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South African Protest News 5 -12 April 2010 (2010) South African Protest News 5 -12 April 2010. : -.
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UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT (UPM)
Statement on the National Crisis & Proposal for a Way Forward
Our country is in crisis. The internal contradictions of the African
National Congress have bought it to the point where it is no longer able
to give leadership to society. It continues to speak the language of
nationalism and national liberation but it has degenerated into an
association of predatory elites hell bent on using the state to plunder
the society. The gap between the ANC's language and its practice is now
so large that the organisation can no longer speak to the national
interest with any conviction, clarity or credibility.
We have the highest rate of protest in any country in the world. People
are in revolt across the country. Every night the TV news shows the
police shooting at the poor. One of the most popular songs in these
protests is ※Amabhunu amnyama asenzela i 每worry§ 每 the black boers are
causing us worry. The fact is that the ANC have taken over the systems
of oppression and instead of dismantling them they have used them to
enrich themselves. The people are quite correct. The ANC leaders have
become the black boers.
With Julius Malema's open embrace of the brutal regime in Harare the
final destination of the ANC's trajectory has been made clear. The
people of Zimbabwe have waged a long struggle against the criminal
regime in Harare. So far their gains have been very limited but Malema
has gone to Harare and urinated on those gains, on the struggle of the
Zimbabwean people, on their hopes for a free and just Zimababwe and all
those who have been beaten, jailed and killed in the struggle to free
Zimbabwe from the scourge of Zanu-PF.
Malema can sing the songs from the struggle against apartheid as much as
he likes but the people will not be fooled. In Soweto Malema went to
visit JubJub in the holding cells and not the families of the children
who were killed by JubJub. His position is clear. We all know what side
he is on and that is the side of the super-elite.
Our position is also clear. We agree 100% with Amilcar Cabral who said that:
＆We are fighting so that insults may no longer rule our countries,
martyred and scorned for centuries, so that our peoples may never more
be exploited by imperialists not only by people with white skin, because
we do not confuse exploitation or exploiters with the colour of men's
skins; we do not want any exploitation and corruption in our country,
not even by black people.'
Of course white racism remains a problem and it must be confronted but
Malema is just misusing that struggle to try and distract the masses
from his own plunder from the public purse.
The ANC has lost all ability to give leadership to society. It is now
just like some sort of trade union for the super-elites. The people are
awakening to their treason and the ANC will not govern for ever. But in
the meantime leadership of this society will have to come from below 每
from the struggling masses in the townships and squatter camps.
We as the Unemployed People's Movement are calling for the masses to
resist Malema's distractions and to give leadership to this society. We
make the following contribution to the conversation about the direction
that should come out of the shift to leadership of the society by the
working class and the poor.
We need a fundamental social reorganisation. The first steps should
include serious steps to recognise and to deal with the crisis of
unemployment. These steps can include:
1. Taking immediate steps to put the Right to Work in the Constitution.
2. Immediately implementing a guaranteed income of R2000 per month for
all unemployed adults.
3. Immediately baring all party leaders from competing for government
tenders.
4. Immediately investigating all party leaders with unexplainable wealth.
5. Immediately reversing the militarisation of the police and ceasing
all repression of the movements of the poor and the working class.
6. Immediately beginning a serious discussion about how to socialise the
economy.
We also need a fundamental political reorganisation. Immediate first
steps should include:
1. Building a united platform for all progressive organisations and
individuals outside of the ANC alliance. We support the call for a
Conference of the Democratic Left.
2. Creating democratic councils in all communities and places of work
and study in which the people can discuss the creation of a clear and
credible alternative vision for the country in which all South African
can have a real stake in the future.
3. Building a democratic people's movement that win can control of the
state.
Ayanda Kota
Unemployed People's Movement
0786256462
69 ※C§ Nompondo Street, Grahamstown, 6139
Contacts: 072 299 5253, 078 625 6462, 073 578 3661
xola.mali@yahoo.com,
ayandakota@webmail.co.za
UKZN braces for protest over renovations, bursaries
Sinegugu Ndlovu 9 April 2010
Just days after the Durban University of Technology reopened following a
student strike which brought the university to a standstill, the
University of KwaZulu-Natal is bracing itself for student action.
No lectures took place at UKZN's Edgewood campus in Pinetown yesterday
when students protested over bursaries and what they said was the
inconvenience of renovations at residences for the World Cup.
Edgewood campus student representative Council president Siphesihle
Khanyasi said a programme for protest action had been drafted. "We're
angry because the World Cup is being prioritised at our expense.
Residences are being renovated and some students don't have bathroom
facilities," she said.
"Another concern relates to the Funza Lushaka bursary scheme. A portion
of the bursary money should go to a student (who is on the bursary)
which is not happening."
Tests and lectures were disrupted at Howard College campus last month
when a strike was called by the SRC in support of a call for adequate
transport for disabled students, among other demands.
Meanwhile, a task team which was set up after the closure of DUT last
month is investigating the reasons for the disruption, and will propose
measures to resolve the dispute.
Services will ＆grind to halt' if municipal workers strike
Mawande Jack 10 April 2010
MUNICIPAL services in Nelson Mandela Bay could be disrupted should a
national strike by the SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) go ahead on
Monday.
More than 3000 municipal workers, including administrative staff, refuse
collectors and those doing maintenance, disaster management and
electricity work, are being mobilised to down tools.
Samwu provincial spokesman Siphiwo Ndunyana said:
※This is an indefinite strike and every employee of the municipality
will down tools, with everything grinding to a halt. There is not going
to be any work.§
He said a protest march was planned for Tuesday.
Negotiations between the union and the SA Local Government Association
(Salga) to resolve the impasse following a dispute about job evaluation
and disciplinary procedure collapsed on Wednesday.
Salga has tried to prevent the strike by applying for a court interdict,
the outcome of which will be known today.
More than 130000 Samwu members in all nine provinces are expected to be
part of the protest.
Union national spokesman Tahir Sema said the main issue of the dispute
related to job evaluation. Salga was delaying implementing the agreement
reached in 2003. ※The delay implementing job evaluation and wage curves
allows municipalities to exploit workers by paying below the correct
wage level.§
Another issue was the use of lawyers by the municipalities to discipline
and eventually dismiss workers, while municipal disciplinary procedures
were not used.
※This attempt to dismiss workers at all costs is a sign of disrespect
and contempt for workers.§
The union also slammed the municipalities for wanting to do away with
formal departmental hearings for offences that did not warrant dismissal.
Municipal spokesman Kupido Baron said whether or not they put in place
contingency plans in the event of the strike would entirely depend on
the court outcome.
※Salga would have to give us direction in this regard,§ he said.
Durban braces for strike action
Mercury Reporter & Sapa 9 April 2010
BASIC services in cities throughout the country could be crippled on
Monday if council employees take part in an indefinite national
municipal workers' strike about wage grievances.
Samwu's Tahir Sema confirmed yesterday that its 130 000 members in all
nine provinces had been "mobilised" and were ready to strike on April 12.
"We have just got in writing the proposal from the South African Local
Government Association (Salga). We are not happy with the proposals. Our
demands have not been met."
The proposal came after Salga called an urgent meeting with Samwu to
avert the strike.
Sema said the union would take Salga's proposal to its national
leadership, but it was ready for mass action if necessary.
The eThekwini city manager, Michael Sutcliffe, said he hoped the matter
would be resolved between the two parties to avert strike action, but if
it did occur, the municipality had contingency plans.
"We always make sure we have contingency plans, and there are also
certain conditions that go with a strike, such as no work, no pay. But
we will wait and see what the outcome of the discussions is and then
issue a statement. But the best situation would be if it could be resolved."
Samwu wants Salga to finalise wage curves for municipal workers and for
back pay for at least two years once an agreement is reached. It said it
had been waiting for seven years for Salga to introduce "proper"
salaries for municipal workers.
Samwu is holding an urgent press conference today about its demands and
Monday's planned mass action.
Samwu case struck off roll, says Salga
Sapa 10 April 2010
An application to halt a strike by the SA Municipal Workers' Union
(Samwu) planned for Monday was struck off the roll at the Johannesburg
Labour Court on Saturday, the SA Local Government Association (SALGA) said.
"The application was not dismissed but struck off the roll due to lack
of urgency however the court court has not pronounced on whether the
strike is legal or not," said Salga chief executive Xolile George.
He said Salga, who on Friday applied for a court interdict to halt the
proposed strike, would apply for a reinstatement of the application in
order to get a determination on the legality of the strike.
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"Should workers strike on Monday it is at their own risk and should the
court later decide that the strike is illegal and unprotected, workers
can be dismissed according to the Labour Relations Act," said George.
On Friday, the union said it was ready to take to the streets to resolve
longstanding issues.
One of those included its demand for a job evaluation system that would
grade all jobs in the local government sector.
Samwu also accused Salga of firing workers, thereby undermining service
delivery and wasting money because they appointed expensive lawyers to
handle labour related cases.
"Samwu is demanding the removal of these lawyers from internal
disciplinary procedures as this is a huge waste of ratepayers' money and
escalates conflict at the shop floor," the union said. - Sapa
Aurora strikes deal with NUM
Lihle Mtshali and Sapa 9 April 2010
Workers to be paid outstanding wages
EMBATTLED investment firm Aurora Empowerment Systems has signed an
agreement with the National Union of Mineworkers to pay workers
outstanding wages today 每 ending a strike which started last month.
NUM said yesterday the agreement would ensure that workers at the
company's Grootvlei mine were paid their February wages today. The
agreement also meant that the workers would end their strike action and
return to work by Monday .
Workers have not been paid since January and water and electricity have
been cut off at the East Rand mine.
NUM chairperson at Grootvlei Frasy Namanyama said: ※It remains to be
seen whether the company will honour its commitment as it has previously
failed to do so.§
The union called on Aurora to honour its commitment and to ensure that
workers were regularly remunerated.
President Jacob Zuma's nephew, Khulubuse Zuma is Aurora's chairman and
Nelson Mandela's grandson, Zondwa Mandela is the company's managing
director.
Last month, mineworkers downed tools at Grootvlei to protest non-payment
of wages and job loss threats.
Mandela met with Pamodzi Gold provisional liquidators, from whom Aurora
bought the Grootvlei mine and others last year for R390million. Aurora
also bought Pamodzi's Orkney mine in the Free State for R215million.
Pamodzi Gold provisional liquidator Enver Motala said Aurora had made
※certain proposals to the joint provisional liquidators. We asked them
to submit the proposals in writing, which they promised to do by
tomorrow [today].§
Motala said the liquidators would then make a decision whether the
proposals are acceptable or not. ※We also requested from Aurora a
breakdown of how they are going to sort out the outstanding wages .§
Mandela did not answer e-mailed questions about the proposals Aurora has
made to the liquidators.
Bid to drop DUT charges fails
Khulekani Mazibuko
The students who were arrested during a violent protest at the Durban
University of Technology will appear in court after several attempts by
SRC to have the charges dropped failed.
The students who were arrested during a violent protest at the Durban
University of Technology will appear in court soon after several
attempts by the Students representative council to have the charges
dropped failed.
The 62 students from the Durban campus and seven from the
Pietermaritzburg Midlands campus were arrested during the unrest.
The students from Pietermaritzburg are expected to appear in court on
Friday, while those from the Durban campus will appear next month.
Sicelo Mabizela, SRC secretary the Midlands campus, said they had
pleaded with management to drop the charges against the students, but
were told that the issue was beyond management's control because some of
the property that was damaged during the protest belonged to private
individuals.
Mabizela said: ※Management's response was that the students should
account for their mistakes in court.§
Mabizela said they were concerned that the time consumed by the court
appearances would affect the students who had to attend every lecture to
compensate for lost time.
Midlands campus student Simphiwe Nzuza criticised management for
refusing to drop the charges.
Brigadier Phindile Radede, police spokesperson, said all the students
who were arrested were formally charged with public violence. She said
they would all have to appear in court as scheduled.
The university was contacted for comment but failed to respond.
Bid to honour Zuma's wife backfires
Victor Khupiso Sunday Times 10 April 2010
A plan by Sharpeville residents to protest against their local council's
move to honour President Jacob Zuma's first wife, Sizakele Khumalo, has
left the town's traffic chief in the soup.
The Sedibeng municipality suspended traffic chief Maxwell Mollo on a
charge of misconduct for allegedly approving a protest march that was
scheduled to be held on March 21, Human Rights Day.
But the protest action was called off after permission - initially
granted, was later withdrawn.
MaKhumalo, as Zuma's oldest wife is popularly known, was to be honoured
with the Patron of Reconstruction and Development by the executive mayor
of Sedibeng district municipality Simon Mofokeng.
Cosatu angry over ANC snub
MOIPONE MALEFANE 10 April 2010
Political discord between the ANC and its alliance partners has reached
boiling point after the ruling party's A-team failed to arrive for a
long-standing appointment with Cosatu leaders on Friday.
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The meeting, scheduled to take place at Luthuli House, did not get under
way because ANC president Jacob Zuma and key national working committee
members failed to turn up on time.
The Cosatu delegation of more than 20 union leaders was led by its
president, Sdumo Dlamini, and general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi.
The ANC sent seven delegates, headed by secretary-general Gwede Mantashe
and ANC chairman Baleka Mbete and including deputy secretary-general
Thandi Modise and NEC member Jessie Duarte.
ANC spokesman Ismael Mnisi said the meeting sat for about two hours
before it was decided that it should reconvene tomorrow.
Cosatu spokesman Patrick Craven said the meeting would continue
tomorrow. He refused to comment on why it sat for a short while.
After a central executive committee meeting last month, Cosatu announced
that it would seek an urgent meeting with the ANC to discuss, among
other things:
* Its rejection of the wage subsidy policy for youth employment
announced by finance minister Pravin Gordhan in his budget;
* Cosatu's call for so-called "lifestyle audits" to expose leaders
living beyond their means. The call has been rejected by ANC leaders,
including Zuma; and
* Concern that the ANC investment arm, Chancellor House, has invested in
a company doing business with Eskom, raising questions over a conflict
of interest.
The meeting was also expected to discuss Cosatu's allegation of a plot
to oust Zuma and Mantashe at the ANC's next elective conference in 2012.
An ANC NEC member who attended Friday's meeting said the weak ANC
delegation was an embarrassment to the party, which was why the meeting
was rescheduled.
A union leader accused the ANC of undermining its allies by sending a
weak delegation.
"All the loudmouths who always insult us were not there. How do we have
a meeting with five people? We were all told on time about the meeting,
and what happened beats us. We will go on Monday and it will be a
showdown," he said.
Dlamini and Vavi are both on record as saying the ANC sends weak
delegations to meetings with alliance partners.
Slow response to queries the thin edge of the wedge
Rozario Brown (Sunday Times) 8 April 2010
The problem does not lie in the fact that we lack resources, rather in
the fact that our resources are not spent wisely by those who are in
control of it.
Service delivery does not cover only house building, the provision of
clean drinking water, safe roads and other infrastructure projects; it
includes a speedy reply to letters and proposals from the public.
How is it possible for US President Barack Obama and his team to reply
to a letter in less than 10 days, but when you write to a government
department in this country, you have to wait for months for a reply?
Nobody can deny the fact that we have many committed public servants in
this country, but we should also have the courage to publicly state that
we have, in equal proportion, many lazy people working in various local,
provincial and national government departments who make their political
leaders look totally incompetent.
These lazy officials are usually also the most incompetent staffers in
those departments.
They are usually the culprits who tell members of the public,
telephonically, that they are snowed under with work, take their
telephone numbers, promise to get back to them shortly and fail to
honour their commitment to ratepayers or taxpayers.
These lazy staffers will sit on the department's telephones and make
calls to friends or family members, rather than help the public.
When members of the public desperately try to get assistance from these
lazy officials, you will more than likely find them on Facebook or
playing Solitaire on the department's computers.
Their political leaders and senior managers would more than likely know
exactly who they are, but would not do a thing about it.
Such lazy and incompetent officials would also be my first suspects when
confidential documents are leaked to the media.
My advice to all mayors, premiers, MECs and national Cabinet ministers
is to have a close look at what is really happening or not happening
within your departments and start taking action against lazy and
incompetent staffers.
They will, eventually, make you look incompetent.
Also, implement policies and deadlines for responding to letters,
proposals and complaints from the public.
It would certainly go a long way in dealing with our high levels of
frustration when dealing with government.
We need to speed up levels of delivery to all our people.
Angry residents march in FS
Sapa 9 April 2010
Bloemfontein - A group of angry Reddersburg residents handed a
memorandum of grievances to Kopanong municipal officials during a
protest march on Friday, Free State police said.
Superintendent Thandi Mbambo said a group of about 150 people applied
and took part in a protest march in town.
She said the group was apparently unhappy with the municipality's lack
of service delivery and nepotism.
The Kopanong Municipality services nine towns in the southern Free State
- Trompsburg (the municipal head office), Gariep Dam, Springfontein,
Bethulie, Philippolis, Jagersfontein, Fauresmith, Edenburg and Reddersburg.
Mbambo said the march went well and without incident.
- SAPA
Eleven face charges of public violence
Sapa 8 April 2010
Eleven people arrested after a violent service delivery protest in
Siyazenzela appeared in the Perdekop Periodic Court, Mpumalanga police
said on Wednesday.
During their appearance on Tuesday, six of the group, who are minors,
were released into the custody of their guardians, while the five adults
would stay in custody, Captain Klaas Maloka said.
The case was postponed to Sunday, April 11 for a bail application.
"It is quite possible for the court to sit on Sunday, remember this is a
periodic court at the police station."
They face charges of public violence and malicious damage to property.
During the protest residents barricaded a road with burning objects,
burnt down the house of a councillor and the community hall. - Sapa
Cops kill man during protest
Sapa 6 April 2010
Mpumalanga police have shot and killed a man who was allegedly resisting
arrest, while they were searching for a group of protesters who burnt
down a councillor's house and a community hall, police said on Tuesday.
Siyazenzela township residents began a service delivery protest on
Monday morning in the Perdekop area. It which quickly escalated into
violence, Captain Klaas Maloka said.
"Community members protesting against poor service delivery barricaded
the roads with burning tyres and old vehicles before burning down the
house of a councillor and the community hall at around 12pm," he said.
"The community is not happy with this particular councillor and they do
not want him to represent them so they proceeded to burn down his house."
Maloka said he had not yet been given the authority to name the councillor.
Emergency services were called to attend to the fires, however both the
house and the hall were completely gutted, Maloka said.
Eleven people so far have been arrested for starting the fires.
One man, who threw stones at police as they tried to arrest him on
Monday night, was shot in the left shoulder and died.
Police were still searching for other suspects involved in the incident.
Police were patrolling the area on Tuesday, however, there were no
incidents to report, he said.
"It currently appears to be quiet like any normal day but there is a
heavy police presence in the area." - Sapa
Residents hand list of grievances to Kopanong municipality
Sapa 9 April 2010
BLOEMFONTEIN - A group of angry Reddersburg residents handed a
memorandum of grievances to Kopanong municipal officials during a
protest march on Friday, Free State police said.
Superintendent Thandi Mbambo said a group of about 150 people applied
and took part in a protest march in town.
She said the group was apparently unhappy with the municipality's lack
of service delivery and nepotism.
The Kopanong Municipality services nine towns in the southern Free State
-- Trompsburg (the municipal head office), Gariep Dam, Springfontein,
Bethulie, Philippolis, Jagersfontein, Fauresmith, Edenburg and Reddersburg.
Mbambo said the march went well and without incident.
- Sapa
Government reaches deal on rate boycotts Comments
Donwald Pressly 6 April 2010
The government and the National Taxpayers' Union (NTU), representing
about 70 organisations of mainly white ratepayers that are boycotting
paying municipal rates to protest against poor service delivery, have
reached a compromise agreement.
The two sides - including acting director-general of co-operative
governance Elroy Africa and NTU president Jaap Kelder - met late last
week and agreed to set up pilot municipalities in four provinces.
The pilot project towns will be Louis Trichardt in Limpopo, Barberton in
Mpumalanga, Bethlehem in the Free State and Sannieshof in the North West.
Advisory committees consisting of all three levels of government, the
ratepayers' organisations, township civic organisations, municipal
managers and local mayors will be represented. These advisory bodies
will look at service delivery problems in these areas.
Kelder said ratepayers would continue to pay their rates into separate
bank accounts set up by the ratepayers' bodies in their respective
towns. The money from the bank accounts would be used to pay for
necessary services and other immediate requirements, be it fixing a
pothole or repairing a sewerage pipe.
While Africa did not return calls for comment, Co-operative Governance
and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka's spokeswoman Vuyelwa
Qinga-Vika said the minister's approval would be communicated with the
NTU "within the next week".
Shiceka accused the white ratepayers of setting up a "parallel
government" and threatened to use the full force of the law against
them. He, however, did not attend the meeting with the NTU, leaving this
to his department's senior officials.
Kelder, who was accompanied by Carin Visser, the chairwoman of the
Sannieshof Ratepayers' Association and also the chairwoman of the North
West branch of the NTU, said threats to cut off the supply of
electricity to thousands of those boycotting rates in Brits and
Phalaborwa had been prevented by the talks with the department.
While it could not be confirmed, Kelder said that according to the
agreement with the department, ratepayers who had boycotted payments to
the municipality would not be penalised for outstanding rates because
they had paid them to the alternative bank accounts. That money would be
used to implement corrective action in the municipalities concerned.
The advisory committees would, within two weeks, identify critical areas
of service delivery backlogs. "The trust funds will be made available to
address these problems," said Kelder.
Asked if the money would be channelled to the municipalities for this
purpose, Kelder was emphatic that this would not happen.
"(The department) asked for that but the money will go directly to the
contractors who put right what is wrong," Kelder said.
Qinga-Vika could not confirm if this was the case and whether the
minister had agreed to this position.
Cops fire rubber bullets at protesting mine workers
Mail & Guardian 8 April 2010
Police fired rubber bullets at hundreds of protesting mine workers on Johannesburg's East Rand on Wednesday.
About 1 000 workers at Aurora Empowerment Systems' Grootvlei mine became rowdy and started stoning cars, damaging three, spokesperson Thulane Ngubane said.
Police fired rubber bullets and the workers dispersed.
"The confrontation between the police and workers was resolved. We are busy negotiating with the unions now," he said.
According to Ngubane, workers went on an illegal strike on March 15 following "temporary retrenchments" of 1 500 out of 2 400 workers.
"All we want to do is to lay-off 1 500 workers temporarily for four months, until the company shows... profits, as we are trying to get investors on board.
"The workers will have their jobs back after that, we have shown them documents to guarantee that."
National Union of Mineworkers spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said they were not against temporary retrenchments, but were unhappy because workers had not been paid for the past two months.
"Workers could not go home for Easter because they were not paid. How do they expect workers to agree to lay-offs when they have not been paid?"
Seshoka said five workers sustained minor injuries during the clash with police and were treated on the scene.
"Our members did not stone cars or hold anybody hostage. They went closer to the building because they wanted to hand over their memorandum to management. Managers called the police claiming to be held hostage and when the police got there and they fired rubber bullets," he said.
Seshoka said the workers were frustrated. All they wanted was their salaries for the past two months.
Ngubane said workers would on Thursday be paid for the few days they worked in March and 75% of February salaries owed to them.
"They went on illegal strike on March 15. Surely they do not expect us to pay them a full salary for that?"
The mine is owned by Nelson Mandela's grandson, Zondwa, and a nephew of President Jacob Zuma, Khulubuse Zuma. -- Sapa
www.mg.co.za
NUMSA CONDEMNS APARTHEID STYLE POLICE SHOOTING OF MINE WORKERS
Numsa 8 April 2010
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) condemns the apartheid style brutal police shooting of striking mine workers at Aurora Empowerment Systems＊ Grootvlei, East Rand.
The mine workers are on a strike after Aurora management failed to pay wages to workers for more than two months. These workers have a legitimate right to embark on a strike action to raise their frustrations with Aurora management. It is our view that police cannot be bullies or used to mitigate over wage disputes through unleashing brutal force. The role of the police is on the streets by fighting rampant scourge of crime in our communities and broader society.
The continuation by the police to cowardly and irresponsibly silence dissent through the barrel of the gun is tantamount to a police state. It is within this context that we are opposed to the militarization of the police force. This is informed by our ideological underpinnings that in a class divided society like South Africa, state apparatus particularly the police can＊t be used to protect the interests of the owners of the means of production, as opposed to the broader interests of the working class and the poor. Therefore the brutal shooting of mine workers at Aurora should be understood and located within the context of police protecting the interests of Aurora and their private accumulation interests. As Numsa we reject such backwardness!
We call on our reliable ally Police and Prisons, Correctional Services Union (POPCRU) to conscioutise their members working as police not to be irresponsibly used to reverse struggles intended to undermine the logic of capital at the point of production and broader economy. The police should be consciously aware that this struggle by mine workers is also in their own interest as part of fighting for decent work for decent pay.
We call on the striking mine workers and our allies National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) to be resolute and fight until the lumpen bourgeoisie＊s as personified by the Aurora owners adhere to the workers demands. As Numsa we support their struggles because it is consistent with our federation＊s commitment of fighting greed and corruption.
Contact:
Castro Ngobese
National Spokesperson 每 073 299 1595
NUM intensifies strike action at Gold One International
NUM 8 April 2010
Strike action by over 1000 workers at Gold One International outside Springs entered a third week today after negotiations faltered yesterday. The CCMA brokered ※deal§ could not see the light of day after the company reneged from its earlier commitment. Mineworkers have now decided to intensify the strike action which has already paralysed the Australian Gold company which earlier in the week falsely claimed production was at 50%. ※There is no production at Gold One International; there will be no production anytime soon§ says Thomas Ketsise, the NUM＆s Chief Negotiator at Gold One International. ※The company disagrees with our proposal for a R900 per month living-out allowance; want a three year deal whilst we want two. They disagree with anything that comes from us and we are now going to make them face more music§ says Ketsise.
The National Union of Mineworkers is disappointed at the company＆s indecisiveness and reluctance to offer workers what is due to them.
Thomas Ketsise- 082 884 2754
Creative Workers to march to Fifa LOC
CWUSA Media alert: Press conference 6 April 2010
The Creative Workers Union of South Africa (CWUSA) and the MK Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) invite the media to a joint Press Conference to announce details of mass action in the form of a march to SAFA House, the offices of the Fifa World Cup Local Organising Committee. It will be addressed by:
Mabutho ＆Kid＊ Sithole, President of CWUSA
Kebby Maphutsoe, National Chairperson of MKMVA
The details are:
DATE: Wednesday 7 April 2010
TIME: 11h00
VENUE: 3rd Floor, COSATU House, 1 Leyds Street, Braamfontein
The media are hereby invited to attend and report. For further information, please contact Mabutho ＆Kid＊ Sithole, on 083 694 2113
NUM and Gold One meet as strike drags
NUM 6 April 2010
The National Union of Mineworkers and Gold One International meet today through the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in an attempt to resolve the two week long strike action. The strike action at Gold One is as a result of the parties＆s failure to find one another over the issue of a living-out allowance. ※We are hopeful that a resolution may be found later today but we cannot rule out the possibility of the dispute dragging even longer due to the company＆s arrogance§ says Thomas Ketsise, the NUM ＆s Negotiator at Gold One.
The NUM condemns Gold One＆s refusal and reluctance to come to the party earlier and calls on its members to refuse to be taken for granted through receiving anything lesser than what they demanded.
Lesiba Seshoka 每 082 803 6719 (NUM Spokesman)
Lesiba Seshoka
Head: Media & Communications
National Union of Mineworkers
Tel: (011) 377 2047
Mobile: 082 803 6719
LesibaS@num.org.za
STRIKE IS ON 每 THE TIME FOR BATTLE IS NOW
SAMWU PRESS STATEMENT. 6 April 2010
Job Evaluation and Wage Curves
SAMWU will start its 130 000 member national strike on 12 April 2010. We have waited 7 long years to introduce proper salaries for all municipal workers. We first concluded an agreement with SALGA (South African Local Government Association) on Job Evaluation in 2003. Job Evaluation is when a job is graded, once this is done, all employees in the same category of municipality will be paid equally.
The grading system, TASK, requires salaries to be set according to Wage Curves. These curves will differ depending on how big your municipality is, its income and any assistance it receives from central government.
The delay in implementing job evaluation and wage curves allows municipalities to exploit workers by paying below the correct wage level. SALGA refuses to backdate any agreement that is reached and won＊t pay any back pay; municipalities are saving each month at the expense of workers.
The key issues in dispute are:
Percentile: SALGA wants to use the 50th percentile while we are arguing for the 60th percentile. This is important because these tools measure wage levels against all other wages in the economy. So for example, a Task 8 grade in a Category 4 municipality comes to R 7658, 00 on the 60th percentile it amounts to R 8030, 00.
Date of Data: Because we are comparing municipal wages with the rest of the labour market, it is important to use the most up-to-date data. Wages in the market are increasing all the time. SALGA wants to use the 2008 figures, which are 2 years out of date and 20% less than current wages. We are demanding that we use the most recent figures so as to be in line with existing wages.
Back pay: This agreement should have come into effect in 2004. We are insisting that we receive at least 2 years back pay.
Section 57 Managers: SALGA wants to exclude the top managers from the system. We are saying a job evaluation system has to grade all posts from top to bottom. SALGA wants to preserve the ridiculously high salaries that some Section 57s earn and don＊t want them to be considered as part of the general workforce.
Performance Management System: SALGA also wants to sneak this through the back door during these negotiations. They want notch movements to be based on an assessment by management. We have seen that this system is open to abuse by management. We insist that notch progression is automatic as recognition of the experience gained by workers.
Implement Job Evaluation Now!
NO TO LAWYERS〞YES TO JUSTICE
The Disciplinary Procedure is an area that we have been negotiating for a long time with SALGA. We have tried to close many of the loopholes in the existing agreement. SALGA has abused the agreement by bringing in external legal people to preside and prosecute in disciplinary cases. This is an abuse of ratepayer＊s money and an attack against the employees who are supposed to be out in the field delivering much needed services.
This attempt to dismiss workers at all costs is a sign of disrespect and contempt for workers who work under extremely difficult conditions to deliver services. Municipalities have shown no sign of using disciplinary action as a corrective measure. They use it instead to punish individual workers; this has lead to poor service delivery.
SALGA should be equipping municipal officials to handle disciplinary processes just as the union train＊s shop stewards to defend members. SALGA can further assist municipalities in complex cases just as union officials can assist in difficult matters. We are demanding that internal disciplinary processes be free of lawyers.
There are other areas where SALGA wants to undermine existing rights. They want to do away with formal departmental hearings for offences that do not warrant dismissal. They also want an unlimited time to bring charges against workers. We are saying that they must bring charges within 3 months of management becoming aware of an offence.
2010 will not be a year where we surrender our rights. We will fight for proper delivery of services with a well-paid, motivated staff, free of fear of victimisation. We want municipalities to use their resources to fund service delivery and not target the union and its members. This is the only way we will be able to take local government forward.
We are ready to fight for our rights.
NO TO EXPLOITATION OF MUNICIPAL WORKERS!
YES TO FAIR WAGES!
NO TO SALGA＊S ATTACKS ON THE UNION!
YES TO SCORING A GOAL FOR JUSTICE AND DECENT WORK!
For comment contact SAMWU＊s Deputy General Secretary Walter Theledi on 082 558 6580 or SAMWU＊s National Bargaining Officer Dale Fobes on 084 299 6567
Issued by;
Tahir Sema.
South African Municipal Workers' Union of COSATU.
National Media and Publicity officer.
tahir.sema@samwu.org.za
Office: 011-331 0333.
Cell: 0829403403.
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