South Africa: Coalminers give notice to strike

The NUM is also insisting that they will only sign a three-year agreement with the Chamber of Mines if it remains committed to the Collective Bargaining Forum.

“Settling with unions at company level promotes competition and inter-union rivalry at the expense of workers’ unity. It divides workers and sometimes breeds violence between unions, thus weakening union power,” NUM said in a statement defending its continued fight for centralized collective bargaining that included unions, employers and the government.

At the negotiations, the Chamber of Mines represented coal companies including Anglo American, Glencore Operations SA, Msobo, Delmas, Exarro, Kangra and others. However, nothing came out after months of negotiations. Taking the matters to the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration did not help either.

The NUM represents 70 per cent of the unionized coalminers. According to the Chamber of Mines the coal sector employed over 87 000 workers, and was the third largest employer after gold and the platinum group metals.

StatsSA also reported that jobs were being created along the coal mining value chain including in lignite which employed over 6000 workers. Other jobs were in the coal-to-chemical producers where SASOL employed thousands.

More jobs were in the energy sector as 77 per cent of South Africa’s energy was generated from coal.

The NUM said the employers were not committed to improving the lives of the coalminers. “The Chamber of Mines continues to be arrogant and negotiating in bad faith. The NUM is determined to force the companies to lend an ear to its wage demands”.

Fabian Nkomo, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa said:

“We always hope that negotiations will lead to collective bargaining agreements but when that does not happen workers go on strike to push for their demands. We support their actions and are convinced that workers should always fight for fair and living wages.”

Guinea: Mineworkers give notice to strike

The strike at the Siguiri gold mine in the Kankan region and in Conakry, will continue until the workers’ demands are met.

The SAG workers, who belong to the Confédération Nationale Travailleurs de Guinée (CNTG), an affiliate of IndustriALL Global Union, are demanding to be paid at the same levels for work of equal value, including a 13^th cheque, as other AngloGold Ashanti mineworkers globally. Further, the Guinean workers are concerned that there has been no progress on the annual wage negotiations since August, and that this was the first time that the company seemed not in hurry to reach an agreement.

The workers also denounced the false wage figures given by AngloGold Ashanti to the union which were inflated by over 30 per cent. Instead, the company should publish accurate figures, and dismiss those who were providing this false information.

The workers are also demanding that their per diems for health evacuation be reinstated as per the previous agreement with the management. They were also questioning the choice of the clinic made by the management where the workers should be transferred to in the event of a medical evacuation.

Workers suspect a possible conflict of interest in the choice of PIIMEL clinic, which was not the union’s preference. The workers were surprised by the company’s about turn, and failure to respect the workers' choice of clinic. In previous meetings AngloGold Ashanti had agreed with workers on the clinic in Conakry where they will be transferred to from Siguiri, which is about 850 km away.

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining, said:

“We are calling for a renewal of the Global Framework Agreement which will enable the Guinea mineworkers to be paid at comparative levels with their colleagues in other countries. AngloGold Ashanti should respect the existing agreements that is has with workers, and must stop the backtracking.”

SACTWU protests in defense of local manufacturing

South Africa’s garment industry has experienced a wave of job losses and factory closures over the last two years. According to SACTWU, a key reason for this is the entry and growth of large international retailers like Zara and H&M, selling no products made in South Africa.

On 4 November, SACTWU organized protests at H&M and Zara stores around the country, to highlight “the damage that is being caused to our domestic clothing industry”, the union said in a statement.

“These foreign retailers cause fewer orders in South African factories, which contribute to local retrenchments and factory closures.”

With the protests, SACTWU is calling on the Swedish and Spanish retailers to procure locally manufactured products and have offered them assistance in sourcing quality local suppliers.

IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Jenny Holdcroft says:

“Multinational companies have a responsibility to make sure that their global commerce does not negatively impact on workers. Supporting local manufacturing is part of that responsibility and we urge H&M and Inditex to enter into discussions with SACTWU on how they can source local products for their stores.”

Cleaners in Mauritius gain hard-earned victory

Fighting precarious work is a priority for Mauritian union confederation Confédération des Travailleurs du Secteur Publique et Privé (CTSP), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union.

Among the country’s poorest workers are cleaners working in public schools. The government began outsourcing these jobs in 2006 to contractors paying the mostly women workers less than US$1.50 a day, imprisoning them in extreme poverty on earnings of just US$42 a month.

The CTSP reached an agreement with the government in August this year, making everyone working for contractors in public schools permanent employees.

However, on 13 October the government backed out of the agreement, resulting in disappointment and frustration among the 333 women workers that would have benefited from the agreement. This prompted CTSP’s President, Reeaz Chutto, and General Secretary, Jane Ragoo, as well as six women cleaners to start a hunger strike on 16 October to raise awareness and gain public support.

Lasting ten grueling days, the hunger strike was called to an end when the government conceded, and an agreement was reached where women cleaners will be paid a full month package and get permanent contracts with no breaks in their employment.

The strike has been massively supported in Mauritius by citizens, churches and even other employers. CTSP says that the victory was made possible through local as well as international support:

“Thank you to every single person who suffered with us during those ten long days of struggle. We have brought the issue of government contractors making huge profits by exploiting vulnerable workers into the national spotlight. We are committed to achieving the amendments to the labour legislation from the momentum that has been created.”

Zimbabwe: Unions organizing against all odds

It is through organizing more workers that unions can build the power to confront employers on workers’ rights violations including the late payment of wages, gender discrimination and sexual harassment.

Reports on the union building project’s organizing and recruitment drives by women organizers from seven IndustriALL affiliates in chemicals, energy, garment and textiles, engineering, metal, mining, and automotive highlighted not only the achievements but the difficulties as well.

During membership drives to workplaces the importance of joining unions, workers’ rights, health and safety and social protection were discussed. Gender policies were also developed.

The meeting discussed how organizing was badly affected by the current political and economic crisis. The crisis, which reached its peak in 2008, led to the collapse of most industrial sectors. Hyperinflation reached record levels and the local currency was abandoned. Unemployment is estimated to be around 90 per cent with most workers now working in the informal sector.

Most industries in Zimbabwe have shut down, reduced working hours or were retrenching workers. For workers who still have jobs, pay day was anything from one month to more than 12 months. Some employers only paid 25 per cent of wages. Other benefits like medical aid and pension did not exist.

Although union dues were collected from workers, sometimes these were not paid to unions according to the laws. This worsened union finances.

The affiliates vowed to continue fighting against the irregular payment of wages by most employers. According to a Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe report, wage theft was common.

“This failure to pay what workers are legally entitled to is wage theft in that it involves employers taking money that belongs to their employees and keeping it for themselves. This is a clear violation of international labour standards, as well as national legislation on the employment of workers.”

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions was campaigning against wage theft, which has affected over 120,000 workers.

Angeline Chitambo, president of the Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union and IndustriALL Sub Saharan regional co-chairperson said the women’s committee played “a very critical role in mobilizing women's participation and activism in trade unions” and “in the fight against globalization and neoliberalism in all its forms”.

Fabian Nkomo, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa said:

“It is unacceptable for employers not to pay wages on time. We will continue to support the women’s committee in its efforts to end such exploitation of the workers.

South Africa: NUMSA condemns police violence against striking South 32 workers

The 600 striking workers were demanding general wage increases of 7.5 with 8.2 per cent for the lowly paid, medical aid contributions from the employer, a housing allowance of US $367 and equal pay for work of equal value. IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), condemned the use of violence against the striking workers.

Instead of meeting the workers’ demands, South 32 came up with proposals for a lower wage increase of 5.1 per cent and offered cash payments. There was even a cash pay-out of $764 if workers agreed to drop all their demands in favour of the company’s offers.

The union, which is intensifying the strike after failing to reach an agreement with the company management, is against the cash payments.

“Ultimately, workers will end up poorer if they do not receive an annual increase. Instead of giving a wage increase they want to try and bribe our members with cash.”

NUMSA also questioned why a global company with operations in Australia, Colombia, and Mozambique, that made 1.23 billion US dollars in profits, “refuses to share the gains with their employees”.

Further, NUMSA was against the use of scab labour from Mozambique as such actions caused violence and xenophobia. The Mozambican workers lived in “sweat shop like conditions” at the plant.

On the violence, NUMSA will lodge a complaint with the police:

“The police continue to be used to unleash violence on the working class, especially when they are exercising their democratic right to protest. It is the role of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to protect protestors, and create an enabling environment for them to express their just demands for better working conditions. But sadly, too often, some members of the SAPS resort to tactics which were practiced by the authoritarian apartheid regime”.

Fabian Nkomo, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa said:

“Workers’ rights to strike are protected by South African law, and the police should respect those rights. Use of force and intimidation won’t stop workers from fighting for better wages and working conditions.”

Malagasy unions prepare for global day of action against precarious work

Over 3,000 workers are expected to march to the RTA Dome in the capital, Antananarivo, and in Port-Dauphin, on 7 October, after which there will be several union activities and entertainment. The activities will be held with support from FES.

The campaign happens at a time of increasing job insecurity common with short-term lowly paid jobs, long working hours especially in the textile sector, increasing sub-contracting, poor health and safety at work, and non-payments of benefits by most employers. It was also increasingly becoming common for workers to work with neither a contract nor benefits. This made it easy for employers to dismiss workers without fear of the law.

With minimum wages of around $50 per month, most workers in Madagascar are living in poverty. According to the unions, workers needed at least $300 to be able to meet their basic needs.

Although employers deducted social security and pension dues from wages, they did not surrender these to the relevant authorities. This meant that when retirement came workers were not given the benefits due to them. Despite the existence of labour laws, enforcement was low and corrupt employers simply paid bribes to avoid being taken to court.

Confronted by these serious attacks on their existence, Malagasy unions have been fighting back against precarious working conditions. Speaking to Infinity, a community radio station in Fort-Dauphin, first secretary of SVS, Anosy Region, Eugene Chretien, said unions were demanding living wages:

“We are fighting for workers to live in dignity and not in poverty. Workers must be paid enough money, including overtime pay due to them, so that they can afford to buy food, hospital and transport fees. It is unacceptable for workers to walk for 20km from their homes to workplaces. Workers must also have access to clean water and electricity.”

Said Tendai Makanza, IndustriALL union building project coordinator for Sub Saharan Africa:

“We are putting more effort into strengthening organizing and recruitment of workers into unions in Madagascar. With unity and collaboration, the unions will be able to deal more effectively with precarious work that threatens decent jobs”.

Zambian union rejects precarious work in copper mines

MUZ, which has organized over 4500 workers at KCM, is against moving decent permanent jobs to precarious working conditions, which will lead to poverty among mineworkers and mining communities in Chingola, Chililabombwe, Kitwe and Nampundwe.

KCM is a subsidiary of the multinational company, Vedanta, which is involved in mining and oil and gas in Australia, India, Ireland, Liberia, Namibia, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

In a meeting with Vedanta Resources, Zambian president Edgar Lungu, said the government was also opposed to the KCM plans. Further, mines minister, Christopher Yaluma, issued a directive to the company to stop the plans and operate according to their 2004 mining licence. The union doubts whether the government will enforce the directive as KCM is also ignoring the Employment Amendment Act (2015) which makes it unlawful to casualize permanent work.

Instead of sacrificing jobs, the union is asking for an improvement in operations by recapitalizing the mines, buying new equipment, and giving more benefits to the workers as motivation. It believes KCM should increase production and extend the life of the mines to 50 years.

Nkole Chishimba, President of MUZ and the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions, said:

Vedanta has failed mine workers, mining communities, and local contractors and suppliers. The planned outsourcing programme is unacceptable and ill-timed. Although the company claims to have invested over US$4 billion over the 11-year-period, it failed to increase production of copper to 400,000 tonnes due to poor management in procurement of equipment, materials and spares. KCM must surrender the mine back to the government so that a viable investor can take over rather than send thousands of workers into poverty through casualization.

Kenny Mogane, IndustriALL regional officer for Sub Saharan Africa said:

We support MUZ’s unwavering stance on saving jobs in the mining sector in Zambia. In our campaigns for more decent and permanent jobs, we must always protect existing jobs against companies that think job security can be removed at will. We will continue to join our affiliates in the fight against precarious work.

South Africa: Thousands of workers support national strike

State capture refers to the corrupt involvement of business interests in government affairs. The Gupta family was singled out by a report by then public protector Thuli Madonsela as being involved in the appointment of ministers, and in the awarding of government tenders. COSATU, which is demanding a judiciary commission of enquiry into state capture, argued that corruption threatened the socioeconomic rights of workers. Further, it undermined “the constitutional and developmental state that seeks to address the plight of the poor and the workers.”

A Cosatu pamphlet read:

“State capture and the cancer of corruption are immoral and criminal acts, which rob the people of South Africa of their livelihoods, steal their resources, cause job losses and perpetuates poverty.”

In Johannesburg, petitions were given to the City of Johannesburg, banks and the financial sector, and the Chamber of Mines, where retrenchments were condemned. Unions vowed to continue their fight against the closure of five coal-powered power stations. This showed that government’s renewable energy policy was not promoting a Just Transition, but sacrificing jobs. Promoting independent power producers from the renewable energy sector was privatizing the state-owned power company, ESKOM.

The scandal involving the Guptas has dragged in and tarnished the images of international companies, including Bell Pottinger and KPMG.

Fabian Nkomo, regional secretary for IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa, said:

“We applaud South African workers for standing up against state capture and corruption. Neo-liberal policies that promoted taking away jobs and the control of state-owned companies by private interests should be resisted by workers.”

Southern Africa: Building a network of young workers

Supported by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, the workshop discussed building strong unions through organizing and recruiting more workers. Such organizing would be on issues that workers faced every day like low wages and poor working conditions. Therefore, the fight against low wages in Lesotho and Swaziland’s garment and textile sectors, and the living wage campaign in Southern Africa had to be intensified.

Affiliates from Mozambique attended for the first time, strengthening regional networking and coordination.

The meeting also supported the return of the US Africa Growth and Opportunity Act benefits to Swaziland as this would lead to the recovery of lost jobs and improved wages. On migrant workers, it was agreed that they should enjoy the same benefits as other workers.

The workshop agreed to demand the respect of workers and human rights from their governments. The governments should also implement the African Youth Charter which called for education and skills development, poverty eradication, youth employment and sustainable development.

Protecting jobs in the case of retrenchments in mining and other sectors was a must. This, the participants argued, showed the need for collective bargaining agreements that protected workers interests. It was also agreed that unions should continue to fight against precarious work and outsourcing of work through labour brokers.

For unions to be effective against global capital worker education should play its role by exposing the activities of multinational corporations and explaining trade agreements.

The workshop emphasized the importance of addressing gender inequality, ending sexual harassment at workplaces, and campaigning for maternity protection as well as health and safety at work. More awareness was needed on HIV and AIDS as the epidemic continued to affect more young adults.

The workshop concluded that union survival was also based on understanding economic policies that created sustainable jobs. For instance, diversification towards manufacturing instead of depending on mining alone, created more jobs as argued in the African Mining Vision.

Sarah Flores, IndustriALL project and youth officer, said:

“A strong sense of cross border solidarity emerged among the young leaders at this workshop. While discussing the different struggles they face, they came to the conclusion that no local improvement can be sustained if it doesn’t happen at a regional level.
This understanding of the need for solidarity will with no doubt be a driver within the youth Southern Africa network and their fight for economic and social justice.”