Socialist, trade unionist and feminist, Vice President of the Chemical Workers Industrial Union, Joyce Pekani, spoke to The Shopsteward about her experiences.
As with most of the women worker leaders we have interviewed, Joyce Pekani demonstrates the energy and political dedication of a single parent, trade unionist and worker. This thirty something mother of one may appear quiet and serene, but five minutes in her company reveals her fiery and passionate side.
Part of the 1976 generation, hard work and struggle does not intimidate her at all. "The problem of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction at school forced me to participate in the 1976 student uprising. At the time I was in standard eight. It was difficult to concentrate at school when the security police were constantly visiting my family."
Ten years later Joyce started working at Robertson's Spices. "Workers were not organised. They were really exploited. We started looking around for the best union ...and Cwiu gave the best service to their members". Once the decision was made for Cwiu to organise at Robertson's, Pekani set about recruiting workers to the union.
"I used to sign them up in the laundry room when they were changing their clothes (to avoid harassment by employers)" she said. She identified a core group of workers and finally launched the branch.
She was elected chairperson of the shopsteward committee and was the only woman. She has been active in the branch since that time and has consistently refused promotion as a higher salary would disqualify her from being a shopsteward. Her loyalty and dedication to the union was recognised at the National Congress last year when she was elected 1st Vice President.
"My first thought when I was elected was that I can't disappoint my fellow women," Pekani said, "because this will impact on their future as leaders in our union".
She admits to experiencing the gender struggle in her role as a national leader. "Within Cwiu we women have to hunt for information, whereas our male comrades are often provided with the same information. Although I've been treated equally by the national office bearers, I have sometimes been challenged by male workers who think I was elected for reasons other than my brain", she said.
Although Cwiu has a quota system, she says it is still frustrating trying to implement this policy. "We still have to remind comrades that 25% of the delegation to meetings must be women".
Pekani claims Cwiu's success in developing women is largely due to the fact that the union is united on this issue. She emphasised the importance of women participating in meetings as this builds their confidence and encourages other women to participate. However, she does emphasise that men need training as much as women do. "I hate this thing that women need to be developed as if men don't!"
In terms of Cwiu's gender programme, Pekani says the gender structure is weak because male comrades don't attend. "It doesn't matter whether you call it Gender Forum or Women's Forum, it’s the same thing because only women attend" she said. "The way to reach male comrades is to engage them on a social level after meetings. This is how we get them to take up gender issues - a kind of informal lobbying".
She says this interaction breaks down gender barriers and allows male comrades to understand different points of view. This is completely different to union meetings where the atmosphere can sometimes be hostile and "male comrades can see you as a threat".
Cwiu will be merging with Ppwawu in February next year and will then boast a membership of 90 000. Pekani says she is looking forward to taking up the challenges in this yet to be named union.
What has been the highlight of her union experience? "Attending the ILO conference in Geneva. It was a good experience because I represented my country. I had to debate child labour issues and it was the first time I participated in an international gathering like this".
She says her heroes are Mamphele Ramphele whose biography made a huge impression on her, and Blade Ndzimande because "I always admire his speeches. He's always made sense to me". Are you a socialist, I ask her. "I think I am", she laughs.
Where to from here? Well, Joyce already has a diploma in management development and is interested in studying further. She is hoping one day to open her own business in manufacturing. "I would appreciate running a company," she says, "My wish is to see black people running their own businesses".
Is she confident about the future of the country? "Oh yes. I see us going towards a socialist country. We don't differ fundamentally with the movement".
Finally, this dynamic mother/ worker/ trade unionist says her message to women is that they must "stop doing unpaid jobs at home and concentrate on their future as women. The government has given us a platform to walk on. We must use that platform!".
