SADTU members to strike in two weeks

SADTU general secretary, Thulas Ngxesi, and president, Edwin Pillay, during the union's announcement of possible teachers strike on Thursday.

OVER 200 000 educators organised by the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) are expected to take to the streets in protest against the government's unilateral implementation of 5,5 percent wage increase - the union said yesterday during its announcement of ballot results.

SADTU is expected to be joined by other eleven unions in the public sector as soon as balloting process reaches conclusion. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) is expected to release its results very soon after more than a week of counting.

The decision by the teachers across the country to strike was endorsed by the Sadtu National Executive Committee that met for two days this week.

Out of 70 percent Sadtu membership polled, 80 percent has voted in favour of the action. "This (the results) reflects the frustration, anger and willingness to act in pursuance of their demands," said the union's general secretary, Thulas Nxesi.

However, the union NEC said it still hope to reach an agreement with the government before the strike could kick off. Should the negotiations become fruitless, the union would embark on the action come the first day of the school reopening.

Schools across the country are officially closing today for two weeks. "The ball is in the employer's court if it want to avert the strike," said SADTU.

MEANWHILE, the Labour Court has ruled out the regulations unilaterally published by the national Minister of Education, Kader Asmal, on the role of principals before and during any strike action in the sector.

Judge Landman's judgment follows SADTU's challenge of the regulations before the court earlier this month after the minister's refusal to negotiate the terms and conditions of the principals in the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC).

"This judgment represents an important lesson for the Minister of Education. He cannot run roughshod over SADTU and organised labour and unilaterally determine what can and cannot be bargained. He must negotiate with the unions and take into account the interests and aspirations that we represent," said SADTU.

The teachers union said as much as it believed litigation was not a way to build a "sound collective bargaining" relationship; it had no choice hence the minister's attitude on the matter.

"We trust that in the light of this ruling and his commitment to the relationship with organised labour, the minister would publicly commit himself and his department to genuine collective bargaining about all matters of mutual interest, said SADTU.
Asmal has vowed to challenge judge Landman's ruling.

Company's witch-hunting tactics to strain management-workers relationship..

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has accused the management of the electricity parastatal, Eskom of "witch-hunting and terrorising workers " by taking disciplinary measures against workers in the essential services sector who participated in the July wage strike.

About 1600 NUMSA workers who participated in the massive wage strike with other thousands of workers from other two unions, have received disciplinary notices from the company management.

In terms of the agreement between the unions and the company, workers in the essential services are not allowed to take part in the strike action.

The union said as much as it respected the agreement, it felt the company was 'punishing the workers because they supported the action'. Said the union: "The strike is over, the disciplinary measures are unnecessary and an abuse of the same essential services agreement.

The company is using the agreement as a stick to beat the workers." NUMSA said the company's practice was meant to intimidate workers not to participate in future strikes and was tantamount to union bashing.

It called on to the company to stop its "witch-hunting and worker terrorising" tactics.

"We urge the company to drop all the cases against the workers. The company actions are not in line with the disciplinary procedure which states that employees who participate in strikes, stayaways or work stoppages need not necessarily be dealt with in terms of this specific circumstances, and with due cognisance of the understandings reached between Eskom and the trade unions on industrial actions," said the union.

It also urged the company to start building a good working relationship with the unions and stop "fuelling tensions".

"We believe that rational people take steps to rectify the situation and get around problems in the interest of all parties. However the company is fuelling tensions, antagonism and putting itself in the dark line. By doing so the company is creating a gab and continuing in damaging the relationships," said NUMSA.

It said the company's damaging of a relationship between itself and the workers would not serve anybody's interest.

The union's lost sheep come back home…

About 1900 Volkswagen South Africa (VW-SA) workers, who left the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) after disagreement with the union leadership's decision not to strike about two years ago, have came back to the union.

The workers' surprise return to the union at the car manufacturing plant follows NUMSA's massive wage victories both in Eskom and the metal industry recently. Hundreds of workers left NUMSA in 1999 after the union ruled out the proposal by its 13 shopstewards at the company to strike.

The union believed the move was influenced by the Oil and Chemical General and Allied Workers Union (OCGAWU), the other union at the plant. The union suspended the shopstewards and most of the workers, who felt the NUMSA has sold them out, defected from the union and joined OCGAWU.

The workers' return to NUMSA has increased the union's membership at the plant from 800 to 2 700 - making it the majority union at the company.

NUMSA said the workers' return indicates remarkable achievements in wage disputes, something that Ocgawu, which it said it colluded with employers, could not do.

It said the current wage victories have a positive appeal to workers in the industry. Said the union: "The union scored victories because of the united and vigorous standpoint to win wages above the current inflation rate…this is a proof that workers can identify themselves with the militant union that fight for immediate rights of workers."

The union membership in the car-manufacturing sector has been increasing in leaps and bounds in the rubber and tyre-manufacturing sector as well. NUMSA has experienced an increase in membership particularly from the white-collar class in the sector.

"We have set a strategy to win recognisable gains for workers. We knew that by doing so the union will receive positive spin-offs in the short and long term. An integral part of the strategy was to embark on legitimate industrial actions in order to build the union and recruit more members," said NUMSA.

The union vowed to continue improving wages and benefits of its members.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR NEWS:

Day of Action to go ahead on November

Brussels September 21, 2001 (ICFTU OnLine): In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the US last week, the ICFTU has announced that preparations for the Global Unions Day of Action on November 9 will go ahead.

On and around November 9, unions and their members will be calling for a "new globalisation" at work-places throughout the world. The day is set to coincide with the first day of the 4th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to be held in Qatar.

Mike Moore, the Director-General of the WTO, announced last week that the organisation still plans to hold the ministerial meeting set for Doha despite the terrorist attacks in the United States.

In a statement issued today, Bill Jordan, General Secretary of the ICFTU said, "At a time when democracy and open society are under such brutal attack, we need to strengthen democracy and global governance.

We must recommit ourselves to building a world where democracy and rights prevail. The Day of Action will not only be a time for protest, but also a time for reflection and discussion.

The wave of strong reactions to the recent events we have received from trade unions around the world will serve to strengthen the sense of a global trade union community and solidarity as we put forward the central demands of the Day of Action."

The demands made by unions participating in the Day of Action are as follows:

• NO to globalisation that drives down workers' rights and job security

• NO to globalisation that undermines education and health care

• NO to globalisation that helps the rich and hurts the poor

• NO to globalisation that stifles and denies democracy

• YES to globalisation that benefits all people everywhere

• YES to globalisation that delivers true global justice and equality

"We remain firm in our conviction that the WTO process must be reformed if it is to foster a fair and just globalisation", asserted Jordan, "We will continue to fight for the right of workers around the world to have a voice in the institutions which are shaping the global economy.

The response to international terrorism and criminality must include support for the rule of law and international solidarity, rights and democracy.

In this context, as a matter of urgency, intergovernmental processes such as the WTO must be strengthened by making them more open and accountable."

Union leaders Revitalise their commitment to safety

The leaders of Britain's trade unions have made personal commitments to back the HSE campaign to prevent slips and trips.

General secretaries made the pledge at the annual TUC conference earlier this month, when they attended an HSE demonstration of its injury prevention work. Slips and trips result in over 8,000 workers suffering broken bones every year in Britain's workplaces.

TUC general secretary John Monks said: "Unions committed themselves to the Revitalising health and safety strategy when it was first launched. But union leaders wanted to reinforce that commitment at our Congress this year, and wanted to focus on everyday hazards."

The HSC has made preventing slips and trips one of its eight "priority programmes," with a target of reducing all slip and trip injuries by 10 per cent by 2010.

In 1999/2000 there were 8,680 workplace major slip and trip injuries and 26,236 over-three days.-TUC Online.

No hiding place in Europe for construction's safety criminals

The TUC and the construction employers' organisation the Construction Confederation are to work together to ensure penalties for safety offences in any country of the European Union can be enforced and pursued in every country.

A joint briefing calls for no hiding place for people who break health and safety laws and for a level playing field so that foreign companies cannot escape the obligations that apply to domestic employers.

The move follows cases where companies have walked away from guilty verdicts, leaving fines unpaid.

TUC and the Construction Confederation say responsible firms are losing contracts and are being forced to shed jobs, as unscrupulous contractors cut costs at the expense of safety.

In addition, the Exchequer has lost out on £1.85 million in fines, and the HSE has directly lost out by over a third of a million in unrecovered costs.

TUC and the Construction Confederation are to push the European Parliament to introduce new measures to make penalties enforceable across the European Union.-TUC Online.

Letters

COSATU Weekly believes that there are a variety of weekly developments that need to be discussed or raised to the attention of the readers and workers at large. If you have any compliments, queries or comments on the current issues, send us your brief letter to The Editor or fax it to (011) 339-7788. The newsletter can only publish a few letters a week.

Dear Editor

Dear Comrades,

SACP and COSATU remain people's voices as govt lose touch with the masses

I am young man from the Northern Province who is now self-employed in Pretoria. Whilst I belong to the privilege few that have a decent job, each time I go to the northern province I am shocked at the pace with which our communities are becoming impoverished as a result of the GEAR induced joblessness.

I am a former activist who became disillusioned due to the dishonesty and greed that has come to characterise most of our comrades.

I know many comrades who are as disillusioned as me. I don't have any doubt that COSATU's defence of the gains of our democracy will revive people like us. I am also surprised at the growing arrogance with which our comrades in govt are turning a blind eye on this tragic situation whilst they give themselves massive increases on their already fat salaries.

The govt also deems it fit to spend billions on arms whilst they throw a few million rands into poverty alleviation projects. I certainly don't need to lecture you on this subject since you are better informed than I am.

My appeal to you is to keep defending the interest of the poor and the working class who are being asked to make a sacrifice whilst the national elite and international capital plunder the resources of the country.

Lets make sure that we mobilise communities and broaden our base to counter the false accusation that COSATU is a narrow workerist federation. In the wake of the greed that has tempted most of our loyal comrades, COSATU and the SACP are the only forces that can defend the poor and struggling people of our country.

Lets go back to the selflessness that we used to serve our people with and stop selling out our nation in return for a fat salary and praises from the IMF and the World bank. These institutions bestow honour and glory to leaders who let children, mothers and fathers go hungry in the name of fiscal discipline.

In conclusion, let me assure you that the majority of South Africans are behind you despite the claims to the contrary by those who have lost touch with the masses. These people are deliberately misleading the nation that they are implementing Gear for the benefit of the nation whilst they know it is not the case.

VIVA COSATU ! RENDANI.

Dear Editor

Privatisation has failed internationally

I fully support your stand. Maybe more emphasis on experiences elsewhere would help your argument further:

• The increased electricity prices and "black-outs" in California that are caused by privatisation.

• The poorer performance of British Rail since it was privatised. Is not the government's push for privatisation also motivated by "globalisation"? If that is so, have you noted some really concrete proposals of "Attack" (started in France) to have governments control global turbo-capitalism?

I wish you success with your struggle. Regards

Joachim Zimmer