Briefs New increase for petrol attendantsFrom October 4, the minimum wage for petrol attendants (except those that work in the old homelands or self-governing states) will be:Area A R6,73 per hour Other areas R5,81 per hourIf you already earn above these minimums and you haven’t had an increase since 2005 then your increase is: Area A R0,43 per hourOther areas R0,37 per hour
Government agrees to put quota on Chinese importsAn agreement signed between the Chinese and South African government puts a limit on the amount of clothing that is imported from China up until 2008. Sactwu has welcomed the agreement saying that it hopes that it will create thousands of jobs.
Boycott Shoprite CheckersCosatu has called for a boycott of Shoprite Checkers until the strike by its workers is over. Workers are demanding that the employer purchase uniforms for the staff of mainly casual workers, provide transport subsidies for workers that work till late as well as benefits for casual workers.
House Agreement disputeAt a dispute meeting held to resolve the failure of House Agreement companies to agree to come back into the engineering Main Agreement, parties agreed that all the Chief Executive Officers of the House Agreement companies would meet by the beginning of October to discuss the issue and decide on a process to move forward.
No recognition of traditional healers yetLegislation that would have seen employers having to recognise sick notes of traditional healers that were recognised, has been dealt a blow. The Constitutional Court has ordered that the legislation be taken back to parliament. It said that not enough consultation with the public had been done.
Credit bureaux associations fail to turn upRolly XipuOn August 12 the SACP in Ekurhuleni together with alliance partners marched to Germiston police station to deliver a memorandum to a credit bureau representative. But there was no-one from the association to receive the memorandum.The memorandum called for a general amnesty for all those blacklisted as well as affordable housing loans for the people of Ekurhuleni. It expressed its support for the new National Credit Act following the successful financial sector transformation campaign.According to Pule Malifane, the SACP’s Ekurhuleni secretary, about two million people are blacklisted by the bureaux. “We have given amnesty to murderers and assassins, we cannot understand why the poor and exploited can’t have their own amnesty. This law must start from a clean slate in order for it to be effective.” Malifane further explained that default judgments in court have resulted in millions of people being blacklisted because they did not know that they had been sued for debt. The credit bureau do not care about the effects of unemployment and retrenchment. “They list you no matter what the reasons are for not paying.”About 300 comrades assembled at Germiston station and marched to Germiston police station but they were surprised and disappointed when there was no-one from the credit bureaux to receive the memorandum. Their cellphones were closed despite their guarantee that they would be present. Inspector Makhondo of the SAPS eventually received the memorandum on behalf of the station commander and promised to issue a reference number and ensure the delivery of it to the credit bureau.
Sactwu pays out R3.8 million for bursaries in 2006 The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) has paid out R3.8 million for bursaries to its members’ children this year. Of the 1 500 bursars which the union expects to assist this year, 82% are at universities, and 18% are at local colleges. It has also received 102 applications for our Special Schools Bursary. This bursary is to assist members who have children at schools for special needs and the union has to date paid out R44 000 in assistance in this regard. The union’s bursary scheme was started in 1975 with a small solidarity contribution by the union’s membership into a fund to help support each other to meet the education expenditure of their children. Today this tradition continues, with funds made up through contributions by workers, companies and through funds generated through the union’s investment company. Since the scheme started, it has paid out R45 million in bursaries. It has also spent R9.6 million on primary school numeracy and literacy support. — Sactwu
International briefsMarching for Japanese workersAlmost 100 workers from Numsa’s Hlanganani region made the Japanese embassy nervous when they marched to their doorstep to hand over a memorandum demanding that Toyota recognise a union at its Philippines’ plant.Since 1999, workers at this Philippines plant have been demanding the right to be represented by the union of their choice. But despite Supreme Court and ILO rulings in the union’s favour and majority support by the workers for this union, the company continues to refuse to recognise it.Instead the company has encouraged a rival union to organise in the plant. This march was part of a world-wide march to put pressure on Toyota.