly
provide us the company physical address,
in order to direct you to the nearest office,
if there are no shop stewards to do so.
Your prompt response will help us to
help you promptly.
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Obituary
22
Hamba Kahle Qabane Fred Petersen
he National Union of Metalworkers
of South Africa (Numsa) has learnt
with the deep sense of pain of comrade Fred Petersen’s departure from the land
of the living and to settle permanently in
the land of the departed. Comrade Peterson
died on the 28th February 2015, after a
long, unflinching and courageous battle
with illness.
Comrade Petersen departs whilst his
union – Numsa, a union he helped to build
is under extreme and sustained attacks from
our political opponents who want to liquidate
it and its elected leadership. His sad death
enjoins us to close ranks and to defend our
350 0000 members from forces opposed to
our political and organisational posture.
Whilst illness consigned him to his sick
bed, comrade Petersen truly believed in the
political correctness of the “Numsa Moment”,
as encapsulated in our ground-breaking Special National Congress resolutions, as adopted
in December 2013; to build a United Front
that will link shopfloor and community
struggles; including the exploration of the
formation of a Movement for Socialism (MfS)
– an independent political organ which shall
both in theory and practice be committed in
advancing the policies and programmes of
the working class and the poor, post the
1994 negotiated political settlement. In his
memory we shall forge ahead with the implementation of our Special National Congress
resolutions, as mandated by workers. We
shall not backtrack from this historic mandate
in the face of malicious attacks by our detractors and class opponents.
Comrade Oom Fred, as he was affectionally called within the ranks of Numsa, was
a true living expression of Che Guevara’s
adage of a “true revolutionary is guided by
great feelings of love”; He loved his family
T
FAREWELL: Numsa deputy general secretary Karl Cloete speaking at the funeral of
Fred Petersen. Photo: NUMSA
and children. Above all, he loved workers,
and he was always in the company of workers; he fully understood their aspirations;
desires; pain and suffering.
Born in Wynberg on 07 March 1953, a
son to Elizabeth Alexander, who worked as
a Domestic worker and daughter of a farmdweller.
Comrade Petersen started working in
1972, as a Clerk. And he later joined the
Public Servants League (PSL), now today
called (Pawusa). In 1979, he was appointed
as the PSL’s Deputy General Secretary (DGS).
It was during comrade Peterson’s tenure as
the PSL’s Deputy General Secretary, which
led to Marcel Golding, being baptized and
introduced into the politics of the progressive
trade union movement, when he appointed
him as the Researcher; and years later, Golding in his own right, became the Deputy
General Secretary of the Mineworkers Union
– NUM.
After comrade Petersen; Golding and
others we were dismissed from the PSL, he
went on to be a Trainee Researcher at South
African Labour Development and Research
Unit, based at the University of Cape Town
(UCT) between 1984/5. He also worked on
a voluntarily basis in organising the Healthworkers, under the auspices of Cape Action
League (CAL). Comrade Petersen was central
in the formation of the Atlantis Workers Organisation (AWO), as part of educating and
recruit workers around Atlantis to join
Cosatu’s affiliated unions.
He joined National Automobile and Allied
Workers Union (NAAWU) in 1987, as a
full-time official and Organiser. During the
same period on 23 May 1987, NAAWU and
other unions merged to form the National
Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa); and for the rest of his life Numsa was his
master. In 1996, he was elected Numsa
Western Cape Regional Secretary, a position
he occupied with diligence; commitment
and dedication until he retired in 2013.
He served Numsa for more than 26 years
with iron discipline and loyalty until he
retired in 2013. He was a living expression
of Numsa’s battle adage “insimb’ayigobi”.
His courage and loyalty to the cause of workers struggle did not flinch.
In this difficult and arduous period facing
the progressive trade union movement, particularly Cosatu, we find inspiration by comrade Peterson’s examples of building worker-controlled; class orientated; democratic
and internationalist trade union centers
from below. It is within this context that we
will continue to fight for an independent;
militant and democratic trade union movement.
As we bid farewell to his immortal body,
his spirit will continue to live amongst us,
and inspire workers and many others to
continue to fight for workers’ demands; aspirations and needs. Numsa calls on workers
to honour the revolutionary life of comrade
Petersen, by uniting beyond the colours of
their union’s t-shirts or logos, and fight
against inequality; massive retrenchments
in major industries; deepening poverty in
our communities; scandalous high levels of
unemployment and rampant corruption
which is slowly taking our country towards
Mabuto Seseko’s Zaire.
As Numsa, we send our deepest condolences to his family, friends and entire workers
of South Africa. His passing away is a huge
blow to the trade union movement in South
Africa and beyond our shores.
Hamba Kahle comrade Fred!
Unabridged interview with Cde Fred
ith the strained political atmosphere currently surrounding
NUMSA, with regards to our December 2013 Special National Congress resolutions we’ve taken, what better way to
turn to our veterans to hear what they have
to say. Our various cultures within NUMSA
respectfully depicts that you will find no
better advice then that from your elders.
Fred Petersen, a well-respected veteran
and well known in and outside NUMSA for
his strong willed and outspoken personality,
took us on a journey along the path he
walked and still wants to walk, which could
prove to be fundamental in our way forward
towards the United Front.
W
NN: Who is Fred Petersen?
FP: I was born Frederick Sylvester Solomon
Petersen.
NN: A very long name. What is
symbolic about your name?
FP: I was named after my father, who was
named after his father who used the surnames
of all his girlfriends he had before he married
my grandmother.
NN: Where did you grow up?
FP: I was born and raised in Tokai. My
mother was a domestic worker and my father
worked at the municipality. I grew up on a
wine farm where my uncle worked as a tractor driver. I grew up under poor conditions.
In 1960 my father could finally afford a municipal house, where I stayed until I got
married and moved to Atlantis.
NN: When did you become political
aware?
FP: I grew up in a conservative house. Politics
was not discussed that much. Friday evenings
we discussed religion and the challenges we
as a family faced in the week. The kids will
report what happened at school and my
father what happened at work. It was only
when I was in high school and started working that I was rudely awakened by the differences of people and how they were treated
according to those differences.
NN: What triggered this political
awareness?
FP: I had an African friend of whom I was
very fond and ever since some kid called
him the K word, I knew things were different
for different people. My principal had a very
nice talk with us with regards to this incident
and I can clearly still remember his words
that we must appreciate and be grateful for
what we have. I then started to work at the
then Coloured Affairs and had many battles
with my White colleagues. I quickly sensed
that people of color was treated very unfairly.
Apartheid was rife then and it was not expected of a person of color to question decisions or rules that were laid down.
NN: Did your parents play any role in
your political awareness?
FP: My parents were very passive people.
They accepted things as they were. They
were God fearing and believed that God will
provide and solve every problem. They believed in a good education though and ensured we attended school.
NN: How did politics affect you then?
FP: I was not politically involved from an
early age, but became very aware when I
started to work. I also played a supportive
role in my community, especially in the upliftment of the youth. People were very narrow-minded then. I was employed in the
public sector where inequalities were very
evident. The White employee had much
more benefits, then those of color. I was not
afraid to speak out and was subsequently
dismissed because of it.
NN: How is politics affecting you now?
FP: I’m grossly disappointed in my party
the African National Congress (ANC). Morals
and principles that it was founded and built
on, is no longer upheld. I refuse to go and
campaign for them, because all I would be
doing is look a person in the eye and lie.
That’s against my character. It’s very clear
that they are in trouble and should get their
house in order. Twenty years into democracy,
that cost so many lives and today, we even
worse off.
NN: NUMSA…how and when did you
get involve, and what was your role
until you retired?
FP: Numsa was formed in May 1987 after a
merger between the then National Automotive and Allied Workers Union (NAAWU)
and Metal and Allied Workers Union
(MAWU). I was employed as a Local Organizer
at the Atlantis Local. That was in January
1987. In those days there was no local office
and as I stayed in Atlantis, I used my house
as the local office. I charged the union only
50% of the telephone bill. Those were good
days and also challenging, but comrades
were passionate and committed. In 1991, I
became the Regional Motor Organizer and
in 1996, I was elected as the Regional Secretary. This was on and off though until
2008 when I was elected again and I held
that position until my retirement.
NN: What role did you play within
NUMSA?
FP: As a Regional Secretary you automatically
have to be very hands on and involved everyTurn to page 23
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Obituary
23
Unabridged interview with Cde Fred
path. The United Front should stand as a
party at the next general elections. The world
is watching and it’s in NUMSA’s hand to tilt
the balance of forces in our country. NUMSA
is definitely on the right track. I hope I live
to see this miracle unfolding and become a
reality.
From page 22
where. I was passionate about the COSATU
PEC and the Provincial Development Council
(PDC). It was a difficult period for labour as
we had no capacity and many times came
unprepared which posed a problem in going
forward. After the closures of the Ford and
Tedelex branches in Atlantis I through
COSATU was working on establishing a local
cooperative in Atlantis. It was ideal at the
time as unemployment reared its ugly head.
I was also very active within my ANC ward
and to date I am still a member in good
standing for the African National Congress
(ANC) in ward 72. During my time at NUMSA
I ensured that there was at all times a good
relationship and involvement between us
and the party.
NN: What contribution did you make
or still want to make to NUMSA?
FP: There’s just one thing I still want to see
happening within all regions, and that is
the establishing of Local and Regional Cooperatives Committees, especially in the
Western Cape. Our members are being retrenched and laid off left right and centre
and companies daily closing it doors. It will
be relevant as I predict the economics of
South Africa will shed jobs in the manufacturing sector. The sector will stagnate and
more workers will be jobless. NUMSA must
secure that theses cooperatives are up and
running as it will greatly help in relieving
unemployment and poverty. We opening
our scope and taking on board many social
movements, who will also reap benefits from
this. This was a National Congress resolution
and should be implemented urgently.
NN: What challenges did you face
then? Is that challenges still
applicable today?
FP: I don’t like laziness, never had and never
will. As Regional Secretary the servicing of
members was pivotal for me. It was also important for me to ensure that all departments
were functioning as they should, especially
the Education, Legal and OCCB departments.
My biggest concern was the poor service of
members by Local Organizers and no follow
up after factory visits or recruitment. Local
Organizers today, have too many excuses
when it comes to the implementation of
their jobs, yet they have all the resources
like cars, cell phones and laptops. It was different when I was started off as Local Organizer, but the job was done. The Regional
Organizers Forum (ROF) is paramount and
should be held accordingly. Staff must realize
that worker leaders; Local Office Bearers
(LOB) and Regional Office Bearers (ROB) are
there to mange the local and region and
should allow them to do just that.
NN: What’s your view on the NUMSA
December 2013 Special National
Congress resolutions?
FP: I salute NUMSA for the bold stance they
have taken. That was momentous occasion
that will be written in the history books I’m
sure. It will change the face of the working
class forever. The resolutions are fundamentally important now. The working class can
no longer be exploited at the brutal hands of
capitalism. The empty promises of the African
National Congress (ANC) have become an
embarrassment to us as a country nationally
and internationally. They will have to do a
thorough introspection and redo the Manifesto or start implementing what they preach.
NUMSA is 100% correct to have taken those
resolutions as is. What NUMSA now also
have to do is to start a veterans / pensioners
forum. There are many of us throughout all
the nine regions, that have vast experience,
politically, organizationally and economically
that could be beneficial in the formation of
the United Front.
NN: What is your view on COSATU at
present?
FP: I’m very disappointed in the COSATU
National Office Bearers (NOB). It’s a pity
that they wasting their energies on politics
instead of what they suppose to do, and
that’s to advance the plight of the workers
in general. COSATU is a federation that must
forward the interest of the working class
and no one else. They cannot champion the
NN: What advice would you give
leadership on all levels?
FP: Hang in there. This is for everyone from
the thousands of existing members and the
thousands still to come, the officials and the
elected leadership. Build power and change
things. Education and research is paramount
now. Be and stay united, your enemies will
use the lack of your unity to their advantage.
AMANDLA!: Numsa fallen hero, cde Fred Petersen, you will always be remembered.
Photo: NUMSA
needs of the African National Congress
(ANC), or Government. Since when are they
a conveyor belt for corrupt politicians? This
is totally out of order. The division and total
paralysis is evident and not conducive, for
whilst they fighting petty politics the working
class are dying and suffering. Look at
Marikana, eTolls has been implemented. Violence and Gangsterism is growing by the
second, just to name a few. Where are the
campaigns that must be driven y COSATU?
NUMSA must do everything in its power to
steer COSATU back to the federation it was
and is suppose to be. NUMSA was instrumental in building COSATU since the formations days, and in no way must they
allow to be maneuvered out of COSATU by
those who is pushing their own personal
agendas. Without NUMSA there will be no
COSATU. They know that.
NN: What is your view on the South
African Communist Party (SACP)?
FP: I was personally never very involved
with the Party. I do feel however that they
never played the role of that of the vanguard.
They have become the official praise singers
of the African National Congress (ANC).
They should seriously relook their role towards the working class, if not they should
close and be buried as they serve no purpose
to us the working class.
NN: What is your view on the United
Front?
FP: The United Front is long overdue and
I’m fully in support of it. The African National
Congress at the rate it’s going now and
under leadership of Jacob Zuma will never
take this country forward as their policies
do not address our challenges. The NUMSA
leadership should take caution on the direction though. They mustn’t be narrow-minded
and be careful of opportunist and pitfalls as
there will be many along the way, but that
should not deter then as they on the correct
NN: On a more personal note: How
are you coping with the challenges
you are currently facing with regards
to your health?
FP: I must firstly thank the good Lord that
I’m still alive under the circumstances. Cancer
is no joke. You either fight it with all you
have or it will fight you. My journey ever
since I have been diagnosed with cancer
has been a rocky one, but I had great support
from my family and friends. My family has
accepted it even though it was very uncomfortable and difficult to discuss it with them
at first, but gradually things are changing. I
stay positive and I believe that makes them
feel the same too. I must confess that there
are days that I’m in so much pain but I just
hang on. My family does everything for me.
My wife I really don’t know what I would
have done without her. My children are
here 24/7 when I need them. I really don’t
have any reason to complain. I’m very blessed
in that sense. I have a small vegetable garden
in my back yard. That keeps me going as I
like to see things grow. I call it my own little
cooperative.
NN: Amidst everything that is
currently happening, is there one
word that you will carry with you
always, what is it and why?
FP: POSITIVENESS….reason being that amidst
everything that is happening in a person
life, you have to stay positive.
Interview conducted with Fred Petersen (former
NUMSA WC Regional Secretary) on 12th April
2014. Interview conducted by Nazeema Samuels
(Regional Deputy Chairperson) and Shahied
Stoffels (Cape Town Local Deputy Chairperson)
NUMSA News No 1 • March 2015
Numsa lite
24
Block buster number 1
Competition terms
and conditions:
The competition is open to Numsa members
only.
The prize is not transferable and may not be
converted into cash.
Winners will be notified by cell phone or
email.
Queries regarding competition winners and
delivery or non-delivery of prizes later than
2 weeks after the competition has closed
will not be considered.
This competition closes on 15th April 2015.
Send your entries to Numsa News Block
buster competition,
PO Box 260483 Excom 2023 or
email: [email protected]
WOMAN
My hands will give warmth to the
afrikan child
My hands will feed the afrikan child
My hands will build shelter for
anafrikan child
My hands will nurture the afrikan
child
My hands will heal the afrikan child
From you afrikan child our leader will
be born.
Across
1. Three big unions amalgamated to form Numsa (abbreviate) NAAWU, MICWU and ?
4. Workers have been contributing money to the Job …..Fund.
6. The highest paying sector in Numsa?
7. The last name of Numsa’s female NOB.
10. Numsa 2nd deputy president.
11. Training institutions.
12. Employer organisation that locked-out Numsa members for six months?
Down
1. The lowest paying sector in Numsa?
2. Deputy Minister of labour.
3. Numsa’s organisation for both communities and workers.
5. Numsa smallest region.
8. Eskom’s word for power cut.
9. Numsa has recently extended its …….to cover which other sectors.
THE VOICE
Don’t assume about me
Don’t imitate me
Don’t define me
Don’t underestimate me
Let me be
Yes I’m a complicated person who
needs no one’s permission
Don’t look down on me
Don’t spit fire at my children
Don’t call me names
Don’t pretend to be helping when
you destroying
Don’t view me as an object
Yes I’m a woman, a care giver.
Cynthia Machaba
My lips will offer hope to the afrikan
child
My lips will chant freedom is coming
in afrika
My lips will empower a afrikan child
My lips will not be used to destroy
the children of Azania
You afrikan child will tell the whole
world that afrika is ours.
With my body I will take the most
painfull beatings for an afrikan
child
With my body I will carry you afrikan
child
My body will not be used to destroy
an afrikan child
From my womb a nation will be
born!!!
Children: An interactive space for
kids to learn about their rights
in the society
Kid’s Competitions
Numsa News competitions are more than
just fun as they teach positive values and
can enhance and reinforce children rights
issues in the society.
Win a Numsa Kiddies’ T-shirt and a
Squeeze Bottle!
What is child labour? 200 words.
Why is this an issue for the trade
union movement? 200 words.
Competition terms and conditions:
The competition is open to children under
16 only. The prize is not transferable and
may not be converted into cash. Winners
will be notified by cell phone or email.
Queries regarding competition winners
and delivery or non-delivery of prizes later
than 2 weeks after the competition has
closed will not be considered.
This competition closes on 15 April
2015.
Send your entries to Numsa News kids’
competition, PO Box 260483 Excom 2023
or email: [email protected]
Phambili
Phambili Siyaya!
The blunt blades of the black capitalist
The blade that seeks to cut the core
struggle of the working class
The blade that seeks to silence the
voice of the poor
Hiding like a thief under the red
revolutionary banner of the
communists
Yet the green greed, gold selfishness and black heartlessness is
so obvious even the blind can
see
Never the less
Our song is one
Phambili phambili siyaya!
They claim to love the nation
Funny because they have became
the new masters of slavery
They claim to be advancing the
equality revolution
Funny because the are the new
principals of capitalism
They claim to be worker friendly
and support the poor
Funny because they are the cheer
leaders of championing neoliberal policies
Come what may, we remain resolute (Asijiki)
Phambili phambili siyaya!
Their mistake is kicking down the
ladder they used to climb
Their careless ways have cut down
the very tree that bare fruit,
provided shelter and comfort
when times were testing
Their arrogance has indeed angered the masses that fearlessly,
proudly and consistently rallied
behind them when days were
darker than night itself
Their greed has blinded them to see
the suffering of the poor
Their desire for self enrichment has
deafened from the cries of the
nation
Our song is getting louder
Phambili phambili siyaya!
They are singing a different song
They have a different tune
They are playing new notes
They are enjoying a strange
melody
“garejeng golaata” (lets feast
whiles we have time) they say
They have indeed even forgotten
the words Freedom Charter
But our song always remains
Phambili phambili siyaya!
Our fears, our anger, our pain and
their shame will never derail us
Our song lingers in our voices
United Front Sikhokhele (Lead us)
As the song continues
“Noma besidubula Siyaya”
“Besishaya siyaya”
“Besixosha siyaya”
“Phambili phambili siyaya!
Mthikozisi Mgijima is Numsa national
Finance admin and compliance