Draft Resolutions for 7th National Congress

Draft Organisational Resolutions

Political | International | Socio-economic

Building worker unity Expanding the Federation Recruitment campaign Organisational effects of outsourcing Organising the unemployed Service to Members Staff Issues and Restructuring Constitutional amendments Strengthening the regions Locals Demarcation of Regions Demarcation of locals Membership and cadre development to deepen organisation and class consciousness Union research

Building capacity on Skills Development and Employment Equity Acts Campaigning to defend and create quality jobs Tariff reductions Financial sector Job Creation Fund Restructuring the public sector Collective bargaining in the public service Privatisation Strengthening local government and defending the unified state

Please note that draft resolutions do not necessarily represent COSATU policy until formally adopted.

 

5. Building worker unity

5.1 Expanding the Federation

This Congress,

Noting

1. Whilst progress on building worker unity has been made since the founding of COSATU, the labour movement remains divided.

2. Aspects of the constitution discourage affiliation by independent unions and mergers between affiliates.

Believing,

1. COSATU’s founding principles of one industry one union, one country one federation remain relevant for the strategic objective of creating worker unity.

2. These principle and policies provide the platform for affiliates to speak with one voice in unity and in struggle.

Resolves

1. To call on affiliates engage in a dialogue with unions operating within their sectors to build the widest possible unity through joint co-operation on key struggles to defend our gains.

2. To encourage those unions that support our founding preamble, aims and objectives and policies to affiliate to the Federation.

3. To amend the constitution so that unions that apply for membership gain observer status for six months, during which they can learn about and adapt to Cosatu policies.

4. To embark on an information campaign to underline the fact that the commitment of Cosatu unions to defend and advance the interests of workers is not in any way compromised by our membership of the Alliance, and to reassure other federations that the benefits of unity far outweigh their concerns on the political front

5. When two or more Cosatu affiliates merge, the subsequent EXCO should approve the affiliation of the new merged union. (NUM)

6. To support the establishment of cartels, COSATU must
   

1. prepare a discussion paper for each of the cartels to workshop and develop further,

2. hold workshops in each sector to examine shared areas of work and challenges, the possibilities for sharing resources and campaigns, and concrete steps to take the cartel policy forward, and

3. on that basis, define a programme of action to move the cartel policy forward.

NUM, NEHAWU

 

5.2 Recruitment campaign

Believing

1. The continuous recruitment and unionisation of workers outside COSATU is a critical and central part of building and maintaining a strong labour movement. Recruitment and organising of informal sector workers is a major and necessary challenge.

Resolves

1. To continue with the annual recruitment campaign.

2. Affiliates should commit more time for planning and execution of the campaign.

3. The Federation sets the realistic target of 50 000 new members a year as a result of this campaign.

4. Affiliates commit to recruitment and unionisation of informal sector workers as a major part of the recruitment drive, as well as their overall work and resource allocation.

5. A committee of affiliates must drive the campaign and integrate into COSATU’s functioning informal sector workers and other workers in the new forms of work.
   

6. The Federation must develop a plan of action for organising workers in difficult areas, including

1. Priorities, focusing on farm workers in the coming year, with a review to see how to extend the strategy to other groups thereafter,

2. Carefully planned assistance to unions organising in these areas, taking into account that these unions will likely be weaker due to the nature of the workers engaged,

3. The development of sectoral organising strategies by individual unions that identify target groups, work out links and areas of potential organisation, and develop strategies, with support from the Federation and other affiliates where this would assist.

NEHAWU, SACTWU

5.3 Organisational effects of outsourcing

This Congress,

Noting,

1. If outsourcing leads to the division between unions of workers in a single workplace, it can fragment bargaining and foster unions based on occupation, not industries.

2. If outsourcing moves workers from the public-sector unions, it strengthens the push to privatise and weakens workers’ organisation.

Believing

1. Outsourcing should not be allowed to weaken centralised bargaining.

2. Workers should be organised according to their industry or sector, not their employer or their occupation.

Resolves

1. COSATU must develop a strategy to ensure outsourcing does not weaken organisation in the workplace.

2. In the case of privatisation, if workers continue to provide a service to the public they should remain in the public-sector union.

NEHAWU

5.4 Organising the unemployed

This Congress,

Noting

The need for unity between employed and unemployed workers,

Resolves

1. To strengthen the links between employed and unemployed workers, unions should permit workers who become unemployed to remain in the union, and explore the possibility of involving them in a broader organisation to organise the unemployed.

2. COSATU must develop specific proposals for the creation of a democratic and militant alliance of organisations of unemployed people.

NEHAWU

6. Service to Members

This Congress,

Noting

1. The gap between members and leaders has continued to grow, and union organisation at local level is getting weaker, not stronger.

Resolves

1. COSATU must publicise and share the experiences of affiliates at provincial and regional level in rebuilding COSATU structures and strengthening organisation.

2. If the Federation identifies weaknesses in an affiliate at a local level, it should help the union develop a strategy to address the weaknesses, and if necessary through capacity building and sharing resources.

3. The Federation must ensure that every shop steward is trained in the basics of unionism and representation.

NEHAWU

7. Staff Issues and Restructuring

This Congress,

Noting

1. High turnover of cadre, which results from the failure to develop career paths, ensure structured planning and reporting, and develop consistent policies on discipline.

2. Exco agreed to implement the Skills Development Act for union employees.

3. The issue of accreditation for union education remains unresolved.

Resolves

1. Exco and staff of the Federation must embark on an organisation management and development programme to develop a long-term strategy on organisational needs.

2. The Federation should use the opportunities provided by the Skills Development Act to provide enhanced education and training for staff.

3. With assistance from COSATU, unions should appoint Skills Development Facilitators and develop workplace skills plans for individual affiliates, in the context of the sectoral skills plan.

4. Ditsela should be targeted to draft learnerships for staff.

NEHAWU

8. Constitutional amendments

8.1 Strengthening the regions

Noting

1. The regions do not have a role in constitutional structures other than the CEC

2. The heavy workload borne by regional secretaries of COSATU and the lack of assistance for them

3. The lack of budgets for the regions

Believing

1. That the efficient working of regional structures is crucial to the effectiveness of the Federation as a whole

2. Regional Office Bearers must be part of national Constitutional structures so as to be able to co-ordinate the implementation of resolutions.

Resolves

1. That Section 7 of the constitution of COSATU be amended to include provision for election of regional assistant secretaries by the Regional Congress.

2. A policy must be developed to allocate funds to the Regions proportionally so as to keep the Regions alive and able to function properly; and once this policy is implemented,
   

1. Some responsibilities currently falling to the National Office could be transferred to the regions, and

2. Regions would fund programmes in the locals.

3. All Regional Office Bearers must attend and participate in the NC

4. The Chairperson and the Secretary must attend and participate in CC

5. The Chairperson must attend and participate in the EXCO.

SADTU

8.2 Locals

This Congress,

Noting

1. Some locals are very weak.

2. For locals, there are no
   

1. criteria for establishing our locals

2. Terms of office for office bearers, which creates the impression that locals are not constitutional structures

3. There is contradiction in the composition of the REC and the powers and duties of the LEC (Clause 9.4.7).

Believing

1. Affiliates should be serviced in all areas and locals are key to implementation of the Federation’s resolutions.

2. It is therefore necessary to constitutionalise these structures and define their role in regional structures.

Resolves

1. Criteria be adopted for the establishment of locals, which should take in account the number of affiliates and members and geographic factors.

2. There be a one-year term of office for local office bearers.

3. Locals must participate fully in all constitutional structures in the Region – the REC, RSSC and RC.

SADTU

8.3 Demarcation of Regions

This Congress,

Noting

1. That some regions of COSATU are vast and some overlap across provinces.

2. That the current demarcation of COSATU regions causes inconvenience and operational confusion for some affiliates that are organised around provinces.

3. That the rationale for the current demarcation of COSATU regions is located in the Federation's urban industrial origins.

Believing

It is necessary to review the organisation of the federation as conditions change.

Resolves

1. To research and investigate the most logical demarcation of regions to ensure the most effective operation of the Federation. Such research should include investigating the possibility of aligning COSATU regions with current political (provincial) boundaries in the country. (SADTU)

OR

1. To enhance COSATU’s influence on provincial policies and co-operation in the Alliance, COSATU regions must be aligned with provincial boundaries. (NEHAWU)

8.4 Demarcation of locals

This Congress,

Noting

The centrality of local government to participatory democracy.

Resolves

To examine ways to re-align locals in relation to municipalities, districts unicities and wards to maximise COSATU’s capacity to take advantage of provisions for participatory democracy.

SAMWU

9. Membership and cadre development to deepen organisation and class consciousness

Noting

In the current context, the Federation must deepen class consciousness and build the capacity of cadre to engage.

Believing

1. The hectic and fragile socio-economic environment within which we organise necessitates a dynamic strategy to inform our membership about our positions on major events and measures in workplaces and nationally.

2. In the current era of globalisation, information and education is a necessary tool of struggle in the hands of our cadres.

3. We need to develop cadres with the political, organisational and technical skills and knowledge needed to advance the struggles of the working class.

Resolves

1. To call on affiliates to develop programmes to intensify political and ideological work among the mass membership in order to develop confidence, deepen class consciousness and build working class hegemony.

2. A suitable mechanism and an enabling environment must be created for progressive academics and the revolutionary intelligentsia to share ideas with the membership of the union movement.

3. In collaboration with other working class formations, COSATU must mobilise progressive intellectuals into a dependable back-up capacity to the working class movement.

4. To establish an academy to provide education and training for selected youth, stewards and officials. Such a programme must provide a sound theoretical and practical grounding for current and future trade unionists.

5. To develop a comprehensive communication strategy aimed at empowering members, shop stewards and officials.

NUM

10. Union research

Noting

1. The Brazilian experience demonstrates the importance of establishing adequate research and policy capacity in the Federation and affiliates.

2. The establishment of a Researchers’ Forum by Naledi aims to improve training for researchers, support joint Naledi-union projects, and provide a forum for debate and research sharing among unions.

Resolves

1. To explore the possibility of Naledi seconding or transferring researchers to affiliates which agree and which provide funding and office space.

2. To ensure that affiliates’ research initiatives are linked to the Researchers Forum.

11. Building capacity on Skills Development and Employment Equity Acts

This Congress,

Noting

The Skills Development Act and Employment Equity Act provide opportunities, but will be implemented appropriately and effectively only if our shopstewards and organisers know how to use them.

Resolves

To ensure that all organisers and shop stewards are equipped with the skills needed to monitor and implement the Skills Development Act and the Employment Equity Act.

SACCAWU

12. Campaigning to defend and create quality jobs

This Congress

Noting

1. The National General Strike against job losses on May 10, 2000, provided an important weapon for workers inside and outside of COSATU to support the campaign.

2. With the neo-liberal restructuring of the economy and the public sector, the traditional base of Cosatu - workers employed on permanent contracts in large institutions - is shrinking fast, with growth only in casual, temporary and informal employment and self-employment.

Resolves that,

1. COSATU must put more effort into defending and expanding the jobs in the formal economy, by
   

1. demanding an end to downsizing in the public sector, and ensuring that restructuring of the public sector creates employment directly and indirectly,

2. ensuring that work in cartels supports the design of sectoral development strategies, including on the transport sector, the public service, housing and roads, agriculture and forestry, electricity, etc.

3. sharing experiences around employment creation and industrial revival.

2. COSATU demands that government and business demonstrate their commitment to sector summits and the development of an effective industrial policy aimed at employment creation by
   

1. increasing the capacity they commit to the process, in order to accelerate it,

2. developing and implementing active industrial instruments, and

3. having the IDC set aside a significant share of its portfolio investment in labour intensive sectors.

NEHAWU, SACTWU

13. Tariff reductions

This Congress,

Noting

With anger, the continuing tariff reductions

Believing

1. Tariff reductions are directly linked to growing unemployment.

2. The absence of clear industrial policy is counter-productive to sustained economic growth and employment creation.

3. Tariff liberalisation is a dangerous substitute for an industrial policy.

Resolves

1. To condemn such tariff reductions as contrary to provisions of the Reconstruction and Development Programme.

2. To call on government to increase tariffs to WTO levels.

3. To commit to mass action against tariff reductions. (SACTWU)

14. Financial sector

This Congress,

Noting

1. The failure to transform the financial sector to support broad development.

2. In that context, the proposed mergers and acquisitions in the financial sector lead to loss of jobs and increasing concentration.

Resolves

1. That COSATU should ensure that trade unions are centrally involved in discussion about mergers and take-overs in the finance sector.

2. To call on workers in all sectors to defend jobs in the finance sector.

3. To call for a meeting with the big banks and financial institutions to develop a code committing them to protect jobs, and to bargain in good faith with trade unions.

4. To investigate how to transform the financial sector, including through co-operative banks and measures to foster developmental investment.

SACTWU

15. Job Creation Fund

This Congress,

Noting

1. The majority of workers have contributed to this fund.

2. There is an amount of money which could be utilised for job creation and retention.

3. Presently there is no decision as to how this money is going to be used

Resolves

There is no need to wait for all contributions before utilising the fund.

SADTU

16. Restructuring the public sector

This Congress,

Noting

1. That current practices on restructuring the state
   

1. are contrary to Alliance policy that the NDR requires a strong, efficient, developmental and truly democratic state, as recently restated at the NGC in July 2000, and

2. marginalise ANC and Alliance structures and undermine the right to collective bargaining.

2. The Alliance has not debated or developed a common vision on the transformation of the state.

3. Conservative fiscal policy is driving privatisation and downsizing, which reduce the social wage and the capacity of the state to drive transformation.

Believing

1. The transformation of the state must ensure it is biased toward the working class and allied to popular movements for transformation centred on the Alliance.

2. The transformation of the state must be characterised by
   

1. participatory democracy,

2. resistance to imperialist control, asserting the right of self-determination and control over key strategies, including macro-economic and trade policy, and

3. the establishment of a developmental state that
   

1. de-commodifies people’s social rights, strengthening the social wage,

2. leads the industrialisation process,

3. ensures increasing equality in wealth and incomes,

4. controls capital to meet the needs of the working class, and

5. builds social capital by strengthening the public sector and through workers’ funds, cooperative banks, and other forms of collective ownership.

Resolves

1. To call for a meeting of Alliance structures to debate policy and strategy in relation to public sector restructuring.

2. Any restructuring of the public sector must aim
   

1. to extend and improve government services to historically marginalised communities,

2. to restructure the economy to benefit the majority,

3. to create jobs both inside and outside the public sector, and

4. to control the bureaucratic bourgeoisie.

3. Restructuring must result from consultation and negotiation in a public sector summit that leads to a new and effective National Framework Agreement for the entire public sector. It must establish open, participatory and consultative processes to drive restructuring to meet the aims of the NDR.

4. COSATU must assist the public-sector unions in developing policy and in campaigns to turn policies into practical measures for implementation.

NEHAWU, SADTU

17. Collective bargaining in the public service

Noting

The trend towards unilateralism on the part of the government as employer in its dealings with public sector workers.

Resolves

1. To call on government as the employer to negotiate in good faith with public-service employees.

2. To use the labour policy for the public service developed by COSATU’s public-sector unions to engage especially with the Executive.

3. Policies that will affect labour must be based on principled agreement within the Alliance, and only then proceed to normal negotiations.

4. Negotiations in the public service should take place before announcement of the budget.

NEHAWU, SADTU, SASAWU

18. Privatisation

Noting

1. The 1998 CC resolved that water, education, housing, municipal services, energy and communication must remain in the public hands.

2. There are plans to privatise these functions in whole or in part, for instance through iGoli 2002 and policies of the Department of Public Enterprise.

3. Pressure to reduce public-sector debt drives the push to privatise.

4. Provisions of the NFA directed at involving labour in decision making have been neglected

5. The matter has been left to individual affiliates.

Believing

1. Restructuring of state assets must focus on improving their efficiency in meeting basic needs, strengthening the economy, developing capacity in communities, and supporting human resource development and employment creation.

2. Privatisation of strategic sectors can be stopped if our Federation engages in a co-ordinated programme to oppose it.

Resolves

1. To develop a programme of action to reject the privatisation of core sectors, mineral rights and land, and engage Alliance partners to develop a coherent restructuring programme directed at strengthening the public arm in economic restructuring.

2. To develop a more rigorous campaign against the listing of Telkom in the stock exchange in 2001, and to stop the off-loading critical functions of Eskom, Transnet and Denel to private ownership.

3. To engage with the methodology that labels parts of state-owned enterprises, local government and the public service as "non-core" as a prelude to privatisation or outsourcing.

NUM, SADTU

19. Strengthening local government and defending the unified state

Noting

1. At the time of the transition to democracy and constitutional negotiations COSATU opposed a federal state and fought for a unified state and strong central government in the context of participatory democracy.

2. The current quasi-federal system of provincial legislatures and government is cumbersome, confusing and inefficient, and hinders the development and implementation of national strategies without substantially strengthening accountability or participation.

3. Central and provincial government are currently shifting more powers and functions to local government, but these measures are inconsistent and frequently do not provide the necessary funds.

Believing

Local government is the critical government structure for building integrated participatory democracy.

Resolves

1. To seek the progressive reduction of the powers and functions of provincial government and its replacement by accountable and decentralised administrative structures within the central state.

2. To work to ensure that the provisions for participatory democracy in the Municipal Systems Act are fully implemented.

3. To support steps towards the delegation of many more functions of central and provincial government to local government with the provision of financial resources to cover the direct and indirect costs.

4. To examine how the provision of pensions, IDs and passports, UIF payments and employment services, and related functions can be devolved to local government to create "one-stop" service centres.

SAMWU

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