Dear Numsa News
Re: Madiba day donation
Villa Liza is a new Secondary School situated on the outskirts of Vosloorus, Boksburg. At the present moment we have 1100 enrolled learners of which the majority is coming from disadvantage communities in our area. As school we battle to deliver quality education to our learners due to the fact that our resources are limited in all aspects. We do not have electricity and operated with a generator.
Unfortunately we had a burglary during the school holidays in which they stole our generator and computers which are making our work extremely difficult.
Approximately 95% of our learners are residing in informal settlements in the surrounding area and as a result learners are not in a position to contribute financially to the school.
Herewith we would like to take the opportunity to thank you for the contribution your organization made towards our school on 18 July 2013. The assistance we received made it possible for our educators and learners to take part in the 67-minute campaign on Madiba day.
Mrs. S. Lepheana and J. OppermanDear Numsa News,
I am sending this mail on behalf of my wife Indrani Morgan who works for Federal Mogul in Prospecton. She is Numsa member and she received Numsa news no 2 newspaper for July. She read your comment regarding victory in the electricity campaign. It stated that: “We succeeded in reducing the increase to 8 % from 16%”. It is a victory for us in our homes because we won’t have to pay such high prices.
How will this benefit me? Do I have to go to the Ethekwini Municipality?
Another issue is the Mibco sick fund; she has been absent from work for nine days in February. To date she did not receive her sick fund money as yet. Can you help her out? Sometimes when she get sick it is pointless for her to be absent from work because she have to wait for months for her sick fund money to be given to her.
Regards, Clive Morgan on behalf on Indrani Morgan
Dear Clive,
1. On the Electricity: You must approach you Municipality to give you what they are charging you in relation to annual increases approved by NERSA.
2. On MIBCO Sick Accident & Maternity Fund: We have an undertaking by MIBCO that claims will be paid within 7 days of receipt. There may be bottlenecks or malice in the process.
a. The employer may delay submitting the claim, as a way of discouraging workers from taking sick leave.
b. The employer may send incomplete information, so that it has the same effect as above.
Kindly send us your wife’s MIBCO Council Number and ID Number, dates when she was off sick and no payment was received or delayed, so that we can check with MIBCO. Or, you or she can make enquiries through her shopstewards to MIBCO at Willem. Schroeder@mibco.org.za
Dear Numsa News,
Welkom local’s new offices
Welkom local was known as a notorious local because of battles that occurred in the previous years. Local office bears used to be changed now and then. Comrades could not unite due to the differences that were engineered by other comrades who had their own agendas. This resulted to membership falling down as members ended up losing interest in the organization.
In order to resolve all this, a commission was established but this couldn’t assist either. National office bearers decided to deploy Andile Zitho to come resuscitate the union and claim the union and bringing unity in the local. Andile Zitho made a difference and comrades began to unite again and speak with one voice. The local is now back on track and the membership is growing.
On the 22nd of June 2013 Welkom local opened its new situated at No. 386 Stateway road in Welkom. The massive celebration was held in the premises of the building with all sub-locals and locals of Northern cape region.
Numsa lives! Numsa leads!
Grace Mpolokeng Mosokotsoane is a shopsteward at BMW motor retail.
Earlier last month, we received and email from Mariette Norman who works at Smith and Santos enquiring about “Why can’t white people belong to this union (Numsa)?” the letter was addressed directly to the National motor sector coordinator Elias Kubeka. This is the response:
Dear Mariette Norman,
Thank you for your enquiry. It is not true that white people cannot belong to NUMSA. NUMSA is a non-racial, non-sexist trade union that accepts and welcome all workers within its scope of jurisdiction.
We are of the view that you may have been misinformed about NUMSA. We are willing to arrange you our organiser or office bearers at our nearest local office, if you share further details with us. We need to know your company name, its physical address, what it does (Sector) and your other contact details, in order to call you.
We request that you also get in touch with the Numsa nearest office. Our Constitution and policies are available on www.numsa.org.za
Welcome to NUMSA.
Elias Kubeka, National motor sector coordinator
Dear Numsa News
Have we achieved unity?
Unity is the only weapon that workers have at their disposal. Divided workers’ weakens the union so it is imperative that workers unite beyond their cultural, racial, gender, skilled level even beyond their political affiliation.
Numsa preamble is very clear on this issue.
Some of the Causes
Some of the issues dividing workers are personal between leadership; because leadership is influential their differences if not correctly controlled can affect the rest of membership.
But when we join unions we seize to be ourselves that should be the principle. Some leaders are not transparent to workers, that on its own raises doubt to membership on the other hand mass line is clear from the workers to the workers, it says: workers might give scattered ideas or mandates our role is to concentrate them and bring them back explain them to members so that they own them understand them.
But leaders want to be barriers of good news only. Smear heading campaigns, elections are very dangerous when candidates involve themselves on dirty campaigns, harm comes out of these uncalled for practices where workers views are divided by them.
Not adhering to principles of democratic centralism where a debate free of intimidation is open where comrades reach consensus and that no one would deviate from that position that binds all.
Dangers
Disunited workers are like lifeless leaves falling from the tree they can be swept away to any direction the wind blows. Workers cannot work collectively in striving to attain common objective. Employers might impose policies which are not in favour of addressing workers favourable conditions. Divided workers might lead to dangerous practices.
Way forward
If it is proven, smear campaign culprits should be dealt with by the union severely in order to keep stability within the union.
A comrade who considers progressive ideas as a personal attack to themselves do not have a room in this labour struggle, they should choose another career.
Comrades should be honest, appreciate their level of understand might not be the same and learn from each other instead of fighting or working against each other.
They should know the fact that in a galaxy there are many stars but some stars shine brighter than the others. Unity must be on principle, unity must be qualitative.
Shop Steward must read, read, read Marxist views on economy, history, philosophy.
Unity is a qualitative and continuous exercise which will be tested throughout mans history.
Mfundo Mpushe Numsa shop steward at Schnellecke-S.A