No more free riders!Jenny Grice

The challenge is on for motor shop stewards to negotiate agency shop agreements in their companies. For too long non-union members have been riding free on the backs of trade union members.

When trade unions negotiate better wages and conditions, free riders get the benefits without the sacrifices. An agency shop forces all workers who are not trade union members to pay a subscription to trade unions that are organising in that workplace.

There is already an agency shop fee paid by non-union members in Numsa's engineering, tyre and auto sectors. In 2007 this brought in R44m to Numsa.

This was almost a quarter of Numsa's income in that year and is needed to research the sectors in which we organise and to hold collective bargaining workshops so that Numsa can negotiate better deals with employers.

At the last motor negotiations in 2007, trade unions demanded that motor employers agree to an agency shop.

But employers refused to agree because "we didn’t represent the majority of motor workers," says Elias Kubeka, Numsa's motor sector coordinator.

Section 25 of the Labour Relations Act requires that trade unions in the sector must organise the majority of workers in the sector before they can achieve an agency shop.

Since the negotiations in August 2007, the two trade unions recognised in the motor sector have recruited more members and now represent the majority of motor workers in the sector.

"But we can't negotiate for an agency shop to cover the whole sector until the current agreement expires in 2010," says Kubeka.Until then Kubeka says Numsa will continue recruiting more motor members and when workplaces have a majority, Numsa shop stewards will demand that employers institute an agency shop in that company.

Already some motor companies like Feltex have agreed to this demand. (see box) Numsa News challenges other motor companies to follow the lead of Feltex workers. Write and tell us your story.

————————————————————————–What Section 25 of the Labour Relations Act says about agency shops1.

A trade union can negotiate an agency shop agreement in a company as long as:* the majority of workers belong to the trade union(s) in that company* workers that don’t belong to those trade union(s) do not have to join the trade union2.

The agency fee must be equal to or less than the subscription paid by trade union members 3. An employer may deduct the agreed agency fee from the wages of an employee without the employee's authorisation. 4.

A conscientious objector may request the employer to pay the amount deducted from that employee's wages into a fund administered by the Department of Labour.

——————————————————————-Free riders pay up at FeltexShop stewards at Feltex in East London have negotiated that non-union members must now pay an agency fee to Numsa. Numsa News asked shop steward Wilfred Masimini how they did it.

What arguments did you use to persuade your management to agree to an agency shop? I told him that "Where Numsa has more than 51 percent it means that Numsa is the majority." When we strike for anything, after the strike he offers everybody, even the non-members.

How many workers in your work place? 214 are employed by the labour broker; 90 percent of these workers are Numsa members. 116 are employed by Feltex Automotive; 95 percent of these workers are Numsa members.

Are there any other unions in your work place? No.

Akusekho abantu abazodla ngandoda!Amagosa ezinkampanini zezimoto baqala ukuwina ama-agency shop. I-agency shop iphoqelela bonke abasebenzi abangesiwo amalungu ezinyunyana zohwebo ukuthi bakhokhe imali yokubhalisa ezinyunyaneni zohwebo ezisebenzayo kuleyo ndawo yomsebenzi.

INumsa yayifuna ukuwina i-agency shop yengxenye yezimoto yonke ngo-2007. Kodwa ngaleso sikhathi izinyunyana zohwebo engxenyeni yezimoto bezingamelele abasebenzi abaningi basezimotweni.

Kungonyaka ka-2010 kuphela uma isivumelwano sasezimotweni samanje siphela, iNumsa izokwazi ukufuna lokhu uma ngabe abasebenzi asebehlanganisiwe sebebaningi.

Okwamanje iNumsa izogxila ekufuneni amalungu amasha nokuwina ama-agency shop ezinkampanini zezimoto lapho izinyunyana zohwebo zihlela khona amalungu amaningi.

INemsa News iphonsela izinkampani zezimoto inselele ukuthi zilandele abasebenzi be-Feltex (bona ibhokisi). Sibhalele usitshele indaba yakho.

‘n Einde aan gratis saamryers!Vloerbeamptes by motormaatskappye begin om die stryd te wen om agentskapooreenkomste in te stel.

Dit beteken dat alle werkers wat nie lid is van ‘n vakbond nie, gedwing word om ‘n subskripsie te betaal aan vakbonde wat by daardie werkplek organiseer.Numsa wou in 2007 so ‘n agentskapooreenkoms vir die hele motorbedryf beding.

Maar die vakbonde in die motorbedryf het nie die meerderheid motorwerkers verteenwoordig nie.

Dit is slegs in 2010, wanneer die huidige ooreenkoms vir die motorbedryf ten einde loop, dat Numsa in staat sal wees om weer hierdie eis te stel – indien die meerderheid werkers aan ‘n vakbond behoort.

In die tussentyd sal Numsa daarop konsentreer om meer lede te werf, en ooreenkomste te beding oor agentskapooreenkomste by motormaatskappye waar die meeste van die werkers lid van ‘n vakbond is.

Numsa News daag motormaatskappye uit om die werkers by Feltex se voorbeeld te volg (sien insetsel). Skryf aan ons en vertel ons jou storie.

Ha re sa batla dinwamadi!Di-shopsteward tsa dikhampaning tsa makoloi di se di qadile ho fenya di-agency shop.

Agency shop ke mokgwa o qobellang basebetsi bohle bao e seng ditho tsa yunione hore di lefe tjhelete ya botho ho mekgatlo ya basebetsi e hlophisang dibakeng tseo tsa bona tsa mosebetsi.

Numsa e ne e batla ho fenya agency shop bakeng sa mokga ohle wa makoloing ka 2007. Empa ka nako eo mekgatlo ya basebetsi e ne e sa emele bongata ba basebetsi ba makoloing.

Ke feela ka 2010 ha tumellano ya ha jwale ya mokgeng wa makoloing e fela, moo Numsa e tla kgona ho beha tseko ya yona hape ha basebetsi ba hlophisitsweng ba le bangata.

Ha jwale Numsa e tla tsepamisa maikutlo tabeng ya ho thaotha ditho tse ngata le ho fenya di-agency shop dikhampaning tsa makoloing moo mekgatlo ya basebetsi e hlophisang ditho tse ngata.

Numsa News e phephetsa dikhampani tsa makoloing ho latela mohlala wa basebetsi ba Feltex (sheba ka lebokosong). Re ngolle mme o re bolelle taba ya hao.

Source

Numsa News