South African garment workers strike on low wages

The warning strike was in protest of violations by member companies of the United Clothing & Textile Association (UCTA). SACTWU’s core demand is immediate compliance with the legally prescribed minimum wage and an end to UCTA’s sustained attack on bargaining rights of clothing workers.

In Newcastle alone, where the prescribed minimum starting wage is as low as USD43 a week, 4,200 workers participated in the strike action. The rest of the workers supporting the strike were in other parts of the KwaZulu Natal region.  

“UCTA wants to break the power that workers have spent decades building to try to protect themselves against abuses,” states Sactwu in it memorandum of demands “UCTA wants to lower the legal wages of workers. UCTA pretends that workers at their members’ companies are actually happy with the treatment they get from their employers! But this is not true. Workers want a better life. Workers do not want to be treated like animals.”

Unprotected strike at Mercedes-Benz South Africa

Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) at Mercedes-Benz in East London had been engaging on lunch hour pickets, which escalated into full-blown unprotected strike action last week Thursday.

Workers whose demands relate to a transport allowance as well as an end to outsourcing at Mercedes-Benz became frustrated when management responded negatively to the pickets, threatening disciplinary action.

Management sought an interdict declaring the strike illegal. Numsa has upheld the court decision in favour of management despite concerns that members are being bullied for exercising their democratic right to embark on a picket.

“The strike action was imposed on them after serious provocation and threats by the employer to subject all workers to a kangaroo style disciplinary process for picketing”, says Numsa National Treasurer Comrade Mphumzi Maqungo. “Numsa has however agreed with workers that they return to work on Tuesday and that the union takes up their legitimate demands in negotiations with the company.”

In memoriam Marcello Malentacchi

Marcello was a great, devoted and combative trade unionist who served the metal workers at local, national and global levels for more than 40 years, promoting solidarity and trade union values of social justice during decades of major changes in the world economy and politics.

Inspiring a generation of trade unionists around the world, Marcello was a man of intelligence, culture and intuition who, working in six languages, responded actively and strategically to the many attacks on local and global rights and the dignity of labour, believing collective bargaining and strong independent unions were an essential part of society.

In retirement, Marcello was pursuing his many interests, including following world politics, returning to the classroom as both a student and teacher, reading widely, travelling and enjoying family and friends and cycling.

Throughout his life, Marcello never forgot the shop floor and working life where he came from. Born in 1947 in Grosseto, Italy, his father was an agricultural labourer and an active Italian Socialist. After leaving the village school, like many young Italian workers in an economy with few jobs, at the age of 17 he immigrated to Sweden.

In Sweden he began working at the Volvo Torslanda auto assembly plant in Gothenburg in 1965.  Very soon he became active in the trade union. Marcello was hired as Svenska Metall’s health and safety officer in 1974, and he was appointed to the IMF in 1981 to work with health and safety matters. Marcello was elected IMF General Secretary in 1989 and held that post until his retirement in 2009.

Marcello will be remembered as a wonderfully warm and empathetic comrade.

IndustriALL Global Union extends its deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to Marcello’s wife, Joséphine, daughters, Christina and Sandra, and his extended family in these terribly difficult times of grief.

A memorial will take place in Messery, France near Geneva on 17 June.

Anti union practices at Petrobras Nigeria

Nigerian affiliate, Petroleum & Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (Pengassan), has brought the unfair labour actions by management of Petrobras in Nigeria to the attention of IndustriALL Global Union. These actions are in breach of the labour laws in Nigeria and against the fundamental principles of the global framework agreement that IndustriALL has with the multinational.

The redundancy clause in the bargaining agreement would only apply in the case of excess manpower in a division but as Petrobras has shut down the whole division, these ten workers are entitled to severance packages negotiated with Pengassan. However Petrobras Nigeria terminated all further negotiation with Pengassan on the matter and served the trade union with notice of its intention to take the matter to court.

The termination of employment of all ten workers in the exploration division is evidence to vindicate allegations that Petrobras is divesting from Nigeria, raising concerns for Pengassan and IndustriALL  that there may be further labour rights violations for the remaining workers currently employed by the company.

In a letter to the CEO of Petrobras, General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, Jyrki Raina said,

We strongly urge Petrobras to cease all legal action and return to negotiations with the union on severance packages for these workers. We also insist that any further terminations by Petrobras in Nigeria be negotiated with the Pengassan.

Raina has also warned,

We would consider actions to the contrary to be against the spirit and content of the global agreement which would put strain on our relations at an international level and require us to mobilize solidarity support from for our affiliates that organize your plants elsewhere in the world.

NUM submits its wage demands to the Chamber of Mines

The union demands that surface workers should receive a minimum amount of R7000 and underground and opencast workers  minimum should be set at R8000 per month. For all other categories, the NUM has put a demand of 15%. Furthermore, the union demands that Rockdrill Operators job categories be rolled up to category 8 whilst other categories of operators are rolled up to category 7.

These demands are informed by many studies which have revealed that cash wages received over time has indeed been growing but, the disposable wage has been under severe strain due to the effects of inflation and other expense incurred to maintain a worker’ modest lifestyle

says Frans Baleni, the NUM General Secretary.

In addition to all these, the union has put forward several other demands dealing with housing allowance, market allowance, commuting allowance, risk allowance and living out allowance. These demands are for gold and coal employers affiliated to the Chamber of Mines.

The NUM will await a response from the Chamber of Mines as to when negotiations will begin.

Zambian miners strike for wages

Under the leadership of the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ, workers have taken strike action to secure better deals in wage negotiations.

About 600 workers at Luanshya Copper Mines embarked on strike action on two occasions a week apart during the negotiations. MUZ secured a 15 per cent increase up from the 6 per cent initially on the table.

At Ndola Lime, 400 workers went on strike demanding an improvement in salary and finally settled on 9.5 per cent. 

“Our mines should wait for strikes to improve salaries and working conditions at the table, our members have shown that they are prepared to take action on these issues,”

said Chewe. 

Swazi trade unionist Wonder Mkhonza released on bail

After a month in prison on charges of sedition based on allegations of being in possession of political pamphlets, Mkhonza was granted bail of about USD1,750 and warned not to disrupt the elections when he was released.

Wonder did not dwell on hardships he faced in prison, immediately seeking out positive aspects of the experience.  “I was able to interact with the inmates in jail and understand their frustrations and their challenges. Some are there serving long sentences as they cannot pay even R250 (USD30) bail. When we achieve freedom in Swaziland, we must not forget to address their needs too, ensuring a humane new nation.”

What Mkhonza valued most of the experience was the opportunity to give solidarity to political prisoner Amos Mbedzi . “I was able to meet with Comrade Amos who serving an 85 years sentence in the maximum security prison on allegations of terrorism. Amos could have been living freely in South Africa but he chose to sacrifice his freedom because he understood that the freedom of South Africa is not complete if Swaziland is not free,” said Mkhonza. “We must not forget that he is in jail, his sacrifice must not be in vain and we must do everything to honour this sacrifice and ensure that there is democracy in Swaziland”

Mkhonza is Deputy General Secretary of the Swaziland Processing, Refining and Allied Workers Union (Sprawu) and the chairperson of the coordinating council of the manufacturing unions which are working towards a merger in Swaziland, a process supported by IndustriALL. IndustriALL joined efforts in Swaziland and internationally to draw attention to Mhkonza’s situation and secure his release.

South African affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa assisted Sprawu to make the bail. The international department of Numsa has been working closely with Wonder in support of the merger process.

“I appreciate the support that was given to SPRAWU, PUDEMO and to me and family personally” said Mkhonza. “Thank you also to our international allies who mobilised support for my release and their continued commitment to give solidarity to our struggle for democracy in Swaziland.”

Wonder is ready to get back to work building unity amongst workers and struggling for a free Swaziland. 

Intimidation and violence in Swaziland on May Day

Workers were trying to resist confiscation by police of a banner demanding the recognition of the labour federation, the Trade Union Confederation of Swaziland (Tucoswa). The second layer of leadership of Tucoswa decided to call off the rally. Why them? Because senior leadership of Tucoswa had been placed under house arrest by police for the day. 

The President of the federation Barnes Dlamini and First Deputy Secretary General Mduduzi Gina were arrested at a raid of the Tucoswa offices in the morning of 1 May, taken first to the police headquarters and then to their homes. In total five of the federation’s leaders were placed under house arrest including Secretary General, Vincent Ncongwane, Second Deputy Secretary General Muzi Mhlanga and Deputy Treasurer General Jabulile Shiba.

Police also tried to prevent workers gathering for the rally by offloading TUCOSWA supporters from buses at roadblocks set up throughout the country.

Tucoswa had gone ahead with plans for a May Day rally despite being unable to secure an urgent interdict against police disruption of the event. Leadership of TUCOSWA maintains that the court did not rule that they could not have a rally, just that the court could not give protection as the state refuses to recognize the federation, despite the court having urged government to do so.

A previous court ruling on the legality of TUCOSWA denied legitimacy to the federation on the basis of the lack of law to guide the court regarding registration of a federation in Swaziland. The ruling stated that Tucoswa should wait for amendments to the law and until such time, the government should reach an agreement for recognition with Tucoswa through a memorandum of understanding. Tucoswa leadership reports that the Swazi government has refused to enter into such an agreement. 

There has been a surge in human rights abuses in Swaziland in the last month. On 12 April, the day that the Swazi King declared a state of emergency now 40 years old, Wonder Mkhonza a trade unionist and political activist was arrested on charges of sedition for allegedly being in possession of pamphlets promoting the banned political party Pudemo. Mkhonza has been denied bail and is being held in a lengthy pre-trial detention at a maximum security prison. There are fears for his safety as the Swaziland police are known to use excessive force including torture.

At least three other political activists have also been arrested in April on similar charges. Also in the same month, Swaziland Independent Publishers and its editor Bheki Makhubu have been fined about Euro 40,000 or a two year prison sentence for scandalizing the court in two articles criticizing the judiciary on its treatment of fundamental rights. 

African unions commit to prioritizing sustainable industrial development

Participants recognized the particular challenges facing African countries including conflicts, lack of respect of workers’ rights and the fact that Africa has a wealth of mineral resources yet many people are living in poverty.

Development is constrained by a continuing reliance on mineral extraction, but the urgent need to diversify economies to add value is not being tackled by many governments in the region which still do not see industrial policy as a main concern.

Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary of COSATU, addressed participants and shared some of the lessons learnt by trade unions in South Africa. He called for a change to the growth model of reliance on the export of raw materials which supports continuing inequality and poverty: the only way to drive economies is through industrialization, particularly manufacturing, and creating decent jobs. Critically, Vavi told affiliates that South Africa cannot be successful if there is not industrialization in the rest of the continent.

Unions identified a number of key industrial policies to promote in the region. These include beneficiation of mineral resources, trade policies that support industrialization and development, investment in infrastructure, education, training and R&D, and support for skills transfer.

Affiliates gave examples of existing strategies that they are using. In Zambia unions engage with government on industrial development to maximize the benefits of natural resources, for example transforming copper into copper wires instead of exporting copper and importing wires. South African unions have worked with government to produce an industrial policy plan which identifies key sectors for job creation and puts in place job stimulation programs.

Having committed to prioritizing industrial development, affiliates identified actions to take. These include:

Call for the release of trade unionist Wonder Mkhonza charged with sedition in Swaziland

Mkhonza was arrested on 12 April during mass activities to protest the 40 year old state of emergency that bans political parties and that recently banned the only trade union centre in the country, the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland-TUCOSWA. Mkhonza is the chairperson of the coordinating council of the manufacturing unions which are working towards a merger in Swaziland, a process fully supported by IndustriALL.

Mkhonza is appearing at the high court on Wednesday 24 April. He has been denied visitation and has up to now not been allowed access to a lawyer. Our immediate concern is for Mkhonza’s safety and we are reminded of fellow Swazi trade unionist Sipho Jele who died under suspicious circumstances whilst in police custody in 2010.

IndustriALL has launched an international campaign to demand the immediate release of Wonder Mkhonza and that charges against him, which include sedition, be immediately dropped.  You can support the campaign here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/free-wonder-mkhonza

Actions by the Swazi government continue to be in contravention of ILO conventions and the African People’s Charter and the UN Human rights charters. We demand that the Swazi government stop the harassment of trade unionists. We also demand that the Swaziland government uphold internationally recognized right to freedom of association and recognize the legitimacy of the recently formed trade union federation in the country TUCOSWA

We further call upon the Swazi government to recognize the right to freedom of assembly and allow for citizens to engage in peaceful protest.  

We also call on all African governments to put pressure of the Swazi government end the 40 year state of emergency and embrace democracy.  

African trade union leaders received a report on the harassment of trade union leaders at a meeting of IndustriALL Global Union being held in Midrand, South Africa on 23 April. IndustriALL represents 50 million members in 140 countries. We represent workers globally across supply chains in the energy, mining, manufacturing and related sectors, including members of our Swazi affiliated unions.
 

PRESS CONTACTS:

For further information contact please contact IndustriALL Africa Regional Secretary Fabian Nkomo +27 (0)725157415.