Recently newspapers have been full of stories of how some trade union officials have pocketed union members’ money to enrich themselves. Other stories have touched on how unions have lost contact with their membership. In the process workers have suffered.
Although Numsa has not been mentioned in these stories, big trade unions like Numsa with a monthly income of more than R5m and a membership of nearly 200 000 could very easily be affected by these problems.
That is why as Numsa celebrates its 15th anniversary, the union has embarked on an intensive organisational renewal project whose main objective is to revive the organisation, to improve service to members and to sharpen its capacity to engage with employers. The union cannot afford to operate in ways that do not bring 100% benefits to workers in the midst of globalisation, unemployment, job losses, dwindling membership and the restructuring of companies.
The different organisational renewal projects will focus on the following areas:
Rebuild our locals
Consolidate and sharpening our organising and collective bargaining
Strengthen our leadership and management structures
Renew membership systems and tighten financial management
Review our membership benefits
Train our staff
Improve our communication with members.
In the next few pages, we spell out what each of these projects will do and when different objectives will be achieved.
Background:From late last year, the Union began a process of analysing what is wrong with the organisation. Through regional and local workshops, officials, shop stewards and sometimes members have spelt out what is wrong with Numsa.
Now it is time to start putting things right. Confronting change must be at the centre of our struggle. Change is a process not an event, it must be completed step by step with every one of us in the offices and factories working together to build the mighty metalworkers union.
Clearly this great change and the creation of a new future for metalworkers, is only possible if there is a positive mindset. All members, office bearers, administrators and officials should co-operate with one another, heart and soul, in order to rebuild the union.