2007 shopstewards elections campaignWhile the Western Cape has already started electing shop stewards, the rest of the regions will begin the giant task later in the year. To get you thinking about the campaign we publish two stories – one explaining how the Western Cape region is ensuring that women are elected as shop stewards. The other comes from a Volkswagen SA worker who is pointing fingers at some shop stewards. Do you agree with him? Remember – shop steward elections are your chance to vote for those you want to represent you and to remove those who have not been doing their job properly! Send us your ideas about what qualities a good shop steward should have. What qualities do you think a good shop steward should have?
Women cadres to the frontShahida MeniersGetting more women elected as shop stewards is one of the objectives of Numsa’s national gender programme. This is because it is more difficult to secure time-off if a comrade is only a gender activist at a company.
Mary-Ann Pekeur of Satchwell Controls (one of the companies visited in December 2006) in Boland Local has been a gender activist for many years. She is just one of the gender activists who is now a shopsteward
In December 2006 Numsa Western Cape made use of the 16 days of activism to launch the campaign to elect more females as shopstewards by setting up general meetings at companies where we have a lot of female members. The agenda of those meetings was:
Sexual harassment in the workplace
Women and child abuse
The effects of “tik” in both the community and at the workplace
Encouraging women to stand for shopstewards elections in the new year and giving them the necessary training
When some of the employers saw that the issue of “tik” was on the agenda, they gave us an extra half an hour because they do not know how to deal with those who abuse the substance.
Elections started in February Elections in the Western Cape kicked off in February 2007. Where possible, the regional gender co-ordinator helped conduct elections at those companies where we have a lot of female members. Local Co-ordinators gave us the assurance that they go out to companies with the vision to elect female shopstewards.Although elections are happening at a very slow pace, the results registered thus far reflect that more women have been elected especially in Atlantis, Bellville and Cape Town locals.
Are shop stewards in the labour movement for personal aggrandizement?
Dear Numsa NewsAt times I ask myself, do some of the shop stewards love this country and its workers or are they just in the labour movement for personal aggrandizement?
A fake leader will never survive. A true liberator will always have the support and moral identification of the majority of workers. My own understanding and morality tells me that to hide from the public the bribery within the labour movement is to be party to that corruption. Workers on the factory floor may not understand that multi-national corporations are also the ones that brought bribery to the labour movement.
I don’t expect shop stewards from the labour movement to behave like company bosses. Equally shop stewards sometimes seem to forget that they are answerable to the workers that placed them where they are.
Do they understand what makes a person a true leader? A true leader is someone who is fully accountable to the rank and file. I reject those shop stewards who regard themselves as the be-all and know-alls of the labour movement. They sometimes conduct themselves as if they were God’s gift to the labour movement. I want to propose an unconditional time frame for shop stewards.
There is a wrong perception among our trade union leaders to point fingers at management and ignore the manner in which our shop stewards inside these companies behave. That must come to an end. It is a shame to the people that suffered and died to make sure that the labour movement take its rightful place in South Africa.
Vuyisile Fundakubi, VWSA
Ukukhethwa kwamagosaI-Numsa yesifunda saseNtshonalanga Kapa isebenza kanzima ukukhuthaza abesifazane ukuthi bangenele ukhetho njengamagosa. Ngonyaka odlule izisebenzi zeNumsa zavakashela izindawo zokusebenza lapho abaningi babasebenzi besifazane besebenza khona futhi bakhuluma nabasebenzi ngokuhlushwa ngokocansi emsebenzini, ukuhlukunyezwa kwabesifazane kanye nezingane, ukungenwa yi-“˜tik’ egazini (isidakamuzwa esidumile eNtsholanga Kapa).
Kukhuthazwe futhi nabesifazane ukuthi bangenele ukhetho lwamagosa. Njengoba isifunda sesiqalise ngokhetho lwamagosa kulo nyaka, vele sekunabesifazane abaningi abakhethiwe njengamagosa ikakhulukazi eBellviille, e-Atlantisi kanye nasezindaweni eziseduze neKapa.
UVuyisile Fundakubi isisebenzi sakwa- Volkswagen SA ukhomba amanye amagosa. Ingabe yilokhu okwaziyo? INumsa izoqala umkhankaso wayo wokhetho lwamagosa ekuhambeni kwesikhathi kulo nyaka. Sibhalele usitshele ukuthi yiziphi izimpawu igosa elihle okufanele libe nazo.
Verkiesings vir vloerbeamptesNumsa se Wes-Kaapse streek werk hard daaraan om vroue aan te moedig om as vloerbeamptes te staan. Verlede jaar het Numsa se beamptes besoek gebring aan werkplekke waar daar baie vrouewerkers is, en met werkers gepraat oor seksuele teistering by die werkplek, die mishandeling van vroue en kinders, en verslawing aan tik (“˜n gewilde dwelmmiddel in die Wes-Kaap). Die vakbond het vroue ook aangemoedig om in verkiesings vir vloerbeamptes te staan.
Noudat die streek hierdie jaar met verkiesings vir vloerbamptes begin het, is daar al klaar baie meer vroue as vloerbeamptes verkies – veral in takke in Bellvile, Atlantis en Kaapstad.
Vuyisile Fundakubi, “˜n werker by Volkswagen SA, meen daar’s fout met sommige vloerbeamptes. Is dit hoe jy dit ondervind? Numsa sal later vanjaar met sy veldtog rondom verkiesings vir vloerbeamptes begin. Skryf aan ons, en síª vir ons watter soort kenmerke “˜n goeie vloerbeampte moet híª.
Dikgetho tsa di-shop stewardLebato la Numsa la Western Cape le sebetsa ka matla ho kgothaletsa basadi ho kenela dikgetho tsa ho ba di-shop steward. Seemong se fetileng bahlanka ba Numsa ba ile ba etela dibaka tseo ho sebeletswang ho sona tse tletseng basadi mme ba bua le basebetsi ka tlhekefetso ya motabo mosebetsing, tlhekefetso ya basadi le bana, ho ba makgoba a “˜tik’ (sethethefatsi se tsebahalang haholo mane Western Cape). Hona ho ile ha kgothaletsa basadi hore be kenele dikgetho tsa ho ba di-shop steward.
Jwalo ka ha lebatowa le se le qadile ka dikgetho tsa di-shop steward selemong sena, ke basadi ba bangata ba seng ba kgethuwe ho ba di-shop steward haholoholo mane Bellvile, Atlantis le Cape Town.
Vuyisile Fundakubi eo e leng mosebeletsi wa Volkswagen SA o supa di-shop steward tse ding ka monwana. Na bona ke bona boiphihlelo ba lona? Numsa e tla qala ka letsholo la yona la dikgetho tsa di-shop steward ha morao selemong sena. Re ngolleng le re bolelle hore ke di-shop steward tsa mofuta ofe tseo re lokelang ho ba le tsona.