Join the global campaign against labour brokers, temporary work and sub-contractors!1-7 October 2008From October 1-7 2008, trade unions world-wide will be protesting against the growing use of temporary workers, labour brokers and sub-contractors and increasing casualisation.

At the NEC in September, delegates agreed to organise demonstrations across the country on these days. Plan yours in your factory even if it is a lunch-time demonstration.

What Numsa members say on the issue!Let's fight against labour brokersThousands of workers in South Africa are being exploited by labour brokers.

Many companies in this country, especially multi-national companies, prefer to hire employees through labour brokers because they are making a lot of profit through this evil exploitation.

Sometimes these workers spend more than five years before being recruited by the primary employer whereas within such a period employers are making millions of rands while employees are losing out in terms of benefits such as provident fund, medical aid etc.

Some workers die before being registered and they lose out in terms of death benefits from the provident fund.While our labour federation Cosatu through Nedlac continues to call for the abolition of labour brokers, I wish to appreciate the good work done by our giant union (Numsa) to ensure that the use of labour brokers is regulated through collective agreements within our sectors.

It is economically incorrect for two workers working for one company within the same grade to not earn the same rate of pay.

I wish to further encourage our organising and collective bargaining unit to continue their excellent work.Long live Numsa long live – the struggle continues.Patricia Hlengiwe Kleinbooi, eThekwini, KZN

========Let's organise against sub-contractorsI am making an earnest appeal to all concerned shop stewards irrespective of their company or trade union to wake up and do something about the plight of innocent workers who lack the courage to voice their grievances especially those employed by sub-contractors.

If delegates in this year's congress don't tackle the issue of outsourcing and restructuring, they won't be able to address the issue of unfair dismissal. Numsa has a proud and militant history.

It is organisationally and arguably politically the strongest affiliate of Cosatu. Workers employed by sub-contractors are the worst paid and the least protected.

It is shocking how these bosses hire and fire Numsa members.They are still putting profits before their workers, unashamedly they still aim to secure the wealth of the few at the expense of the majority.

They have the most selfish and narrowest of interests!Unions need to go beyond tough laws so as to make sure that the concept of an “Injury to one is an injury to all” does not only cover certain workers that belong to certain unions but all workers, irrespective of their affiliation or company.

The starting point may be to form a structure for all the companies that have these sub-contractors from the existing crop of shop stewards. And the main focus would be to organise, run, deal with the suffering of the working class and address quarterly general meetings.
With this I hope we are able to make a radical trade union movement that will address the plight of low paid forgotten employees. Vuyisile ka Fundakubi, worker at VWSA (letter shortened)

Source

Numsa News