This week...
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1.SACTWU going membership in leader
industry
There has been a dramatic shift in trade union balance of power in
the leather industry.
This was confirmed yesterday at a council meeting of the National
Bargaining Council for the Leather Industry held in Durban.
It was revealed that the Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers
Union (SACTWU) continues to register consistent membership growth in
the leather industry while the National Union of Leather & Allied
Workers (NULAW) has dramatically lost its majority in the industry
from a high of 65 percent a few years ago to only 37 percent this year.
For the footwear sector, the statistics adopted by the meeting shows
that SACTWU's representivity in the footwear sector has grown impressively
from 17% in 2004 to 27% as at March this year, while that of NULAW
has declined dramatically from 64% to 44% over the same period.
This means that NULAW on its own is no longer able to reach wage or
other agreements with footwear employers and would need to work much
closer with SACTWU. In fact, no agreements can now be reached in the
footwear sector without SACTWU's consent.
The footwear sector is the dominant sector in the leather bargaining
council, representing 62% of the total number of employees registered
with the leather bargaining council.
The leather bargaining council representivity statistics adopted further
shows that SACTWU is now the majority union in the tanning sector (54%)
and holds a joint majority with NULAW in the General Goods & Handbags
section of the industry.
“SACTWU is pleased with this development since it has always
advocated that the interests of leather workers are best represented
by stronger unity between the unions in the industry,” said Deputy
Secretary General Andre Kriel
2. More blacks needed in Technical
According to SA Transport and allied Workers Union (SATAWU), SAA
Technical remains lily white at the top and pitch black at the bottom.
SATAWU wants this to change and has given management an ultimatum.
After 12 years of democracy, the SAA Technical department has vehemently
refused to transform. The division employs about 3000 workers and
has insisted on keeping top management positions for white males,
refusing to adequately train black workers to let them move higher
nor to acknowledge government’s Employment Equity Act.
This is the view of SATAWU, based on a series of events that have
happened in that company over the past decade. Some of the events
border on blatant racism, thus the union wishes to place on record
the following:
(a) (a) Earlier this year a white employee made the following remark
to a black worker “All my efforts to turn you into a white
man have failed, you remain a kaffir”. He remains employed
by SAA Technical even though SATAWU views this offence as warranting
a straight dismissal.
(b) (b) A white technician recently assaulted a black technician
and has now been rewarded with a promotion.
(c) (c) SATAWU has not been recognized at SAA Technical in spite
of having 500 workers in the division.
(d) (d) Black workers who have worked as craftsmen for ten years
have had no training at all while their white counterparts have now
progressed to senior positions through comprehensive training programmes.
(e) (e) Over 95 % of the 290 managers are white while almost all
menial workers are black.
(f) (f) Nearly all team leaders are white males.
Workers belonging to SATAWU have vowed that if the division does
not improve its record on race relations and transformation, they
will embark on an indefinite strike action within one month should
negotiations not produce concrete results.
SATAWU is of the view that aviation is a very a strategic component
of our national economy. Moreover it also plays a pivotal role in
defining South Africa and its national identity to the rest of the
world. It therefore has a responsibility to be in the forefront of
government’s transformation programmes.
We demand therefore that it demonstrates commitment towards transformation
immediately. We further warn management of SAA Technical that unless
they do this, the aviation industry will be plunged into chaos. We
will mobilize all our members in the sector to make sure that our
point is made, our resolution is felt and the division eradicates
all forms of racism and complies with the EEA and other progressive
legislation.
SATAWU will no longer tolerate white domination in SAA Technical
or any other division or subsidiary of SAA.
Break down of senior employees of SAA Technical:
Executive Level:
Blacks : 1 FEMALE
Coloureds : NONE
Asians : 2 MALES
Whites : 7 MALES, 2 FEMALES (1 JUST RESIGNED)
Senior Management level:
Blacks : 3 MALES
Coloureds : NONE
Asians : 2 MALES
Whites : 30 MALES, 2 FEMALES (1 RESIGNED)
Junior Management Level:
Blacks : 3 MALES, 2 FEMALES
Coloureds : NONE
Asians : 2 MALES, 1 FEMALE
Whites : 40 MALES, 7 FEMALES
Supervisory Level (Technical)
Blacks : 2 MALES
Coloureds : 4 MALES
Asians : 4 ASIANS
Whites : 165 MALES
Senior Technicians (SLT)
Blacks : 6 MALES
Coloureds : 7 MALES, 2 FEMALES
Asians : 16 MALES
Whites : 320 MALES
3. A march to be remembered
ignored- 1946
Last week Saturday (August 12 2006) marked the 60th anniversary
of the historic 1946 mineworkers’ strike. To commemorate
the event a march to the Chamber of Mines was organised where
thousands of the National Union Mineworkers members also too
part in.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions deeply regrets that
the media gave no coverage to the march.
This was a major demonstration of remembrance, solidarity and
rededication, by workers who made huge sacrifices in the national
liberation struggle, and continue to suffer death in an industry
that is surrounded by dangerous and unhealthy working conditions.
The 1946 strike is rich in lessons for today’s struggles
around COSATU’s Jobs and Poverty Campaign. This could have
been a fascinating story for the media.
There has been similarly scant coverage of the 12-week strike
by workers at Kraft Foods, who are courageously fighting against
a ruthless international employer who has reduced its offer to
the workers in the course of the strike.
This forms part of a trend by the media to focus on strikes only
when there are violent incidents or major disruption. There is
an urgent need for a daily left-wing newspaper which accurately
portrays the lives and problems of workers and the poor and gives
them a voice.
4. Forklift drivers six
year
Elated forklift driver, Ephraim Seloga’s career took off
again after he returned to work on Tuesday after six years of fighting.
Seloga was granted R158 000 compensation by his employer for unlawful
dismissal.
The Labour Court arbitration also ordered that Seloga be reinstated,
after his daring job searches all proved fruitless for the past
five years.
Criterion Equipment, which unlawfully dismissed Seloga for allegedly
threatening his supervisor also paid an additional compensation
of about R37 000 as a final settlement in lieu of Seloga’s
reinstatement.
NUMSA had referred the dismissal of the 36-year old father of
three children to the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and
Arbitration (CCMA) to push for his reinstatement, also demanding
that he should be treated fairly. But the company took the CCMA
ruling in favour of Seloga on review which was dismissed with legal
costs.
“I am grateful, most certainly, about the outcome of the
protracted dispute as I had lost all my valuable belongings, including
furniture after they were repossessed for defaulting payments.
Had it not be for Numsa, I believe this final outcome would not
have been possible,” Seloga sai Seloga is still patiently
waiting for the money to be deposited into his account.
In another development, the Johannesburg Labour Court also confirmed
the compensation award in respect of Johannes Malatjie, aged 55
who was unlawfully dismissed by Highveld Steel after serving the
company for almost 32 years. The acting judge Justice Cele described
the dismissal of Malatjie as substantively unfair and gave order
that he should be reinstated with retrospective effect from the
past five years and with no loss of benefits and salary.
Although Malatjie was prepared to go back to work, management
has insisted that he should consider taking retrenchment package
as it could not find a suitable placement position for his age
A long- time Numsa member, Malatjie pointed out however that he
was still bitter with the manner in which he was dismissed although
he was happy with the outcome of Numsa’s efforts to fight
for his reinstatement, he said.
5. Ruling concerning
the application of a rule amendment
The pension funds adjudicator issued another landmark
ruling concerning the application of a rule amendment not
approved by the registrar of pension funds.
In Meiring v Bel - Essex Provident Fund and Others, the
complainant was employed by Bel - Essex Admin Holdings
(Pty) Ltd and was a member of the fund. On 28 February
2002, the complainant left service of the employer and
in terms of the rules of the fund, he was entitled to a
withdrawal benefit.
From the documentary evidence, it appeared as if the amount
was in the region of R431 000.00. The fund refused to pay
the benefit on the basis that the fund trustees had passed
a resolution that the rules be amended to the effect that
no withdrawal benefit be paid upon the termination of a
member's service, except if the termination is as a result
of ill-health.
However, the registrar refused to approve the rule amendment
on the basis that it contravened section 14A (dealing with
minimum withdrawal benefits) of the Act. Hereafter, the
complainant referred the matter to the adjudicator's office.
The adjudicator firstly held that the registered withdrawal
rule applicable to the complainant makes provision for
the immediate payment of the benefit after cessation of
service or for a maximum period of six months after withdrawal
from the fund. The complainant was employed as a managing
director of various subsidiary companies of the employer
since May 1984 until February 2002.
In terms of the rules, he was an executive who had completed
more than 9 years of service and was thus entitled to his
withdrawal benefit defined as his member's share. Furthermore,
the proposed amendment to the existing withdrawal benefit
rule has no legal validity until it has been approved and
registered by the registrar.
The adjudicator further held that the conduct of the board
of management is to be severely deprecated. Notwithstanding
two rulings from the Supreme Court of Appeal (the highest
court in our country for all issues except constitutional
issues) stating that the rules of the fund are supreme
and only come into effect once they have been approved
and registered by the registrar, the board of the fund,
in blatant disregard of these rulings and several determinations
by this Tribunal, simply decided that it would not apply
the registered rules of the fun. The law regarding pension
fund rules as it currently stands is patently clear in
terms of which the registered rules are king and remain
valid until amended (approved by the registrar in terms
of section 12 of the Act). Had the complainant been legally
represented in this matter, the adjudicator would have
had no hesitation in making a cost order in favour of the
complainant, a power very rarely exercised by the adjudicator.
The fund administrator was ordered to compute and pay
the withdrawal benefit together with interest at 15.5%
per annum from 1 March 2002 until date of payment, within
4 weeks of the date of the determination
6. Cape Town Community
TV to be launched
After a year of community consultations, planning and development,
the Cape Town Community TV Collective is now in a position
to launch a genuinely community owned and controlled TV
organization.
The AGM will adopt its constitution, an operational and
long-term plan and elect members to serve on the CTCTV Board.
Community representatives will form the overwhelming majority
on the board, with 6 sectors each eligible to elect two members
to the board. The agreed community sectors are sport, labour,
NGO’s, community based organizations (CBO’s),
arts, culture and community media and the education sector,
which will consist mainly of educational institutions such
as schools and tertiary institutions.
Delegate status to the AGM will only be conferred to bona-fide
organizations who fall within these sectors and attend sectoral
meetings OR who apply in writing to the Steering Committee
for delegate status. People who wish to be volunteers for
CTCTV could also apply to be observers at the AGM.
The community of Greater Cape Town will be establishing
its own community television organization at its launching
Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday 16th September 2006
at Community House, 41 Salt River Road, Salt River.
Planned Sectoral Meetings:
Labour - Tuesday 22nd August at 2pm – 5pm
at Community House, Salt River – Contact Lynn Taylor
@ 447 2727
Arts, Culture and Community Media – Thursday,
31st August at 10am at Amac, 1st Floor, Sacks Futeran Building,
16 Harrington Street, Cape Town – Contact Karen Thorne
@ 084 603 1061
NGO Sector – Tuesday 5th September
from 3pm – 5pm at TAC Board Room, Community House,
Salt River - Contact Fredalene Booysen @ 083 774 2329
Community Tuesday 5th September from 3pm – 5pm
at TAC Board Room, Community House, Salt River – Contact
Brenda Leonard @ 448 5450
Education Sector – Tuesday 5th September
2006 from 10.30am – 1.00pm CACE/DLL Seminar Room, at
the University of the Western Cape - Contact Liz Brouckaert
@ 083-324-4007
Sports sector – To be announced -Contact
Cliffie Swartz @ 086 624 7657 or Herman Abrahams @ 659 4500
You can also contact Martin Jansen – CTCTV Steering
Committee Chairperson and spokesperson at 021 447 2727 or
082 870 2025 for further information.
7.Cosatu responds
to Pikoli
Last week Friday (August 11 2006), the Congress
of South African Trade Unions received a letter from Advocate
VP Pikoli, National Director of the Public Prosecutions,
in response to a memorandum from the KwaZulu Natal province
of COSATU on 28 July 2006, which alleged that the NPA is
conducting a political campaign against ANC Deputy President
Jacob Zuma.
While the memorandum was not submitted by COSATU’s
national leadership, it is in line with the Central Committee
resolution of August 2005, which identified “a concerted
politically inspired campaign aimed at destroying the political
career of the Deputy President”.
COSATU has no reason to revise its view that there was indeed
active collaboration between the NPA and some in the media,
with the view of launching a media trial that would tarnish
Jacob Zuma’s image and damage his credibility and standing,
as part of a systematic and well orchestrated campaign to
end his political career.
This involved ‘off-the-record’ media briefings
by Mr Pikoli’s predecessor, Bulelani Nqcuka, his statement
that there was ‘a prima facie case’ against Zuma,
even though there was not enough evidence to prosecute him,
and leaks of information that only NPA investigators or senior
government leaders would have had access to. All of this
fed into Jacob Zuma’s hysterical trial by the media.
The question that we have asked over and over again is why
the NPA sought to systematically leak information and run
a media trial instead of pursuing whatever allegations were
made in the courts of law, so that Jacob Zuma would be provided
an opportunity to answer to the allegations in court.
He is not the only person to be treated in this way by the
NPA. A number of ANC leaders have had serious allegations
thrown at them and were never given an opportunity to respond
to them in court.
It is these things that have led COSATU and many others
to come to the conclusion that this must not happen, because
the NPA do not understand the foundations of our constitution
or the rule of law, but are pursuing political agendas.
It is never possible to produce conclusive proof of a conspiracy,
which by its very nature is clandestine. There is however
clear evidence that the NPA has behaved improperly and has
been motivated by a political agenda to discredit Jacob Zuma,
rather than a desire to prosecute a legal case of alleged
corruption.
It is still clear that he will not get a fair trial and
COSATU stands by the CC resolution, which included the call
on the President of South Africa to review the decision to
relieve Comrade Zuma of his responsibilities as the Deputy
President of South Africa, and for the withdrawal of all
the charges against Comrade Zuma.
8.Cosatu statements
on City Press allegations
The COSATU National Office Bearers met on Monday
14 August 2006, to review negative public statements that
appeared in the City Press on 13 August 2006. The National
Office Bearers wish to record the following:
There is no truth to the suggestions that the COSATU National
Office Bearers collectively or individually are conducting
an investigation into the COSATU General Secretary, Zwelinzima
Vavi. President Willie Madisha confirmed in the meeting that
he is not conducting such an investigation. There is no truth
to the allegation that the COSATU General Secretary has misused
the COSATU credit card for personal gain or failed to account
for the usage of the credit card. If such an investigation
is happening, it is happening without any of the COSATU National
Office Bearers’ authorisation or even knowledge.
There is no truth to the allegations that the COSATU President
and COSATU General Secretary are not on speaking terms because
of supposed tensions caused by the leadership contest in
the coming Ninth National Congress. The truth is that the
COSATU National Office Bearers meet every Monday to discuss
a range of organisational challenges.
There is no truth to the suggestions that COSATU or the
COSATU National Office Bearers are divided on their support
or lack of support for the ANC Deputy President. The reality
of the matter is that COSATU constitutional structures have
over and over again unanimously come to the conclusion that
the federation should provide unwavering support for the
ANC Deputy President for the reasons advanced by our members.
COSATU regrets that, unlike in the previous COSATU congresses,
faceless sources, for reasons only known to themselves, continue
to peddle untruths and half truths about so-called ‘internal
divisions’ and ‘serious leadership contests’ that
supposedly will happen in the Ninth National Congress. In
this scenario these sources, in the most sensationalised
fashion, use sections of the media to assassinate characters
of individual leaders whilst supposedly profiling others
who are said to be alternatives.
COSATU has seen this form of destructive tendency in the
run-up to a number of COSATU affiliates’ national congresses.
This includes the NUM, NUMSA, SATAWU, and SADTU, and now
COSATU itself is not spared. We are aware that most of the
information is leaked by factions angling for position in
these congresses. Regrettably whilst pursuing their narrow
factional intentions, these factions cause untold damage
to the image of the trade unions. The National Office Bearers
condemned this practise in the strongest terms. It is a phenomenon
that is so anti-COSATU culture and so anti-revolutionary
that the National Office Bearers will insist that the coming
congress fully confronts it.
Above all, COSATU National Office Bearers are extremely
worried that as part of this character assassination, personal
lives of targeted individuals are presented in the most twisted
negative fashion in order to injure their image. This happened
to the COSATU General Secretary yesterday and we are aware
that faceless forces are hard at work to target other National
Office Bearers as well.
9.Cosatu Limpopo
responds to City Press allegations
The COSATU Provincial Office Bearers in Limpopo met yesterday
to discuss the weekend reports that there is war between
the General Secretary and the President of COSATU over the
misappropriation of the Federation’s resources.
These malicious reports fit perfectly with previous ones
which seeks to project the COSATU General Secretary as a
reckless, arrogant, dictator, childish and now a corrupt
leader who must be isolated.
Whilst we note the Press release of the National Office
Bearers distancing themselves from the reports, we believe
that there is no smoke without fire. We have a right as members
of the organisation to demand an explanation on the source
of this reports as we suspect that there are both internal
and external players behind them and we must do everything
in our power to expose these faceless people. We can no longer
tolerate high
levels of ill discipline demonstrated by the so called senior
leaders within COSATU who do not want their names to be mentioned
to the public.
For that matter we have convened a Special Provincial Executive
Committee meeting early next week to fully discuss the matter
and develop concrete proposals on how to deal with this situation.
In the meantime we must dismiss the malicious reports with
all the contempt it deserves and wish to declare our full
support to the General Secretary and the leadership collective
of the federation.
10 . Defend Cosatu against faceless
leaders
A meeting of the Leadership of the Mpumalanga Province attended
by the Provincial Chairperson and Secretaries of affiliates
was held yesterday to review and discuss recent media reports
and speculations.
The meeting noted with serious concerns the media reports
and speculations about tensions in the leadership of COSATU
and the succession battles contained in the Mail and Guardian
and City Press of last weekend respectively.
The meeting condemned these faceless Leaders who allow to
be used by the mainstream media owned by our class enemies.
These faceless sources choose to use the media as opposed
to using established forums and platforms to raise issues internally.
The meeting condemned the media for peddling lies and character
assassinating our leaders, in particular our General Secretary
Zwelinzima Vavi.
The meeting noted that our General Secretary is subject of
media attack because he is a principle leader committed to
the emancipation of the working class.
He is targeted by our class enemy because he is a forthright
leader who takes no prisoners, he has eloquently articulated
and defended the positions of the federation. Therefore he
will be defended for his exemplary leadership.
The meeting further called and restated that COSATU must not
waiver from being a transformative union, vibrant and dynamic.
COSATU’s agenda will never be dictated by the media
and our enemy camp. Our leaders will not be elected by our
media and our enemy camp. Our vision guiding us in the election
of the leadership will be commitment, hard work, collective
leadership and the desire to serve those that elect. Our unity
and cohesion is of paramount importance if we are to succeed
in the implementation our 2015.
Lastly, the meeting reiterated our support for Comrade Jacob
Zuma.
As the drama around his case unfolds it strengthen our resolve
that his (JZ) was a political conspiracy engineered in dark
corners, designed to frustrate him from becoming the next President.
We shall support all our leaders.
Hands off COSATU, Hands off our leaders
11 .SACP statement on current
development within Cosatu
The SACP is deeply disturbed by the baseless
distortions and all manner of unfounded speculations
currently being run in the media, especially by Independent
newspapers, about our positions regarding developments
in COSATU and in the SACP. What is of serious concern
to us is that most of what is being written in the media
is being done without any attempt whatsoever to contact
the SACP and seek its responses to all these matters.
It is in the interests of our alliance, our country
and, need we say it, of the media itself to make an effort
in seeking our views before they go to print on such
matters. Otherwise this is an attempt to create a climate
of siege and internal crises within our organisations.
We categorically wish to state that there is no crisis
whatsoever.
Firstly, we wish to state it categorically that our
General Secretary’s Red Alert column in this week’s
Umsebenzi Online was not referring to any individual
in COSATU, but analysing a trend of business unionism
that COSATU itself has spoken about on numerous occasions
before. To try and put faces on this trend and attribute
that to our General Secretary is sensationalism of the
worst order. We regard this as part of media’s
attempts to sow divisions and suspicions within the ranks
of the working class, and we must not allow the COSATU
Congress, or SACP work to be diverted by all this.
Furthermore, the SACP wishes to dismiss with the contempt
it deserves suggestions that some of our officials are
being targetted for removal from their positions at our
next congress by virtue of some concocted suppositions
as to where they stand in relation to matters affecting
the Deputy President of the ANC. The SACP wishes to reiterate
its stance, as articulated in our August 2006 Central
Committee statement, that there are absolutely no divisions
on our stances regarding our principled support for the
Deputy President of the ANC, Cde Jacob Zuma.
The SACP also wishes to reaffirm its complete confidence
in all its elected national office-bearers. It is a blatant
fabrication that some of these officials are targeted
for removal at the next Congress of the SACP. Our next
Congress, as per the last Central Committee decision,
will only be held sometime in July 2007 in the Eastern
Cape. We have not started with nomination processes for
leadership and any speculation in this regard is mere
sensationalist reporting.
The SACP also wishes to warn the working class in our
country that the sensationalist reporting about the security
and surveillance of senior leaders of our organisations
is meant to create an environment of siege within our
organisations, whose sole purpose is to give space to
the enemies of the working class to sow divisions and
suspicions within our ranks. This is clearly the work
of the very same faceless sources giving false information
and slandering the leadership of the working class, especially
in the run up to the COSATU Congress.
The SACP remains firm in its principled commitment to
the unity of our alliance, and each of its components,
and shall not allow itself to be distracted from this.
Labour News across the border:
12 .ZCTU G.S assaulted,
detained & finally released
The ZCTU Secretary General, Wellington
Chibebe has been released on a $2million bail. He is
to appear in court on 4 September 2006. The ZCTU would
like to thank all fraternal friends for all the solidarity
messages we received.
Chibebe, was arrested at a roadblock and detained at
Waterfalls Police station on Tuesday.
Chibebe was coming to Harare from Masvingo with his
family when he was stopped at a roadblock near Waterfalls.
The Police wanted to search his car supposedly to look
for cash, but Chibebe informed them that what they were
doing was illegal.
The Police did not take kindly to Chibebe's words and
one policeman tried to forcibly remove him from his car
while his seat belt was still buckled on. The policeman
then vigorously clapped Chibebe twice and accusing him
of resisting to be searched. All this was done in front
of Chibebe's family.
The Police then arrested Chibebe and took him to Waterfalls
Police station where they then charged him with common
assault for allegedly assaulting a policeman when in
fact he is the one who was assaulted.
The ZCTU lawyer who attended to Chibebe said that the
Police deliberately changed the charges to common assault
so as to make the issue more serious since it was Chibebe.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions strongly
condemned the arrest of Chibebe and demanded the dropping
of the charges and that the Zimbabwe state ceases it
campaign of intimidation against the trade union movement.
13 . ZCTU National Organiser
ZCTU National Organiser, Leonard Gwenzi has
been picked by the police after he was found
with close $200 000 (revalued) at a roadblock
along Seke Road. The money was change from
workshops he was conducting in Harare, Mutare,
Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo and Chinhoyi. G
Gwenzi was on his way to the ZCTU office to
surrender the cash. He has been asked to accompany
police to Borrowdale Police Station.
14 . SADC
on Swaziland : Your silence is too
costly in human terms
We note that SADC leaders are gathered in
Maseru, Lesotho to discuss matters of regional
significance affecting the lives of the people
of Southern Africa.
The Swaziland Solidarity Network and the mass
democratic movement of Swaziland led by PUDEMO
have consistently expressed disgust at the
way SADC has chosen to be silent or even prop
up the Swazi dictator.
It is seriously not acceptable that the people
of Swaziland could be subjected to a more than
33 years perpetual state of emergency instituted
by the absolute monarchy in the name of Swazi
culture, while the rest of the world remain
silent, SADC in particular has chosen to ignore,
or at worst defend the royal crisis at its
doorstep.
We have noted that Amnesty International and
other such credible institutions have done
wonderful work in terms of exposing the royal
dictatorship in Swaziland to the world, including
its compilation of such reports as the one
on Swazi police torture camps. In the midst
of all that, we still have Commonwealth and
SADC openly flirting with that royal monster
and even hailing him for bringing about a new
constitution, which changes nothing, except
that it formalizes what the 1973 king’s
absolute decree had always provided for in
pieces.
In this sense, we demand the following;
The unbanning of political parties
Swaziland be removed from the SADC committee
dealing with governance, democracy and human
rights in the region, immediately.
Free political activity and guaranteeing of
the rights to associate, organize, and assemble
without the royal hit squads brutally dispersing
people
A democratic constitutional process involving
all stakeholders in an environment without
all the political hostilities
Unconditional return of all exiles and the
release of all political prisoners
Isolation of Mswati and imposition of smart
sanctions against his regime until they comply
with all democratic obligations
We call on all the leaders of SADC gathered
in Maseru to take all possible steps to ensure
the speedy democratization of Swaziland in
the interest of regional stability, democracy
and development.
We call on SADC to enforce the code of conduct
of elections, which calls for multiparty democratic
elections and not some self-styled royal circus
as the tinkhundla regime conducts in Swaziland.
The people of the DRC have shown that resilience
in struggle against despots, however determined,
ultimately emerge victorious and we congratulate
them.
15 . Security
workers' yearlong struggle pays off:
Security workers’ yearlong struggle
pays off: Multinational security provider is
forced to respect human rights
We want to express our thanks to SEIU, Labourstart,
and particularly to the more than 6000 people
who wrotemails demanding that the company respect
our rights and our country’s laws.
More than 150 security workers for Securicor
Indonesia won a 15-month struggle with your
help—and emails from more than 6000 other
people demanding the company respect their
rights and the country’s laws. These
workers were fired illegally by Securicor and
then refused back pay even after the Indonesian
Supreme Court ordered the company to obey the
law.
Over the past 15 months, Securicor Indonesia
has tried to ignore, intimidate, and undercut
our struggle to demand our rights. Through
solidarity, we have been able to show them
that Indonesian workers can take on international
corporations and win. We have heard from the
company how much the involvement of unions
and individuals from around the world has infuriated
them. They thought they could ignore our rights
and our laws without any consequences, but
instead they found themselves in an international
spotlight. We want to express our thanks to
SEIU, Labourstart, and particularly to the
more than 6000 people who wrote emails demanding
that the company respect our rights and our
country’s laws.
This victory will make a huge difference in
our lives and those of our families. May God
bless everyone who has given us their support.
We will keep fighting for the rights of the
thousands of Group 4 Securicor workers in Indonesia.
We hope that this international support will
continue for them and for the other Group 4
Securicor workers around the world whose rights
are being violated. Hopefully our victory will
be a step towards teaching Group 4 Securicor
management that they must respect all workers’ rights
—Timboel Siregar, Association of Indonesian
Labor Unions
16 . 736
Korean union members detained in
one day
736 Korean union members detained in one day,
63 union members still in jail, 1 union member
dead, more than 200 members injured, 1 member's
wife miscarried
Over 1,000 members of the Pohang local union,
an affiliate of the Korean Federation of Construction
Industry Trade Union (KFCITU) participated
in a legal and peaceful demonstration to protest
the death of Brother Ha Jeung Keun. Blocked
by the police, the union chose to conduct a
sitdown demonstration on the streets of Seoul.
The riot police responded by forcibly arresting
736 union members including key leadership
of the KCTU, the Korean Democratic Labor Party,
and the KFCITU. Your support is critical to
put international pressure against the South
Korean government. ACT NOW and sign our online
solidarity campaign protest letter addressed
to the President of South Korea.
On August 15, 63 union members of the KFCITU
remained in jail for supporting the strike
launched by the Pohang local union. Four members
of the national and local branches of the KCTU
and the General Secretary of the KFCITU are
also in jail.
On August 1, Ha Jeun Keun, of the Pohang local
union died during a legal demonstration organized
by the KFCITU on July 16 supporting the union’s
strike that began on July 1. For more info
see, http://www.bwint.org/default.asp?Index=261&Language=EN
The union and the family have asked the government
to launch a full and impartial investigation
on the circumstances leading to the death,
fully punish those responsible for his death,
and sufficiently compensate the family of Ha
Jeung Keun. The family has refused to proceed
with any funeral ceremonies until the government
agrees to their demands.
In addition, the wife of one of the union
members who was participating in a sit-down
demonstration at POSCO headquarters tragically
miscarried as a result of violent confrontation
with the riot police during a demonstration
on July 19. The union along with a number of
women’s groups has launched a complaint
against the Human Rights Committee.
In one of the most recent rallies organized
by the KCTU, the police injured 186 union members
who marched towards POSCO headquarters - some
are still seeking medical attention. 16 members
were detained - a key leader of the KFCTIU
was forcibly pulled down from the union truck
and immediately arrested.
Despite the repression by both the government
and POSCO, the Pohang local union is committed
to continue with their struggle until their
demands are fully met. Currently, the KCTU
has called for two national rallies to protest
the police violence, the government repression
against the KFCITU, and to call for the government
to accept full responsibility for the death
of Ha Jeung Keun. It is ironical that the South
Korean government is hosting the ILO Asia Pacific
Regional Meeting when it is increasing its
repression of trade union rights.
The government’s actions have been to
protect the interests of POSCO, a major leading
South Korean company, where over 90 per cent
of the Pohang members work through a series
of sub contractors. Despite the strike, which
began on July 1, negotiations between the union
and the sub contractors are still proceeding
forward, albeit in a turtle’s pace. You
will remember that the union’s main demands
are a 15 per cent increase in wages, five-day
work week, and better working conditions.
NEHAWU National Bargaining Conference
The Bargaining Conference will in the main
provide a platform for Nehawu to review and
assess improvements in wages and conditions
of service for the past 10 years and to reposition
the union for the next 10 years by developing
a framework using collective bargaining to
advance social transformation and development.
DATE: 18-20 August 2006
VENUE: PROTEA HOTEL “THE LAKES”
1 COUNTRY LANE
LAKEFIELD
BENONI
18. This week in history:
20 August 1975
SACCAWU/CCAWUSA- Happy 31st Birthday!
20 August 1983
UDF formed
20 August 1992
UDF disbanded
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