Mdladlana states it clearly It was interesting and encouraging to have the Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana, talk at our Mibco Annual General Meeting held on November 5 2009.

As a guest speaker he strongly criticized the media. His concern was that often the media don’t check with him when they (media) want to write something about him.

Instead they go to Helen Zille. And that he cannot understand! Amongst other things, he compared the previous LRA with the current one. The previous one was rigid.

But he emphasized that there are loopholes in the current LRA that should be closed. His function as Minister of Labour is to protect workers from being exploited, and he said he would do so without any fear.

Central to his speech were challenges brought by labour brokers and technicalities in relation to employment contracts, including advice from his lawyer regarding Section 198. “Worst of all is that it is always difficult to identify the real employer and that should be stopped by crafting the law in such a manner that labour brokers are removed completely,” he said.

During question time only Numsa participated. Employers were silent, hopefully convinced that if Mangope did it, then maybe this fearless minister will also did it!Louis Makata, Bosch Full Time Shop Steward

Payment of Traditional Healers by Moto Health Care (MHC) At a Numsa Moto Health Care (MHC) Roadshow in Pretoria recently, this question was asked: “Why does MHC not pay for treatment and medication supplied by Traditional Healers?”
The Traditional Health Practitioners Bill Passed in 2004 to regulate Traditional Practice, was opposed by the Doctors for Life and was suspended for 18 months by the Constitutional Court to allow Parliament to follow the Provisions of the Act by involving/consulting the public properly. In 2007 the Traditional Health Practitioners Act 22 of 2007 was passed.

The challenge so far is that Traditional Healers have been requested to establish a Traditional Practitioners Council. The purpose of this body is to:* ensure the safety of community members receiving traditional medicine and services, * serve as a regulating body for the traditional Health Practitioners.

The Act also has other stipulations that the traditional healers have to comply with, like registering as practitioners.

Practitioners also have to formulate tariffs and procedure codes in order to enable medical aids to process and pay their accounts as per their scheme rules and the Medical Schemes Act’s 131 regulations.

Moto Health Care (MHC), like all the main stream medical aids will consider paying traditional healers for their services and medication once they comply fully with the regulations of the Traditional Health Practitioners Act 22 of 2007. Simon Sibeko for Moto Health Care Fund

NOTE:In the engineering sector, the agreement says that employers will recognize sick leave notes from traditional healers.

However this has never been implemented for the same reason given above. Traditional healers still do not comply fully with the regulations of the Traditional Health Practitioners Act 22 of 2007.

If you want to speed this up, pressurize your traditional healer(s) to register and form a Traditional Healers Practitioners’ Council! Moto Health Care 2010 Option Selection Process • The deadline for option selection forms to reach the scheme is 30 November 2009 • Employers must sign the option selection form before sending it to Moto Health Care •

All members must complete an option selection even if you are not changing options for 2010. We need your current contact details to send you information. (See page 14 for the form and more details)put Moto Health Care logo with this

Time to start thinking of 2010 demands!All sectors except engineering will bargain next year in 2010. Numsa will hold its National Bargaining Conference early in 2010 to formulate demands to put to employers.Because the World Cup will take place from the middle of June, the motor employers are already suggesting that motor negotiations start early in 2010.

People fear that it will be difficult to find flights and accommodation during the month of the World Cup.So now is the time for you to start debating and discussing at work what you want to change with regard to your wages and working conditions.

And when you are resting at home during December/January, let your mind wander and dream of one thing that you want the most from your employer!

Petrol attendant rates from September 1In the last Numsa News No 4 we included the incorrect rate for petrol attendants.

The new rate for petrol attendants from September 1 is R13.13 per hour. For diesel outlets only it is R8.52 per hour. If you were earning above the minimums before September 1, your increase is 0.92c per hour in petrol and diesel outlets and 0.59c per hour in diesel outlets.

Remember that employers must pay you the new rate from September 1. If they haven’t, they must pay you backpay from this date. If you think you are being underpaid, phone your nearest Numsa office.

Workers strike over slave wagesWorkers employed by Stimela Rail in Vanderbijlpark have been on strike for 10 weeks over their slave wage of R9 per hour. Their posters declare that “swine flu is better than our wage”.

The workers are demanding R20 per hour.The company is contracted by steel giant, Arcelor Mittal to service its railway line.As Numsa News went to print, a meeting with management was scheduled for November 13.

“It is our hope that this meeting will bring parties closer to a settlement as the workers have compromised their demand to R5 across the board,” says Numsa regional secretary, Lucky Skhosana.

Source

Numsa News