Charley Lewis a écrit : > > NUMSA Congress: Taking The Struggle For Socialism Into The 21st Century > > NUMSA PRESS RELEASE –FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > Issued by COSATU on behalf of NUMSA > > The 6th National Congress under the slogan: “Taking the struggle for > socialism into the 21st century” is aimed at advancing and defending working > class interest in the mist of globalisation onslaught. The coming congress > will in the main expressing the immediate and broader strategic interest of > the working class, and widest range of popular forces. Our main task as > metal workers is to advance the democratic breakthrough, essentially > meaning maintaining the strategic initiative of our revolution. In main is to > defend the basic interest of workers and address poverty and unemployment. > Significant shifts have also taken place at the shopfloor and strides are made > on daily basis by workers to win better wages and conditions through bitter > and ugly struggles. > > The 6th National Congress takes place at the time when employers are > forging unholy mergers and acquisitions. Workplace restructuring takes > place in the majority of the companies with the employers dismissing > workers on a daily basis. Workplace restructuring has great potential > dangers. The current trends point in a different direction where employers > want to take full control in the workplace despite legislation’s that are > currently in place. The Congress will also look at organisational weakness > and strengths. The Congress will build mainly on the strengths. > > The 6th National Congress will consolidate organisational work strained by > the very complex changes that have taken place globally. The main > discussions in the congress will be around political orientation, collective > bargaining and organisational issues, macro-economic and industry policies > and lastly on international and globalisation issues in the current phase of > our struggle. > > The Congress will lay much emphasis on open debate based on our > collective experiences to advance our struggles with the employers. In the > last several months, as we have been engaged in complex debates > processes, We think that the metalworkers have begun to elaborate > interesting and innovative ideas so that the final product of the resolutions > take us to the socialist future. But socialism does not grow out of capitalism > of its own accord. It has to be prepared for, worked for and finally created. > > The metalworkers have made imprints on the immediate struggles in the > factory floor. The final objective of any genuine workers struggle is to bring > about an end to exploitation and class domination. We hope that through > discussion on the “socialist terrain” the mass of workers will be able to > understand it in the current context, to advance the democratic struggle of > the working class. > > We are delighted that the 6th National Congress will beef-up the adopted > resolutions into the COSATU 7th National Congress. The Metal workers have > a special role to play in consolidating the trade union movement and making > it an integral part of the struggle for socialism and democracy. We hope that > the delegates will not be afraid to confront weaknesses. We will welcome > constructive criticisms and positive suggestions from delegates. > > The last National Executive Committee of NUMSA examined the political and > organisational aspects related to the forthcoming National Congress with a > specific focus in terms of the: - > > The rich history, traditions and character that shaped the metalworkers > since the formation of the union in 1987. > > The approach to and including allowing different political schools of > thoughts to exist within the ranks of the national union. > > The unique character of metalworkers in debates on issues in the union, > in the federation and within the formation of the alliance and abroad in > solidarity politics in championing struggles of metalworkers. > > Our primary and strategic focus as an independent trade union first, > secondly aligned to various formations of the democratic movement > pushing a broad transformation programme. > > Having noted the above and the fact that the current environment imposed > by globalisation is hostile against the working class, the NEC view this > coming National Congress as a milestone to critique ourselves. NUMSA has > to emerge from its 6th National Congress with a vibrant organisation, > maintain principle of accountability and worker control, with a solid and > strong leadership. The entire organisation would now and after the congress > promote teamwork and unity of metalworkers as the only cornerstone to > improve conditions of workers. > > The NEC noted the importance of regions debating and influencing one > another about leadership to lead the national union but such a process > should be located to the current challenges confronting working people, free > of personal ambitions and power mongering. It must only benefit the > organisation as the only tool and shield of metalworker. The congress > should emerge with a strategy on how to implement resolutions. > > The NEC whilst applauding the role played by the NOBs as worker leaders, > of carrying the organisation under very difficult conditions but seek to register > as a matter of a principle that in future, in an event that on key positions like > the General Secretary’s, a vacant is created. The organisation should > ensure immediate replacement, as there is a potential of creating instability > in the organisation. > > The leadership that will be elected, it is the leadership that will be supported > because they have major challenges and tremendous responsibilities to take > the union into new heights. > > WHAT ARE THE REGIONS SAYING? > > We also hope that the Congress will not bog down on issues of process. We > are much overwhelmed at the resolution we have received from regions. We > want delegates to use the time allocated optimally. > > Political Orientation and various tasks > In almost all regional submissions, the centre of political discussion and in > the formulation of resolutions around our Political tasks has been the > continued relevance of the Alliance with the ANC. > > 1. The retention and strengthening of the Alliance with the ANC; > 2. Restructuring of the Alliance with COSATU , SACP and ANC as the > leader of the Alliance. > > The primary focus at Congress in whatever position adopted should be a > strategic focus on: > 1. An analysis of the balance of forces and how our position seeks to > influence these forces in favour of the working class and the poor. > 2. The concrete elements of a strategy to tilt the balance in society in > favour of our position. > 3. A strategy to win over as many social forces who stand to benefit from > our Project in support of the elements of the strategy to achieve our > own objectives. > > Thousands of Metalworkers in factories, small workshops in the hinterland of > this country await with great interest the deliberations of this Congress, we > dare not fail them and those whose position in society is indirectly as a > consequence of their class position, interconnected with our long-term vision. > > EFFECTS OF GLOBILISATION > > JOB LOSSES > > In South Africa, unemployment continues to pose severe problems. > Currently, job loss is estimated at 35%. It is also estimated that close to > 53% of South Africans live below the poverty line. The inescapable truth is > that the legacy of apartheid > contributed immensely in the current job crisis. South Africa is > still characterised by unequal relations in the economic and social > spheres. > > These relations manifest themselves in low wages in the motor > and engineering sectors. Apartheid has left a deep legacy which > the current government will find difficult to create conditions of > full employment. In the midst of job losses, the union has lost > close to 50 000 workers through retrenchments, liquidations and > plant closures. Job losses tend to threaten the vision to become a > force for progressive social and economic changes in this country. > > Workers are feeling more anxious than ever. This leads to job > stress and employment insecurity. Over the years, there has been > a definite deterioration of jobs within the metal industry. Trade > and industrial policies have contributed to the drastic reduction of > jobs. A job creation strategy that seeks to redress the imbalances > must also incorporate the issues of job retention and employment > security. > > Recent surveys point to a situation where the average income of > the poorest 30% of South African households continue their long > downward slide. With the constant increase in the price of petrol, > the low income groups are losing their purchasing power. The > poor are growing poorer, income is still flowing upwards to the > richest households. We fear that South Africa will soon lead the > industrial world in inequality and poverty. > > Although there is no single answer to the rising inequality, job > losses and poverty, Apartheid legacy, government macro > economic policies, declining wages and technological changes > have all played a part. That is why there is constant decline in > union membership. > > We also support initiatives in the Presidential Job Summit held in > 1999 to prevent job losses in the following areas: > * Measures to formalise the legal informal sector. > * Employment creation measures on labour intensive > industries. > * Supportive measures for the unemployed and poor. > > The decline in union membership tears apart the manufacturing > base and the fabric of society. We therefore call for :- > * Business commitment to Presidential Job Summit > resolutions. > * Re-look at the impact of GEAR > * More intelligent trade policies that will sustain jobs and > create more. > * Real investment in productive sectors of the economy. > * A renewed commitment to organise the unorganised. > > A revitalised metal union is the single most effective weapon > against poverty, job losses and inequality. > > Casual / Temporary Workers > As employers shift towards a more "lean production" and highly > competitive firms, a majority of workers are called to be > employers on a contingency basis. Most of these workers are > employed on a part time and temporary basis. Some are > employed by labour brokers, others are known as independent > contractors. Most of these workers do not receive the same > protection as full time workers. For example, they are excluded > from other important benefits i.e. Medical Aid and sometimes do > not qualify for unemployment compensation if they lose their > jobs. > > We call on laws to protect these workers trapped in part time and > temporary jobs. Our country has outlawed other forums of > discrimination but continues to allow employers to discriminate > against part time or temporary status by denying them full > benefits. > > Our jobs campaign, was intended to strengthen our existence as a > trade union with a rich history of respecting accountability to > members and democratic environment. > > The labour movement has emerged from a successful Jobs > campaign, which culminated in the national strike on the 10 May. > It was a resounding success after the 1994 democratic elections. > The support was overwhelming, including mass participation of > members and supporters, particularly the unemployed and broad > civil society structures. Clearly, the strike has put pressure on the > labour movement to organise the unemployed. The reservations > expressed that federation’s ability to mobilise its members has > been silenced. The campaign was important because it placed the > issue of job losses high on the agenda of the national debates. It > showed overall support on the understanding of the issue among > the population. It showed that job losses and unemployment are > the key priorities in the midst of economic growth. > > MACRO-ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRIAL POLICY > > If we all recall, Congress gave us a mandate on broad social > and economic issues. The mandate was around a > developmental state which plays an interventionist role in > achieving the goals of economic development, to > overcome poverty and redistributive power, wealth, > income and economic opportunity from a small minority > to the majority of the citizens. This should be linked to our > socialist vision and to the RDP, which still remains the > cornerstone for any macro economic policy. > > It is well known that NUMSA’s argument on economic > policy is underpinned by socialist ideology. Therefore, > market forces alone without state intervention in the > economy, is not ideal to us. The state to us has a role to > play over and above regulating the economy. > > Whilst, we were busy seeking to build on the RDP by > outlining a coherent set of economic tools and strategies > for achieving our vision, the government continued to > implement the macro-economic strategy that was rejected > by the previous Congress. The government’s macro- > economic strategy prioritizes budget cuts, liberalisation, > deregulation, privatisation and tight monetary policy. These > measures were intended to send signals to the market, > boost investor confidence and eventually lead to substantial > levels of growth, which were expected to lead to jobs, > incomes and lower poverty. > > However, government’s macro-economic strategy has > been inappropriate on South African soil. It has failed to > link growth with better income distribution. The role of > the domestic market in achieving development has been > left unexplored while the main emphasis has been on > creating an export-oriented economy. The role of > government has been reduced drastically to one of > managing the transformation while the private sector runs > with the economy. > > Such a policy agenda has not been conducive to > employment creation because business invest in short term > projects where they will get maximum profits and take > money to the London Stock Exchange. This has resulted > in low growth and little eradication of poverty and > unemployment. > There are many global companies who invested after 1994 > but who relocated in 1999. Other companies have forced > some of our key domestic companies to close down > because of the high level of competition. This has resulted > in the gradual increase in the fragility of the country’s > market. The industrial trade policy embraces trade > liberalisation that goes beyond the degree required by the > WTO agreement. The government failed to create supply- > side policies. The Trade and Industry policy has been > integrated without logical priority. The government tends > to assess trade separately from industry or supply side > policy. > > The Three Year Bargaining Strategy > The Three Year Bargaining Strategy as adopted in 1993 > has guided the union to collective bargaining including > linking grading to skills/training, work organisation and > wages. The three year bargaining strategy will be under > review in terms of progress made. The broad objectives of > the strategy was : > > 1. Bring up the pay of the low paid > 2. Reduce the wage gap between skilled and > unskilled workers > 3. Link grades to skills and not tasks > 4. Bring in a new training system so that all workers > can be trained > 5. Improve workers’ standard of living > 6. Negotiate new work organisation to empower > workers instead of weakening, dividing and > leaving them worse off than before. > > Five (5) Grade System > In particular, the five grade system is meant to cluster > grades and reduce the grades up to artisan, set the wage > gap between the artisan and other grades, and allow > workers to climb the training and grading ladders. > > Recognition Of Prior Learning > Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an important tool > to ensure that workers receive recognition and payment > for they possess. > > Portability > According to the Strategy skills should be portable so that > workers can move from one company to another, even in > a different sector. > > The whole strategy is based on the assumption that both > companies and workers can benefit from international > competition by following a path which bases > competitiveness on the skills of workers. By following a > high skill, high wage route, employers would capture new > domestic and export markets, and workers would gain new > skills and higher wages. > > Progress to Date > Progress has varied between the sectors. > 1. In MOTOR although the demand for a five grade > system has been tabled, nothing has been achieved yet. > 2. In ENGINEERING there is an in principle agreement > on the five grade system which is voluntary at plant > level. We have completed the new job classification. The > five grades are based on a clustering of tasks, not on > skills. Companies with five grade systems have > implemented their own version, not the one in the > main agreement. The productivity agreement is also > voluntary. > 3. There is a five grade system in the AUTO SECTOR. > Although it is meant to be skills based, the five grades > were created by grouping tasks together. Workers can > move up through the system either on a minimum or a > maximum route. Workers move up the minimum route > by applying skills. The maximum route is skills based. > Workers can only move up the maximum route via RPL > or training. > > LABOUR LAW AMENDMENTS > > NUMSA has again noted with deepest concerns the recent > amendments to current labour legislation which represent > an attack on the hard won rights of the working class. > > While there are areas which NUMSA welcomes, for > instance some of the amendments to the Insolvency Act > and the listing of tests to be applied to atypical workers in > the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the bulk of the > changes are an enormous step backwards. > > In particular we reject the attempt to: > > TurnSunday into an ordinary working day with no > premiums payable; > Givethe Minister the right to vary core rights including > – child labour, ordinary hours of work, the 45 hour > week. Even forced labour is up for grabs! > Extendthe probationary period to six months and > allow for an employee on probation to be dismissed so > long as the dismissal is procedurally fair. > Allowthe Minister to refuse to extend Collective > Agreements to non-parties unless all employers have > been consulted. > > The attack on Sunday payments must be resisted. The > defence of the minister that the protection of Sunday is > due to religious grounds does not hold water. Sunday has > long been accepted by all workers as a day for family, > sporting, social and union activity. The Constitutional > Court has also upheld the principle that Sunday is an > accepted day of rest by all workers. The attack on Sunday > is a means to force longer hours on workers and reduce > costs to employers. > > The attempt to move away from the 45 hour week is a > fundamental attack on workers. Instead we challenge the > Government to explain what actions it has taken to fulfill > the provisions of Schedule 1 of the BCEA. > > Schedule 1 deals with, Procedures for Progressive > Reduction of Maximum Working Hours. The stated goal is > to reduce the week to 40 hours it is not to allow the > minister to vary above 45! The minister should have > reported on how the 40 hours may be achieved not later > than 18 months after the Act came into force. It is long > overdue. > > The minister has also asked for the right to vary other core > issues. At a time when we should advancing the rights of > workers we now say child labour can be negotiated – even > forced labour. What an attack not only on our own > members but also on the most vulnerable workers. A > farmer could force a 60 hour week on his employees and > use children as cheap labour. The idea that these isolated > workers who depend upon their employer for a home, for > schools etc. are able to negotiate as equals is laughable and > unacceptable. > > The extension of the Probationary Period is a means by > which employers will be able to ensure that any potential > problem workers are dealt with. A worker could now be > dismissed for union membership or activity and the > employer only has to show that the dismissal was > procedurally fair. The investor has to be offered a > compliant workforce. > > If the amendments as they relate to the extension of > Collective Agreements become law the whole bargaining > process is in danger of collapsing. Why should employers > who refuse to come on board the process of collective > bargaining be able to stop the process? Most of the > companies who do not register with a council do so in > order to maintain low wages and poor working conditions. > Now they can call the shots. Where is the labour > movement's demand that collective Bargaining be made > compulsory? > > Where are the amendments demanded by the Labour > Movement? Where is the right to strike over > retrenchments? Where is our demand for compulsory > negotiation about retrenchments? Even the proposal for > enforced mediation only deals with retrenchments of over > 500 workers. Most retrenchments will be excluded. Even > the right to severance pay in the case of insolvency is > meaningless if retrenched workers are not seen as > preferential creditors. > > The positive changes proposed are far outweighed by the > negative impact of the proposals. The investor is to be > attracted not by offering a well trained and stable > workforce but by offering cheap and unprotected labour. > > The gains of the Labour Movement were not freely given. > They have been won for in bitter struggle over many years, > we must not allow the sacrifices of our comrades to be > taken from us. We therefore call for the Minister to refrain > from these amendments and not even attempt to take > them to NEDLAC. We on workers to reject these > amendments and create space to protest and demonstrate. > > > WESTERN CAPE TAXI VIOLENCE > > NUMSA once again condemned the Western Cape taxi > violence as perpetrated by the sinister and syndicate forces. > The Levels of crime have increased in the area. New > forms of criminal activity which were not familiar with > both the members of our community and the law > enforcement agencies have found Western Cape as a fertile > ground to perform their evil deeds. Organised Violence/ > Crime/Syndicates that are involved in destabilising the > communities. The ugly evil of violence in the area started > to manifest itself in many faces i.e. Pagad. We have noted > with deep concerns the unwillingness of the Provincial > government to take strong measures in apprehending the > perpetrators. The Provincial government does not want to > arrest the perpetrators who compete by gun. Changing of > MECs will not address the issue. We therefore call on the > provincial government to : > > Apprehendthe killers who attend the negotiations > meeting under the pretext as taxi negotiators. > Revisitthe operation Goodhope programme. > Injectthe 5 billion received abroad in dealing with > violence. > The national government must address socio-economic > issues that relates to violence i.e. poverty and > unemployment. > The democratic alliance must not play a game and > cheap politicking on the lives of the poor people. > The national government should speedily effect the > recapitalisation programme. > > RESTRUCTURING OF STATE ASSETS > The big unknown factor in the public Enterprises Minister > Mr Jeff Radebe announcement is the accelerated > privatisation plans on DENEL and ESKOM. We note > today with great disappointment that in 1998, the > government introduced the ESKOM Amendment Bill, > which was handled by the Minister of Public Enterprises. > We subsequently made our submissions to the portfolio > committee on Public Enterprises indicating our concern on > the privatisation of the electricity industry. We were > opposed to the gradual steps taken by government in > making ESKOM a private company. Our belief was that > the incorporation of ESKOM into the companies Act of > 1973 will lay the basis for privatisation, which will weaken > the hold of government as the owner. Such moves will > undermine the fundamental objectives of the RDP and the > progressive realisation of universal household access to > electricity. > > As labour, we were defeated and our efforts went astray. Today, ESKOM falls > under the companies Act of 1973. The government will not be able to assert > itself in terms of power, accountability and control. This will allow market > forces to purchase electricity directly from ESKOM. It will have detrimental > effects on the citizens of this country. The prices of electricity will go up > beyond the reach of the poor and disadvantaged majority. > > Since November last year, the government has announced its intention to > accelerate the restructuring of the state assets. The focus in the main was on > the big four, Denel, Transnet, Telkom and ESKOM. The government's intention is > to get money in the next three years. The acceleration process means that > Denel will be restructured the same way as ESKOM. It will be fully > corporatised and fall under the companies Act. It will pay tax and dividends. > > In terms of the restructuring process, the view is that clusters, entities and > divisions that can easily find foreign equity partners will be prioritised and > targeted for privatisation. Revenue accrued from this privatisation will be > ploughed back into other divisions to prepare them for the market. The > aggressive restructuring process will make sure that Denel becomes part of the > global link with other major groups internationally. The corporatisation > process will focus on vertical integration strictly looking at the defence > business and outsourcing. > > Early last year, the government announced an arms deal contract package which > will generate investment growth worth R21 billion with around about 65 000 jobs > created over the next few years. Early this year, Denel announced that they > have identified certain units as non-core that need to be sold to the market. > This will result in the closing of other divisions of Denel i.e. Vector that > will lead to 500 jobs being thrown into the dustbin. > > We firmly believe that state assets > ’ restructuring is necessary in order to re-focus delivery of services to the > poor. This is based on the historical imbalances of the past where state > assets were meant to fulfill the needs of the minority. The new democratic > dispensation in our country has the responsibility to the basic needs through > expansion of state assets. This approach will also result in new employment > opportunities. Mass mobilisation of workers has started to fight the plans of > arbitrary privatisation from continuing. > > The parameters of creating jobs are not consistent with job retention > strategies. Any restructuring process must not lead to job losses but build the > local economy. > > The government is reneging on its commitment to save jobs in the arms industry. > Employment in South Africa is at its lowest point with 40% unemployment. > Employment trends continue to show that all the major formal sectors are losing > jobs. In the light of job catastrophe , we therefore do not expect the > government to destroy jobs. Given the fact that the government want to proceed > with the restructuring process the union is not sure whether the deal has > maximum benefits for the workers and the country. We > therefor call on the Minister to : > > Considerthe union proposals on the restructuring of > DENEL as submitted in the R.T.C.C. > Removethe current management of VEKCTOR as > they are want the company to be outsourced. > ESKOMshould be restructured into to utilities > established in terms of the special Acts of parliament. > A national distributor should be established to > consolidate all electricity distribution. > We must deal with problems of inefficiency rather than > privatising the cheapest electricity in the world. > A special line domestic tariff must be introduced for the > poor. > > For more information contact Dumisa Ntuli at > 8322031/9 cell 0829737282 or Mtutuzeli Tom > 0836289434. NUMSA website address : > www.numsa.orga.za _______________________________________________ Marxist-Leninist-List mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/marxist-leninist-list
