Volume11, No.2 - June - August 2002

Recruitment campaign

 

COSATU is to embark on another massive recruitment campaign. It will begin in earnest in September and will go on until end of November 2002.
The 1st Central Committee in September 2001 mapped out key areas our recruitment campaign should focus on, including strategies to be applied and a framework outlining these has since been adopted.
It will be a general recruitment blitz focusing on youth and women but in particular it will seek to reach out to the informal and vulnerable sectors.

Since the inception of the campaign in 1998, COSATU and all it's affiliates have committed themselves towards the attainment of certain goals, which include the defence of all workers in both the formal and informal sectors. Our recruitment campaign has always been underpinned by the need for strong affiliates and a stronger Federation; hence the above theme.

As part of the central objectives of this campaign we will try to reach all those workers who are struggling to survive on poverty wages, who are exploited by unscrupulous employers or who cannot get justice under the labour laws. They need the protection of a union and it is COSATU's duty to organise and help them.
The campaign will give special attention to the most vulnerable workers in sectors like domestic work, farming, transport (taxi drivers), construction, entertainment and sport. These are the workers who have the greatest need of unions to lift them out of poverty and exploitation. Yet they are generally the least organised.
These are some of the plans for reaching them, giving them the chance to get organised and improving their standard of living.

Domestic workers

The sector has vast numbers of workers but very low levels of unionisation, low wages and bad working conditions. The SA Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union (SADSAWU) has done a lot of work to take forward the cause of the domestics but more needs to be done to turn the situation around. SADSAWU has until now not been able to make effective national presence but is confined to specific areas. It is currently operating on a shoestring budget with no resources. In some regions it has developed a good working relationship with COSATU regions whilst in others there is none. For SADSAWU to grow and for domestic workers to be effectively organised we need a combination of strategies, with visible support from the affiliates.

One proposal is a twinning arrangement between SADSAWU and SAMWU, which already has a resolution to organise domestic workers. This will include establishment of a national, regional and local task teams focusing on the organisation of domestics and that must also include SATAWU.
Another central area that the campaign must seek to highlight is that of the establishment of a national register for domestics and their employers and for a scheme whereby employers can link their statutory contributions for their domestic workers to their rates payments to municipal councils. This would alleviate the problem of collection and move the sector towards formalising their employment status.

Agriculture and forestry

Here too there are low levels of unionisation. The SA Agricultural, Plantation and Allied Workers Union (SAAPAWU) is currently planning a recruitment project in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KZN. It is recommended that this be extended to other regions.
Task teams focusing on the organisation of agricultural workers are to be formed between SAAPAWU, FAWU and CEPPWAWU at national, in all regions and locals. COSATU regions and locals will take overall coordination of these task teams.

Transport

The key focus of this recruitment campaign will be on taxi drivers. There are about 120 000 taxi drivers nationally and less than 10% of whom have so far been recruited into SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU). All COSATU regions and locals will establish task teams to assist SATAWU to recruit and ensure that recruitment material is available. Locals must also make this a community issue and use public meetings to highlight the campaign.
A big problem in this sector is the absence of bargaining arrangements. SATAWU is already taking steps to speed this up.

Telecommunications, Broadcasting and IT

This sector has seen a sudden decline of membership due to massive retrenchments at Telkom in particular. There has however been a steady growth in small scale privately owned IT companies that remain unorganised. This is the area to focus on.
COSATU nationally is to convene a meeting of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (NUMSA) to discuss resources to be committed to this project and they will set up joint task teams at regional and local level under the overall coordination of COSATU regions.
There will also be a more coordinated approach to the recruitment of SABC staff.

Hospitality and Tourism

There has been tremendous growth of employment in this area. It is however characterised by informalisation rather than decent work. The campaign will focus on lodges, inns, hotels, B&B, motels, eco tourist centres, etc.
COSATU and SACCAWU will meet nationally and agree on a recruitment plan for this sector and identify target areas in each region. SACCAWU is to commit resources towards the realisation of this programme. Regions and locals must set up specific task teams dedicated to the organisation of workers in this sector.

Public Sector

The levels of unionisation within the public sector is fairly good. Whilst collectively public-sector workers now form the majority membership in COSATU, there is still more to be done to recruit the still significant numbers of workers outside COSATU affiliated unions. Some of these workers belong to unions that have no significant presence nationally.
One particular problem is a growing trend towards the informalisation of employment through outsourcing of cleaning, security, laundry, etc. In local government there is a growing number of casuals in proportion to fulltime personnel. In central government there is also a growing number of independent contractors in various positions.

All COSATU regions and locals are to take overall responsibility for coordination of task teams comprised of NEHAWU, SAMWU, SADTU, SASAWU, DENOSA, POPCRU and SADNU.
They will analyse the unaffiliated unions operating in the sector, focussing on the weaknesses and strengths of each union and what is possible in terms of either out-organising, merging, a cooperation agreement that may lead to a merger at a later stage or a massive recruitment drive into COSATU unions within the sector.

Entertainment and Sport

There is a great need for this category of workers to be unionised. We need artists nationally to be recruited into the Performing Arts Workers Equity (PAWE) so we can tackle the unique problems of this industry.
The SA Football Players Union (SAFPU) is to encourage all other professional sports players to unionise, form working relations with them and initiate discussions with a view towards establishing a single sporting union later on.
SAFPU will embark on a national roadshow focusing in major areas such as Durban, Cape Town, East London, PE, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Polokwane. This will couple recruitment with the establishment of visible structures in all areas where they have a strong presence.

COSATU regions will form part of this programme and will be informed of the intended dates for this activity.

Decentralised employment

COSATU has noted the growing pattern of employers opting to operate in isolated areas and the growing numbers of workers doing non standard work and casualisation in such areas. The Recruitment Campaign will make a coordinated effort to organise in these areas and will focus on clothing and textiles, home-based workers, panel beaters, petrol attendants, supermarkets, shops and construction workers.

NUMSA, SACTWU, SACCAWU, CWU, CEPPWAWU, NUM and SATAWU are to form task teams at local and regional level, coordinated by COSATU regions.
The Campaign will focus on certain regions, especially the bigger regions where we would expect high levels of recruitment figures.

Requirements for a successful recruitment campaign

The basis for a successful recruitment campaign will be:
· All affiliates to buy into the COSATU programme;
· A uniform reporting format for affiliates, regions and locals;
· Clear and realisable targets set for each sector, region and local;
· Clear commitment on resources by all affiliates;
· Constant updates on progress made in the campaign, including any failures encountered;
· Regions to establish the proposed task teams at their regional workshops to be
held under the auspices of local summits.

October Recruitment Blitz and Health and Safety

The Recruitment Campaign will be linked to the SACP's Red October Campaign, the October Health and Safety month and ongoing campaigns on gender issues. Regions and affiliates will have to integrate these into their recruitment programmes and work out how the SACP, Alliance and other progressive formations will form part of the campaign.
The leadership of affiliates, COSATU, SACP and ANC will have to be available for deployment during this period. Regions and Head Office must pay particular attention to specific areas outlined in affiliates recruitment programmes when deploying leadership.
This campaign must succeed. Millions of workers and their families are waiting for us to draw them into the campaign. It holds the key to the future of trade unionism in South Africa.