In brief – for motor members

* ABET A company called Blueprint has been contracted to interview all those workers who have studied Adult Basic Education (ABET) through the Merseta.

If they contact you, please be honest about what was good and what was bad about the training. We want to improve the training for future ABET learners and find out what needs changing.

* Outstanding issues from 2007 negotiations- Skills-based grading systemWorkers mandated the union to negotiate a skills-based grading system in the industry. The committee meets monthly. The first meeting this year took place in March. Negotiations are continuing.

MOTOHEALTH back on trackSam Tsiane

2007 was not easy for MotoHealth medical aid members. They were receiving summonses from lawyers because the fund was not paying claims within three months.

Some members were turned back by doctors and pharmacists because they were told that they were not paying their contributions. The call centre was not responding in time or not responding at all.

Elias Kubeka, Numsa motor sector coordinator, said that these problems are all things of the past. He said the problem was the challenges which were posed by the merger of Automed and Mimed.

In 2006 some parties to Mibco were resisting the merger and therefore the implementation of the merger was only implemented in late 2006.Kubeka said MotoHealth is now ready to provide medical care for motor workers at the cheapest price.

Its purpose is to provide service to all workers in the motor industry from forecourt attendants to directors.

Numsa members wake up their employersJenny Grice

Things are getting tricky for motor employers in the old Transkei and other parts of rural South Africa. When the motor agreement was extended to cover all motor workers across South Africa, Numsa stepped up its recruiting campaign.

"We realised we needed to move fast," says Eastern Cape regional motor organiser, Vusi Mabho.And newly-organised workers are already showing their red shirts!When load-shedding hit a petrol station in one of these rural areas far from the Numsa office recently, the employer told his workers, "No work, no pay."Workers were outraged.

When their payslips excluded this money, they sent two of them as representatives to report a crime at the nearest police station.

They wanted the police to charge their employer with theft! When the police phoned to get clarity, the employer said that the workers had left work without permission, they were liable to be disciplined and he wouldn't pay them for the time they were at the police station.

When these two workers reported back to other members, the workers decided that they would all go and lay the charge. However, the police told workers that the company must address the matter. It was not in their jurisdiction. Negotiations are continuing to resolve the issue.

Irate employerIn another rural town, an irate employer phoned the union organiser early in the morning and told her:"Mama we-union – you must get off my back.

When I thought of starting this business, I didn’t include you in my plans, now I can see you are sitting right at my shoulders.

From the onset, you come here and you bully me and your people are uncontrollable – you must get off my back!"In a separate incident, another petrol station owner dismissed her 16 workers and had them arrested for alleged fraud.

Numsa has now taken up the matter. Their combined conciliation and arbitration hearing will take place in May.

(Contact the new Umtata Numsa office at Fruit and Veg Building, 46 Sprigg Street, Umtata 5100; Tel: 047-531 0486; Fax: 047-531 0489)

Amalungu eNumsa avusa abaqashi bawoManje isivumelwano sasezimotweni sesibhekela bonke abasebenzi basezimotweni eNingizimu Afrika yonke. INumsa esifundeni saseMpumalanga Kapa iqhuba umkhankaso wayo wokufuna amalungu.

Abasebenzi bakhombisa izikibha zabo ezibomvu! Kwelinye idolobhana lasezindaweni zasemakhaya, abasebenzi baya esiteshini samaphoyisa beyovulela umqashi wabo icala lokweba owala ukubakhokhela ngesikhathi kwakune-load-shedding.

Kwelinye, umnikazi wegaraji likaphethroli wakhononda kumgqugquzeli wenyunyana ukuthi “akamyeke” ngoba amalungu akhe “awalawuleki!"Okwamanje iNumsa imele abasebenzi abayi-16 abaxoshwa umnikazi wegaraji likaphethroli owababophisa ngokubabeka icala lokukhwabanisa..

Numsa-lede skud hulle werkgewers wakkerNoudat die loonooreenkoms vir motorwerkers regoor Suid-Afrika geld, het Numsa se Oos-Kaapse streek sy werwingsveldtog in hoër rat geskakel.

En werkers dra hulle rooi hemde!Op een plattelandse dorp het werkers na die polisiestasie gegaan om ‘n klag van diefstal teen ‘n werkgewer aanhangig te maak wat geweier het om hulle te betaal toe die krag as gevolg van beurtkrag af was.

Op ‘n ander dorp het die eienaar van ‘n petrolstasie by die vakbondorganiseerder gekla dat “julle van my nek af moet klim” omdat julle werkers “onbeheerbaar” is!In die tussentyd verteenwoordig Numsa 16 werkers wat deur die eienaar van ‘n petrolstasie afgedank is nadat hy hulle in hegtenis laatneem het op ‘n klag van bedrog.

Ditho tsa Numsa di tsosa boramesebetsi ba tsonaJwale tumellano ya makoloing e sireletsa basebetsi ba makoloing kaofela ha bona Afrika Borwa ka bophara, mme lebatowa la Numsa la Kapa Botjhabela le phahamisitse letsholo la lona la ho thaotha ditho.

Basebetsi ba bonahala ka di-t-shirt tsa bona tse kgubedu!Toropong e nngwe ya mahaeng, basebetsi ba ile ba ya seteisheneng sa mapolesa ho ya bula nyewe ya boshodu kgahlanong le ramosebetsi wa bona ya ileng a hana ho ba lefa ha ho ne ho ena le kimollo ya motlakase (load-shedding).

Source

Numsa News