Campaigns

• to strive for better remuneration of workers

• promotion of collective bargaining

• promotion of the freedom of association

• correct and proper compliance with Employment Equity and Skills Development Act

• enforcement of all labour laws & compliance by employers

• Introduction of leanerships in the entire industry and its subsectors

• uproot all forms of discrimination against people with disabilities

• proper support to HIV/AIDS infected April 18, 2006

• correct job grading

• fair allocation of shares to all employees in the industry

• fair distribution of bonuses/profit-sharing

• uproot all forms of cheap and unfair labour practices in the industry

• cancellation of all contracts with greedy labour brokers/placements agents

• promotion of the locally manufactured goods as supported by the ‘Proudly South African’ campaign\

• proper implementation of ‘flexi hours’ in the call centre environment

• the establishment of the ICT bargaining council

• Integration/merger of the industry regulators (ICASA and Postal regulator)
  

So far we have achieved:

• Recognition agreements in Telkom South Africa, Telkom Directory Services, South African Post Office, Courier and Speed Services, Total Facilities Management Company, Independent Radio Stations, Independent Communication Authority of South Africa, and many others.

• Recognition Rights with South African Broadcasting Corporation, Mobile Technology Network and Vodacom South Africa.

• Minimised retrenchments in the industry

• Managed to expose and defeat wrong practices by major company’s

• Strategic placement and deployments of the former union leaders/members

• Helped government realise the goal of getting rid of unproductive partnership in the Postal sector

• Successful representation of workers at company level including engaging in grievances & disciplinary hearings

• Strong and firm CWU in all 9 Provinces

• Representation of workers in major Pension/Retirement funds

• Board members in various lucrative and competitive company’s

• Strategic relations with multilateral structures and government departments.

Communication Workers Union has moved into another gear to foster unity talks with unions operating within the ICT Sector. CWU is currently organized and recognized in companies such as Telkom SA; the South African Post Office; SENTECH; ICASA; SABC; Telkom Directory Services and others; The organization also has a growing number of members in Vodacom; MTN; Cell C and a number of Call Centre’s.

CWU intend to form alliances with other unions in the ICT sector to access and increase the Bargaining Power Base of the unions, and enjoy more Organizational Rights in terms of the LRA.

These unity talks is intended to result in engaging companies and concluding agreements on the Agency Fee and establishment of a Bargaining Council with the ultimate objective of engaging all unions to merge and form ONE Union within the ICT Sector.

This partnership and unity is inevitable, and need the collective wisdom of union leaders, members and officials to make this initiative a success, particularly in the light of the scary challenges that is broad about by Globalization and made the ICT sector to be faced with permanent economic turbulences in the form of aggressive competition; which has thus far resulted in:

•    Massive retrenchments

•    Ongoing and insensitive restructuring of companies based on profits and greed

•    Outsourcing to displace and erode workers benefits

•    Classifications of jobs as Core & non Core with the intend of becoming Lean and Mean at the expense of workers

•    The trend of employing more and more a-typical workers to evade labour legislations etc.

The above concepts has brought nothing but hardship and sorrow for the workers and their families, and is in conflict with the concept of a “Better Life For All”.

It is for these reason that we believe that all caring leaders, members and official of the respective unions will agree with CWU having no reservations at all, that unity is the answer to the current and permanent onslaught workers are faced with and for the very sustenance and relevance of trade unions in this fluid sector.

As the Communication Workers Union, the largest trade union in the ICT sector, and the affiliate of COSATU convened in a collective bargaining conference on the 27^th and 28^th November 2008 at Emerald Resort 2008 in Vanderbijlpark the theme of which is “DEFEND THE ICT SECTOR AND ASSERT WORKING CLASS HEGEMONY AGAINST CAPITALIST IMPERIALISM”.

This august gathering of the workers is held against the background of significant national and international political and economic developments.

This happens against:

Ø      International financial meltdown sparked by recent developments within financial markets in the US. This has already sent signals of potential massive job losses across national frontiers.

Ø      It happens in the midst of interesting political developments post 52 conference of the ANC, which by any standard has adopted relatively progressive resolutions aimed at advancing the interest of workers and the poor in our country.

Ø      Linked to this was the filing of “DIVORCE PAPERS” against the ANC by the “GANG OF THREE” and a consequent formation of  “COPE PARTY”.

Ø      The potential threats of further job losses in some companies within the sector, for which CWU is combat ready to defend its members against the capitalist onslaught within the sector.

The conference therefore resolved on the following:

1. That CWU should put more effort into building a strong shop floor organization aimed at defending and advancing the interest of workers in the ICT sector.

2. That the next round of collective bargaining in 2009 is geared towards achieving more gains whilst at the same time defending the existing conditions of employment and benefits within the industry.

3. That we prioritize the issue of skills development within the industry in partnership with all stakeholders including the relevant seta’s. And further ensure that we tap into available financial resources to embark on a massive shop steward training within the union.

4. That the issue of multi-year substantive agreements will be dismissed with the contempt it deserves.

5. That we will mount a massive recruitment campaign whose main focus will be on the call center industry. To this end, we will continue to engage NALEDI to further assist in researching the industry.

6. That we re-affirm the CEC resolution that CWU will mobilize its members behind a landslide ANC victory in 2009 general elections.

7. That our members should be mobilized against the reactionary and counter- revolutionary agenda of “DISCIDENTS” which must be exposed for what it is.

8. That we call for a meaningful government support to all parastatals in the ICT sector.

We are emerging from this conference being more stronger and united than ever before. And we call upon our members to be geared towards a more intense bargaining process with different companies within the sector in 2009.

In a quest to discharge our social responsibility, CWU has taken five students from Secretarial Business College for a duration of 5 months ending February 2009.

We intend to expand this initiative in the near future, and our constitutional structures will discuss enhancement thereof.

We implore upon employers who may have an interest in the services of these students to contact; Thabo Mogalane @ 0833173584 or alternatively Phumzile Kubheka @ 0767420701.

The apprentices were...

1. Lethukuthula Vusi Khoza

2. Refilwe Magana

3. Tshupego Katlego

4. Fikile Shezi