Numsa will hold shop steward elections from September 22 this year until the end of November. In the run up to elections, shop stewards and a member share their ideas on the qualities and the responsibilities that these people should have:
Pick the right qualities
Fumanekile Phumaphi
People who are to be elected should have certain qualities. "Being truthful is the most important aspect for a person who needs to be elected to lead the workers," says George Mazwai, ex-Numsa shop steward at Continental Tyres."Members must also look for a person who has a good memory and a broader understanding of labour laws," Mazwai says.
He also stressed that a leader should not be a touchy person which means he or she must be able to control his or her temper. A leader must also be able to give direction and a way forward.
A person who should be elected must be exemplary. S/he must not be corrupt or corruptible. Members always look to their leaders so leaders must do what they are supposed to do.
Members must elect people who are militant enough to mobilise workers on the shopfloor. Numsa needs shop stewards who can build Numsa on the ground.But members also have a responsibility to check on their shop stewards.
They should report shop stewards who are not carrying out their duties to their local office. Members must also read Numsa's constitution so they know what to do if their shop stewards don't give them service.
Activists aren't leaders
Cedric Gina
A shop steward's position is a very responsible position in Numsa. Members must understand that clearly. Every time before elections, a number of activists emerge in the organisation.
They will start seeing deficiencies in the present leadership and begin to sway membership opinions.Are activists leaders? I think "they are not of leadership quality but they are necessary in any organisation.
"Our members have on many occasions used what activists say in meetings as a barometer for checking leadership qualities. I request members to look beyond the public utterances of activists when electing their shop stewards.
The challenges facing Numsa are becoming more and more complex day by day – members must grasp this fully!
Leaders fail members
M.L John
I am a Numsa member at Wonderkop, X-Strata Marikana. I would like to raise my concern on the point of poor performance. Poor support from the Numsa members is because of poor performance from the shop stewards.
There is not enough co-operation amongst them.Shop stewards are elected by us with love, respect and honour. They smile to be our back-bone. When the capitalists notice the one who is performing strongly, they either promise him a promotion or they bribe him.
From there he resigns from being a Numsa member. This gives us a wrong perception by saying Numsa in our region is weak and our movement goes from bad to worse. Not all shop stewards are like this. For those who devoted themselves to participate in Numsa activities I say God bless you.
But approximately 70% of members are starting to lose their willingness to be members and withdraw their support. They are going outside to seek better protection from legal bodies.
At the end of the day our union is gradually crippled financially by capitalists because the more we lose our members, the more we are going to fail to pay rent for our offices and branches.
The time is over for so called passive obedience. I finally want to pass my special thanks to Silas, Duncan, Piet and many more. Keep it up, you are doing an excellent job. United we stand, divided we fall. Long live the spirit of Numsa, long live, Maatla ke a ba sebetsi.
Is YOUR shop steward performing?
These are the duties of shop steward in your workplace. How does your shop steward rate out of 10? Do this test to see whether you should re-elect him/her or find someone new to be a shop steward?
Rate themYour shop steward in your workplace is responsible for:
negotiating agreements with employers about working conditions after getting your mandate and approval maintaining order and harmony amongst members in your workplace; settling disputes in your workplace; reporting regularly to Numsa's Local Shop Stewards Council on any dispute or any of your grievances reporting back and discussing decisions and policies of the Union with you in your workplace; taking up all your legitimate complaints abiding by Numsa policies reporting unpopular decisions to members
Add your own criteria to rate him/her.
Source
Numsa News