T&G N EWS Newspaper of the Transport & General Workers’ Union

Number 3 February 1990 Congress takes strong resolutions

T&G Congress is over for an­ other 2 years. Now we have the task of acting on the important resolutions that Congress took.

About 400 delegates came to the Congress at Pietermaritzburg Uni­ versity to take our union forward into the 1990s. Comrade Harry Gwala, a member of SACP and ANC, and comrade Pozo Zondo, an organ­ iser from NOW (Natal Organisation of Women), came to speak to the Congress.

Comrade Gwala pointed out that the working class in tiie factories and townships and rural areas will win the struggle. The working class must lead this struggle. Church people, sports people, peasants and intellectuals must also take their part.

We must work towards socialism because without socialism there will still be many problems. Gwala said socialism is still alive. The marches in Eastern Europe in most countries are to make for a better and more democratic socialism.

Comrade Gwala said that it is the duty of all union members to make a people’s democracy under the lead­ ership of the working class. We can only enter negotiations with the government if the working class is in a very strong position.

Comrade Zondo spoke of the need to make COSATU womens’ forums strong so that we can build FEDSAW (Federation of South African Wo­ men). She spoke about political ne­ gotiations and said nobody talks about women as part of political ne­ gotiations.

She pointed out that the struggle is for a free non-racial South Africa where women have a proper place.

Flying the flag: T&G members at our annual congress in Pietermaritzburg. Several important decisions were taken ' More details of the congress on at the congress - now it is up to you, the members, to ensure they happen. Pages 2 & 3 INSIDE: New T&G office-bearers * Protest at House of Delegates * Strike discipline Page 2 The year of restructuring T&G Congress had its own glasnost and perestroika! Many of the reso­ lutions talked about how we must make things work better inside our union. We need to look at our mis­ takes and problems and then make our union stronger. 1990 will be the year of restructuring!

What did these resolutions say? One resolution noted that orgapisers are overworked and often do shop stew­ ards’ work. Also that many T&G members do not come to union meetings. So we must start a na­ tional campaign to make our struc­ tures live again!

Another resolution talked about the need for better co-ordination of or­ ganisation in different regions. So regions can now be set up after fur­ ther discussion in the NEC. Forward to freedom: Congress delegates in that! at PMB

The Congress also voted to set up a important resolution said that we ers Union. Zakheni has 5000 mem­ SADF contract and other contracts FINCOM (Finance Committee) with must look again at resolutions from bers mostly in the passenger trans­ with racist institutions. national office bearers and all branch T&G 1988 Congress. Did branches port industry. A number of their treasurers. FINCOM meets every act on 1988 resolutions? If not, we workers come from PUTCO. TRANSPORT UNITY month and checks branch finances must make sure we do before the There was also a resolution onUnity before it gives money to branches. next Congress. CLEANING AND SECURITY in the Transport Industry. This RESOLUTIONS resolution calls for mergers in the The FINCOM will also look into There is more time to act on T&G The Congress also took resolutions transport industry with unions like special requests for money from resolutions because Congress will on the cleaning and security indus­ SARHWU, TAWU and TEAM­ branches or head office. Union fi­ now take place every 2 years. Each tries (see back page) and on Steiner MATES. These mergers are impor­ nance policy will come from FIN­ branch will send their NEC dele­ Services in the dry cleaning indus­ tant because we need to unify the COM to the NEC, and FINCOM will gates and one delegate for each 100 try. This resolution says that Steiner transport industry in line with train treasurers in all matters around members. has a contract with the SADF to COSATU’s policy of ONE UNION finance. clean uniforms. Steiner workers do ONE INDUSTRY. MERGER WITH ZAKHENI not want to clean SADF uniforms The Congress decided to make a We are very happy to say that an when the SADF kill our people and These are the T&G resolutions in new position of Assistant General important merger happened at the are servants of the apartheid re­ brief. We will bring out a book with Secretary because the General Sec­ Congress. This merger was with gime. So the resolution calls for a all T&G resolutions so you can talk retary is overworked. Another Zakheni Transport & Allied Work­ campaign in Steiner to cancel their about the resolutions in more detail.

Above: For the first time at a T&G Congress we had trade union leaders from outside South Africa. Above home left to right represatatives from the InternationalTransport Federation (ITF), TGWU in Britian, and the Italian Transport Federation (CGIL), We welcomed this international solidarity! Left: Comrade Harry Temba Gwala attends T&G Congress Cleaners protest at House of Delegates Sneller cleaners have fought hard Last year the company decided to for their jobs and won! Cleaners retrench. In most schools there are joined hands with people in the 4 cleaners. The company wanted to community, parents, and teachers keep only one full time cleaner and 2 and showed the house of delegates part time cleaners. The House of what they thought of them. Delegates did not worry about this retrenchment and happily signed How did this unity come about? another contract with Sneller. Sneller have a contract with the House of Delegates to clean Indian But workers, students and school The union protested to the company and Jphannesburg. In Durban the schools. Sneller workers have cleaned committees of parents and teachers but the company did not want to marchers presented a letter of pro­ schools in the Indian townships of were very angry. The cleaners were break the contract with the House of test to the house of delegates. Soon Lenasia, Chatsworth and Phoenix getting very little money - R379 a Delegates. So parents, teachers, after the protest marches the com­ for up to 20 years and more. In this month. And then on top of low principals and workers went on pany said that no worker will be time the cleaners made friendships wages the company wanted to make protest marches to the buildings of retrenched, and the the House of with students, teachers, principals more profit by getting fewer work­ the House of Delegates. These pro­ Delegates are willing to change the and parents in the schools. ers to do more work. test marches took place in Durban contract. New T&G ... mRATIONAL office mgm M g m bearers At the T&G Congress in December last year workers voted in their new office bearers. These office bearers will hold office for 2 years until the next T&G Congress. Who are these office bearers?

Vivian Zungu is President for the third time. Comrade Vivian is a shop steward at PUTCO Springs depot and is active in the Cosatu Springs local. He has worked hard for the union for many years and was one of the first members of T&G in the Transvaal. Nomsa Chope, Randall Howard, Philemon Mashitela and Ephraim Makosa

The new general secretary is Nathi company would not reinstate Randall. Southern Natal Regional Chair. Nhleko. Comrade Nhleko replaces In 1988 he was the Cosatu Western Comrade Jane Barrett who was general Cape regional vice chair and T& G sec­ Because Alfred is in prison the acting secretary for 7 years. Nathi was the ond Vice President. First Vice President is Ephraim Mak­ T&G branch secretary in Northern Natal osa. Comrade Ephraim is a shop stew­ for 3 years. Before this he was in youth Alfred Ndlovu was elected again as First ard at Presto Parcels in Jet Park. He organisation in Empangeni and also Vice President. Comrade Ndlovu is on was T&G Second Vice President last Alfred Ndlovu T&G's first vice- active in COSAS and UDF. He was Robben Island. He is serving the second year. Makhosa was active in TEYCO president now serving five detained for his activities four times year of a 5 year sentence for terrorism (Tembisa Youth Congress) and in the under both Section 29 of the Internal and attempted murder. On 12 Decem­ Tembisa Rent Campaign. He is also years on Robben Island. Security Act and under the Emergency. ber Alfred’s sentence came up for ap­ active in the Tembisa local and is the T&G with 5000 members. We are happy peal. The union feels his sentence is COSATU delegate in the Tembisa MDM to have Comrade Mashitela as an office The Congress voted to have an assis­ very unjust but the apartheid judges at forum. bearer to make our new unity strong. tant general secretary for the first time. the appeal decided that Alfred must Randall Howard is the assistant and he serve the full 5 years. The second Vice President is Philemon W e are very proud and happy to say was acting branch secretary in the Mashitela. Comrade Mashitela is a that our Treasurer is the first woman Western Cape. Comrade Howard worked Comrade Alfred was a worker at Kwa shop steward at Putco in Weinberg. worker office bearer in T&G! Nomsa at SACD in Cape Town until he was Zulu Transport in Pietermaritzburg and Philemon was a member of Zakheni Chope is a shop steward from Steiner fired in 1988. There was a national first Vice President of T&G when he Transport & Allied Workers Union but Cleaners in the Western Cape. She has strike by Renfreight workers but the was detained. He was also Cosatu at the T&G Congress Zakheni joined been vice-chair and treasurer in the Western Cape Branch. She is also ac­ tive in UWCO (United Womens Con­ gress) and active in the T&G Western BRIEFS * BRIEFS * BRIEFS Cape Women’s Forum. June 16 Victory! rity. We will negotiate Maternity Benefits some time this For the first time at an Afrikaans University, Stellen­ year. The new general secretary and assis­ bosch University, we have won June 16 and May 1 tant general secretary will be working in the head office in Johannesburg from as paid public holidays. This is the first time we Pentech Agrees to Negotiate Wages the beginning of February. have negotiated with the university and we did T&G organises technikons all over South Africa. We have well. won recognition agreements with some of these tech­ nikons. But at Wits Tech and Pentech in Western Cape the Vivian Zungu has been The minimum wage was R350 and is now R500. All bosses did not want negotiation of wages in the agreement. T&G's President workers earning above R500 will get a 15% in­ PE Tech have negotiated wages for 2 years. for three years. crease. Viva And now, after 4 years of fighting, Pentech have also We also won bonuses, increased leave and job secu­ agreed to negotiate wages. Comrade Vivian! Page 4 Victory to Bad discipline, and railway workers In T&G we salute the long and bit­ bitter bus strikes ter struggle of SATS workers. After 3 months of struggle SARHWU and Putco workers at the Springs depot SATS have settled. All 23000 strik­ were truly fed up. Workers were ers will be re-employewith the same sick and tired of the way the bosses grade, job, wage, and bonuses. Only disciplined workers. They felt that length of service benefits will be the Springs depot manager was too lost. The re-employment also wipes hard and treated workers like chil­ out all workers’ disciplinary records. dren. So workers went on a seven week strike in January and Febru­ SARHWU will now register with ary. Manpower and SATS will recognise the union. The union has already In the bus industry workers are of­ applied for registration in Natal. This ten disciplined for things beyond their means SATS will at last negotiate control. For example, the bosses wages and working conditions with have slowly got rid of ticket conduc­ SARHWU. Wage negotiations will tors. This means bus drivers must begin in April. take all fares. In the rush it some­ times happens that the tickets is­ sued and the money taken are not the same. Then the bus driver gets Cleaning & disciplined.

The last straw at Putco was when security the bosses wanted our President, Vivian Zungu, disciplined for insub­ ordination. Comrade Vivian was campaign representing another worker at a On strike: TAG members at Putco disciplinary hearing at the time. will be no discipline for strikers and service. The community have been the depot manager will take leave very angry with the bosses. Vigilan­ launched Workers gave the bosses a list of 45 during the enquiry. A Putco person tes have attacked strikers in their At our NEC in November 1989 we grievances. Then workers demanded from head office will sit in on the houses, houses have been burnt, and had a long, hard look at weaknesses that the depot manager be out of the enquiry. strikers have been charged and in T&G. People felt that we must depot during a hearing into his ac­ detained. Comrade Joseph Letsia a put more time and energy into our tions. It is against the law to strike Workers at Interstate Bus Lines shop steward at IBL was detained cleaning and security sectors. So an in the bus industry. But the Putco (IBL) in Bloemfontein are not so on his way to T&G Congress. He important resolution was put for­ bosses did not dismiss workers. The lucky. 500 workers came out on has now been released. ward and passed at our Congress in bosses also did not accept workers’ strike in October last year and all December. demands. were dismissed. This strike was At the end of January a forum of also about the bosses bad discipline. union, civic, youth and student dele­ This resolution says that the union So for seven weeks workers over the 60% of workers have left IBL - mostly gates decided on a 3 day bus boycott has not given proper attention to Christmas period sat united and with because of dismissals. to put pressure on the company to organising cleaning and security. no pay. Then Putco workers at the settle. But the bosses still will not Workers in the cleaning and secu­ Boksburg and Homelands depots The company wanted to kill the union take workers back. rity industries suffer from a great came out on a sympathy strike. Soon and would not take workers back. The union is applying for a Concili­ deal of unjust discipline from the after the strike was settled. There They used scabs to run a small bus ation Board. bosses. Also, the bosses fight hard against recognition of our union. So the union must work very hard in these sectors.

The union will put the most experi­ enced organisers into the cleaning and security sectors. And in 1990 a big campaign will start in these sectors. A campaign to educate, mobilise and organise workers in these sectors. And a campaign to form industrial councils to negotiate wages and conditions for all workers in cleaning and security. Branches have already started working on this campaign.

Published by the Transport & General Workers' Union, PO Box 9451, Johannesburg and printed by SECULO. Typesetting & design by TOPS

Welcome back to the country comrades ANC and SACP! Your organisation has been with us for many years but now the people can hold your banner high! ______

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