White unions did everything to enskill their lot. Omar Gire* asks why today's unions are not using the same methods to give skills to black workers.
White workers and their unions supported by the apartheid government used forums like the Engineering Industrial Council and Training Boards to enskill their members.
They also fought for their members to be paid for skills they possessed. Today's unions can learn a lot from white unions' strategies. We can also use some structures that they used to get our members trained.
How did they go about it?
The first thing that white unions did was to ensure that workers were paid for what they did. A person who does artisan's work although classified as an operator was paid an artisan's rate without being tested for literacy or numeracy.
The only criterion was whether you were doing the work or not. Although no recognition for skill in terms of documentation or certificates was granted, workers who did artisan's work were recognised in terms of wages.
The second way that was used to give workers recognition for their skills was through a system of journeymen. A journeyman is the equivalent of an artisan in terms of job knowledge, although the worker has no qualification.
For one to become a journeyman your trade union would apply via the industrial council and training board for one to be recognised for his knowledge and be paid accordingly.
The system of journeymen was stopped in the 1980's, for two reasons. Whites did not need this tool anymore. Secondly, as black trade unions were joining industrial councils, it was necessary to block black workers from using the journeymen system to increase their wages.
The third route followed in the industry was the one known as the Artisan Training and Recognition Agreement for the Metal Industry (Atrami). Atrami is on-the-job training. An Industrial Council representative, who will then certify a worker as an artisan, does evaluation on the job.
The period is approximately 1-2 years. Fourthly, workers in the engineering industry used Section 28 of the Manpower Act to become artisans. Section 28 allows a worker to apply for a trade test on his own.
The only requirement is for one to have worked as an operator in the industry for five years. Then finally there was the apprenticeship system.
Apprenticeship is a contract between the employers and employees for a period of 4 years. This includes theoretical, technical and practical training on and off the job. Off the job training at tech should not be less than 3 months a year.
Let's use traditional weapons
Many of the routes for developing skilled workers outlined above still exist. They have not been abolished by the new training system. Instead of waiting for learnerships let us use what exists to train our members and address the imbalances created by apartheid.
It only in this way that we can fast track the skilling of blacks and develop their economic muscles. The union should urgently evaluate its training policy. Comrades who understand and have experience in the industry should do this.
The union should then develop a response to the current training being initiated by Merseta and develop demands that will satisfy the training needs of members.
* Gire is an artisan, is Numsa's national treasurer and works at John Thompson Africa
Source
Numsa News