'1 ~ I -:-' I£i M n c -operatives I .,. I I I I I I Last month NUM$A wrote to work underground but we the strike, these workers were about their expen'ences in setting didn~ know how to control a organised into strike-committee up $ARMCOL Co-op in project.- structures in their home areas. I Mphopoomeni, Natal. This month NUM writes about their PAWCO members have needed The NUM decided to use these co-operative projects. Cosatu to leam many new skills in order strike committee structures as News welcomes more contribu­ to control production democrati­ the basis for organising co-op I tions to the debate on unemploy­ cally. AI! the tasks usually done projects in the areas where ment and co-operatives. by management in a factory are workers live. These prOjects will now being done by PAWCO provide jobs, as well as allowing In 1984, 1985 and 1986, NUM members - such as ordering ma­ these workers to work near their I members at Foskor Mine in Pha!­ terials, chasing payments, plan­ families, and to escape the dehu­ aborwa went on strike , demand­ ning ahead , controlling. t~eJi­ manisation of migrant labour. ing recognition of the union. nances, and keeping disiC'pfine. Each time they suffered casu­ A strike committee chair from the ~ alties, and over 2000 workers PAWCO has nine diHerent com­ Transkei explains his hopes for lost their jobs. In 1987, dis­ mittees which share all the differ­ these projects: -Our projects will missed shaft-stewards came to­ ent taSKS and responsibilities in create jobs, they will spread the I gether and called on the NUM to the co-op, and in this way, the word about the NUM in the are­ support their eHorts in setting project is building real democratic as that we come from, and they up co-ops. control, based on a high level of will help to deveiop the communi­ participation. ty.- I They de--:ided to set up at-shirt printing co-op, and went to visit Meanwhile, at the end of the min­ The Transkei and Lesotho have SAWCO for advice. The Phala­ eworkers strike in 1987, over 10 been targetted as the first re­ I borwa Wo~ers T-shirt Printina 000 workers were dismissed or gions in which projects will be Co-op (PAWCO) started pro-­ retrenched. Most of these worK­ set up. It will hOt be possible to ducing t-shirts in April last year. ers were migrants, who face a build enough projects to accom­ PAWCO has fifty members, who grim future with Irtt ie chance of modate all the workers, so mem­ I work half-day shifts. The first re-empioyrTlo:3nt . For example, in bers will be chosen on a propor­ months have been difficult, as the Transkei, unerTl;)loymem is al­ tional basis from the different Stanley Mathebula, PAWCO sec­ ready over 50%. Because of the districts. Workers who received I retary exp~ains: "We knew how strategy used by the NUM during no compensation at alt from the f- Psge16 CCSBtu News March 1989 bOsses will be first in tine for jobs es made of cement blocks have in the projects. many complaints. They say that the walls crack; and the houses It is not possible to accommo­ also get very damp, which can date all the wor1<ers in projects at make people sick. And when this stage, because each project people cook inside, drops of wa­ needs a lot of capital to get ter form on the ceiling. started. This difficulty is one rea­ son why the problem of unem­ But many people stili build with I n It I at Iv.es ,,~, ployment cannot be solved just these blocks because they are the by building co-ops. And while cheapest. So, the NUM decided N"UW ~g :;;·t ;;~~=)?;.::::,!:;;:,':(;'::':':~ .. ;?::~=;:; .• <:,:.,.: , . co-ops can help limit the suffere­ to try to find a way around this ing of some of the unemployed, problem. And they found that The oiyanisatlon 'is' sHU diScUSS­ they do not take away the cause this problem can be solved - by ing hOw 10 set 'up':'co-OPs- ' There is of unemployment, and so unem­ good building methods, by hav­ so"meOOuCatiorlai activity" . ployment continues to grow all ing the right mix in the blocks, 1~ the lime. and by making sure the blocks dry for the correct length of ;J;~~'7~5i(~j;'{~;'1~;!i':;it ·.... Unemployment is a product of time . Mer the ·'\987 strike' ~ when ' .'.': capitalism, because in the search 2.800 workers ' ~-ere dismissed· for profits, the bosses replace So . the NUM projects plan to ed­ the union -established a building! more and more wor1<ers with ma­ ucate people who buy from them construction .cO-op in Port 8iza· chines. So we can only end un­ about ways of building to prevent beth_ 12 wOikers' are lnvolved. employment by ending the sys­ damp. and plan to make blocks POT'NAjs busye5tabltshing ad . tem that puts profits before that are strong and dry. In this cleaning' Co.:opiri~e... W.~~ region I people, and we can only end that way, the NUM will make blocks system through a political strug­ that contribute to the health of gle. the people, and improve the qual­ :;~~f~f~~~~f:~~~ii ity of cheap housing. At present, Besides SA\.-VCO(s~ . artide In .·~· I But co-ops do also have a role in the NUM has sites in Umtata, FebnJi:ify:Casafu N~wSj ... NUM-: preparing us for the day when Flagstaff, Maseru, Quthing, Bu­ SA has started ro-operative' pro­ we win that struggle , because in tha-Butha and Mokhotlong. and jects 'in Port Elizabeth fronfa ": '. the co-ops, wor1<ers are learning wor1<ers for these projects are 1und thal dismlssed .GM 'workers I some of the key skills needed for being chosen through the strike had contributed to .. :· Then:Hs .i3 ' democratic control of produc­ committees at present. bu:k buyJn,g fundJo{166d ·and .:·:'·.: tion. Many of these skills are de­ clothes ~nct : a buildmg projecf:~::O:' I nied to workers in the mines and wruch 1eases :officestoCosatu ,. factories . and its ·affj[jat~gn the :r~lon. : :.' There are plans for a buildingt :.;· But they are crucial for building COnStTuctlon cct:..opfor. oouse ex­ I socialism in the future . And they tensions 'and rehO'ia1i6iis as well can help broaden the base of as a conSumen:c~ op and ~ Ju~ . support for socialism, by show­ ne~a! .and. transport.. : 90:7.0P. :'.·:<::=;':··:::::·: ing that it is possible for workers . .:. .::/:<::;;{>:;:::?::::::\:; ?:::: ::::::: :;{::\::~~~?::::)r::::'~:;~·;:<~:;·: - :.:::: to control production, and for AciW..tJ~A :=;:·.:j:·::·;:~:j:t::::::::::;:·:t : ::::=i: =:::;:.:=::?l:=}:;:. ::::::·,' production to be based on social A co-op Jia!(oo.eii .::estcihllshed for needs rather than private profit . 1heTe1rerict~dwo ' rl<erS at Frame I In deciding on what products to :n [)!... roan: 800 workers will be' in produce , wor1<ers in both Leso­ the co-op by June. The Co'-Op will tho and the Transkei have looked .be run like .a factory 'with 'a prO. at the needs of their communi­ avalon a1)j flnanciai rr.anager " . I ties. Discfpline wfli be .Started by man- They decided there is a need for 3:'"'#1T'..em but act;aJ oo.c!sionS will low-cost building materials in be taken by 's.t->op stewards. SUI"­ I their communities, and so the plus wm !:JeitsaO 'to start co-ops NUM started investigating block­ in East lOnd:>n a~ . Lad}-smith_ production products. But al­ Jt~ S picii~~ ·\·"il! . Cfeate jobs for though cement blocks are in 3 ,000 wOiil.ers, The 'union wiil be I great demand in both these are­ able lq hira ' a,'1d 'nf~{ma~inenL as , the NUM came up againsl a .: .:;::;::::::) :=::;.::=.:;:::::... :: .... :::=::;:~i::::: .. ::::::;(;::~:j:::::;::;{:::::::. ::::':. :::\:.'.... : '.' I problem: people who live in hous- f- Pa;;e17 Cosatu News March 1989 amibian workers speak The wof1..ers struggle in Namibia this way the education pro­ federation cannot solve all the has ~rown powerfully in the last gramme will address the special problems. But with a federation few years with the building of problems in each sector. we have a better chance than national industrial unions under without one. the umbrella of the National Un­ Kapere: The federation is in the ion of Namibian WorKer best poslHon to make conlact at Ndellenga: Through a federa­ (NUNW). Last year Namibian national lever with other struc­ tion mJre people are Involved in I workers and students built the tures e.g. national student and exercising control. If people in biggest ever general strike in the leacher organisations. In this way one union are acting undemo­ history of Namibia. Mass strug­ workers will have more say over cratically. then other unions will I gles/ike these have been a major education of their children. The be able to challenge them. factor. together with the de­ feat of South African forces at a: In the light of the small Cuito Cuanavale. in forcing the number of factorle£ and I Botha government to agree to the massive unemployment independance for Namibia this In Namibia, how can the year under UN Resolution 435. federation overcome these In the first of 2 series of inter­ problems and win better I views from the NUNW's paper conditions for workers? Namibian Worker. Namibian shop stewards talk about their Tlnta: It will be a huge prob­ I~ need to build a strong federa· lem, especially with the tion in Namibia. present system. The federa­ tion must unite and organise a: How will the federation the unemployed and start I help weaker trade unions? projects where workers can learn new skills.