UASA Facebook: (UASA.ZA)

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1 To ensure that you continue receiving our News Snippets, please add us to your address book or safe list. Is this not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe instantly. News Snippets 20/2013 Friday, 4 October 2013 Quote of the issue: "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them" - Dalai Lama UASA Facebook: (UASA.ZA)

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5 UASA dot mobi comes in very handy to UASA members. The new dot mobi website developed for UASA members appear to come in very handy. Members can now use their cellular phones to interact with UASA through the UASA website. You can view your personal profile by logging in on the website and make changes where necessary. Similarly, you can communicate with us, asking for advice and direct general queries while also having access to view and read all your services and benefits. Simply log onto and you will automatically be redirected to the UASA dot mob website. Click here and this is what you will see:

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7 MEDIA RELEASE 25 Septem ber 2013 FEDUSA MOTOR RETAIL UNION DECLARES DISPUTE The Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA), a trade union affiliated to the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) this afternoon declared a dispute during the Retail Motor Industry national negotiations. MISA cites issues like wages and short time as reasons for the dispute, and requests the Motor Industry Bargaining Council (MIBCO) to urgently deal with the dispute. In a letter written to the recently-appointed MIBCO General Secretary, Mr Tom Mkhwanazi, MISA explains how the Union is "forced into a position where we have no other option but to declare a dispute in terms of paragraph 11 of the Constitution of the Council". In said letter MISA's chief executive officer in charge of strategy and development, Mr Hermann Köstens argues that despite "demands being reasonable, equitable and justifiable the Employer parties, specifically the RMI [Retail Motor Industry] and more specifically NADA [National Automobile Dealers' Association of South Africa], have to date hereof failed and in fact refused to bargain with MISA on any of our demands". According to the letter, these demands relate specifically to wages, short time, uniforms and retrenchment remuneration. "The 'offer' currently on the table from the employer parties amounts to a blank rejection of our demands. In addition and to make the situation entirely untenable, they continue to refuse to provide any form of explanation of or justification for their current stance", said Köstens. "As a result we requested the General Secretary to apply paragraph of the Council's constitution as soon as is possible, and set down a dispute meeting. We hope that this will bring resolution to the dispute so that we can move forward," Köstens concluded. "We fully support MISA in their endeavour to negotiate better working conditions and remuneration for their members," said FEDUSA General Secretary Dennis George. "FEDUSA will do everything in its power to support MISA in this important quest," said George. MEDIA RELEASE 27 Septem ber 2013 FEDUSA CONGRATULATES NULAW ON PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS OUTCOMES The National Union of Leather and Allied Workers (NULAW), a trade union affiliated to the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) recently concluded its national congress. The Federation applauds the Union for its progressive resolutions and strategies to promote the interests of its members in the term to come. The Federation also congratulates the newlyelected National Office-Bearers of NULAW. On the weekend NULAW held its 11th National Congress in Port Elizabeth. The theme of the congress was "Social Dialogue for Economic Development and Decent Work", and various guest speakers from government institutions such as the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs Division, Department of Labour, representatives from the Fiber Processing and Manufacturing SETA attended the congress. Congress deliberated and agreed on key progressive resolutions such as campaigns to fight illegal imports, under invoicing and counterfeit footwear and leather goods from the East and elsewhere. NULAW undertook to partner with SARS Customs Divisions to ensure that members' jobs are protected and to grow more decent jobs in the footwear and leather industry. Another key resolution was to enhance skills development of workers to enhance economic development & decent work and the development and training of shop stewards by strengthening cooperation and partnerships with the Fiber Processing and Manufacturing SETA of which the Footwear and Leather industry are designated. Congress further resolved that the Union must guard against exploitation of workers and initiate strong campaigns against outsourcing and against those employers who undermines the collective agreements in the Footwear and Leather Industry

8 outsourcing and against those employers who undermines the collective agreements in the Footwear and Leather Industry under the scope of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of South Africa. The National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of South Africa is one of the oldest bargaining councils in South Africa. It was established in 1926 with its founding members NULAW and the Footwear Manufacturers Association. "We are positively encouraged by the bold and progressive mandates given to the NULAW leadership by our members," said NULAW General Secretary Ashley Benjamin. "Apart from these resolutions, Congress also delegated full powers to the National Executive Council of NULAW to investigate the possibility of increasing certain benefits of members, and we believe that this will serve to grow our union and broaden our footprint," added Benjamin. Congress also elected new National Office-Bearers. Mr Frank Williams was elected as President of NULAW, with Ms Ronica Sewdayla as Vice-President. Mr Ashley Benjamin was reconfirmed as General Secretary of the Union. FEDUSA General Secretary Dennis George also addressed the NULAW Congress, focusing on matters like poverty and inequality as well as issues that affect workers most. "We congratulate the newly-elected National Office-Bearers of NULAW," said George. "NULAW is an important part of the FEDUSA family and their role in the manufacturing sector must never be underestimated. FEDUSA will continue to support NULAW in its endeavours to create better working conditions for its members, while protecting their precarious trades in the environment of increasing cheap imports from abroad. We are proud of NULAW for the role they continue to play, both in our Federation and the South African economy in general," George concluded. MEDIA RELEASE 20 Septem ber 2013 FEDUSA CONCERNED ABOUT SAPS CRIME STATISTICS The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) notes with concern the South African Police Service Crime Statistics released on Thursday 19 September In particular, the Federation is alarmed by the increase in attempted murder and murder, and more importantly the reported low decrease in sexual offences. FEDUSA has over the last year been lobbying specifically towards national interventions to reduce the scourge of violence against women in our communities, and in August 2013 welcomed the announcement of the reinstatement of sexual offences courts to this effect. However, the courts are a secondary intervention, where they can only bring justice if and when crimes are actually reported. Gretchen Humphries, FEDUSA Deputy General Secretary: Operations explains, "We understand that due to the sensitive nature of sexual crimes and the poor treatment of victims by the police, that as few as 1 in 9 victims are believed to report such crimes committed against them. For this reason we must distinguish between the figures in the statistics reports of the SAPS from reality. We must remain vigilant about designing interventions that aim to prevent rape and sexual assault, and where it isn't prevented that we insist on systems whereby it is safe for victims to report such crimes". Humphries continues, "We are also concerned about the way in which these crime figures are presented and reported. The 0.4% decrease in sexual offences is only in relation to a growing population, while the actual number of sexual offences reported increased by almost 2000 cases nationally, from in 2011/2012 to in 2012/2013. This type of reporting obscures the true extent of sexual violence in South Africa, and suggests that we are making progress in reducing gender based violence". Noting the sever underreporting of sexual crimes in South Africa, and the previous failures of our Police Service and Criminal Justice System to convict perpetrators of these crimes, the Federation believes that it would in fact show greater progress in dealing with these crimes if we were to actually witness a much greater increase in the reporting of sexual offences. It is estimated that due to the manner in which the SAPS collate their statistics a huge number of rape cases are not recorded accurately. Research by the Commission for Gender Equality as well as the Medical Research Council seem to confirm this assessment. FEDUSA is therefore of the opinion that the SAPS consider that Statistics SA be relied upon to compile the relevant statistics. Humphries concludes, "The Federation strongly supports the efforts of the South African Police Service to combat all forms of crime, including the most violent forms of crime, but remains cognisant of the intricacies related to the reporting of incidences of sexual crime and will continue its efforts as a social partner to reduce in particular the vulnerability of women to sexual violence in South Africa, while attempting to re-socialise men towards a society in which women are no longer treated as lesser citizens".

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10 Know your rights: Learn from other cases Consult with unions or staff before you retrench Ivan Israelstam When an employer considers retrenching employees, full consultations must first take place about this intention before making any decision to retrench, according to the Labour Relations Act. When employees belong to a trade union, the employer is required to consult with that union on several issues, the most important of which is ways of avoiding job losses. Should the employer choose not to engage in proper pre-retrenchment consultations, and the employees are forcibly retrenched, this would normally result in a finding of unfair dismissal. But where the employer has made every effort to consult, it can't be blamed for failure to do so. There are several reasons that retrenchment consultations may fail to take place or may fail to comply with the requirements of the act. These include: The employer was unaware of the legal obligation to consult with the employees/union. Some employers are aware of the requirement to consult, but are not aware of the role of the union or the extent of the consultation requirements. It can also happen that the employer is not aware of the fact that the employees have joined a union. It is unlikely that any of these reasons will be an acceptable excuse for the employer's failure to consult. This is because employers are required to find out about what they do not know. The employer may have urgent reasons for needing to retrench, such as: 1. Dire financial circumstances threatening the immediate survival of the business. 2. A pressing need to get rid of employees pending a hastily arranged takeover by another entity. The prospective buyer may have set a tight deadline for the date of the takeover, and may have made it a condition of the deal that workforce numbers be reduced before the conclusion of the sale. Read the full story TWEE NUWE PUBLIKASIES IN AFRIKAANS OM MENSE TE HELP OM HULLE CHRISTELIKE GELOOF BY DIE WERK UIT TE LEEF Luther Backer, emeritus Professor in Arbeidsverhoudinge van die Universiteit van Johannesburg en bekende arbeidsrubriekskrywer by die Sondagkoerant,Rapport,en by die Ekerk is n jarelange vriend van die vakbond UASA. Hy het onlangs twee publikasies met dagstukkies vir die markplein die lig laat sien. WEES N VUURTORING IN JOU WERK. DAGSTUKKIES VIR DIE MARKPLEIN. Vol.II, Nrs , 134 Bladsye Inhoud: Riglyne word verskaf hoe elkeen vir die Here met sy/haar werk kan getuig; wat God se bedoeling met werk is, wat dit beteken om eerlik op te tree, praktiese wenke rakende hantering van dissipline in die werkplek, dienste wat vakbonde kan lewer, motivering van mense, hoe om met personeelaflegging saam te leef en Bybelse riglyne oor gedrag in die werk. BYBELSE RIGLYNE VIR DIE BESTUUR VAN MENSE.DAGSTUKKIES VIR DIE MARKPLEIN. Vol. I, Nrs Bladsye Inhoud: Die inhoud bestaan uit drie reekse: Die Bergrede. Wat dit in my werk beteken.

11 Die Bergrede. Wat dit in my werk beteken. Vrug van die Gees in my werk. Die leierskapwysheid van Jesus. en CD vir eposbediening. Die inhoud van elke boekie is ook op data-cd aangebring (nie klank nie) en kan gebruik word om die dagstukkies te epos of om dit op rekenaar te lees. UASA het n beperkte aantal van hierdie boekies aangekoop en stel dit gratis beskikbaar aan belangstellende lede, maar slegs terwyl voorrade hou. Indien u belangstel in die boekie moet u asseblief vir Marie Wood by bylyn 273 skakel. MARLICHT: Summer is in the air Go soak up the sun! The ideal break-away special. Members of UASA are entitled to a 20% discount ay Marlicht Holiday Flats, UASA s own property. T&C s apply. Call Marie Grobler now on or click here to make a booking It s the ideal time of the year to go and soak up the sun on the South Coast of KZN. Join in the excitement of the looming summer and exploit the opportunity to do some shad fishing. Marlicht is a prime holiday spot popular with families and young people. Direct access to the beach and only 100 meters away from the main beach of Margate. Marlicht Holiday Resort boasts spacious, comfortable and stylish self-catering 2, 3 and four bedroomed apartments with spectacular ocean views. It is close to the Wild Coast Sun and other amenities and is surrounded by a number of well-known golf courses golf. Visit us on or call us now to make a booking. The AA recently renewed its grading of MARLICHT holiday flats as Highly recommended selfcatering and accommodation apartments. This is the second year running that we received this acknowledgement.

12 The compilation of the fifth edition of Labour Dynamix of 2013 has been finalised and is in the process of being printed. If you have not received your free copy of the fourth issue yet, it is available from any of our service centers country wide or you can download it from the UASA website. Winners of the "What is the message?" and the His and Hers competitions are announced in the 5th issue. We are giving extensive coverage to the causes of Marikana and if we could expect more such occurrences. Of course the whole gold mining saga will also be covered extensively. Read about this and a range of other very informative articles. Our usual lifestyle articles, readers' letters, members' news, sports events, a recipe, DIY hints, crossword puzzle and Sudoko will again be included in the new issue. Despite Labour Dynamix being available at all UASA service centers, you may also want to download it from the UASA website. SAARP

13 SAARP Mission SAARP believes that senior citizens are entitled to a secure and rewarding existence in line with the highest moral principles of mankind. We work with vigour to enrich lives, raise self-esteem and influence society to support these ideals. UASA wishes to promote membership of SAARP amongst our own senior citizen members above the age of 50. They have a wealth of experience about the needs and aspirations of our senior citizens and above all, you can access their benefits by joining. SAARP membership is entirely free! Why don t you join them now? Click here to read more JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! Vacancies and CV s advertised free of charge on the UASA Website

14 We are glad to report that members who are unemployed or who have difficulty in finding employment, are making good use of the "jobs" facility on the UASA website. You can view vacancies that are being advertised from time to time and if you are a job seeker, you can upload your CV for interested employers to see. Simply click here to view and participate. New!!! Job seeking receives a big boost. UASA has linked up with U'r Staffing Solutions to give job seekers a much better chance. U'r Staffing Solutions will be at the background of the "Jobs" module on the UASA website. This means that available vacancies as well as CV's of job seekers will be placed on the website. In addition, they will actively interact with the relevant role-players with a view to matching job seekers to advertised vacancies. Interested UASA members are free to contact or forward their CV's directly to elmarie@urstaffing.co.za. UASA publications To obtain a free copy of any of the following UASA publications, click on the relevant book below: School Leaver's Guide Between Jobs Workwize EMERGENCY! Peace of mind for UASA members (available 24/7) Anyone can at any time of day experience an emergency e.g. a medical emergency, a car that ran out of fuel, a flat battery, a mechanical breakdown, even an accident, or, you may be caught up in a situation where you need legal advice there and then. Now each and every UASA member can have peace of mind that, no matter what the emergency is, you have an emergency number to call 24/7. Many UASA members have already experienced the excellent services of Europ Assistance when they needed it most; free of charge (T's and C's apply). The service is primarily the availability of someone to talk to and who can provide assistance in an emergency. Any services rendered thereafter, however, is for the member's own account, except for the first 30 minutes consultation with a lawyer which is free of charge, should that service be utilized. Remember the number: You may just need it when you least expect it! UASA Financial Services (Pty) Ltd., trading as:

15 UASA Financial Services (Pty) Ltd., trading as: Sourcing trusted financial services and benefits for UASA members. The aim is to give members peace of mind while empowering them through preferential deals as far as possible. NEW!! Extended family and Funeral cover (Affordable OWN CHOICE) This product is unique in the sense that you can now e.g. buy extended family funeral cover without having to buy funeral cover for yourself first. The premiums are very affordable and we are receiving a favorable response from the members. Click here to view all the available options Click here for an online quote For more information, contact Marie Wood at , ext. 273, ufs@uasa.org.za or sms UASA Own Choice to and we will call you back. CancerSure Policy to Meet Financial Needs of Cancer Survivors

16 When diagnosed with cancer, it s difficult enough for people to try and come to grips with the news let alone having to make decisions about treatment and worrying about the financial implications. Because of the high cost of cancer treatment the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) recently introduced CancerSureTM (a first of its kind in South Africa), comprehensive insurance policy aimed at meeting the financial needs of those diagnosed with cancer. Even the best medical aid funds don t always cover all costs related to cancer treatment. Out-of-pocket expenses can add up quickly and soon turn into a heavy burden for many people, affecting their ability to pay for other basic things such as rent and fuel. In some cases the cost can get so high that a person may decide to stop cancer treatment early, or even worse not get it at all. People who have had cancer in the past are usually excluded from this type of cover, however with CancerSureTM, people who have been free of cancer for at least 10 years can also be covered. Premiums start at only R55 per month with cash payouts of up to R CancerSureTM was specifically developed to meet the financial needs that may arise when someone is diagnosed with cancer as well as any additional challenge that may arise, like having to change employment or even having to stop working altogether. The benefit amount is not linked to any medical cost that may be incurred and any person aged 18 to 60 years of age is eligible to apply for the CancerSureTM policy. It also includes an additional death benefit. Click here to read more: For more information, contact Marie Wood at , ext. 273, ufs@uasa.org.za or sms UASA Own Choice to and we will call you back. UASA branded clothing We are continuously renewing the extensive range of beautiful, high-quality ladies' and gents' wear at very affordable prices. Have a look at the website and browse through the items on offer. Click here to view the full range Disclaimer Snippets publish contributions from various sources and as a consequence, the view s expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Snippets editorial team and/or the trade union UASA. umail@uasa.org.za Website: Tel: Fax: You are subscribed using the following address: TRINITYSKY@HOTMAIL.COM If you do not wish to receive our News Snippets anymore, please click here to unsubscribe instantly. We apologize for any inconvenience.