the Shopsteward Unity & Cohesion of Cosatu Let s take responsibility and fight against gender based violence, COSATU holds its 6th Central Committee

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1 the Shopsteward The official publication of the Congress of South African Trade Unions Volume 26 Issue No.2 June/July 2017 Let s take responsibility and fight against gender based violence, - says COSATU Gender Looking back at the formation of the NUM Unity & Cohesion of Cosatu COSATU holds its 6th Central Committee 1

2 Editorial Note Editors note Bheki Ntshalintshali Editor in Chief Welcome to this edition of our Shopsteward, we hope you are enjoying the new revamped Sopsteward. These days COSATU seems to be everywhere. We have convened a successful 5th Central Committee meeting, where we saw a comradely spirit which accompanied profound and principled debates, proving again that indeed this federation of Elijah Barayi, Allinah Rantsolase, John Gomomo, Chris Dlamini and Violet Seboni is alive and well. The CC focused on socio- economic issues as well as our approach to the 54th Conference of the ANC Its conclusion places a responsibility on the entire democratic movement to lead the revolution in a decisive manner. This is particularly so since political and economic power remains in the hands of the few. Those who amassed the country's wealth through exploitation of our people, starvation wages, cheap labour system, denial of trade union rights, remain opposed to social transformation, which will benefit the majority in our country. We have also during the same period forced the department of Minerals to compensate the families of the trapped miners and those who were injured at the Lily Mine. We are now waiting for the Commission of Enquiry that is investigating the cause of the accident to bring us the truth and nothing but the truth about the accident. We also are still busy pushing to ensure that the bodies of workers, who are still trapped, are recovered so that families can have proper closure on the loss of their loved ones. We have attended the ANC Policy Conference and we remain clear that the policy proposals that we like, we shall support but those we disagree with we shall forcefully contest and oppose. The federation is also busy intervening in some of the affiliates where there are challenges, especially because the Central Committee has made it very clear that unions cannot be allowed to use their autonomy to frustrate COSATU s intervention processes. A trade union s autonomy must not be used to place unions above the federation. We are honestly dealing with inadequate management structures and practices, and a shortage of skilled personnel in some of our affiliates to try and deal with inadequate service delivery. This giant federation is regaining its influence; it is proving once again its ability to help shape economic, political and social developments. But we are also dealing with huge challenges at the current moment. Long before the 2008 crisis, jobs were already getting lost in the manufacturing, technology is making some jobs redundant, and those at the top are seeing their salaries grow, while at the bottom it s the opposite. More and more workers are finding themselves in debt. While we are doing all of this, we are pushing hard to make sure that the trade union movement is not losing the very traditions through which t was built mass militancy and democratic workers control. These organizational weaknesses hold deep dangers for the federation because while we seek to influence the process of transformation in all arenas; we also risk being drawn into more and more complex bargaining and even cooperative relationships during this time of economic crisis. We have a responsibility to constructive social partners where necessary to save jobs and help kick start the economy. If this is not accompanied by a trend of militancy initiative and democracy to be eroded at the base of the union movement or to become disconnected from the leadership the union federation will be in trouble. Our preoccupation currently as COSATU is the convening of a Jobs Summit, we have pushed and pushed and we are happy that many of our social partners are starting to come around on the issue of holding a Jobs Summit. COSATU insists that the agenda for the Jobs Summit be based on measures: for job creation; to support the unemployed; to put a hold to job losses; to formalise the informal sector. In our view; to ultimately address the ongoing crisis of unemployment, current economic power relationships must be challenged and transformed; the economy must be developed to reach and sustain full employment. Standards of living and quality of work must improve over time. Jobs must not simply be created, but also enhanced. Furthermore, employment creation must support the provision of public services and basic needs. It is also important to ensure that macro-economic policies encourage employment growth by, among others, facilitating the implementation of the appropriate industrial, and investment, labour market, and public sector policies. This may entail the need to maintain and expand demand for domestically produced goods and services; meet increased demand through an expansion of production, which in turn would generate new jobs; stimulate demand by lowering interest rates, pursuing redistributive fiscal policies and developing effective strategies to boost exports; create an environment conducive to boosting the productive capacity in the economy, increase investment to ensure that increased demand can be met through domestic production, and not through greater levels of imported goods; ensure that the parameters of fiscal policy are consistent with employment creation and retention strategies; and avoid imposing rigid and rapid deficit reduction targets which limit editor IN CHIEF: Bheki Ntshalintshali editor: Norman Mampane layout & design: Nthabiseng Makhajane editorial board: Bheki Ntshalintshali, Zakhele Cele, Norman Mampane, Sizwe Pamla, Nthabiseng Makhajane subscription & distribution: : Nthabiseng Makhajane printers: Shereno Printers advertising sales: Nthabiseng Makhajane Tel: +27 (0) Fax: nthabiseng@cosatu.org.za 110 Jorissen & Simmonds Street, Braamfontein, 2001 PO Box 1019, Johannesburg 2000 Tel: +27 (0) Fax: +27 (0) / Copyright All rights reserved. 2

3 Editorial Note public expenditure and infrastructure development. What should be clear is that we will reject any calls for the so called labour market flexibility, low wages under the guise of allowing new entrants and women access to jobs as well as the need to amend the LRA to weaken our commitment to centralised bargaining. Lastly we are looking forward to the outcomes of the SACP 14th National Congress because this 14th National Congress of the SACP takes place against the backdrop of a global capitalist crisis that started in 2008 and has persisted for almost a decade now; it is obviously clear that the system of capitalism is struggling to reinvent itself. Unemployment is up, wages are severely depressed, and the inequality has grown. South Africa is grappling with the failure of the false gradualism solution that was adopted in the mid nineties. The offensive against the organised working class persists as capital and its ideologues seek to respond to falling profits and sluggish growth by dismantling the hard won rights of the trade union movement. We are also witnessing the intensification of exploitations of the poor and the destruction of the environment in an unprecedented way. This congress also takes place amidst the emergence of a parasitic bourgeoisie patronage network that seeks to entrench itself within key sectors of the state and particularly within strategic state-owned corporations. We expect the party to come out with clear proposals on how to help ensure that our democratic state is firstly defended and then assisted and reoriented towards driving an inclusive and sustainable growth path. The SACP s role at this stage of our revolution therefore cannot be overstated because we need its scientific social analysis and ideological clarity and grounding, to help us map a way forward and give answers to the biggest questions facing our revolution. We expect the party to help us analyze the approach and character of the bourgeois democratic institutions that are not serving the working class, but are defending the interests of the rich and powerful like the Reserve Bank. In the face of all this, including the unprecedented offensive by capitalist ideologues against the working class, we need the SACP to lead a counterideological offensive to help steer the revolution in the right direction. COSATU is also looking forward to working with the party to intensify our joint political, ideological and mass campaigning work after the congress. Indeed, in the current circumstances, the two working class formations within the ANC-led alliance have particular responsibilities. Word from the Editor greetings to all workers, comrades and shopstewards across all sectors of the economy wherein the federation organizes. In this edition, we cover the recent COSATU Central Committee held at Irene and reflect on all the outcomes of debates which formed a base for the radical economic transformation geared to benefit workers in particular and the working class in particular. NUM shares the history of the National Union of Mineworkers and how the union was formed.trade unions affiliated to COSATU have been strengthening their membership services and DENOSA shares with us how their legal services resolves labour matters. Job losses in the poultry Industry is a great concern. COSATU outlines how it has become a case of a failed globalization project. 'The poor and the working class should demand that the trade agreement rules be redrafted to ensure that provides countries to block imports where necessary or withdraw from them', argues Adv Mpheane. We reflecting on economic hardships affecting workers and society at large as ask; Are we in recession or the global economic growth is too slow and what prize does it have for the poor and the working class? 'Investment strike must discontinue', argues COSATU Policy Unit. COSATU provinces have implemented resolutions around campaigns against gender based violence and ask the question on what's the impact on the ground? Recently, COSATU participated in the 106th International Labour Conference and we reflect on some of the work of the committees. COSATU affiliated trade unions to the Public Service International held a Tax Justice workshop in Johannesburg and reflect on how countries can curb illicit financial flows for public sector development and delivery. We continue to popularise the efforts by affiliated trade unions to strengthen workplace organisation and unionization. #Back2Basics campaign is in full swing in all provinces. COSATU has resolved to spread the word about Going Back to Basics. From Marxist- Leninist point of view it refers to nurturing a reading culture. We hoping that the publication continues to plough a seed of studying, studying and studying. A concept of self-cultivation is critical premised on a view that FOR MARXISTS, therefore, the dialectical method consists in going beyond the recognition of this or that instance of inequality and injustice in capitalism. Cataloguing and describing the multitude of different kinds of oppression and injustice in our world is important, but it's not necessary to be a Marxist or a dialectician to do so. We have to change our world Now! The Alliance recently paid it's respect for the contributions by the Namibian stalwart, comrade Toivo ya Toivo who passed on. We say Hamba Kahle Toivo ya Toivo. We kindly invite workers to contribute articles and comments about issues affecting them at the workplace and empower each other on how to resolve them through the publication. Lastly, the ANC has held its National Policy Conference at Nasrec, Johannesburg and we invite workers to comment on the outcomes wherein the glorious movement has confirmed that the unity of the ANC is sacrosanct, so whatever we do we must ensure that we leave the ANC as united as we inherited it. This conference strengthened the culture of robust internal debate in the ANC, anchored on the principle that we can disagree without being disagreeable. After all we are not enemies, we are comrades. Our discussions on Strategy Norman Mampane - Editor and Tactics and Organizational Renewal have once more reaffirmed our position as a liberation movement for the emancipation of Black people in general and Africans in particular with a strong nonracial character. Our discussions and recommendations have also re-affirmed that the ANC is a broad church, a multi-class movement with a strong bias to the working class and the poor. The ANC is still a disciplined force of the left. These are core tenets and principles to which the ANC subscribes. What s your view on all Commission outcomes which will be debated in Branches before the December 2017 National Conference? It is not yet Uhuru! 3

4 Worker Issues The Shopsteward June/July 2017 COSATU Central Committee resolves on cementing unity and cohesion of the federation and its engines COSATU delegates at the Central Committee the Congress of South African Trade Unions convened a four-day Central Committee at St Georges Conference Centre, just outside Pretoria on the 29th May until the 1st June The 6th Central Committee attended by duly affiliated trade unions was held under Theme Unity and cohesion of COSATU to advance the National Democratic Revolution for Socialism, and all delegates were addressed by Alliance leadership and international Allies. Context of convening the Central Committee Workers were equal to the task to appreciate what Karl Marx said about the future of trade unions when alluded to the fact that.apart from their original purposes, they must now learn to act deliberately as organising centres of the working class in the broad interest of its complete emancipation. They must aid every social and political movement tending in that direction. Considering themselves and acting as the champions and representatives of the whole working class, they cannot fail to enlist the nonsociety men into their ranks. They must look carefully after the interests of the worst paid trades, such as the agricultural labourers, rendered powerless [French text has: "incapable of organised resistance"] by exceptional circumstances. They must convince the world at large [French and German texts read: "convince the broad masses of workers"] that their efforts, far from being narrow -- and selfish, aim at the emancipation of the downtrodden millions. [Trade Unions, Their Past, Present and Future, Marx, Augus1866] The Central Committee was convened in the year of the celebrations of the 100 years of the 1917 Russian Socialist Revolution which resulted in the establishment of a Socialist Soviet Union. It is through the 1917 Russian revolution that many nations knew that the bourgeoisie are conquerable to ensure the betterment of all citizenry. 4

5 The Shopsteward June/July 2017 Worker Issues Delegates appreciated that it is possible for workers to own the means of production. Workers stood their ground on a resolve to fight tooth and nail all the manifestations of capitalism. The working class across the globe are facing economic crisis caused by neoliberalism and monopoly capital. The Central Committee navigated in the global rise of economic nationalism advanced by the emboldened right-wing which has intersected with acute failures of globalization and worsening global economic crisis. In Africa, many countries have deviated from the course of the liberation agenda and thus imposing autocratic features which brutalizes the masses and force them into migration and destitution. Looting of natural resources remains rife and also rising challenges of illicit financial flows and tax crimes. The enemy of workers remains monopoly capital which has is characterized by high levels of poverty, unemployment, inequality, corruption, social unrest and also illegal accumulation of wealth through the scourge of state capture. The Central Committee was graced by some of the leaders such as Tito Mboweni, Joe Nkosi, Gwede Mantashe and Makhudu Ledwaba who served with comrade Elijah Barayi, Allinah Rantsolase, John Gomomo, Chris Dlamini, Violet Seboni and countless others who are late. Speech by Cyril Ramaphosa The African National ANC Deputy President, Cde Cyril Ramaphosa Congress Deputy President, comrade Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the more than four hundred delegates and said As the African National Congress, the people's movement, we salute you, COSATU, the leading representative of the workers of this country. We salute you for the tremendous struggles you have fought and for the great victories you have achieved. We salute you because you are the most progressive and the most potent weapon that the workers of this country have. We salute you because Cosatu is the home of the workers of this country. On hegemonic Influence of COSATU Comrade Cyril was one of the founding leaders of the federation and understood how the federation was founded as a shield of workers and also a Giant to liberate workers during the harsh years of apartheid and segregation. He said the unity of Cosatu is therefore paramount. We should never lose sight of our founding principle of 'one industry, one union' and 'one country, one federation. We know from the history of workers' struggles in this country - from our lived experience - that we are stronger united, and that we are at our weakest divided. We know that discrimination, exploitation and injustice will never be defeated until the workers are united. For as long as workers are not united, poverty, unemployment and inequality will remain the defining features of our society. It is therefore imperative that we work to advance unity within Cosatu, within its affiliates and within the Alliance. It is imperative that Cosatu and its affiliates reach out to unorganised workers. It is imperative that Cosatu and its affiliates engage with other federations and unions on common platforms of action. On Distribution of Wealth and Decent Jobs Cosatu is the home of all workers not simply because it claims to be. Cosatu is the home of South African workers because it has demonstrated that it can organise, mobilise, recruit, negotiate and advance the interests of workers most effectively. With Cosatu as the spear and the ANC as the shield, we fought alongside our people to liberate this country from the tyranny of apartheid, elaborated Ramaphosa. Together, we have written a democratic Constitution, which guarantees equal rights for all people and requires that we progressively strive to redress the injustices of the past. He said Together, we have built strong democratic institutions, provided basic infrastructure and services to millions, and made important progress in providing skills, jobs and opportunities to our people. Now, with Cosatu as the spear and the ANC as the shield, we have entered a new era of struggle - a struggle for fundamental economic transformation and rapid, inclusive and sustainable growth. At the centre of this effort must be the creation of decent work. We cannot accept a situation where over a third of working age people are unemployed, said Ramaphosa. Women participation in plenary debates was superb said one delegate. Not only is it unsustainable, but it is an affront to human dignity. As leaders, our every waking hour must be dedicated to creating jobs for the millions who are unemployed and improving the wages and conditions of those who have work. We must demonstrate, through action, our bias towards the working class and the poor. It from the hands of workers that millions of our people receive their daily bread. It is by the sweat of your brow that the wheels of our economy keep turning. It is ultimately you, the workers of South Africa, who produce the wealth of this country. And yet, for as long as can be remembered, you have been denied your share of the riches of this country. As we meet here at this important meeting of the Central Committee, we must pledge that we will not rest until the workers are able to equally share in that wealth, argued Ramaphosa. Time to act in the interest of the people. Ramaphosa said We will work together to ensure that our substantial investment in infrastructure is leveraged to achieve lasting benefits for our economy. As we build new roads, bridges, dams, pipelines, power stations and ports, we will work with each other to develop our own industrial capacity. We will steadily and deliberately source our materials, skills and technology locally and we will, with time, export these to other parts of the continent. We will continue to improve the environment for investment in productive activity in the country - through our incentive programmes, our special economic zones, improved infrastructure, lower input costs and streamlined regulations. As part of our efforts to transform the economy and provide opportunities for new entrants, we will tackle monopolies and end anti-competitive behaviour, argued Ramaphosa. We will use the procurement spend of the state more aggressively to promote the participation of black companies in the economy. We will use the regulatory powers of the state to more effectively ensure that workers gain a stake in the companies where they work and share in the profits, said Ramaphosa. On State Capture and Differences in the Alliance The unity of the Alliance is essential for the advancement COSATU Central Committee resolves to led campaigns against gender based violence of economic and social transformation. The unity of the Alliance is essential for the achievement of a national democratic society. We must acknowledge that there are today significant areas of difference within the Alliance and within the 5

6 Worker Issues The Shopsteward June/July 2017 ANC, said Ramaphosa. These differences are not ideological. They are not differences about the objectives or the content of the National Democratic Revolution. Rather the differences within the Alliance and within the ANC are about who should occupy positions of power, prestige and reward within our society, explained Ramaphosa. Until we find effective mechanisms of resolving that conflict, we will struggle to achieve unity. Until we find effective ways to combat corruption, patronage and the capture of the state by outside interests, we will struggle to build a strong, coherent Alliance that is completely devoted to the interests of the people. We should therefore welcome the decision of the ANC's National Executive Committee on the weekend to support the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture. It is critical that this commission be established without delay. It is critical too that its terms of reference allow for a thorough, in-depth investigation of the extent of undue outside influence - from whatever quarter - on the institutions of the state. The workers of this country are correct to be concerned about the ongoing revelations on state capture, said Ramaphosa. Speech by SACP and SANCO. SACP General Secretary, Cde Blade Nzimande SACP General Secretary, Cde Blade Nzimande, delivering a message of support to the COSATU Central Committee delivered a message of support to the COSATU Central Committee and resumed his seats by saying the SACP wishes to take this opportunity to wish this 6th Central Committee of COSATU successful deliberations. Our message today to this gathering is divided into five parts: Current and immediate challenges facing our revolution Progress, achievements and weaknesses since 2009 The centrality of driving a second, more radical phase of our transition Necessity to solidify relationship between SACP and COSATU and necessity to reconfigure our Alliance Some of the tasks facing the SACP 14th Congress He said it would be disingenuous or untruthful for the SACP not to admit upfront that our revolution and the liberation movement as a whole are facing enormous threats and challenges at the present moment. Failure to overcome this may actually lead to a serious reversal if not defeat of all we have achieved, especially since the 1994 democratic breakthrough. It is for this reason that we must take to heart, what Cde Oliver Tambo - in this year of his centenary - said on 2 May 1984 at the Solomon Mahlangu College in Tanzania: "Let's tell the truth to ourselves even if the truth coincides with what the enemy is saying. Let us tell the truth". It is important to remind ourselves of these pearls of wisdom from those who came before us also in order to expose those who always accuse us of working with the enemy whenever we tell the truth about the weaknesses in our movement. Their aim is to silence us. Let us refuse to be blackmailed into silence so that our revolution can be saved. On State Capture Nzimande said Whilst monopoly capital remains our strategic enemy, but the most immediate threat facing our revolution are the parasitic networks encircling the state and our economy, at centre of which is the Gupta family working with some of the most senior comrades in our movement and the state. Sometimes our detractors say but why is the SACP fighting these parasitic networks but not monopoly capital. But this is a lie! Since our formation in 1921 our primary struggle has been against both national oppression and its economic foundations based on especially mining capital. Since 2000 we have waged a heroic struggle for the transformation and diversification of the financial sector, including the banks. We have sometimes been accused why the preoccupation with the Gupta family. This is another lie! When the Kebbles tried to capture some of our comrades in the ANC Youth League, we stood firm as the SACP. Till today we say no to Kebbleism, Guptarisation or any other form of capture of our movement or the state. Even here, working with COSATU we have said no to business unionism - the capture of progressive trade unions by business interests, said Nzimande. We also want this Central Committee to stand up with us and say no to corporate capture of our organisations, our movement and the state, said Nzimande. The South African National Civic Organization [SANCO] also delivered a message of support and urged all workers to participate in community structures. Before workers sell their labour power, workers are first members of a particular community and therefore COSATU is strategically located to participate to fight against social ills happening in the communities, said Qataza. SANCO wishes COSATU Central Committee a success. A Declaration was duly adopted on the last day of the Central Committee, with a clear Programme of Action to enhance the unity and cohesion of the federation of workers in South Africa to advance the National Democratic Revolution towards Socialism. In closing the Central Committee, COSATU President, comrade Sidumo Dlamini said Congratulations to all of you for such a successful Central Committee. On behalf of this leadership collective, we thank you for the level of discipline that you have demonstrated in this meeting. We salute all of you for the exemplary and dignified way in which you have debated the issues and recommitted the federation to its historic mission. The last three days have seen robust and frank debates and have also demonstrated for all to see that COSATU is alive and well. Again you have proved that COSATU is the most democratic, representative and dynamic organisation fighting on behalf of the workers and the poor majority in South Africa. We do not have to tell SANCO Representative Cde Lucas Qataza delivering message of support to the COSATU Central Committee people that we are united anymore; we have just proven over the last four days that we are united. We do not have to tell anyone that this federation and its affiliates have regrouped and we have regained our focus and strength but we have proven that since the 12th National Congress and over the last four days. The decisions you have passed here this week have laid the foundation for advancing the interests and aspirations of the oppressed and exploited 6

7 The Shopsteward June/July 2017 Worker Issues masses of our country until the 13National Congress next year and beyond, said Dlamini. This Central Committee has said that we should invest in building the capacity of shop stewards and organisers. You said we should invest in building the COSATU locals as the basic units of COSATU engines, concluded Dlamini. Some of the key decisions were the following; Support comrade Cyril Ramaphosa as the ANC Candidate for presidency in the December 2017 national conference Support the call for South African president, Mr Jacob Zuma to step down in government Development of the content of Radical Economic transformation should be the responsibility of our Alliance comrades, no one individual or no one alliance partner should assume the role of defining the content of Radical Economic Transformation Need a reconfigured Alliance which is at the centre of driving the National Democratic Revolution Support the SACP in holding of a Jobs Summit to debate need for a pact covering jobs, income and prices Support the Judicial Commission on State Capture which has undermined the revolution Submit a section 77 notice at NEDLAC calling for a General Strike in South Africa Intensify the struggle against unfair labour practice at the workplaces Heighten the campaign to ensure speedy implementation of a National Minimum Wage Fight to achieve free education for the poor, which will include fighting for the transformation of the curriculum both in higher education and basic education. This should be used to meet the demands of the country and the 4th industrial revolution. This campaign will also include a fight against privatization of education. Launch a campaign towards a final push for the total banning of Labour brokers and eradication of casualisation. Intensify a campaign towards the Implementation of National Health Insurance Intensify the fight for quality jobs and to conduct a research on the possible impact of the 4th Industrial Revolution in South COSATU President, Sidumo Dlamini addressing delegates Africa Fight to ensure that the package of retrenched workers is improved from one week of service to four weeks. Invest workers monies in pension funds to benefit workers and the working class in particular Lead campaigns against gender based violence in provinces and locals On Founding Principles COSATU was founded in 1985 at Durban, in KwaZulu- Natal and agreed on a set of founding principles such as One Union, One Industry; One Federation, One Country; Workers Control, Paid Up Membership, International Solidarity and also Internal Democracy. In reminding all delegates about the foundation on which the federation is built, COSATU President said Comrades, COSATU remains committed to worker Delegates singing revolutionary songs in plenary control and democracy and we are all bound and guided by the principle of Democratic Centralism, where the decisions taken by constitutional structures bind everyone including those who may have held a different view in the course of the debate. Once a senior structure takes a decision, all other structures must work to implement the decision. We are a mandate driven federation and when the workers have spoken, we all understand that our responsibility is to implement that mandate, elaborated Dlamini. Meanwhile, WFTU, BDS South Africa, the Ambassador of the Republic of Bolivia and also the Ambassador of Cuba addressed delegates and emphasized the importance of international solidarity with oppressed people of the world and reiterated on the fight against capitalist barbarity undermining development, decent work and economic growth for all. COSATU acknowledges all Central Committee delegates for their frank, robust and comradely debates in plenary and at commissions! An injury to one is an injury to all! 7

8 Worker Issues The Shopsteward June/July 2017 Why was the NUM formed? by Livhuwani Mammburu NUM members promoting women safety in the mining sector when the National Union of Mineworkers [NUM] was founded in 1982, its main purpose was to fight tribalism, eliminate harassment, victimisation, racial discrimination, uniobashing, mass dismissals and unnecessary violence and conflict by promoting and maintaining acceptable norms of behaviour and restoring fundamental human rights to mineworkers and other workers. The NUM wanted all the rights of association, namely to strike, to picket, democratic representation, assembly and freedom of movement to be guaranteed. NUM founding General Secretary Cyril Ramaphosa has this to say on why NUM was formed: We formed the NUM so that it can be the shield and spear for mineworkers. That is what the NUM was formed for. So that with the spear it can launch attacks, it can march forward and eliminate all forms of exploitation and discrimination that was leveled against mineworkers. It became a shield because it was only the NUM that could defend mineworkers and it continues to be the only union in the mining industry that can defend mineworkers. The NUM became an important weapon against tribalism. Before the NUM was formed, tribalism was promoted, it was encouraged and it was planted throughout the mining industry. The mining bosses thrived on dividing workers and they divided workers along tribal lines. When the NUM in 1982 it organised in an environment where killings, unlawful arrests, and detentions were rife. The security forces were very brutal to the mineworkers. The mighty NUM confronted the organised power of the mining conglomerates. The mining conglomerates together with the apartheid regime waged a brutal war on the mineworkers. The mining companies used the apartheid security to batter the struggle of human rights and dignity. It was during this difficult time that the NUM confronted the mining conglomerates and the apartheid regime that it possessed the organisational capacity to challenge them head-on. The NUM remained fearless and unshaken in fighting for the living conditions of mineworkers and for them to earn decent salaries. It is again the NUM that organised the 1987 strike which took 21 historic days. Amongst other demands of the strike was the extension or creation of the Provident Fund for black workers. White mineworkers had retirement funds and black mineworkers had none of these benefits. Between 1987 and 1989 discussion took place between industry stakeholders to remedy the situation. In 1989, Mineworkers Provident Fund (MPF) was put into place accommodating black mineworkers. Both black and white mineworkers had access to this important retirement facility and it was a victory of the NUM and black mineworkers generally. The 1987 strike organised by the NUM changed the face of labour relations in South Africa. The NUM demonstrated an unprecedented power in South African trade unionism by holding out for three weeks. The formation of the MPF came at a huge cost where some workers were dismissed and others died. Black mineworkers were denied the rights to be members of any retirement fund while their white counterparts enjoyed this privilege. The NUM is the one that made sure that mineworkers enjoy this privilege and no other union can claim this great achievement. The NUM has also been instrumental in negotiating other retirement Funds e.g. Construction Industry Retirement Fund Benefit Fund (CIRBF) which is within the construction industry as well as the Eskom Pension Provident Fund, which is the Energy Sector Fund. NUM was the first union to adopt the Freedom Charter and also adopted Comrade Nelson Mandela as its honorary lifetime President during the height of the apartheid regime and when it was not fashionable to do so. It is again the NUM that was in the forefront to make sure that Mine Health and Safety Act was enacted in The NUM initiated this after it realised that mine bosses were after profits and they did not care at all about the black mineworkers who were dying underground. The NUM also fought hard to make sure that mineworkers who die underground due to mining fatalities should be buried in their places of origin preferred by their families. In the past black mineworkers who died due to mine accidents were buried in the cemeteries around their places of work or the mines. Today mineworkers are given a dignified burial. The NUM has been instrumental in pushing for the conversion of hostels into family units and single units. The NUM fought very hard to bring back the dignity of black mineworkers because black mineworkers use to stay sixteen in one hostel room. There was no privacy at all. The NUM again fought very hard for the black mineworkers to be allocated houses so that they could stay with their families. In the mining industry, only white mineworkers were allocated houses to stay with their families. The NUM will continue to fight for its members because they are the most exploited proletarians in the world. Livhuwani Mammburu is the NUM National Spokesperson. 8

9 The Shopsteward June/July 2017 Worker Issues DENOSA urges nurses to interact with their Legal services to resolve labour matters DENOSA Legal Services Manager, Paul Motsepe in Labour Matters, members of DENOSA ask labour-related questions to DENOSA, and one of our shop stewards or legal department replies to these questions. Paul Motsepe, Manager of Legal Services at DENOSA, answers labour-related questions from members in this issue: Q: I hope you can give me advise on the following labour issue. I have been an Assistant Primary Health Care Manager in a rural Health sub-district for almost six years. With the current budget constraint measures on personnel, not all vacant posts are approved to be filled. One of the post vacant is an Operational Manager post at a PHC facility. Since there is no guarantee if or when the post will be filled, the sub-district management approached me to take over the duties and responsibilities of the Operational Manager post on top of my duties and responsibilities as the Assistant PHC manager of the subdistrict. I need to know if I can object to their appeal I need to know if I can object to their appeal because I feel it is unfair labour practice? Please guide me on the correct process to follow.anonymous Paul responds: A: Dear Anonymous. Kindly be advised that one of your duties as an employee towards your employer is to obey your employer s lawful and reasonable instructions. Meaning that you are not legally obliged to obey any instruction from your employer that is unlawful or unreasonable. Therefore the very fact that an instruction is lawful does not necessarily mean it is reasonable (vice versa). Though you did not specify as to whether your employer wants you to take up the Operational Manger position in an acting capacity or otherwise but if that is the case, The Department of Public Service and Administration Policy on an Acting Allowance for Personnel on salary levels 1-12 provides, inter alia, as follows: An employee appointed in writing to act in a higher post, by a person duly authorised, shall be paid an acting allowance, provided that- An employee appointed in writing to act in a higher post, by a person duly authorised, shall be paid an acting allowance, provided thata. The higher post in which he/she is acting is vacant and funded, and b. The period of appointment is uninterrupted and longer than six (6) weeks An employee must accept the acting appointment in writing before the acting allowance is payable. An employee may only act in a higher post for a maximum uninterrupted period of twelve (12) months. The fact that an employee has been appointed in an acting capacity does not create a right or a legitimate expectation to be appointed when the vacant post is advertised. Therefore, if in your case, your employer approached with an intention to appoint you to act as an Operational Manager, such appointment must comply with the above-mentioned guidelines. Otherwise your employer s instruction to you to assume the role of an Operational Manager on top of your existing role as an Assistant Primary Health Care Manager would amount to an unfair labour practice. I hope that you will find this advice useful. If you have a labour-related question, you can send it to: sibongisenid@denosa.org.za. Alternatively, you can post any workplace-related question on any of DENOSA s social media platforms. 9

10 Wall of remembrance waltersisulu 18 May May 2003 Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC), serving at times as Secretary-General and Deputy President of the organization. moseskotane 09 August May 1978 Moses Mauane Kotane was a South African politician and activist. Kotane was secretary general of the South African Communist Party from 1939 until his death in

11 Wall of remembrance harrygwala 30 July Junel 1995 Themba Harry Gwala was a teacher, politician and leader in the African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Party in South Africa. He was imprisoned on Robben Island from 1964 to braamfischer 23 April May 1975 Abram Fischer, was a South African lawyer of Afrikaner descent, notable for anti-apartheid activism and for the legal defence of anti-apartheid figures, including Nelson Mandela at the Rivonia Trial. 11

12 The economy Parliamentary & Nedlac Update: Below is a short snap shot of some of the key issues affecting workers that have recently been, are currently being or will soon be debated at Nedlac and Parliament 1. Unemployment Insurance (UI) Amendment Act Parliament passed the UI Amendment Act in December It was signed into law by the President in January It was due to come into effect on 1 May However due to two critical typing mistakes in the amended act, the Department of Labour and UIF have not implemented it yet. They will be engaging Parliament to see how the act can be corrected so that it can come into effect. COSATU has condemned the callous, chaotic and incompetent manner that the Department has handled the processing of this act. It has been in the pipeline since 2011 and may now be delayed by an additional year. This has happened whilst thousands upon thousands of workers are losing their jobs across numerous economic sectors, in particular, the mining, retail and agricultural sectors. COSATU hopes that this self made and completely unnecessary crisis will be addressed as a matter of the highest urgency by Parliament and government. COSATU has been a key supporter of the amended act and helped champion it through Nedlac and Parliament. Key progressive aspects in it that will benefit thousands of retrenched workers, mothers and their dependents include: It will significantly expand workers access to the UIF by reducing the credit cycle workers need to build to claim UIF. UIF benefits will increase from 8 to 12 months. If a worker receiving UIF or maternity leave payments passes away, his or her beneficiaries (e.g. family dependents) will be entitled to the remainder of their UIF or maternity leave payments. Maternity leave benefits will be separate from UIF benefits, e.g. a woman who was on maternity leave last year will be entitled to UIF benefits this year if she loses her 12

13 The economy job. Women, who had miscarriages in their third trimester or still born births, will be entitled to maternity leave. Domestic workers will be targeted to ensure that they receive maternity leave benefits. Maternity leave benefits will be increased from 54% to 66% of salaries within the salary limit caps. Reduced and short time workers will be included who went from full time to part time work due to their companies financial distress will be covered at their previous full time income levels if retrenched or dismissed or on maternity leave. Once implemented, these new benefits will put millions of Rands into workers pockets and help protect thousands of workers during their time of need and help grow the economy through this cash injection. After the new changes have come into effect, and the UIF has had time to assess their full financial impact, a further round of engagements will take place between government and COSATU at Nedlac on how to further expand access for workers to the UIF. We cannot continue to have a R15 billion UIF surplus whilst we have a rising 36% unemployment level. Areas for further engagement at Nedlac between government and COSATU on how to expand access to the UIF include: Informal sector workers; Workers who resign from their work (e.g. due to family relocation, victimisation etc.); Paternity, parental and adoption leave; and Long term unemployed workers. 2. Liquor Amendment Bill Introduction The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) strongly welcomes and supports the Liquor Amendment Bill tabled by the Department of Trade and Industry at Nedlac for engagement. The costs of the abuse of alcohol on South Africa are and have had a massive negative effect for far too long. This has in fact worsened over the years. The devastation caused to working class families is horrific. COSATU supports the proposals of the policy review as a progressive step forward in addressing this massive challenge facing South Africa, in particular excessive drinking by the youth, drivers and pregnant women. COSATU strongly rejects business profit at all costs objection to government s proposals. Society has to be about more than the ruthless making of money fora rich elite, especially when it is the poor and workers who suffer the brunt of the abuse of alcohol. Impact of the Abuse of Alcohol COSATU s position on this Bill is guided by the increasing devastation of the abuse of alcohol on South Africa, in particular amongst the youth, working class families, the poor, townships, farm workers, women at the hands of abusive husbands, children left orphaned due to drunken driving etc. Alcohol abuse is on the increase. This has lead to increasing levels of conflict in the family, violence, crime, alcohol related diseases, sexual violence, high-risk sexual behaviour and road accidents. Currently, alcohol is available in an estimated liquor outlets in South Africa. According to the Medical Research Council, South Africans consume about 5 billion litres of alcohol per year. The World Health Organisation estimated the costs of alcohol abuse in South Africa to be R19 billion or 2% of South Africa's GDP in This was almost three times the amount of excise tax received by government from the liquor industry. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome has reached endemic proportions in some parts of the country. In research conducted in the Western Cape (Wellington), the prevalence of FAS among grade 1 learners was found to be per 1000 in 1997, rising to per 1000 in Furthermore, in South Africa, the rates of FAS are estimated to be up 141 times greater than those in the United States. In advanced industrial societies FAS is relatively rare, occurring in one out of every 750 children. In South Africa, it is by far the most common antenatal cause of mental and physical disability. Research has also shown that in South Africa 46% of mortality cases due to nonnatural causes have had blood alcohol levels greater than the legal limit for driving. Further, research showed that in three large port cities in South Africa in 2001, 39% of trauma patients had alcohol concentration levels greater or equal to the legal limit. Up to a third of all hospital admissions are said to be directly or indirectly related to alcohol. Liquor is associated with a wide range of medical conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver; cancers of the tongue, mouth, throat, larynx, oesophagus and liver; central nervous system impairments; nutritional disorders; cardiovascular abnormalities; depression and increased susceptibility to diseases such as pneumonia. This of course discounts the huge physical and emotional harm caused to others or to one s self by liquor. We have seen a significant increase in the consumption of alcohol amongst youth. This sets in place high consumption patterns and related problems into adulthood. The reasons for increased consumption include high levels of unemployment as well as a lack of recreational facilities to cater for social needs. Research has shown that the younger people start drinking, the more likely that they will experience problems from heavy drinking at a later stage. Also shown has been that young people experience more harm than adults from drinking the same amounts of liquor. The minimum drinking age in the United States, Ukraine, South Korea and Malaysia is 21 years and 20 years in Japan. There is tangible evidence that changes in minimum drinking age laws have substantial positive effects on reducing youth drinking and traffic accidents. Studies have found that raising the minimum drinking age from 18 to 21 years decreases evening vehicle accidents involving young drivers by up to 16%. Liquor Amendment Bill Proposals Upon the basis of the above mentioned crisises facing South Africans, in particular poor working class families, COSATU strongly supports the following proposals in the Liquor Amendment Bill: A government managed fund be established to combat alcohol abuse. The liquor industry should be taxed to contribute towards this fund. The liquor industry must be held liable for selling alcohol to illegal traders. Liquor traders must not be allowed to sell alcohol to persons who are already clearly intoxicated. In cases where this happens, such traders must be held liable; more so if those intoxicated persons are then involved in an accident or criminal activity. There should be uniform liquor laws (e.g. including provinces and municipalities who have by laws) throughout the country to ensure that emerging businesses are able to compete with established businesses and to protect badly needed jobs. The national minimum drinking age should be increased from 18 to 21 years of age. All traders must be required to verify a customer s being at least 21 years of age before selling alcohol to them. Failure to abide by this must be a criminal offence. Further discussion will take place with provincial governments, industry and labour on whether liquor sales should not be allowed within 500 metres of schools, churches, treatment centres, petrol stations etc. This would need to be further clarified to take into existing reasonable exceptions, e.g. hotels next to a church and not close to a school. This is important to protect existing legal jobs. Capacitating government departments to enforce and monitor liquor laws and regulations and to ensure better coordination between government departments at all levels. Further discussion and proposals have been requested by COSATU on ways to reduce and prevent the consumption of alcohol by pregnant women in order to reduce the rising levels of FAS. Conclusion COSATU believes that these are appropriate and badly needed interventions by government to deal with the crisis levels of alcohol abuse in South Africa. Whilst there will be some capacity, implementation and monitoring challenges, these do not justify inaction. We reject the profit at all costs opposition from some in the business sector opposing government s badly needed and long overdue intervention in this crisis. Government must intervene. Working class families are being ravaged by the scourge of alcohol abuse. We cannot afford to lose more lives to this crisis. Business opposition simply because it values profits more than lives must be rejected with the contempt it deserves. COSATU welcomes government s commitment to further engage with industry and labour on the 500 metre limit for traders near schools, churches, transport points etc. to ensure that jobs are not lost. Further engagements will also be held on how government and industry can boost liquor exports and create jobs. This is particularly important to the rural provincial economies, e.g. the wine industry in the Western Cape and the Amarula industry in Limpopo etc. COSATU urges government to adopt the Liquor Amendment Bill and implement its proposed changes as a matter of urgency. 13

14 The economy The poultry crisis: a case for a failed globalisation project the poultry sector directly employs about employees and are indirectly employed in the support industry such as maize (yellow and white) sector. The largest cost of production of chickens is feed costs and mainly which is soya bean. The biggest cost of production is feed cost in particular soya meal which is mainly imported. The biggest producers of soyabean meal are also the biggest producers of chicken and they are China, the US, Argentina and Brazil. The Netherlands is the second largest exporter of poultry meat into South Africa with 19 percent market share of the import market, growing from almost zero percent market shares in In 1994 under the influence of the Washington Consensus, the free market policies which were later adopted under the neo-liberal GEAR and form part of the National Development Plan [NDP] today, import controls such as quotas were abolished. Following SA s membership of the World Trade Organization and liberalisation of trade, imports increased. Poultry imports in particular chicken legs are the fastest growing imports amounting to more than a billion rand per annum. In developed countries consumers prefer white meat (part of a chicken with fewer bones e.g. breast) over brown meat such as chicken leg, thighs so these prodcuts are sold in SA and other markets at low prices. It is estimated that imports constitute not more than 20% of the total domestic consumption of chickens. In 2015 SA imported 478 thousand tons of poultry at the value of more than 4 billion rand (FOB). Chicken imports contributed 96% to the total poultry imports which amount to more tons. Chicken imports are sold as braai-packs. In the year 2000, upon Rainbow Chicken s complaint the government through the international trade administration commission (ITAC) imposed an anti-dumping duty of 930c/kg on US chicken legs imported into SA from the US. European Union (EU) imports grew from 5% in 2010 to 32% of total imports in 2012 and these imports were dominated by chicken legs. We should note that the EU spends about 50 billion euors per annum in subsidising its farmers and protecting them against cheap food imports which means that it is almost impossible to export food from Africa to Europe except a few tons that may be exported provided the EU agrees. In 2013 Government increased the tax on chicken legs from 18% to 37% lower than what was requested by the industry because of the fear that prices might increase and thereby prejudice the poor. However, these tariffs did not affect the EU imports because of the free trade agreement (FTA) with SA but the increase affected imports from Brazil because there is no FTA between Brazil and SA. Brazil s market share has dropped from 52 percent in 2012 to 43 percent 14

15 The economy in 2014, as it struggles to compete with tariff free imports from the European Union. More than 75 percent of Brazil s poultry meat export basket to South Africa consists of mechanically deboned meat (US GAIN report 2014) which is used in among others chicken polonies. In order to avoid the anti-dumping duties as set out on the table below, the US pressurised SA in 2015 into an agreement which allows US to export a minimum of tons of chicken legs which will not attract the 930c/kg duty but will only be subject to 37% general duty as a condition for enjoying AGOA benefits which includes exports of SA motor vehicles in the US at low taxes.. The poultry sector was a sacrificial lamb. According to SAPA for every tons of imports, job opportunities are lost. The Ghanaian poultry sector has been decimated by imports. The only effective remedy that could reduce imports from the EU is through negotiations of a quota agreement to restrict EU exports to SA because of the importance of the sector for SA s food security, rural development and for retaining and creating new jobs. SA s chicken is exported to SADC in particular Mozambique. However, there are no chicken exports to the US and EU because of strict health standards. Therefore, the trade with these countries is not mutually beneficial. The poultry sector should be supported by the government in the same way that the auto and clothing and textile industries are supported. SA should call for the review of WTO trade rules to ensure that there is balanced and managed trade. In this regard import licenses should be used to limit imports as importers do not create jobs. It is has been argued that low prices of dumped chicken is good as it would ensure lower prices for consumers. However, the benefits of lowers prices are captured by importers and not passed to consumers. Importers are just brokers and not create jobs. If imports were stopped they importers would be engaged in distribution. The question is why is the government led by DTI and Treasury on trade issues is still adamant that free trade markets will deliver the poor from poverty. The poultry sector has more to do with failure of government s believe in Washington Consensus rules. The problem is not that international trade is inherently opposed to the needs and interests of the poor, but that the rules that govern it are rigged in favour of the rich. Mr. Trevor Manuel, Finance Minister, South Africa. SA s import tariffs for poultry meat Tariff heading Product description different chicken portions Tariffs/Rate of duty per KG WTO bound rates Trade remedies: antidumping duty General EU EFTA SADC Mechanically Free Free Free Free 82% deboned meat Carcasses 31% Free 31% Free 82% (excluding necks and offal) with all cuts removed frozen Frozen 82% Free 82% Free 82% whole birds Boneless 12% Free 12% Free 82% cuts Offal 30% Free 30% Free 82% Bone in portions/leg quarters 37% Free 37% Free 82% 940c/kg Table 1 Source: SARS The first column in table 1 above refers to codes for tariffs. These tariffs are contained in a schedule which forms part of the customs and exercise act which contains thousand of codes for different products. The border agents for SARS use these codes to determine the customs liability of a particular product. The second column is a description of the product. The main product, chicken is divided into different products including chicken cuts or portions, chicken legs, and crushed or deboned chicken meat. The 3rd to 6th columns refer to different tariffs or taxes that apply to different countries depending on whether the country has a free trade agreement or an FTA which means an agreement between countries to lower or eliminate barriers to trade such as tariffs. SA has an FTA with the European Union-EU, a single market which is comprised of 28 members states, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) comprising of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and the South African Development Community (SADC) comprising of 14 member states namely; Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zimbabwe. In general tariffs within FTA s areas are lower than those outside the FTA meaning that countries that are outside the FTA would be subject to high tariffs. The third column shows tariffs for other countries that do not have an FTA with SA. Most of these products have tariffs. These include countries such as China, India and Brazil. The 4th and 6th columns clearly show by the word free in all rows on the one hand the trade between EU and SA and on the other, between SA and fellow SADC members is free without tariffs. It is not clear why SA and SADC agreed to enter into an FTA with the EU which spends about 50 billion Euros every year to ensure that food imports do not land on the EU soil. Was this a bad agreement? The WTO bound rate as set out in the 7th column for the whole chicken is 82% and the applied rate is the 82% this is the amount actually levied at the border. This is the highest protection but this product is not imported in large quantities into SA. The problematic one is leg quarters on the 8th row. The applied rate is 37% and the tariff can still be increased to higher levels up to 82% and this is the maximum tax that SA can impose on the imports of chickens whether as a whole chicken or as portions as agreed in The government has refused to increase tariffs from 37% fearing that it would increase prices and negatively affecting food that is consumed by the poor. However, there is no merit to this argument as there is no price control and low prices are not automatically passed on to consumers. The only way to change WTO bound rates is to renegotiate the agreement or asked for a waiver from among 164 members of the WTO as at 2016 July, which is close to an impossible task. The free market globalisation as applied to developing countries in particular African countries has failed from day one since 1994 and will continue to fail the working class until they resolve stand against this unjust and colonial system. The problem is the rules which disallow and limit SA from protecting its industries and not trade. For e.g. under WTO rules SA is not allowed to impose quota restrictions or to limit the amount of tons of chickens that can be imported into SA. The poor and working class should demand that the trade rules be redrafted to ensure that countries can block imports where necessary or if not SA should withdraw its membership of the WTO and trade with countries on a bilateral basis. Article written by Advocate Mpheane Lepaku, COSATU Trade & Industrial Policy Co-ordinator. 15

16 The economy Monopoly capital and its resistance to transformation by Sidumo Dlamini the recent pushback against the amended Mining Charter, Advocate Mkhwebane s call for the reorientation of the Reserve Bank and Prof Chris Malikane s proposals on how we should transform the economy has been vicious, immediate and overall menacing. What this has shown us is that there are still deep seated sentiments and strong opposition to economic transformation in this country from white monopoly capital. The media coverage has shown us the institutionalized attitudes of corporate commercial media and how little, overall, the wellbeing of the people matter in our current public discourse. This also has also reminded us even those who were in doubt that currently the balance of class forces are decisively in favour of white monopoly capital, whose interests are intertwined with those of imperialism both economically and politically. Black South Africans that were brutally killed for their land centuries ago bent over backwards to accommodate their oppressors, after the 1994 democratic breakthrough, and only demanded 30% of the land despite being a majority in this country. Yet a quarter of a century later, the issue of land reform is still a contentious issue because white people are not prepared to let go of the land without bankrupting government. The amended Mining Charter is only talking about the ownership target of 30% for blacks and Advocate Mkhwebane and Prof Chris Malikane are arguing that a system that works for a minority should be changed and transformed to accommodate the majority. Despite these two intellectually employed individuals having been entrusted with esteemed positions of responsibility in their respective fields because of their qualifications and experience, as soon as they talked about the transformation of the institutions that alienate the majority from the mainstream economy, they were treated like semi-illiterate imbeciles in public and the media. We have also seen acres and acres of space in the media dedicated to anti- NHI and anti-minimum Wage rhetoric and propaganda, with some authoritative research institutions funded by big business denouncing the progressive positions adopted by ANC Conferences and the Alliance Summits, while the unaccountable ratings agencies were playing their oversight role in all of this. This is happening at a time, when South Africa is currently said to have the highest jobless rate of more than 60 emerging and developed countries in the world. At the same time the same big business that resists economic transformation is unrelenting in their ongoing investment strike. Last year in 2016 big business boasted that they had an estimated cash of close to R600 billion on deposits in South African banks; and that this has increased since the 2008 financial crisis. Despite the loss of 1 million jobs due to the 2008 Global Economic crisis, companies have continued to increase their profits. According to data from the South African Reserve Bank though, as of December 2014, corporate cash balances had reached R1.35-trillion.This amount is the equivalent of 38% of South Africa s gross domestic product that big business is refusing to invest back into the economy despite retrenchments and economic stagnation. They argue that there is policy uncertainty. This is surprising because the SA government has adopted the National Development Plan, the New Growth Path and the Industrial Policy Action Plans. This is also despite big business represented as one of the social partners at Nedlac where they can engage on policy matters. Instead of increasing their investment in SA, most local companies, such as SASOL, Life Healthcare, and Steinhoff are investing in developed countries such as Britain and Australia. All of this combined with the excessive price fixing and collusion by many companies, as exposed by the Competition Commission s investigations show us that South Africa has a big task of taming the monster that is the country s unregulated free market capitalism. If the ANC conference which is scheduled for the end of this month, June 2017, is not going to address the problem of an unregulated capitalism then it would be a waste of time. Whilst the ANC discussion document acknowledges that we cannot rely on the market to radically transform the economy the policy proposals seeks to entrench the unregulated nature of our capitalist system which is a big problem. In Malaysia before the government introduced the new economic policy they had to be forced by violence which was meted against the elite Chinese Malay. Prior to 1970 s Malaysia was focused on growth and exports and neglecting empowerment of the indigenous Malay majority. In 1969 there were riots which resulted in the killing of Chinese Malays. It was only after these riots that the Malay government introduced the new economic policy which sought to increase state intervention in the economy and to introduce redistributive economic policies such as affirmative action and quotas. The ANC has the advantage that it can learn from the experience of countries such as Malaysia. We do not have to wait for marches, riots or revolution; we must radically transform the economy to reflect the demographics of our society. The ANC trickle down economic growth policies have failed the black majority and must be abandoned now before it is too late. The ANC has been much more prudential than doctrinaire in its governing model and has been confrontation averse and not willing to swing the big axe, but if the intransigence coming from big business is anything to go by, a change of tactics from the ANC is needed. We have already seen campuses in ferment with the students demanding free education and the tragedies like in Marikana are a reminder of what happens, when the private sector is unwilling to accede to the demands of the poor majority, the government gets thrown under the bus and is the one that pays the price. The ANC would therefore do well to use this upcoming Policy Conference to deal with its factional divisions before they become irreversible and also sort out corruption that is becoming endemic within the state and the organs of state because all of these things are driving many of its loyal supporters and even wellmeaning activists into the hands of the enemy. This will go a long way in rearranging the balance of class forces away from white monopoly capital. For now, it is patently clear that a paralyzed ANC with its demoralized mass base will come second best against white monopoly capital that is hellbent on defending its inherited privileges and ill-gotten wealth. 16

17 The economy The Reserve Bank should be taken from the banks and restored to the people to whom it belongs by Bheki Ntshalintshali the workers federation COSATU has recently welcomed the Public Protector s call for parliament to consider changing the mandate of the SA Reserve Bank from only focusing on price stability, as pursued through inflation targeting to consider broader economic development issues. This emotive topic has elicited a flurry of reaction from many quarters condemning her for overstepping the mark. The question of whether or not the PP was empowered to make a call to Parliament to change the mandate of the reserve bank from price stability to broader socioeconomic issues is a valid one; but it should not be used to censor the debate about the role and mandate of the Reserve Bank. Our own perspective of a South African economic growth path includes issues of social equity, redistribution and environmental sustainability and moves beyond the narrow definition of economic growth, which is based on GDP growth rate and per capita income growth. We subscribe to the view that no policy measure can be neutral. The reaction to the PP s recommendation clearly shows that within the ruling elite there are those who are benefiting from the current mandate of pursuing inflation, as a solution to SA s economic problems. This policy issue should not be treated as taboo because it is not natural law. Currently, the objective of monetary policy is price stability or to fight inflation. This has been interpreted as zero or low inflation. As a result the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), mandated by the National Treasury has targeted inflation to be within the range of 6-3%. If inflation as measured by CPI or headline inflation exceeds 6% the SARB would then use the interest rate policy or in this case the repurchase or repo rate, which is currently sitting at 7% to bring inflation down to the target range. The source of the SARB s power to pursue inflation is section 224 (1) of the Constitution which states that the primary object (or the mandate) of the South African Reserve Bank is to protect the value of the currency in the interest of balanced and sustainable economic growth in the Republic. (2) The South African Reserve Bank, in pursuit of its primary object, must perform its functions independently and without fear, favour or prejudice. But it will be good to remember that prior to the adoption of the Constitution various commentators and intellectuals, including Dr Chris Stals the former Apartheid governor of the Reserve Bank, who served as a governor between 1989 and 1999 argued that the interest rate policy cannot be used on a discriminatory basis. For instance it should not favour certain groups in the society such as black farmers, black industrialists and black workers. And that any intervention in the market should be through inflation targeting using interest rates to control inflation and not through administrative controls e.g. price and rent controls. It was argued that in order to ensure the independence of the Reserve Bank it should be protected by the Constitution a wish or demand, which was fulfilled through section 224(2). It is our considered view then that narrowly targeting inflation ignores the long term impact of colonialism and apartheid in favour of satisfying narrow interests of those already with resources including foreign investors. It is true that inflation erodes the buying power of money and without diluting the dangers of high inflation rates; we argue that most workers would prefer jobs than low inflation. When interest rates are increased to reduce inflation people who rely on wages as a form of income suffer the most because they find it difficult to afford paying back instalments on credit cards and house bonds, and small businesses find it difficult to obtain credit to build factories. If companies cannot service their debts because of high interest payments they normally cut down on the costs of doing business by cutting wages and laying off workers and in the process this weakens the collective power of the unions. Whilst the policy of inflation targeting looks innocent and neutral, in practice it has serious consequences on right of workers to fair labour practices and to their survival in society. As workers, we favour an approach that incorporates both the developmental imperatives and also protects the currency. These are mutually reinforcing rather than contradictory if an external investor were to consider investing a billion in SA manufacturing; they would not if they thought that in terms of the inflation projection, that billion would effectively amount to a third of its value in the following year. Unfortunately in the current reality that is dominated by finance capital, higher inflation rate suggest structural imbalance and it becomes an impediment for investors, including our own companies as they become hesitant to invest if they are sure that the value of that investment is going to plummet. We acknowledge that price stability is important even from a point of view of radical socioeconomic transformation as long as we currently depend on capitalists for job-creation and growth. The mandate of the American and other global-north countries includes employment creation. The NGP that has been virtually replaced by the Neoliberal NDP has called for a loose monetary policy but a tighter fiscal policy in order to create 5 million jobs. We need a central bank that will pursue an inclusive monetary policy and that will regulate the finance sector with a view to ensuring that there is redistribution of income and wealth to all South Africans as mandated by the freedom charter. As argued by Joseph Stiglitz in his book The Price of Inequality, focusing on inflation is wrong when a large part of the cause of inflation is imported in the form oil prices and food prices and when the only beneficiaries of this policy are bond holders. The current policy of low inflation has entrenched apartheid economic policy of separate development, income and asset inequalities. An ordinary person without a job would prefer a job over inflation. Better some job whose pay has declined in real terms by a few percent than no job. Low inflation has resulted in financial instability recession, layoffs and no job security. In addition to targeting employment the reserve bank should align its policy to industrial development, introduce foreign exchange controls, and impose quantitative controls on commercial banks to ensure that a quarter of their loans go to priority sectors that drive the growth path and create jobs on a larger scale. It is also not lost on us that our reserve bank is currently only notionally independent as it generally subscribes to the dominant and conventional but failing policies received from finance capital even at the expense of real producers of wealth in mining and manufacturing. The reserve bank is too beholden to the interests of finance capital to have an impact on the broader economy, which is why the biggest noise in defence of the status quo comes from finance capital. The independence of the reserve bank in a multiparty bourgeois system is indispensable but we want the bank to be independent from both private interests and also independent from reckless or captured government. Otherwise you can easily plummet the value of the rand if it s up to some populist politicians, when there is an economic crisis, as we have seen in Zimbabwe. The policies of the Reserve Bank currently reflect the neoliberal posture of the National Treasury, meaning that a captured government cannot be entrusted with the Reserve Bank. COSATU proposes a fully publicly owned reserve bank that will account to the public through their representatives in Parliament on the implementation of this broad mandate we are calling for. This also means that the appointments to the bank must also be subject to the same parliamentary processes. The Reserve Bank should be taken from the banks and restored to the people to whom it belongs. 17

18 The economy Are we in recession or the global economic growth is too slow? by Adv Mpheane Lepaku 18

19 The economy recession refers to period where the economy is experiencing negative growth for at least two consecutive quarters. Gross Domestic Product is the total value of goods and services produced in the country in a certain period. Therefore, changes in real growth in GDP from one quarter to another would tell us whether the economic is moving into the right direction or not. According to Statistics South Africa, the real gross domestic product (measured by production) decreased by 0,7% in the first quarter of 2017, following a decrease of 0,3% in the fourth quarter of This fall in production in at least two consecutive quarters is called a recession. The largest negative contributor to growth in GDP in the first quarter was the trade, catering and accommodation industry, which decreased by 5,9% and contributed -0,8 of a percentage point to GDP growth. We should note that it is the nature of a capitalist economy to have booms and busts periods as predicted by Karl Marx- that is periods of economic growth which are followed by periods of negative growth. The unexpressed aim of each period of recession is to weaken labour power and to strengthen owners of capital. It is labour s responsibility to ensure that the recession is not used to retrench workers give away workers rights. According to Marx, a recession is a signal to the poor and the working class to take up control and ownership of the economy from the elites with a view of producing goods and services that are needed by the masses and not for profit maximisation. In terms of the neoliberal economy ideology the progress in the society is measured by GDP or production and if the growth in GDP is negative this is labelled as a bad thing and is hated by international creditors, the World Bank and IMF. As a remedy to ensure a positive GDP growth rate it is a practice for governments specifically in the developing countries to allow more private sector participation in the economy, to privatise or commercialise state owned companies and to impose labour flexibility policies such as restricting the right to strike. In the financial crisis the US government nationalised General Motors in order to save it from liquidation, to save its productive capacity, skills and jobs in the auto sector. In response to the 2008 financial crisis the SA government concluded a social compact agreement in 2009 with labour, community and business constituencies in Nedlac- the framework for SA s response to the international economic crisis of The response was apologetic to the owners of capital and sought to address the recession through free market policy intervention including the use of slave labour in the form of EPWP projects. GDP is a false measure because it does not address the issue of the distribution of income, the quality of education health and social services. However, the use of GDP is consistent with Treasury s policy of no redistribution before growth. Recession implies that there is lower demand for goods and services and as a result business will reduce production and may require less labour. This is likely to result in lower tax revenue from personal income and corporate income tax. The recession comes in the wake of junk status and disclosure of the extent of capture of the state by the GUPTAS. South Africa last suffered a recession occurred in The recession was caused by non-regulation of banks and the financial sector as a whole. As result of the recession which started in the US, SA companies lost orders from overseas companies and had to retrench workers. SA lost around 1 million jobs. The recessions will likely results in higher unemployment rates and lower wages and closure of factories. The data about the recession would be used opportunistically by companies retrench workers. In response to the recession the government should a stimulus in the economy in the following terms; increase investment in the economy, increase funding to the training of layoff schemes and increase wages to motivate workers increase demand for goods and services, provide funding to worker cooperative to take over closed factories or those in liquidation/insolvency and Nationalise companies in key sectors of the economy in order to retain skills and jobs. Increase social grants Use infrastructure projects to create decent permanent jobs. A long term solution will be to replace our market based economy with an economy that is owned by workers instead of a privately run economy which is anti-working class and anti-poor and places profits above all needs. Therefore a new socialist economy policy is needed to take the economy out of recession. One of the countries that has averted the 2009 recession was China because it has a socialist economy and Germany which is characterised by huge state intervention in the economy and through an extensive social welfare system. Some the reason for the recession that have been mentioned in the rightwing media is that the private sector has been on an investment strike because of low investor confidence, that they do not approve of President Zuma s leadership, and uncertainty about radical economic transformation. The investment strike may be a regime change to strategy to make the current leadership look bad. Other reasons include the lie that labour laws are overprotecting workers, a lie which must be rejected. The labour market has been in a recession since The unemployment rate has hovered around 25% for more than 7 years and vulnerable non standard employment e.g casualisation and short time have been on the rise. Therefore, the solution is to resist attempts to use the recession to lay off workers, increase wages, immediate implementation of the National Minimum Wage, end to government s freeze on new jobs, end to outsourcing, target employment instead of only looking at inflation and impose capital controls, ensure that companies remain in business, and impose wealth taxes on the rich in order to redistribute wealth which is concentration into a few hands. The recession shows that we cannot use the economy which is based on unrealistic free market economic principles to solve the issue of poverty, unemployment and income inequality. Therefore, the main cause of recession is the absence of government intervention in the production of goods and services and non regulation of the financial sector and not labour or government or pro poor policies. 9 million people do not have jobs are not excluded from participating in the economy and the majority of the workforce earn very little. Article is written by Advocate Mpheane Lepaku, COSATU Trade & Industrial Policy Co-ordinator. 19

20 Gender Agenda Let s take responsibility and fight against gender based violence, says COSATU Gender Coordinators Since its inception, the Congress of South African Trade Unions has valued women's rights as human rights and also that included the children s rights. COSATU in the recent months has registered its displeasure about the escalation of cases of gender based violence and killings which necessitated a plan of Action to eradicate them. COSATU Shopsteward Editor, Norman Mampane has engaged COSATU Provincial Gender structures coordinated in all provincial offices about what campaigns on the ground have been implementable and what more needs to be done to forge solidarity campaigns with communities and other stakeholders. The findings of the South African Inter-Ministerial Committee [IMC] on Violence against Women and Children have revealed that one in three children are likely to be a victim of sexual assault and physical abuse. In the recent march by Limpopo Gender Coordinators to the South African Police Services [SAPS]at Polokwane in the Month of June 2017, it was revealed that...in 2015/16 42,596 rapes were reported in South Africa and 51,895 sexual offences were recorded an average of per day. The sexual offences rate decreased from 99 in 2014/15 to 94.3 in 2015/16. This clear shows that the situation is getting serious out of order, argued Gerald Twala, COSATU Limpopo Provincial Secretary supporting the Gender structure. In Thohoyandou alone, 69 cases of rapes and 19 of murder were registered, elaborated Twala. Gender based violence has been described as an act of violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women and children which also includes threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of independence, whether occurring in public or in private life, and of which our members are not immune to. Are we still boggled down to explain what are we facing? COSATU, through its gender desk, has registered some level of success to expose our members and communities to awareness campaigns which strive to highlights the scourge of violence against women and children and draw society's attention to the fact that through gender-based violence escalates the risks of HIV infection. COSATU notes the colonial and apartheid histories of violence, endemic poverty, substance abuse, deeply held patriarchal attitudes about women's place in society and the emasculation of unemployment when men measure their worth through work, or an absence of it and how that may aggravate violence perpetuated against women. We further note that our society also tend to focus on individual perpetrators without attempting to understand the very complex social conditions in South Africa that contribute to men's violent behaviour. We are also concerned of the failure of the criminal justice system for women, and how laws targeted at women s empowerment are not taken seriously. Every day women and children are raped, beaten and murdered, said Twala. These acts of violence include random criminal activities and hate crimes perpetrated against lesbians and gay men. Instead of places of learning, many of our schools in poor and working class communities are sites of danger especially for girls. The rights to dignity, life, health and bodily integrity are violated on a daily basis. Research shows that domestic violence against women remains widespread and under-reported, and that victims of violence are not effectively supported by public services. Insufficient specialized services for women and children who are victims of violence and the absence of professional services to victims is only a few of the reasons for non-reporting. The interpretation of the cases registered paints a serious situation in Thohoyandou of gender based violence and brutal killings, followed by Lebowakgomo and Jane Furse. Other areas of high rapes are Mahwelereng, Modimolle 20

21 Gender Agenda International and Mankweng. Lephalale has registered a high number of protection orders in families. Enlisted below is a summary of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Limpopo (January to May 2017): Break the Silence. All participants expressed concerns with gender based violence taking place at communities such as the Cape Flats. Gender Activists joined by community members support enhanced in all communities Unite against Social ills: Childcare facility in every street and work places must be in place Social workers to be deployed into every township to support families Establish vibrant and vigilant street committees to enhance the work of Police Officers and Community Policing Forums We acknowledge all the support given by communities on this march, said Nandi Andries, representing COSATU Western Cape Gender Structure. and the national broadcaster before the Month of August to highlight the adverse effect of gender based violence at the workplaces and also in society. Coordinators argued that the SABC as a national broadcaster has a role to play to empower communities against this scourge and also commission production around the Theme Enough is enough with violence. Workers are encouraged to lead pickets every Friday and also wear black t-shirts in solidarity with the victims of gender based violence. And communities in some instances are mobilized into A Gender Coordinators Seminar will be coordinated around the Sedibeng cluster in Vereeniging to campaign with communities against gender based violence and LGBTI killings. In KwaZulu-Natal, the province has an active gender structure running with gender campaigns. We have been engaging school children on gender awareness and other social ills during the International Women s Day. A picket will be undertaken at the Humans Rights Commission to raise issues of women and children Source: SAPS COSATU has to take action which is targeted to expose the silence in all communities. Provincial landscape on implementing Gender programs In Western Cape, Gender Coordinators marched in the month of June 2017 to the various government departments, institutions and also the South African Parliament against violence meted against women and children under the Theme demanded the following; Men must be educated on: Addressing culture and Patriarchy with proper programmes from early childhood development to tertiary level to nurture responsible citizens Justice system must improve: Proper investigative COSATU Western Cape Gender Activists marching to Parliament skills and training for police to arrest perpetrators of gender based violence All complaints and charges to be treated critical, with victim In Gauteng, Gender Coordinators emerged from a successful Provincial Gender Conference, with a leadership gearing to lead campaigns on the ground. Newly elected COSATU Gauteng Gender Coordinators active on the ground Gender Coordinators from COSATU affiliated Trade Unions have taken the federation s resolution in action by leading a march from Dhlomo Dam to the Sharpeville SAPS Station after cases of gender based violence skyrocketed. More than 50 women were killed by their intimate partners between the ages of 16 years to 53 years. An old woman was brutally murdered whilst trying to plough her fields as part of home based food gardens to alleviate poverty and malnutrition. A meeting held by Gender Coordinators agreed that practical campaigns will be led, with marches and picket led to various institutions such as the Gender Commission, South African Police Services Gender activist in Gauteng say Defend our children and women from criminals blowing whistle whenever an improper act is meted against any community member. Such practical actions work depending of formation and dynamics which vary from one community to the other. Stakeholders must hold each other in support of these campaigns to have sustained and coordinated activities led by COSATU affiliates and progressive NGO s/cbo s, said Dumisani Dakile, COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary. COSATU Gauteng Gender structure continues to engage with the Department of Home Affairs, the National Prosecution Authority, the South African Police Services, Municipalities, Faith-based formations and other community based organizations to spread the message. abuse. A Gender Workshop must follow to take stock of all the campaigns to make an impact, said Edwin Mkhize, COSATU KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Secretary. We have a sustainable programme to engage with women incarcerated in our correctional centres and also provide platforms for soul searching, said Mkhize The aim is to humanize them to have a smooth passage toward reintegration into society, alluded Mkhize. Women in general in KwaZulu-Natal are complaining of the Justice system which fails women who have reported cases of abuse and gender based violence. Many women with protection orders feel vulnerable as SAPS inefficiency to arrest the perpetrators. 21

22 Gender Agenda Do you know how men and women about paid jobs, care for their families and homes in South Africa? Should women work at paid jobs, care for their families and homes or do both? The ILO and Gallup asked women and men in 142 countries whether they preferred for women to work paid jobs, care for their families and homes or do both. Here's what women and men think in South Africa Women 28% 58% 13% Men 28% 55% 16% Women should work paid jobs Women should do both Women should care for family Here's the actual employment rate for women in South Africa Working full time Working part time Looking for work Not looking for work 28% 26% 29% 38% Source: ILO Website * The data used in the top section of this chart comes from the 2017 ILO-Gallup Report: Towards a Better Future for Women and Work: Voices of Women and Men. * The data from the bottom section of the chart was taken from ILOSTAT as well as the Women at Work Trends 2016 Report. The figures represented there are merely indicative of global women's employment trends. * Reference: ILO Women at Work Trends 2016 Report. * 22

23 Gender Agenda International NUM Women Structure distributed 311 boxes of sanitary towels to 22 schools between March and April 2017 By Phumeza Mgengo - NUM Women's Structure National Secretary the NUM Women Structure Back to school Advocacy campaign (2017) s focus is on the provision of SANITARY TOWELS for Young Girls. The NUM interest in education and addressing women issues is unquestionable. This can be attested by the education support efforts through the NUM JB Marks Bursary Fund provided to children of NUM members, including those of staff members. In 2016 women s day, the National Women Structure launched the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for women, through the guidelines developed by the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC). The structure has also focused on the Back To School Campaign which commenced in This campaign is part of the lobbying and advocacy work that entails mobilising funds for previously disadvantaged communities linking them to developmental opportunities, informed by the policies on corporate social responsibility by companies, stipulated in the sector charter, particularly the mining and construction charter. This campaign is aimed at providing the targeted beneficiaries, with school uniforms, stationary and backpack are distributed to various schools, based on the information that was received from regions. During these visits, the union was informed of the other needs required by some schools which included (among others) the need to support young girls with sanitary towels. As a caring union we undertook to do something about this, hence the focus this year is on the mobilization for sanitary towels for young girls from previously disadvantaged communities, facing the challenges of having to deal with the reality of limitation of access to affordable, convenient and appropriate methods of dealing with their monthly menstrual cycles. This is informed by the physical and psychological reproductive changes, especially at an early school-going stage of their life. Education has been among the priorities of the South African government since the advent of democracy as among the strategies to alleviate poverty. South Africa has since seen an increase of school girls with regard to school enrollment, including the pass rate for matriculation. However, this progress can be reversed by the reality of challenges faced by the young girls who come from the previously disadvantages communities, given the economic status of their parents, some of whom are workers, however, face limitations to meet their basic needs, let alone that of their children, given their low earnings. In the recent past school, absenteeism has been recorded, especially among young girls in schools. The NUM Women's Structure will be distributing sanitary towels to 22 schools from the 11 regions where NUM is organising. These sanitary towels will be distributed through regional rollouts to the targeted schools between March and April

24 International Summary of the work of the committees of the 106th International Labour Conference held in Geneva in 2017 the 106th International Labour Conference (ILC) closed following two weeks of deliberations on key world of work issues, including the promotion of peace and stability in countries emerging from conflict, strengthening labour migration governance and greening the economy. The Committee for labour migration recognized the urgency of strengthening labour migration governance which is not only a timely and important topic, but also a critical one. Fair and effective labour migration governance is key to maximizing the benefits of labour migration and minimizing the risks and social costs. While policies need to be tailored to the different realities of countries and migration corridors, cooperation among relevant government agencies at all levels is essential as is social dialogue. Such dialogue between governments, employers and workers helps respond to the changing needs of business and workers, while ensuring decent work opportunities for both migrant and national workers. The Committee called upon the ILO to play a leadership role in promoting decent work in labour migration, including in the the process leading up to the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration due to be adopted in The Conference Committee for Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work adopted a Resolution which calls on the ILO Director- General to prepare a plan of action to further promote ILO core labour standards around the globe. The Committee held its discussions based on a report which identifies political will, effective labour market governance and inclusive social dialogue between governments, employers and workers as key to the promotion of basic labour rights and the achievement of the goals of the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization adopted by the International Labour Conference in The conclusions also call on the ILO to pursue synergies between the follow-up to the 1998 Declaration and the work of the ILO supervisory mechanism with development cooperation. The Committee on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations of the ILC adopted conclusions on 24 individual cases related to issues arising from the implementation of labour rights. This discussion was based on the annual report of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations which is an independent body composed of legal experts charged with examining the application in law and practice of ILO Conventions and Recommendations by ILO member States. The Committee also discussed occupational safety and health standards, based on a general survey concerning the promotional framework on OSH, construction, mines and agriculture. Recognizing the importance of the promotional framework for occupational safety and health, the Committee asked the International Labour Office to campaign for the ratification and implementation of Convention No I Read - Get informed l 24

25 International International WFTU addresses workers in South Africa the World Federation of Trade Unions addressed workers on two occasions in the month of June The first occasion was COSATU Central Committee and later followed by the National Union of Mineworkers Central Committee both at Irene, in Gauteng. Over 700 delegates from the branches of the NUM throughout South African attended the Central Committee which focused on the organisational, economic, political and international matters facing the NUM under the Theme Recruit, Fight Retrenchments, Assess and Forge unity. WFTU Representative, comrade Nikolas Theodorakis said On behalf of the World Federation of Trade Unions, of its almost 100 million members from 126 countries of the world and on behalf of my organization, PAME, from Greece, I transfer to you warm militant greeting and wishes for success to the works of your central committee. On WFTU President from South Africa It is our great pleasure to be here with you, only a few months after the successful 17th World Trade Union Congress of the WFTU, which was hosted and organized by you, the forces of WFTU in South Africa.This congress had great significance also for the following reasons. It was the 1st time in the history of the world trade union movement that a World Trade Union Congress took place in Africa, said Theodorakis. It is the 1st time that in the Presidency of a World Trade Union organization was elected a comrade from Africa, as comrade Mike from NEHAWU was elected President of the WFTU. Furthermore, South Africa is represented at the Presidential Council of WFTU with one more comrade, from NUM, comrade General Secretary David Sipunzi, who was elected Vice President of the WFTU, elaborated Theodorakis Role of Trade Unions from South Africa The successful organization and the role of the WFTU affiliates in the Congress, the role of POPCRU, CEPPWAWU, NEHAWU and NUM was crucial and showed the South African unions as a pioneering force in the trade union movement of Africa, but also in the rest of the world. COSATU affiliated trade unions participated in the successful WFTU World Congress in Durban in On the role of South African trade unions in the Africa continent, he said in this direction, your forces, the forces of WFTU in South Africa have great duties in front of them, as well as great possibilities. Important stop is the Pan African Meeting of WFTU in Nigeria, on July There your forces, with the other African unions, should evaluate the developments, the new conditions, and to organize the response of the workers of the richest continent, which has suffered and still suffers till today the greatest theft of its peoples wealth. Theodorakis said Additionally, important role can and should be for NUM its participation to the 3rd World Congress of Young Workers of WFTU, which is to take place in Rome, November 2-3. Especially during a period when the new generation suffers the consequences of the capitalist crisis and has to face unemployment, flexible working relations, etc. Stop capitalist barbarity Now! Specifically, the conditions of the global capitalist crisis will escalate the offensive of the monopolies, of imperialism, against the peoples. As you know today, the wealth owned by the 8 richest persons of the planet equals with that of the poorest 3.5 billion of the world population. The wealth of the capitalists is based on the more brutal exploitation of the workers and on the theft of the natural resources of the countries, argued Theodorakis. And when the peoples rise up, when people raise their heads up, when the workers, rallied in their unions try to change the status quo, then imperialism, its mechanisms, like the IMF, the World Bank, their secret services, even their armies intervene to control, to protect the profits of their multinationals. They do everything so as to eliminate from the peoples their right to decide themselves for their own future, said Theodorakis. Strengthen class oriented trade unions And when the peoples rise up, when people raise their heads up, when the workers, rallied in their unions try to change the status quo, then imperialism, its mechanisms, like the IMF, the World Bank, their secret services, even their armies intervene to control, to protect the profits of their multinationals. They do everything so as to eliminate from the peoples their right to decide themselves for their own future, said Theodorakis. In this task, valuable tool is their mercenaries within the trade union movement, the ITUC. A mechanism of imperialism, which with money and threats controls big unions for the purposes of the USA and the IMF. And they use all means and all tactics for this. Wherever they cannot buyoff, or strike directly, they spread confusion, disorientation. They put obstacles in the action of the fighters so as to forward the plans of the monopolies. We witnessed their dirty role in Libya and Syria, where they supported the bloodbath caused by the imperialists. We see them in Venezuela to attack the legal Government, by repeating the propaganda of US State Department. While, with pride they finance the mafia of Miami against the Cuban revolution and support the Apartheid of Israel against the heroic people of Palestine. They are forces dangerous for the peoples, for the workers of each country and they must be isolated. Especially dangerous are those forces who put on the mask of the revolutionary, those who say a lot of words, but do not do anything for the rights of the workers. Opportunists leaders, who for the profits of the multinationals sacrifice the workers, argued Theodorakis. WFTU, the class oriented trade unions of the world and the heroic unions of South Africa are not intimidated by such tactics by imperialism and its lackeys. We have the power that comes from the success of the WFTU Congress, its decisions and class orientation, argued Theodorakis. WFTU acknowledged the solid support from the Congress Movement Alliance partners, the SACP and COSATU and Theodorakis said we have the power of class solidarity, of organization, internationalism, of those characteristics of the working class, of its values that imperialism could not and cannot defeat. We have the power of the heroes of the working class. We have the power of Moses Mabhida. We have the power of our martyrs. We have the power of the great struggles of the past, of the present and of the future. We have the power of the just struggle of the working class for the abolition of exploitation of man by man. Based on this power, we are optimist that NUM and the other forces of WFTU in South Africa will continue their vanguard role in defense of the workers of South Africa, but also we are optimist that you will fulfill with success your new duties, to be the voice and the fist of the class unions of Africa, of the workers of the world, concluded Theodorakis. Meanwhile WFTU President, Mzwandile Makwayiba addressed COSATU Central Committee at Irene in which he urged workers to strengthen the World Federation of Trade Unions in South Africa. Earlier this month, the World Federation of Trade Unions with its antiimperialist and internationalist position and action struggles for the elimination of the aggressiveness against the people of North Africa and the Middle East, for the dissolution of NATO and for the utilization of the natural resources by the people for their own interests and for the popular development that will bring the reconstruction and the prosperity of the people. 25

26 International Funds flowing illicitly out of South Africa must end now! Trade Unions and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in South Africa met in Johannesburg on the 09th 10th May 2017, under the theme Curbing illicit financial flows for public sector development and public service delivery: The role of trade unions and civil society. the meetings focal point was to deal with the challenges caused by illicit financial flows out of the South African Economy, develop action plans on Tax Justice and clear demands to government. The meeting further identified that; 1. There are reports and institutions including the UN High Level Panel on Illicit Financial flows (chaired by former South Africa president Thabo Mbeki), the South African Revenue Authority (SARS) that concede that South Africa is among the topmost African countries where illicit financial flows to western destinations is high. Per Mbeki s report South Africa is ranked third amongst 10 African countries, in terms of the cumulative illicit financial flows from 1970 to Within that period, $81.8 billion was lost to the economy. The South African Revenue Services (SARS) estimate that about R 30 billion of tax, which could be equated to 45% of government revenue is lost mainly through tax evasion by both individuals and companies. 2. According to the United Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report, iron core and gold exports from South Africa exhibit systematic under-invoicing. Per South African data, the top partner, India accounts for only 4.6% of its total gold exports. However, data in India show a share of 35%. 3. Business relations between the government and multinational companies operating in the country are shrouded in secrecy. Information on their ownership, their tax waivers allocated and benefits of such relations to the economy are not readily available. The secrecy prevents or denies the citizens the right to information or knowledge on what business the government is engaged in and their direct impact on citizens. Considering the above concerns, the meeting recommends: i. That the Minister of Finance and Commissioner of South African Revenue Service (SARS) must implement the various tax reform recommendations of the Davis Tax Committee, as the recommendations are inclusive of the inputs made by all stakeholders and are inimical to addressing some of the issues raised above. ii. That government must seek to mobilize adequate funds domestically to fund public services and social protection. These are sustainable means of ending poverty and inequalities in South Africa. iii.that in support and contribution to the global call for country-by country reporting for multinational companies, South Africa must ensure that local tax laws align to this call. iv. That the South African government should release annual reports to parliaments on tax breaks and other incentives given to companies, what they are worth and what the company has promised in return. This should include tax treaties with countries. v. That within the mandate of the south African Revenue Authority and the regulations governing revenue collection, government should increase resources and training to tax collection agencies to provide sufficient capacity to make Multinational companies pay their fair share of taxes. vi. The call for the end to illicit financial flows is only one aspect in relation to the call for structural transformation of the South African economy. Most importantly, multinational companies must be committed, through government legislation and enforcement, to making sure that resources are allocated to developing the needed skills and capacities that allows for control and management of the country s resources and the industrialization process. Issued by: Participating PSI Trade Unions and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in South Africa 26

27 International International South African Filmmaker withdraws from Israeli LGBT Film Festival South African Filmmaker, John Trengove withdraws from Israeli LGBT Film Festival respecting the Palestinian BDS boycott of Israel, award-winning South African film director, John johntrengove), withdrew from the Israeli LGBT Tel Aviv film festival taking place from 1st June- 10th June 2017, and requested that his feature film, The Wound, not be screened at the festival's opening night gala. Trengove's controversial feature, The Wound (Inxeba) which is set in the context of the Xhosa circumcision initiation ritual, premiered in Sundance and Berlin film festivals this year and is set to open in South African cinemas later in Trengove, who is the son of well-known advocate Wim Trengove, is also a Loerie, SAFTA and Rose d'or recipient, and was nominated for an International Emmy for his acclaimed miniseries Hopeville. BDS South Africa, among others, including several South African pro-bds Jewish film makers had engaged with Trengove urged him not to participate in the festival. One of the issues raised was Israel's use of "Pinkwashing" - an Israeli PR tactic that cynically exploits support for LGBT people to cover up its crimes against the Palestinian people and normalize its occupation, oppression and apartheid policies. In addition, activists pointed out that the Israeli Minister of Culture Miri Regev would be present for the festival. Regev has previously compared Africans as a cancer in society. Palestinian civil society has "warmly" welcomed Trengove's withdrawal thanking him for his "principled solidarity" and respect of the Palestinian "picket line". Following his cancellation, a representative from PACBI, Hind Awwad, called on others to follow suit: "We hope international artists follow his lead and cancel their participation, denying the Israeli government an opportunity to use their name to cover-up and pink wash its crimes." Trengove wrote a moving letter to Israeli organizers explaining his decision: It is with sincere regret that I have to inform you that I will not be attending TLVfest next week. In the last few days I have been approached by activist organizations as well as members of the South African film community, urging me to respect the cultural boycott against Israel, and specifically TLVfest. With the pain of the Apartheid struggle still fresh in our collective consciousness, the issue is, as you can imagine, a very sensitive one for many South Africans. The issue of pink washing has also been underscored to me. While I appreciate that the organizers of TLVfest may be well intentioned and progressive, it is impossible to look past the fact that the festival (and my participation in it) could serve as a diversion from the human rights violations being committed by the state of Israel. I understand that it is very late for me to make such a decision, and for this I am sincerely sorry. It is out of naivety, and a desire for my film and the human issues it promotes to be seen as far and wide as possible, that I accepted your invitation several weeks ago. Unfortunately, knowing what I now know, I feel it is imperative that I withdraw myself from attending. I also understand that the film has already been sold, not just for screening but also for Israeli distribution. I therefore accept that this is a situation that is out of my hands, though my wish is that the film not be shown in Israel while current conditions persist. I hope that you will accept my decision in the spirit that it is intended, which is not a personal attack on you or your team, but motivated by realisation of what deeply personal and political convictions require of me. In a follow up letter to the Israeli festival Trengove wrote: Let me reiterate that I have no doubt that your festival is a progressive and open-minded one. I have however come to believe that as long as current circumstances in Israel prevail, a rigorous boycott against ALL government funded initiatives is necessary. If nothing else, they are a way to signal to Israelis that the international community cannot condone what is being done in their name. As a South African, I have first hand experience of how boycotts helped bring about democratic transformation and therefore have decided to add my name and voice to the boycott Israel initiative. Following the letter, Ronnie Barkan, co-founder of the Israeli group "Boycott From Within", wrote to Trengovesaying: "As an Israeli citizen, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks for your taking a stand and for the wonderful letter that you have shared with us." We join other peace and justice loving South Africans in thanking Trengove who now joins a growing list of international artists, filmmakers, authors and others who have cancelled Israeli gigs and respected the Palestinian BDS call including Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Professor Stephen Hawking, musicians Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, Talib Kweli, authors Alice Walker, and Angela Davis, film makers Mira Nair, JohnGreyson, Ken Loach, Mike Leigh and others. This article was written by Kwara Kekana, BDS South Africa Spokesperson. 27

28 The Shopsteward - April/May 2017 Affiliate News Alliance pays tribute to Cde Toivo ya Toivo COSATU Affiliated trade unions participate in the 5th Africa s Continental Cuba Solidarity Conference in Windhoek South Africans expressed shock at the saddest news of the passing on of the Namibian liberation struggle, Herman Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, who died at the age of 93. South Africa has lost a true friend in the passing of Cde Toivo Ya Toivo, said Gwede Mantashe, African National Congress Secretary General. Comrade Toivo ya Toivo was a founder member of the South Western African People s Organization (SWAPO) and its predecessor the Ovamboland People's Organization (OPO). A man of strong beliefs and convictions, Cde Toivo dedicated his life to the fight against oppression by the then South Africa authorities, rejecting apartheid South Africa s reduction of sovereign Namibia into its colony, said Mantashe. He was Namibia s longest serving Robben Islander, having served 16 years on the Island with other luminaries of the African peoples struggles following conviction for contravening South Africa s Terrorism Act. His life was the personification of solidarity, the quest for selfdetermination and unyielding commitment to the liberation of his people. A Pan Africanist and progressive internationalist, Cde Toivo was a vocal and ardent supporter of the oppressed peoples of the world, leading from the front in, amongst others, the mobilization and call for the release of Africa s friends - some of whom fought in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale for Southern Africa s liberation - the Cuban Five Heroes from American jails. He was also militant workerist who advocated for the rights of African and black mine workers in South Africa and Namibia and was banished from South Africa for smuggling taped testimonies to the United Nations (UN) about the harsh experiences of Black mine workers. Following his release from Robben Island in 1984, Cde Toivo committed himself to the building of a democratic Namibia serving as Secretary General of SWAPO and in various portfolios in Government. The Congress Movement shared various platforms with him even before his passing after COSATU affiliated trade unions attended the 5th Africa s Continental Cuba Solidarity Conference in Windhoek, Namibia. And The SACP said we mourns the death of one of our exceptional revolutionaries, the co-founder and former leader of SWAPO in Namibia, Cde Herman Andimba Toivo ya Toivo. The South African Communist Party expresses its message of heartfelt condolences to the family of Cde Herman Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, the people of Namibia, Southern Africa and the African continent as whole on the death of the freedom fighter and co-founder and leader of the South West African People s Organisation (SWAPO). Cde Toivo died at the age of 93 in Windhoek yesterday, Friday 9 June 2017, said Alex Mashilo, SACP National Spokesperson. Africa is not independent yet, because of persisting imperialist domination and capitalist exploitation of its resources and people. The masses of our people remain impoverished across the board, while a few, both national and foreign exploiters are becoming rich and richer out of the exploitation. The SACP is reiterating its call for African continental unity to continue and deepen the struggle to advance the African revolution in honour of the exceptional founders and leaders of our national liberation movements, of who Cde Toivo was one, said Mashilo. South Africa has lost a true friend in Comrade Toivo ya Toivo and we send our deepest condolences to our fraternal organization, SWAPO, the people of Namibia and Comrade ya Toivo s family on his passing. Hamba Kahle Comrade Herman Andimba Toivo ya Toivo. 28

29 Affiliate NewsInternational SASBO calls for job security in the banking sector the Banking Union in COSATU, SASBO has rejected forced retrenchment from African Bank which may result in almost 650 employees losing their jobs. SASBO is involved in a consultation process with African Bank, facilitated by the CCMA which commenced on the 30th May 2017, says Myan Soobramoney, SASBO Assistant General Secretary. The Bank presented its proposals and we reaffirm our position to oppose forced retrenchments. We confirm that no agreement has been reached between the parties. We are consulting with our members, concluded Soobramoney. The parties will reconvene with the CCMA facilitated consultations on the 21st June Forward with decent work agenda! COSATU National Organizing strategizing on how to lead campaigns to defend jobs SAMWU marches in municipalities SAMWU members at Ekurhuleni demand job security the South African Municipal Workers Union held successful campaigns at various municipalities across the country to march for decent work agenda for its members. In Free State, SAMWU members at the Mangaung municipality withdrew their labour in May after holding meetings with management demanding, amongst others, immediate cessation of daily political interference of councilors and MMCs in the administration of the municipality, absorption of temporary workers, salary adjustments, unpaid salaries to temporary workers and also dealing away with outsourcing. SAMWU served the municipality with a notice of a full blown strike. Workers are resolute that they will not be returning to their work stations until all these demands are met, said Congo Matshepe Provincial chairperson, SAMWU Free State Province. In Gauteng, SAMWU leaders engaged workers in various mass meetings at the City of Johannesburg to demand an end to exploitation and victimization of workers, harmonization of conditions of employment before the reintegration of municipal entities, salary progression, ending of outsourcing of municipal services, absorption of all contract workers including the EPWP, Security and Cleaners and also ending taking unilateral decision by the municipality. We have tested the ground and our members are ready to embark on a full blown strike across the entire City, said Bafana Zungu, Regional Secretary, SAMWU Greater Johannesburg. Following the blatant refusal by the City of Johannesburg to constructively engage with organized labour on issues affecting workers within the City, the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) will be marching to the City of Johannesburg to deliver a memorandum of demands, elaborated Zungu. Meanwhile, the SACP in Gauteng joined their mass meetings held at the Beyes Naude Square to pledge their solidarity. In Ekurhuleni, SAMWU has learnt with disappointment at the recent developments at the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality s (EMM) deliberate attempt to compromise service delivery to the Citizens of the City. The City under the mayor Mzandile Masina announced that over 170 vacancies would be frozen following allegations of overtime abuse. Instead of taking measures to curb this alleged abuse, the EMM responded by freezing these posts which we firmly believe will result in the compromise of service delivery in the waste removal department, said Thokozani Nkosi, Regional Secretary, SAMWU Ekurhuleni Region. SAMWU has on record reported about developments of union bashing in many municipalities. Current employees are already overstretched as a result of the municipality s refusal to fill these vacancies further expanded by the illegal and unlawful charges and suspensions that have been brought by the Ekurhuleni Municipal Manager against SAMWU shopstewards and members who have been directly and systematically targeted for reasons only known by the City. The EMM is constantly being run as though it belongs to an individual instead of it being an entity of all who live in it. We have noted decisions which have been taken without following due processes and also consulting with organized labour such as the decision to convert day shifts into night shifts. We are however glad that the South African Local Bargaining Council has ruled that night shifts imposed on workers who are paid a mere R175 as night shift is invalid as there has been no agreements between labour and the City in the Local Labour Forum, said Nkosi. SAMWU will not allow the municipality to systematically collapse bargaining power of workers by increasing the number of EPWP participants, participants who are deliberately exploited by receiving slave wages and no job security. We also demand an immediate cease of the privatization of the delivery of services within the EMM. SAMWU further demands the remunicipalisation of services, not only limited to waste removal but all services delivered by the City. It can t be correct that the municipality claims it wants to cut costs while majority of its work is outsourced, concluded Nkosi. Meanwhile, in Limpopo, at Tzaneen municipality employees were once denied entry into the premises by security officers after claiming unpaid salaries for more than three months from a security company. An injury to one is an injury to all.this year, 2017, SAMWU has scheduled to celebrate its 30th Anniversary. 29

30 The Shopsteward - April/May 2017 Affiliate News SADTU holds a successful NEC its new Headquarters The struggle for quality, free public education continues the South African Democratic Teachers Union has held a successful National Executive Committee on the Month of May 2017 at Kempton Park, Gauteng. The National Education Committee reflected on many issues ranging from internal union matters, socioeconomic, education, political to labour matters, said Mugwena Maluleke, SADTU General Secretary. South Africa has recently faced a scourge of gender based violence across communities and SADTU raised its voice to condemn the improper conduct. Following the recent spate of incidents of murders and rapes of young women and children in general with specific reference to the latest reported incidents where young women were murdered and one gang raped in the Johannesburg Central Business District, said Maluleke The NEC resolved that as SADTU, as a Union in the teaching profession that is at the forefront of transforming societies shall organise and lead a march first in Soweto and then to all other province to protest against this growing scourge. It called upon members to continue efforts particularly in schools and the communities in which members work to provide support and education particularly to young men and boys on the need to respect the human rights of women and girls, elaborated Maluleke Public Advocacy of Gender based violence Teachers are at the forefront to mould young citizens about the deliverables of the Constitution. Maluleke said The NEC further resolved to develop a special pamphlet that would be used in schools to help teachers to enrich the curriculum. It further urged members to provide assistance where they can by assisting law enforcement agencies and provide and/or facilitate the provision of any information that can help in apprehending these heartless criminals. It rejected the notion that psycho-socio factors such as unemployment, drug and substance abuse contribute to the nature of the violent society we are. The NEC said such incidents are a constant reminder of the need for society to intensify the struggle for the total emancipation of women, the respect for human rights and our responsibility to ensure the attainment of a non-sexist society. Summary of NEC Resolutions SADTU NEC agreed with COSATU s decision that President Zuma should step down SADTU NEC reiterated the fact that Union is ready to fend off the attempts by our class enemies to tarnish our name and we refuse to be intimidated by the DA SADTU NEC expressed relief that Motshekga has finally acceded to what we have been saying all along. The NEC welcomes this relief because it took a year for the minister to allow due processes before making this conclusion. SADTU NEC resolved that the Union should engage with Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba and the new Public Service Minister Faith Muthambi on the matter. If this does do bear positive fruit, the union will then ballot members and embark on a work-to-rule industrial action SADTU NEC therefore resolved that the union should launch an urgent court application to force the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to reverse their unilateral change of payment dates and consult labour on any matter affecting condition of service. SADTU NEC further resolved that it was time the Director General and the Minister of the Department of Higher Education and Training knew that SADTU as a Union, would not allow them to undermine the laws of this country SADTU NEC resolved to oppose any outsourcing in education and will mobilize members to reject standardized curriculum. The Union will continue to participate in the remodeling of the national assessment to ensure that quality teaching and learning takes place and oppose teach for testing attempts that are imported from failed systems somewhere. SADTU NEC called for the implementation of the triennial systemic assessment which has been agreed upon before all these attempts by officials to secure their pension by outsourcing assessments. SADTU NEC resolved that the Union should promote and support provinces to implement professional learning communities or communities of practice in schools through its Curtis Nkondo Professional Development Institute The struggle for quality, free public education continues, said Maluleke. 30

31 Affiliate NewsInternational SADTU holds provincial Conferences the South African Democratic Teachers Union commenced with holding provincial conferences to renew the mandate in its structures to accelerate achievements of its organizational goals based on its Congress resolved pillars. SADTU in KwaZulu-Natal became the fifth province to hold its conference when they met at the Greyville Race Course, Durban. SADTU in the Eastern Cape was the first to hold its conference in March and was followed by the Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and Free State Provinces. Limpopo, Gauteng and the North West Provinces will hold theirs in June and the Western Cape will sit in July, said Mugwena Maluleke, SADTU General Secretary COSATU provinces have wished all the workers parliaments a success to heightening the call by the federation to get Back to Basics. The following comrades were duly elected to lead the KwaZulu-Natal province; 1. Comrade Phumlani Duma Provincial Chairperson 2. Comrade Zodwa Zwane Provincial Deputy Chairperson 3. Comarde Nomarashiya Caluza Provincial Secretary 4. Comrade Bheki Shandu Deputy Provincial Secretary 5. Comrade Mpiyane Mchunu Provincial Treasurer 6. Comrade Nozipho Hlatshwayo Provincial Gender 7. Comrade Dhirendra Deonarain Provincial Education Officer 8. Comrade Nana Masoka Sport, Art and Culture (SAC) COSATU in the Province of KwaZulu Natal wish to congratulate SADTU, our union in the Education Sector for a very high moral, revolutionary and democratic Provincial Conference held from 11th 14th May As COSATU we are swollen with pride of the high quality standard, excellence in the level of organization and unity showed in this Provincial Conference by the leadership and conference delegates of our teachers union, said Edwin Mkhize, COSATU KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Secretary. It has given us optimism that SADTU remains the only hope and home for all teachers who care about their future, jobs and families. We remain positive and look forward to the newly elected leadership, and we are hopeful that they will add value on the work done to take SADTU and COSATU to the next higher level in terms of building COSATU Engines, said Mkhize. Meanwhile, SADTU Limpopo was preparing to hold its provincial conference under the Theme Restore the character of SADTU as a union of Revolutionary Professionals, as Agents of Change and Champions of People s Education for People s Power in Pursuit for Socialism at the Bolivia Lodge in Polokwane. The conference is taking place at the time when there is a lot at stake about poor education management in the province. This is evident in the recent Union demands such as non-payment of salaries for teachers; failure to pay teachers benefits such as IQMS; improvement of qualifications, said Raphasha Matome, SADTU Limpopo Provincial Secretary. The Provincial Conference will also be graced by the presence of Alliance Structures and other MDM formations, sister unions from COSATU and other fraternal structures. And we will continue to honour unions members for the outstanding and dedicated work they carried out in their capacity as educators and union leaders. Notable amongst these educators is the retired Pula Madibogo Primary School Principal and SADTU Member who has won many local and international awards for her outstanding work she performed as a teacher and principal of her school. She was just recently nominated in the Top 50 Global Teacher Prize for $1 million Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Award for 2017, elaborated Raphasha. 31

32 The Shopsteward - April/May 2017 Affiliate News LIMUSA commits to a Socialist South Africa in our lifetime LIMUSA members the Liberated Metalworkers Union of South Africa [LIMUSA] in its recent National Executive Committee [NEC] stressed the importance of building a service oriented and militant metalworkers union in order to keep the members we have attracted to the union. LIMUSA continues to function in eight [8] provinces representing close to members in the workplaces across the country. The experience we have accumulated in the last two years have shown that first and foremost, workers want to be serviced without fail by the officials and shop-stewards, said Cedric Gina, LIMUSA General Secretary. Trade union density in South Africa Currently LIMUSA has been building structures and leading recruitment in every shopfloor to strengthen the voice of all metalworkers. We must invest more energy into capacity building for officials and leaders for service to members to improve. The NEC want to thank members who have stayed put in LIMUSA despite attempts by unions with money promising them material benefits. LIMUSA has adopted a target of members by end of the year to gain access into all the bargaining councils in the country where we are organised, elaborated Gina. South Africa like any other country is facing erosion of union membership caused largely by the impact of labour broking, retrenchment and general increase of contracted workforce. LIMUSA holds a successful NEC The NEC was disturbed by the decline of organized workers in South Africa, elaborated Gina The NEC was disturbed to receive a sad state of affairs in the biggest bargaining council named MEIBC. The bargaining council are critical for the labour peace in South Africa and they must be strengthened. The raising of the threshold for entrance like it has happened in MEIBC does not help to make stronger councils, instead it promotes exclusion of many workers and play into the hands of employers like NEASA. The NEC calls on labour delegates in the councils to reduce the entry requirements to accommodate thousands of workers that are outside the councils, said Gina A campaigning LIMUSA is a catalyst for hegemonic influence. LIMUSA since its founding has invested in mass mobilization in unionizing the un-organized and vulnerable workers in its sector. LIMUSA appreciated the support from COSATU and other organizations in the Alliance since its inception. The NEC impressed upon the union leadership to ensure full participation of LIMUSA in the coming COSATU Campaigns. The NEC endorsed the campaign against etolls, the campaign against corruption, the campaign against state capture and the campaign to fight for decent work, said Gina The LIMUSA NEC noted that COSATU was coming from two tough National Congresses that took place in The NEC appreciated the work of the National Office Bearers of COSATU despite the challenges of declining membership. The NEC stressed the role of LIMUSA in returning metalworkers in the fold of the federation. The NEC noted that public sector unions have generously supported LIMUSA and hope to get support from other unions in the manufacturing sector. The NEC noted with concern that the challenges of declining membership is affecting the federation. 32

33 Affiliate NewsInternational The NEC noted the formation of a new federation based on lies about COSATU and LIMUSA. LIMUSA calls on all COSATU affiliates to defend their factories against the new federation that had a certificate before members. This is a federation that fought in their launching congress for positions. It must not grow, workers must reject its advances, elaborated Gina Class struggle is a political struggle! LIMUSA NEC has called upon Congress Movement leaders to ensure that the National Democratic Revolution [NDR] is not off-track and it is pursued until its logical conclusion. The NEC commits to a Socialist South Africa in our lifetime. The NEC wishes COSATU a successful Central Committee. Meanwhile LIMUSA NEC wished the SACP a successful congress this year. The NEC calls on COSATU and SACP to continue with their engagements with a view to remove doubts about their unity of purpose in the eyes of workers and society. And LIMUSA wished the leader of the Alliance, the African National Congress a successful National Policy Conference in June this year and also the National Conference in December this year, said Gina The NEC requests the ANC to act as leader of the Alliance by working for the unity of the Alliance as a whole. The NEC strongly believes the Alliance is relevant now like it was against apartheid. LIMUSA urges all our leaders to set aside their prejudices and work hard to resolve all contemporary challenges. The NEC believes not one organization of the Alliance can execute the National Democratic Revolution [NDR] without the other, concluded Gina. SATAWU leads workers negotiations in various sectors SATAWU Members at the Road Traffic Infringement Agency go on strike South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) has led its members at the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) in Gauteng on an industrial action to demand a better working conditions. Workers at RTIA protested against hours of work, said Zanele Sabela, SATAWU Media Officer. The RTIA employees include adjudicators, call centre agents, revenue service staff, administrators and general workers. They are responsible for the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) in that they adjudicate and grant reductions on traffic fines and also lift the block so motorists can purchase their licence discs. The trouble started when workers noticed a discrepancy in the stipulated hours of work in their letter of appointment as opposed to what was stated in the original Conditions of Service Policy. The policy stated 40 hours of work per week including lunch and tea breaks while the letter of appointment put total hours of work at 45 hours per week. When they pointed this out, the employer unilaterally amended and implemented the unapproved policy, argued Sabela. SATAWU engaged management on this issue several times without success. The matter was referred to the Commission of Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). Ultimately, a certificate of non-resolution was issued, granting the union permission to take members on a legal strike. Our members at RTIA are adamant they will remain on strike until their voices are heard. However, it is important to say that we are still open to negotiations and invite management to come to the table so as to avoid service to motorist being interrupted, said Sabela. Meanwhile, SATAWU has signed a wage agreement with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) and thus averting a nationwide strike. According to the agreement signed late Friday night, Prasa will effect an 8% acrossthe-board salary increase backdated to 1 April The increase will be paid with the end June salaries. The agreement also stipulates that no retrenchments will be effected for the duration of the agreement, 1 April 2017 to 31 March The agreement is a culmination of a tough negotiation process that started in mid-february when the margin between labour s demand and the employers offer was as wide as 17%. Failing to find each other, parties participated in a conciliation process led by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). When conciliation did not produce the desired outcome, the CCMA issued a certificate of non-resolution granting labour permission to take workers on a nationwide strike. Parties agreed on the terms of reference which included the following substantive issues: Medical Aid Night shift allowance Standby allowance Book-off allowance Danger allowance 33

34 The Shopsteward - April/May 2017 Affiliate News NEHAWU holds a successful 11th National Congress Newly elected NEHAWU Leadership collective at Boksburg A trade union is the prime mass organisation of the working class. To fulfil its purpose, it must be as broad as possible and fight to maintain its legal status. It must attempt, in the first place, to unite, on an industrial basis, all workers (at whatever level of political consciousness) who understand the elementary need to come together and defend and advance their economic conditions Over 575 delegates representing members of the national union, delegates from 36 international fraternal organisations, representatives from COSATU affiliates and Alliance components attended the 11th National Congress of National Education Health & Allied Workers' Union [NEHAWU] which was held at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg under the Theme "Strengthen workplace organisation, deepen class consciousness and advance internationalism". The 11th congress was to assess the union's performance in implementing the mandate of the 10th National Congress and also put together a programme of action for the next four years, said Zola Saphetha, NEHAWU General Secretary. Workers from Branches attending the Congress He said The 11th National Congress coincided with the 30th anniversary of the founding of our union. This is an important milestone in the history of this giant public sector union. Throughout the 30 years of our existence, we have grown into a very strong union that is preoccupied with the transformation of the public sector and the struggle to end exploitation, outsourcing and the oppression of one class by another. The Congress amongst others, resolved on the following aspects; disaffiliate from the Public Service International which shall be implemented with immediate effect a d v a n c i n g internationalist work with the people of Venezuela, Cuba, Swaziland, Western Sahara and Palestine Work tirelessly to encourage other COSATU affiliates to join WFTU TUIs Work with the SACP, COSATU and WFTU in organising different activities to celebrate the centenary of the epoch-making Great October Socialist Revolution The congress welcomed the fact that the SACP is now calling for the reconfiguration of the Alliance The union must actively support the SACP initiative of building the broadest possible patriotic and popular front to defend, advance and deepen our democracy and national sovereignty, to fight corporate state capture, corruption, rentseeking and all forms of manipulation of our national wealth and public resources by sections of individuals and elitist groupings - regardless of whether they are black or white Congress supports the succession of Cde Jacob Zuma by Cde Cyril Ramaphosa at the 54th ANC Conference that is taking place at the end of the year in Gauteng 34

35 Affiliate NewsInternational The Congress calls for the Jobs Summit, which amongst others must also discuss the macroeconomic p o l i c i e s, industrialisation and comprehensive social security The Congress support efforts to address challenges faced by some of the affiliates, the Listening Campaign and the Section 77 notice which amongst others must put forward our demands such as safe and reliable integrated public transport system, the implementation of the National Health Insurance, safe and productive investment of workers' retirement savings by the Public Investment Cooperation, Feesfree post-schooling system, the absorption of Community Health Workers into the public service and an end to Workers from Branches attending the Congress e-tolls, outsourcing, casualization, etc. We shall work with the COSATU public sector unions to campaign for the investment of our retirement savings managed by the PIC into the public service housing scheme rather than in speculative projects in which it is currently involved. The Congress resolved to work with progressive women's movement, combating patriarchy and to promote gender activism amongst men as part of the overall strategic objective of the NDR to overcome the triple oppressions of women in our society We shall be in the forefront of the fight against privatisation, outsourcing, agencification and corruption in the state and society, including in the SOEs We undertake to mobilise our members in support of the COSATU activities in the fight against statecapture and to support the establishment of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry. We emerged from this congress as a maturing and biggest affiliate of our federation, COSATU and a leading affiliate of WFTU on our Continent, with confidence and determination to strengthen, deepen and advance our work on all that we have achieved on the key pillars of our programme of action since our last congress, said Saphetha. The 11th N a t i o n a l Congress elected the following leadership; President: Cde Michael Makwayiba 1st Deputy president: Cde Michael Shingange Second Deputy President: Cde Nyameka Macanda National Treasurer: Kgomotso Makhuphola General Secretary: Cde Zola Saphetha Deputy General Secretary: Cde December Mavuso As NEHAWU, we emerged from our 11th National Congress more united and determined for battles ahead. Indeed, our congress was a resounding, successful and we emerged from it armed with very progressive resolutions to strengthen workplace organisation, deepen class consciousness and advance internationalism, said Saphetha Meanwhile, the congress received addresses from the Deputy President of the ANC, Cde. Cyril Ramaphosa; General Secretary of the SACP, Cde. Blade Nzimande; President of COSATU, Cde. Sidumo Dlamini and Minister of Public Service and Administrator, Cde. Faith Muthambi. It further received addresses from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) Deputy General Secretary and President of WFTU TUI-PAE and messages of support from different worker's organisations across the globe. Delegates from KwaZulu-Natal reading the Congress Declaration 35

36 The Shopsteward - April/May 2017 Commentary Unemployment continues to rise in South Africa says SACP SACP concerned about the South African economy falling into recession, its adverse impact on the workers and poor, the worst to be affected by Alex Mashilo the South African Communist Party has noted with concern the second consecutive decline of the total value of goods and services produced in our economy in the first quarter of 2017, following a decline in the last quarter of The two consecutive gross domestic product or Growth Domestic Product [GDP] contractions mean that the South African economy has slipped into a recession, technically. While it is the rich and wealthy, the capitalist bosses who command ownership of means of production, appropriate and accumulate wealth from economic production and exchange converted into money and capital, a recession has an adverse impact on the workers and the poor who become worst affected by capitalist crises in general. These facts highlight the urgent necessity to move our national democratic transformation on to a second, more radical phase, underpinned by decisive policies that will radically reduce class inequality, including its racial, gender and spatial articulations, unemployment and poverty. The investment strike by capitalist bosses who appropriated multi-billions of rands from (unpaid) workers labour must be tackled decisively. The importance of advancing the national imperative to transform the financial sector and adopt policies that will direct and continuously increase investment in the productive sector of the economy to grow employment cannot be overemphasised. In the same vein, the importance of the national imperative to transform the base structure of our economy and systematically eliminate its colonial features by means of advancing and deepening national production through manufacturing development and diversification cannot be overemphasised. South Africa has a massive wealth in the form of mineral resources. That is presently appropriated in the form of profit by the capitalist bosses who control the mining sector. These resources must instead be leveraged as a source of strategic advantage for the manufacturing of finished products in our economy instead of being exported for the profit of the bosses. The recent disinvestment strike by General Motors [GM] is likely to reduce the share of automotive manufacturing industry s contribution to our economy and add to de-industrialisation in proportion with that reduction. This is the time for workers to unite across the spectrum of trade union and political organisation in response to such strikes by capitalist bosses and their system s crises including the recession, but more importantly in pursuit of the common, immediate interests and long-term aims of the working class movement as a whole. South Africa has a better future, but this requires maximum unity behind a common programme of national democratic revolutionary transformation. We need to forge the broadest possible front to tackle our economic and political challenges, including state capture, corruption and rentseeking. Pleading 'Guilty' during disciplinary hearings, too scary for nurses... by Sibongiseni Delihlazo Pl e a d i n g 'Guilty' is too embarrassing and intolerable a word for many nurses. Some hate DENOSA for suggesting a 'guilty' plead at some work and SANC cases based on overwhelming and incriminating evidence against a member. Some even leave DENOSA as their union in anger and join a non-nursing union that assists them in pleading 'Not Guilty' all the way to lengthy suspension or being struck off the SANC nursing register. DENOSA would like to take all nurses to its confidence in this regard. As a lesson, there was a case study in point that surfaced the other day at SANC where DENOSA was wellprepared to represent a nurse implicated in an incident involving a four-day infant who died at a Johannesburg hospital a few years ago. A DENOSA member was one of the two implicated nurses, who was due to appear before a SANC disciplinary committee. Another nurse belonged to another union. DENOSA shop stewards at the institution and provincial office had done their preparatory homework thoroughly and were ready to represent the member. But DENOSA's mistake in the eye of the member was to assess the case and evidence for and against, and suggested that a 'guilty' plea as winnable tactic for the nurse. Then it was agreed. But not for long. A few days before the appearance day 36

37 CommentaryInternational at SANC, the DENOSA shop steward who was to represent the member at SANC was informed by a member of the change of mind on the pleading part. "Sorry, I won't plead guilty. I have consulted and will be represented by a legal representative (lawyer)." The lawyer won't plead guilty. The day for the disciplinary case arrived. After more than 8 hours of waiting for the case number to be called into the hearing, it was finally called. Not surprisingly, the other union representing another member had agreed with its member on pleading 'guilty' to the charge. The lawyer pleaded not guilty. And cases had to be separated. The full trial, and the list of witnesses to be called is expected to be drawn up, for the one who pleaded 'not guilty' and the hearing was set for another date. The lawyer will come back on the said date. As is to be expected, lawyers charge appearance fees and the longer it takes for cases to be concluded, the higher the costs of keeping a lawyer by your side. The case for the one who pleaded 'guilty' sat on the day. SANC argued in aggravation for the sentence: "The case is very serious. But the nurse pleaded guilty, which is a sign of remorse, but that does not take away the seriousness of the case. As SANC we say the nurse must be suspended for three years, suspended for five years." The other union argued in mitigation: "The nurse pleaded guilty, which is a remorse. In her over 20 years of service as a nurse she was never found guilty of any offense. She is a qualified specialist whose skill is very scarce for society. She is a bread winner at home whose children are solely dependent on her for survival as her husband is not working." The committee adjourned for a verdict. It came back later with the following verdict: The committee found her guilty. Suspended as a practicing nurse, which is suspended for two years. The hearing ended. Therefore, the nurse who sat on the day is now off the hook. The other nurse will await a date for the full trial from SANC, with witnesses lined up by SANC and the defence team respectively. We await the trial. But the power of pleading 'guilty' has saved the other nurse. It surely should have saved our member too on the day. That's the power of a wellcalculated guilty plea. Sibongiseni Delihlazo is the DENOSA National Communications Manager. NHI, The greater need to move from first gear by Sibongiseni Delihlazo for a number of years now, as trade unions organizing in the health sector, we have had our views known to the world about our full support of the noble concept of National Health Insurance (NHI) in South Africa, as a route towards achieving Universal Health Coverage for its citizens, majority of whom rely on the public-sector healthcare. In fact our full support of this great concept was even before the White Paper was issued and it took quite a while before the White Paper on NHI was released. The deadline for public comments on it was end of May Summarily, and this is the basis for our support for it, NHI promises to revolutionarize the country s health system that has two faces Private (well-funded) healthcare and public (grossly underfunded) healthcare. Private healthcare takes care of not more than 15% of the country s population those who can still work and afford medical aid contribution. Public healthcare, on the other hand, takes care of not less than 84% of South Africans of all ages. By far, majority of these cannot afford the private healthcare and they are not taken care of by the public healthcare out of their own choice. More interestingly, some of those taken care of by public healthcare are actually private healthcare clients who had ran out of funds to be taken care of in the private healthcare, you sit on your money and if it runs out you are chucked out. If you run out of money in your medical aid while you are still in a private hospital somewhere, you simply get transferred to a nearest public hospital. That s how inhumane it can be. In South Africa, budget for health is the second-biggest of the overall government budget after education. For the 2017/2018 financial year, health has been given a R187 billion. Our fear, though, is that the voice of government is slowly getting muffled when it comes to NHI. This is very concerning. In the state of the nation addresses by President Jacob Zuma, the sentences and words about NHI are getting fewer and fewer. For example, President Zuma said the following on NHI in his SONA: On health matters, the National Health Insurance is our flagship project that is aimed at moving South Africa towards Universal Health Coverage. The NHI will be implemented in a 14 year period in three phases. We are in the midst of the first phase which is the preparatory phase, which started in Apologies, but for a move as big as NHI is, one would have expected a little more from the President on NHI. As a nation, we just cannot back off from it now. It is too important. It is these three lines from the SONA that makes one to be very suspicious and nervous about the future of NHI. Yes, it is an open secret that NHI will require complete revamping of many facilities, and this requires serious funding commitment. And that comes at the time when financially the country is not doing so well. The first button to tighten is efficiency so that value for money is achieved from each cost centre. In essence, we are left with two phases out of the nine years remaining and the project has not passed the first phase. The first phase is on its sixth year this year. The country is pressed for time if this grand plan is to mature at the set time. The problem is, it is just difficult to move from first gear. Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, gave the following update on NHI in his Budget Speech: In the next phase of NHI implementation, an NHI Fund will be established. Its initial focus will be to improve access to a common set of maternal health and antenatal services and family planning services to expand integrated schools health programme, including provision of spectacles and hearing aids and to improve services for people with disabilities, the elderly and mentally-ill patients, including provision of wheelchairs and other assistive devices. The service package financed by the NHI Fund will be progressively expanded. In setting up the Fund, we will look at various funding options, including possible adjustment to the tax credit on medical schemes contributions. Further details will be provided in the adjustment budget in October this year, and in the course of legislative process. Taking into account the 160 submissions received from the public, the National Treasury and the Department of Health are working together to revise the finalized NHI White Paper and the longer-term financing arrangement. There will be consultations with stakeholders over the period ahead on reform of medical scheme environment, including consolidation of public sector funds. Sibongiseni Delihlazo is a National Communications Manager at DENOSA. 37

38 cosatu Provincial Offices Gauteng Dumisani Dakile - Provincial Secretary dumisani@cosatu.org.za Matserane Wa Mapena - Educator / Organiser matserane@cosatu.org.za Nomthunzi Mothapo - Administrator nomthunzi@cosatu.org.za 110 Corner Jorissen and Simmonds Streets, Braamfontein. Tel: / Fax : Eastern Cape Xolani Malamlela - Provincial Secretary xolani@cosatu.org.za Mkhawuleli Maleki - Educator / Organiser mkhawuleli@cosatu.org.za Thokozani Mtini - Administrator thokozani@cosatu.org.za 19B Devereux Avenue Vincent, East London Tel: /45 Fax: Free State Monyatso Mahlatsi - Provincial Secretary monyatso@cosatu.org.za Abel Pitso - Educator/Organiser abel@cosatu.org.za Lumka Siyoko - Administrator lumka@cosatu.org.za 6th floor, Miriam Makeba Street Atrium Building, P O Box 985 Bloemfontein 9300 Tel: / 5230 Fax: KwaZulu-Natal Edwin Mkhize - Provincial Secretary edwin@cosatu.org.za Nokhwezi Buthelezi - Administrator nokhwezi@cosatu.org.za Khaliphile Cotoza - Provincial Organiser/Educator khaliphile@cosatu.org.za P O Box 4765 Durban th floor, Suite Anton Lembede (Smith) Street, Mercury House Building, Durban Tel: FAx: Limpopo Gerald Twala - Provincial Secretary gerald@cosatu.org.za Louisa Nxumalo - Provincial Organiser/Educator louisa@cosatu.org.za Toeki Kgabo - Administrator toeki@cosatu.org.za 16 Schoeman Street Polokwane 0700 Tel: Fax: / Mpumalanga Thabo Mokoena - Provincial Secretary thabo@cosatu.org.za James Mhlabane- Educator/Organiser james@cosatu.org.za Phindile Sidane - Administrator phindile@cosatu.org.za P O Box 2425 Witbank 1035 House no. 1 Cnr Beatty & Plumer Street Witbank 1039 Tel: / 90 Fax: North West Job Dliso - Provincial Secretary job@cosatu.org.za Kopano Konopi - Educator / Organiser kopano@cosatu.org.za Ruth Mosiane - Administrator ruth@cosatu.org.za Elijah Barayi House 75 Commissioner Street PO Box Klerksdorp 2570 Tel: /6602 Fax: Fax Northern Cape Anele Gxoyiya - Provincial Secretary anele@cosatu.org.za Thandi Makapela - Educator/Organiser thandi@cosatu.org.za Gosalamang Jantjies - Administrator gosalamang@cosatu.org.za 21 Angel Street Kimberly, 8301 Tel: FAx: Western Cape Tony Ehrenreich - Provincial Secretary tony@cosatu.org.za Paul Bester - Educator/Organiser paul@cosatu.org.za Fiona Kleinhans - Administrator fiona@cosatu.org.za Ground Floor Community House 41 Salt River Road Salt River, Cape Town PO Box 471 Woodstock 7925 Tel: /5/6 Fax: Parliamentary Office 69 Plein Street Plein Park Building P O Box 5622 Cape Town 8000 Tel: Fax: Matthew Parks - Deputy Head of Office matthew@cosatu.org.za Patience Lebatlang - Administrator patience@cosatu.org.za 38

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