General Materials
Item set
- Title
- General Materials
- Alternative Title
- LRS General Materials
- Creator
- Labour Research Service (LRS)
Items
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To most of us, speech comes more readily than writing, and when information has to be passed on, the obvious way of doing it is by word of mouth. The telephone has greatly widened the opportunity of conducting business in this way. But a trade unionist is well advised not to rely on this method alone. In the affairs of the heart, it may be good advice never to put anything in writing. The reverse is often true in business. What is written, especially if carbon copies are kept, survives as a record. The record remains as a reminder of what has happened, and a check in the event of a dispute. It is only too easy during transactions which may take some months, to forget exactly what had happened at any one time. Written records will provide exact information, not only about what happened but — what is often as important — when it happened. When it is remembered that the actions of shop stewards and branch officers may be vital evidence in a Court of Law, as for example in the pursuit of claims for damages on behalf of union members, exact records are extremely important. For this reason, a duplicate copy of letters provides branch officials with lasting evidence of their own communications. All branch letters, therefore, should be written in duplicate. If letters are typed or written in an interleaved correspondence book, it is easy to make carbon copies. But even if letters are hand written on loose sheets, ordinary carbon paper will make clear copies providing a fountain pen with a fairly hard nib or a bail-point pen is used. -
This book was produced to respond to questions asked by our members during the president's national RDP mass education tour. It covers our struggle history from as early as 1652 up until the time when Nelson Mandela was inaugurated the first president of a democratic South Africa. The book also attempts to assist comrades to understand what the RDP is and find ways of rebuilding our country after the hard years of apartheid. Workers, particularly from the mining industry will be able to use this book in understanding how their contribution will assist in creating jobs, building more houses etc. We would like you to read this book over and over again and discuss the content with comrades in your branch. The committee will appriaciate any suggestions that you may come up with. -
Abasebenzi kwinkampani ezintathu zeentsimbi kweli lase Kapa - Trident Marine, Consani Engineering no Dorman Long bathathe inyathelo elibanzi ekukhabeni inkqubo yom- butho wabarwebi ebizwa ngokuba yi Industrial Council. Lo mbutho kwimizi yeentsimbi ngowona mkhulu apha kweli lo mzantsi Afrika. Aba baqashi bamelwe ngumbutho wabo oyi SEIFSA, ngumbutho onamandla kakhulu lo woongxowa-nkulu apha kweli lethu. -
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This Induction Course is the most important education programme in the National Union of Mineworkers. It is the beginning of a development programme for shaft/shop stewards as cadres of the labour movement and cadres of the working class movement. The Induction Course is part of a programme to organise, deepen organisational understanding, raise class-consciousness and develop working class leadership. Once a shaft/shop steward has completed the course, he/she must demand progression through the intermediate course to the leadership school. Development and desire for selfgrowth should be in the hands of stewards themselves. We train shaft/shop stewards because we are committed to ensuring that Mine and Energy workers themselves determine their destiny. They must lead and control their own union. This can only become reality if it translates into these workers taking over all strategic positions in the union. The Induction Course must instill ambition and make our members develop dreams about the union. -
Model C Schools have created great controversy in recent educational policy debate. SADTU has joined the fray in opposition to the retention of these schools. Model C is a particular type of state aided school which is different to state aided schools like the farm schools that came under the authority of the former black Department of Education and Training (DET). The latter schools were mostly poorly resourced and inadequately staffed. Model C schools are state aided schools that have governing bodies elected by the parents, with power over a number of key functions of the school. These include control over admissions policy, the power to charge compulsory school fees and to raise funds by other means (e.g. renting out the school's property), the power to decide how the school's money is to be spent (e.g. school maintenance, the hiring of additional teachers and other staff, the buying of books and equipment, and the power to exercise influence over the hiring and disciplining of teachers). The system is unique among state- aided schools in that Model Cs are all former state schools in the privileged white school system. Nearly all inherited a sound infrastructure provided largely by the state in the form of school buildings, grounds, libraries, laboratories etc. They also inherited a well qualified teaching staff, whose training (the best in the country) was also partly the result of public subsidies. Model C has several strengths which has led to the ongoing controversy. Parental participation in the schooling of their children has been mobilised. The governing bodies actually have power over important aspects of the school in contrast to the old comparatively toothless management councils. This, it appears, has ensured that parents, whether they approve of Model C or not, take them much more seriously since the governing bodies can take decisions which materially affect them and their children's education. In addition, this model has mobilised private resources for education and ensured that a relatively high level of provision can be maintained while state funding is decreased. Money thus saved by the state - reportedly about R1 billion - can be diverted to redressing the inadequacies of African education. -
U.I.F. (Unemployment Insurance Fund) is an insurance scheme. The scheme pays money to a worker who has contributed to the fund and who is temporarily unemployed. Money paid into the Fund is paid out to workers who have become unemployed and under certain other circumstances that we will set out below. -
Many workers do not know they can get money from the Unemployment Insurance Fund when they are unemployed. Older workers have trouble getting their pensions. If "you are sick or pregnant you will need some sick pay to help you. Sometimes workers have the right to get get money but do not get it. The union can help and advise its members . -
There are growing ties in the world between countries which coincides with current major social, political and economic restructuring. This is what many refer to as “globalisationâ€. Globalisation is a process which involves greater influence by global forces on individual countries such as South Africa. It means that global rules are being set which impact on: the policies of our government, the way companies in South Africa make their plans, the way that trade unions, community organisations and development organisations take up issues, and the way individuals make a living in the country. Globalisation has raised new and difficult issues for the labour movement and have thrown up new forms of struggle. Some of these issues have stumped and even demobilised some unionists in South Africa and internationally. Some feel that globalisation cannot be challenged and that there is no alternative. Others feel that we have not become powerless and that there are ways to fight its negative effects. Turp has published a book on these issues entitled, South Africa in the Global Economy: understanding the challenges, working towards alternatives. One of the main purposes of the book is to clarify what the new complex and challenging issues are. By doing this, we hope to clarify what we are up against. -
Debate on a post-apartheid economy has once again raised the question of the concentration of economic power in South Africa. It is a known fact that the wealth of South Africa is concentrated in a few hands. For example, it is estimated that 5 % of the population owns 80% of the wealth in the country. At the same time, millions of our people live in poverty. Over half the population in South Africa live below the poverty datum lines (amounts needed for very basic subsistence). -
COSATU must intervene in affiliates where it has identified problems, where problems have been brought to its attention and / or has been requested to do so. The CEC should draw guidelines on how and under which circumstances the federation and its structures may intervene taking into account clauses 3.9 and 3.10 of the constitution. Such intervention should not undermine affiliates where such problems exist. COSATU leadership must be visible during major disputes between affiliates and employers and co-ordinate solidarity with workers involved in such disputes. -
In the early 1990's when internal fraud, theft and dishonesty became an issue of major concern, SASBO members decided to state their position on all forms of employee dishonesty. They expressed the view that criminals should be rooted out of the finance sector, because, inter alia: People of low integrity have no place in finance. Criminals also defraud their colleagues. Reduced profits through fraud would mean lower pay increases. Criminals pollute the working environment and their actions cast suspicion on everyone around them. When crimes take place, innocent employees are accused of not exercising sufficient vigilance and are subject to disciplinary actions, including dismissal. The SASBO National Council, therefore, instructed their Union not to protect guilty personnel. Yet they believed that accused members should receive a fair hearing. As a Union representing the interests of employees in a highly vulnerable workplace such as that found in the finance sector, SASBO, then, had a duty to condemn staff defalcation and fraud in the strongest terms, and to play whatever role that was necessary in ensuring that offenders were removed from the system. The need for SASBO to have a documented policy on the handling of cases involving theft, fraud and dishonesty, when its members were accused of being involved, was obvious. Applying the above principles, and aided by its legal advisors, SASBO's National Council, in September 1993, adopted the following policy on dishonesty: -
From Cosatu's inception in 1985, the federation developed a close association with the Congress movement. Conditions in the country dictated the need to go beyond bread and butter issues to embrace national and class struggle. This perspective was formally endorsed with Cosatu's adoption of the Freedom Charter in 1987. The 1987 Congress agreed Cosatu should build alliances with mass-based organisations with a track record of struggle and whose principles did not conflict with those of Cosatu. After the unbanning of the liberation movement, Cosatu's 1991 Congress resolved that the Federation should join the ANC and SACP in alliance in place of Sactu, thus becoming part of the Tripartite Alliance as we know it today. -
Acquaintance rape is forced sexual contact by someone who knows you. The rapist may be a date, neighbor, friend, boss, colleague, delivery person or repair worker. The risk of a woman being sexually assaulted by an acquaintance is four times greater than her risk of being raped by a stranger. Women ranging in age from 15 to 24 are the primary acquaintance rape victims. Recent studies show that junior high school girls are also at great risk. Date rape is the most common form of acquaintance rape. Sexual assault, including acquaintance rape, also happens to men; men can be sexually exploited by other men or by women. Women can also be sexually exploited by other women. This brochure refers to the victim as “she†and the offender as “he†since most victims are female and most offenders are male. However, most of the information applies to male victims as well as female victims. As with all sexual assault victims, the acquaintance rape victim suffers physical and emotional trauma. She has been physically and emotionally violated, and she needs support. Sexual assault centers help victims cope with medical, legal and emotional needs after sexual assault. This brochure has been prepared by the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault to help you learn more about this crime and where to get help if you are a victim. There are sexual assault centers throughout the state of Illinois; the list on the last page tells where these programs are located. -
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Unemployment has always been and still is a tricky problem for capitalists. On the one hand lots of unemployed workers make it easier for employers to keep wages low. But if there are too many unemployed workers then they might support moves for immediate and fundamental change in the society. Employers and the governments of capitalist countries have tried to solve this in different ways and at different times. But in most countries some income has been given to the unemployed for part of the time they have been without jobs. They have usually done this by providing some kind of benefits paid to the unemployed for a certain limited period of time. 1 lie fund from which these benefits are paid is usually controlled and administered by the government. However, there are many different ways that these benefits can lie financed. Before looking at what happened here in South Africa let us look at the problem of unemployment benefits generally in a capitalist state. -
The course materials for Rights at Work consist of: 13 separate printed booklets (latex-bound and punched so that they can be kept in a file), in the first print, the discovery exercises were only duplicated. In the second print, the discovery exercises represent the 13th booklet, a selection of duplicated case studies. Sets of the printed booklets will be available for each student to act as resource material during the course, and as a 'reference' book after the course. The case studies are provided as 'master copies' to be reproduced in sufficient student numbers by the tutors. As from the second print-run of materials (March 1980) each student 'set' of 13 booklets will arrive from the printers unseparated as one latex-bound 'volume'. It is strongly recommended that tutors separate out the 13 booklets themselves and hand them out separately week by week. Each booklet has a colour cover with cartoon, so the process of separation is fairly easy. To hand out the whole set of material at the beginning would be daunting for most students. The booklet of discovery exercises can either be handed out to students to keep, with the tutor directing students to the appropriate activity each week. Or tutors can keep the booklets and extract and hand out the appropriate activity each week. These tutors notes describe the overall aims and methods of the course and the job of the tutor in turning these course materials into a successful course. The notes are divided into two parts. The first part deals with the overall approach to the course, in terms of aims, structure and methods, and how to plan a course. The second part gives brief notes on using individual sections of the course. -
AIDS starts with a virus. Like all viruses, it's a parasite fragile and impotent. It cannot reproduce except within human cells, It's tiny. Over 500,000,000 HIV viruses could fit the dot on top of this i. In the wrong environment HIV dies. In the right environment, it dominates. AIDS is dominating South Africa with all ready 2.4 million people infected, with estimates of 20% of the working population being infected within four years. South Africa has willingly opened itself to domination. This time, not colonial political oppression or the cruelty of racial apartheid, but domination by a virus all of us saw coming. The Ministry of Health welcomed the virus by failing to impart a practical and realistic National AIDS strategy. Instead, entertaining us with a R14.3 million play called Sarafina 2 and a discredited new cure for AIDS Virodene. -
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In South Africa at present there are 104 Industrial Councils. However, the one for the Iron, Steel, Engineering and Metallurgical Industries is the largest and most important covering nearly 500 000 workers. But only about 100 000 of these workers belong to trade unions. At the Industrial Council the employers and trade unions negotiate an agreement that covers all 500 000 workers. At present on the union side there are 14 trade unions - M A W U will make it 15. But most of these unions are racial unions and what are called craft unions - that is their members only do certain kinds of jobs e.g. boilermakers or electricians etc. On the employer side nearly all the 8400 factories in the industry are members of the employer association SEIFSA. It is SEIFSA - which is the largest and most powerful employer association in South Africa - that negotiates for employers on the Industrial Council. -
The Federation of South African Trade Unions - FOSATU - was formed on the 14th and 15th April 1979 at an Inaugural Congress held at Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria. The Congress was attended by 130 delegates representating 12 founding unions. FOSATU was formed as a federation to unite all workers irrespective of race, creed or sex who shared the common objective of struggling for the rights of workers. Our prime objective is to organise workers in their workplace and through the strength of their organisation to eliminate the racial discrimination and racial divisions that are used to perpetuate the exploitation of the oppressed majority of workers. It is a federation of industrial unions bound by common policies and objectives and based on the closest possible cooperation to the mutual benefit of all its affiliates and their members. -
As the elected minute secretary, from the Second AGC 1992, I took over the portfolio as acting Regional Secretary when Mundisa Sinuka resigned in October 1992. In SADTU, we can only have a successful union if all our branches are functioning effectively and our members are committed. Members on the ground have been demotivated and this makes our task all the more difficult. Branches tend to work during times of crisis and it should be borne in mind that SADTU is not a crisis union but is there to educate, bur id. protect and defend the rights of teachers. -
For a number of years the Cape Town branch of the LACOM project has conducted workshops on report-writing, notetaking and minute-taking. Through this manual we hope to share our experience in these areas with a wider group of people. We know that a number of manuals already exist on these topics, so why have we decided to write yet another one? This manual is different. It is especially helpful for facilitators who are organising and conducting report-writing and note-taking workshops. This is because this manual gives practical details on how to help people write reports and what methods to use in workshops. But this manual can also be used as a reference and follow-up for people who have attended these workshops.