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National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA)

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NUMSA Bulletin - Time to face the bosses

Authors: NUMSA
Date: Mar 2007
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/116122 , vital:34308
Description: It is often said that it is not enough to be busy in the trade union movement or even in the corporate environment nowadays. The big question is: what is it you are busy with? What to do about countless scheduled or impromptu meetings, political sessions, mass campaigns, workshops, relationship and capacity- building consultations in the regions and nationally, has become another matter of daily debates in our structures. Everyone in the labour movement has a view on why this and that meeting or the other campaign has to be taken up with urgency. Many of us are regarded as experts on labour activities. And this results in time pressures and internal hurly-burly. It is because the organization must achieve its ultimate goals in the end. Ultimate goals inform our major organizational objectives ranked by their highest priority. These include progress on the motor recruitment campaign. the white-collar workers recruitment drive, monitoring major bargaining, food prices, fuel price increases and the latest CPI-X and regional policy workshops, culminating in the National Bargaining Conference in April 2007. Charles Schwab, the world's greatest industrialist. with great ability and perspicacity, is known as a most efficient, fabulously rich steel worker who led and transformed the Bethlehem Steel plant into the largest independent global steel producer. But, that did not immunize him from pressures and time-wasting interruptions. He once issued a challenge to a management consultant to show him the way to get more things done with his time and promised to "pay any fee within reason.” The consultant, without hesitation gave him a pad of blank paper and wrote on it: “Each night write down the things you have to do tomorrow, number them in the order of their importance. Start working on priority item number one and continue until finished. Then start item number two, then three, and do not worry if you have not managed to finish them.” The consultant was paid handsomely within seconds of dispensing this discreet advice. She was probably paid a million dollars or more. Some extremely important considerations arise in relation to this big question, as we intensify our 2007 programme of confronting the class logic of capital through collective bargaining. We have to look at them carefully, if we are to realize the objectives we have set for the giant metalworkers’ union this year.
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Date Issued: Mar 2007

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NUMSA Bulletin 18 - Time to face the Bosses

Authors: NUMSA
Date: Mar 2007
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/117411 , vital:34512
Description: Numsa's National Bargaining Conference is almost upon us. Wage negotiations in all Numsa's sectors will start from May. Bargaining is the focus of this Bulletin (pages 12-28). We give you some basic facts and figures to arm yourselves for centralised bargaining. We also include information on the new black economic empowerment (BEE) codes as well as employee share ownership schemes (esops). You will need this information to negotiate in your own companies. Division rocked the Cosatu congress last year. Woody Aroun summarises a paper of Joel Netshitenzhe on the issue of factions within organisations while Alex Mashilo gives his own views on how to deal with them. Cosatu's recent Central Executive Committee analysed the current political conjuncture. See if you agree with it and prepare yourself for the challenges that face you in a year in which both the SACP and the ANC will be holding key conferences. What do you think of Desai's challenges to Cosatu? Are you up to them? Take yourself through Enver Motala's piece on education. Did your schooling give you these critical skills? Are your children getting these skills from their schools? Are Numsa's education courses helping you to grasp those skills that you didn't get at school? And what about education and training at work - are these filling the gaps in your education?
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Date Issued: Mar 2007

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NUMSA Bulletin - Analysing alliance differences

Authors: NUMSA
Date: Sep 2006
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/114053 , vital:33889
Description: An annual Numsa Bulletin seems to be becoming the norm! However our aim is still to bring them out more often. Cosatu Congress is the focus for this Bulletin (pages 17- 39). We assume that you have Cosatu's resolutions and secretariat report so you will not find them here. We have instead included other background documents and articles that we think will help comrades debate resolutions in the September Congress. read the different understandings of the NDR by the alliance partners (page 18) how should we judge the actions of a developmental state (page 20) how Cosatu's jobs and poverty campaign can learn from Spain (page 23) understand what the Financial Sector Charter is all about (page 26) But there is much more to read - read the contributions from readers (pages 8-15), decide which brand of feminism you support (page 48) and do the test to see how gender sensitive you are. Learn tips from Aubrey ka Saki on how to avoid the VW- type situation (page 51) and absorb the findings of BEE research into Numsa-organised companies (page 55). How does your company compare? Do you have Esops in your company? Should Numsa adopt Esops as a way of going the BBBEE route or is it too risky? Study how the Merseta plans to complement Jipsa and how Bolivia is nationalising its hydrocarbons sector (despite a few hiccoughs!) Look at the glossary for definitions of those long words that always pop up at congresses and add words that are troubling you to it.
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Date Issued: Sep 2006

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NUMSA Bulletin - Two enonomies, a global problem?

Authors: NUMSA
Date: Sep 2005
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/114043 , vital:33882
Description: It is a year since the last Numsa Bulletin was published in September 2004. Last year Numsa's educators forum discussed how we could use the Numsa Bulletin more effectively. Included in this Bulletin are a number of topical issues that challenge you to debate issues at your local shop steward councils or your workplaces: If you are violently opposed to GEAR, have your views challenged by Motlanthe (page 14), Get your local to analyse what was agreed in the Alliance Summit earlier this year and give your score on whether you think the Alliance has met its targets (pages 22-23). Debate differences between the ANC's NGC document on two economies and Cosatu's response (pages 24-27). If you are an engineering shop steward in Middelburg, Witbank, Vanderbijlpark, Richards Bay, Pietermaritzburg, Vereeniging, then force a debate on the slow integration of House Agreements into the Main Agreement (pages 40-41). If you are an auto shop steward, then read Dumisa Ntuli's ideas (pages 42-44) on the shortcomings with black economic empowerment initiatives in the auto industry and debate the issues in your local/workplace. When was the last time you briefed members in your workplace? Do the organisational test on page 49 and see if you are up to the job. If you fail, redeem yourself by reading the health and safety, training and education sections and then debating and discussing the contents with your fellow members.
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Date Issued: Sep 2005

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NUMSA Bargaining monitor

Authors: NUMSA
Date: Aug 2001
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/114021 , vital:33877
Description: The strike is over! Two days of picketing and marching by thousands of Eskom workers across the country forced management back to the table to negotiate things they said “would never be negotiated!” Eskom agreed to: an increased wage offer. All workers are guaranteed a 7% increase while those on the minimums will get a 9% increase. From January 2002, all workers will receive a guaranteed 0.5% increase with those on the minimum rates receiving a guaranteed 1% increase both calculated on June 30, 2001 rates of pay. Fully paid maternity leave for 4 months with 30% for the 5th month. Negotiate further on the issue of a bargaining council for the sector and investigate inequities in the benefits. Management has also agreed to discuss the issue of only giving ‘market-related’ increases. These increases have resulted in massive gaps between the lowest paid and highest paid on each grade. Numsa is committed to closing these gaps.
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Date Issued: Aug 2001

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NUMSA - Motor industry participants workbook

Authors: NUMSA
Date: July 1998
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/117852 , vital:34564
Description: Industrial Councils were established in terms of the 1924 Industrial Conciliation Act (ICA). Even with the ICA giving way to the LRA of 1956, Industrial Councils remained the central forums for collective bargaining. Because African workers were excluded from the definition of an "employee" both in the ICA & LRA of 1956, African workers and their unions did not participate in Industrial Councils. As a result of this the.Councils were then used by white unions to promote the interests of skilled white workers. This situation only partially changed in 1979 when the LRA was changed to give African workers bargaining rights. From then on African workers and their unions could participate in Industrial Councils.
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Date Issued: July 1998

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NUMSA Congress News - Let us work together as a family of metalworkers

Authors: NUMSA
Date: Oct 1996
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/114065 , vital:33891
Description: From the 25 to the 29 September, NUMSA held its Fifth National Congress. Seven hundred and sixty-two delegates came from all our locals. They had prepared well. We saw from the debate. I was afraid before the Congress. I was not happy. 80% j of the shop stewards you elected in 1996 were new. I thought the level of debate at the Congress was not going to be high. But I was wrong - the level of debate was high. We must be proud of ourselves. Thank you for mandating your representatives to Congress - that is what we mean by worker control and democracy. We are doing our work under different conditions compared to before April 27, 1994. We have a democratically elected government in place. It is not as hostile as its predecessor. But the reality of the situation is that as workers in the workplace, nothing has changed. Management is coming to us with new ideas like kaizen, team-work, etc. These are all about eliminating waste. They define waste as anything that is not absolutely essential to production. They want to get to the lowest levels of inputs, equipment, material and workers. This means more and more control over workers’ time and activities, a faster workplace, longer and more irregular hours. They standardise jobs and make the workplace more regimented. So we have to focus our efforts collectively on our “core business” - to represent our members effectively. We have to fight for job security, training, technical skills and better increases. We have to do all these under difficult conditions, for example, reduction of tariffs to conform with the requirements of the World Trade Organisation. We do not want the country’s economy to be cushioned forever but the drastic restructuring results in job loss and factory closures. We must have an alternative in place to ensure that people do not once more swell the swollen ranks of the unemployed. Work organisation is taking place in different forms in different workplaces. We are involved in these processes. I know that when shop stewards give report backs and persuade members to accept certain things in exchange for job security, members tend to regard them as management stooges. We mustn’t think like that. It is causing division amongst us. Outside the workplace, the balance of forces is not in favour of the working class for reasons that we all know. We must work together as workers, shop stewards, administrators and organisers to build our Union into a coherent vehicle. Only a strong vehicle can play a leading role in freeing our people economically. Let us work together as the family of metalworkers!
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Date Issued: Oct 1996

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NUMSA Proposals on the APE Co-ordinating Forum.

Authors: NUMSA
Date: Jan 1996
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/134850 , vital:37210
Description: Managament/employee consultative committees are an important tool for improving plant productivity, increasing employee involvement In decision making and preventing Industrial disputes. Properly structured they are the basic building block of productivity. Consultation, worker participation, co-ordinating forums and so on are ail variations on the Idea of establishing forums composed of management and labour to discuss a broader range of issues than "traditional" industrial relations. NUMSA believes that it is^neither side long term interest to establish a Coordinating Forum that is not directly connected to the House Agreement negotiations.
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Date Issued: Jan 1996

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The road ahead

Authors: NUMSA
Date: 1995
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/113080 , vital:33699
Description: Comrades, in 1993 we set out what we wanted to win by June 1996. Then we achieved the victory that we had fought so hard for - a non-racial government that is democratic and transparent. But on the shopfloor we still see apartheid: racial inequalities - high wage differences between workers and management, poorly trained workers (mostly black and our members) racist management who oppress our members, badly managed factories with S old machinery. All these are obstacles that prevent us building worker power, worker control and a better life for all. Read what we have won. Discuss what we should campaign around in 1995.
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Date Issued: 1995

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NUMSA - Gender and Globalisation group discussion

Authors: NUMSA
Date: 1994
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/117816 , vital:34561
Description: In the past, the government in many countries provided social welfare benefits to people. These benefits included things like public health care and free education. This is now changing in many countries. Governments today provide fewer services and benefits to people. Instead they hand this job over the private sector. This means that people have to start paying before they get a service. If families can’t afford to pay private companies for these services, then someone in the family has to fill the gap. Generally it is women who have to: care for the sick when it is too expensive to take them to hospital, collect firewood because electricity is too expensive, walk miles to collect water from the river because piped water is too expensive. Many governments have been forced to change the role they play in the economy by the structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) imposes on them as one of the conditions for lending them money
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Date Issued: 1994

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4th National Congress Resolutions

Authors: NUMSA
Date: 1993
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/175582 , vital:42595
Description: Our National Congress is the highest decision making body of the Union. Its main task is to adopt resolutions that become the policies of NUMSA. These policies guide the union on how to act until the next Congress. After previous Congresses, we have only published the adopted resolutions. But this has meant that our members have lost out on the lively debates that have taken place during the Congress. In this booklet, we try and bring the Congress alive for you. We give you the full text of the General Secretary’s report, the debates as they took place, word for word. What was decided on the Alliance? Why do we want “nationalisation without compensation”? What was the decision on the Working Class Party? The final resolutions that were adopted are there for you to see. Extracts from speeches of various speakers are also given. Two key issues - the contents of the Reconstruction Accord and Restructuring Industry - will continue to be discussed in the Union. (The documents are included; see pages 65-82) Congress mandated the next Central Committee in October 1993 to take decisions on these issues. Use the booklet to find out for yourself what was said. You will be able to see what were the reasons given for the different positions. This will help you explain to members why NUMSA has adopted these resolutions. You will also see how democracy takes place. In some cases, compromises were reached, in other cases there was no compromise and the motion had to be put to the vote. Comrades, as our new President, Cde Tom, said in the Congress - “Our primary duty is to serve the interests of our members and those who have elected us to represent them. It is therefore necessary for us to be accountable to them in shaping the policies of the union. Most of the time we do not consult our members when we debate issues - even on minor issues we leave them behind It is very dangerous for us to create a distance between ourselves and our members. The members must not follow but must be there with us. We must remember our base is the factory floor.’ Use this booklet as a tool to get rid of that distance between you and the members. Use it to help you understand the positions that NUMSA has adopted as its policies. The General Secretary’s Report also gives a full picture of how NUMSA functions and gives useful background information to many of the discussions. The Tables mentioned are at the back of the book; see page 83 to the end. In this first section the debates and the speeches have been put into shaded boxes so it is easier for you to read. Use the booklet to build, strengthen and consolidate our Union in these difficult times.
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Date Issued: 1993

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First Democratic Elections

Authors: NUMSA
Date: 1993
Subjects: NUMSA
Language: English
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/110159 , vital:33238
Description: Every member is free to join any political party. NUMSA will encourage its members to vote ANC because it wants a strong government to fix up the country's and workers' problems. NUMSA members must not force anyone to vote for the ANC or any other party. NUMSA members must be free to vote (or not vote) for whoever they want. It is your right to vote; it is also your right not to vote. BUT you may not force anyone to vote or not vote. Voting stations will be in places like schools, community halls. Ask and discuss with your fellow workers, ask at NUMSA or COSATU offices, listen to your radio, look for posters and pamphlets nearer election time to find out.
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Date Issued: 1993

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