Comrade Michael Nkomokazi and the leadership of the AEPU

We are honoured, in fact we are extremely excited, to be invited to address this historic consultative conference of Adult Educators Progressive Union, which is going to debate the critical question of affiliation.

On behalf of the National Executive Committee of the New Federation, the South African Federation of Trade Unions, please accept our warm solidarity greetings and best wishes for a productive and decisive Consultative Conference.

The Principled Approach to Trade Unionism

On the 21–23 April 2017, history was made when 24 unions representing 700 000 workers, with full mandates from their structures, launched a New Federation, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU). There are 16 other unions and more who are still consulting and waiting for their congresses to take decisions to form part of this giant federation of workers.

This large number of unions that have coalesced in the SAFTU have tirelessly worked to build the unity of workers in South Africa, based on the principle that unions must be independent from the employers, be they in the private or public sector, and independent of any political party.

This does not mean that Unions must be apolitical. On the contrary, they must be politically conscious of what is happening in our country in order to exert their influence.  Anything that will affect workers we must seek to influence be it political, social and economical. Whether this happens at the local or global front.

However, Unions must not simply be talk shops, They must also be campaigning organisations, taking up the key issues facing workers, and making linkages with poor communities and all those who are trying to address the needs of the poor. In order for Unions to be effective, and powerful, we also believe that they must be democratic, where leaders at all levels are accountable to the membership, and where the workings of the Union are transparent.

We believe that basing our approach on these principles is the most effective way of making sure that the new federation avoids the mistakes of the past, and is not demobilised by political compromises, corruption or an absence of servicing of workers and campaigns to improve the lot of workers and poor communities.

We believe that these principles, and the values and traditions that define them must be emulated across the trade union movement, nationally and globally. In our humble view, the survival of the trade union movement is dependent on such an approach.

The Challenges Facing Workers

The AEPU Consultative Conference is taking place during a multiple crisis facing the workers and citizens of our country. We cannot deny the fact that the trade union movement is at its weakest point for many years. This is reflected in the crisis of representation that can be witnessed across almost all sectors.

As we speak only 24% of workers in the formal sector belong to a union. This translates in practice to a situation where the employers impose 54% of all workers’ wages without any negotiations involving workers or their unions whatsoever. Furthermore, only 23% of wages in this country are set through any form of negotiations with a mere 9% of workers wages set through centralised bargaining structures.

All these figures reflect the reality that the median salary of workers in 2014 was R3200. This means that 50% of workers earned below R3200.  No wonder that the share of wages in the GDP has declined since 1991 and is now well below 50%. No wonder South Africa has now officially become the most unequal society in the world.  This is an indictment of all of us in the union movement.

Whilst this crisis has been unfolding, the union movement has continued to fragment, with the mushrooming of unions trying to respond to this crisis. In February this year 183 unions were registered with the Department of Labour, while another 400 unions are queuing up to do so.

AEPU members know what it means to live in a country where nine million or 36% of our people are unemployed or what it means to live in a country where according to StatsSA, 54% of our people (and 63% according to SALDRU) live in abject poverty. AEPU members know what this means in terms of maintaining family living standards, and ensuring that our children look forward to a meaningful working life.

Workers know what it means to live in a country where 52 people die violently every day. Our people are feeling insecure; they worry about the future, and they do not feel that their interests are being represented.

We cannot descend into denial. We have to acknowledge that the voice of labour has been tremendously weakened, especially over the last five years. This has been exacerbated by an increasing bureaucratisation, which has alienated members, and worse, a growth of corruption within unions themselves, where millions of Rands of members’ money is stolen for personal gain. These are some of the factors that have led to factionalism, an absence of accountability, and the shocking state of fragmentation and division we witness today.

The Political Crisis

At the political front, no South African except of course the beneficiaries of the current status quo can, deny that we are going through the worst political crisis since 1994.

Today for those who wish to deny this crisis we woke up to another headline that confirm that the disgraced former CEO of Eskom who resigned there in November 2016 following the report of the former Public Protector, Miss Thuli Madonsela, heavily compromised him as nothing but a Saxonwold blue eyed boy. This Saxonwold sheebeen patron categorically stated that his resignation was in the “in the interest of good corporate governance”.

We all know that ANC membership was subsequently manipulated so that this dishonest individual could be appointed into Parliament to an “honourary member”. We know that if it was not because of the sterling work of civil society formations the ANC leaders would have not have had reasons to block his ascendancy to the Minister of Finance position.

We also know if there was no heightened awareness and pressure on the ANC, including a danger they face for the first time of losing elections in 2019, the Minister of Public Enterprises would have not blocked the R30 million golden handshake the Eskom board has unashamedly approved. Following these setbacks, the Guptas have recalled their man back to Eskom to start where they left off if you were to believe the Denton and the Deloitte reports on Eskom.

This story is not an isolated event. AEPU members know what is happening at SAA, DENEL, Transnet, PetroSA and elsewhere.  They are witnessing the endless shenanigans of the NPA and the Hawks.

Workers’ Unity: The Hope of the Future

It is in this context that we believe that workers unity now has become more important than at any other time for decades. Keeping workers divided allows the status quo of worsening worker’s wages, deepening poverty, inequality and uninterrupted corruption to continue unabated. This will mean that more power will be placed in the hands of the 1% of the world’s population that controls the global economy. 

We hope your consultative conference, in taking stock of the situation we face in our country, which is in the middle of possibly its worst political and economic crisis for decades, will conclude that workers unity is essential. That until we can successfully rebuild the unity of workers on the basis of the principles we outline above, and especially the need for union independence from employers and political parties, we all remain vulnerable and at risk.

After all, we are now actively attempting to change the shape and character of the entire labour movement, and not because it will favour certain individuals, or organisations, but because the crisis facing workers can only get worse unless there is a conscious realignment that strengthens the working class as a whole.

SAFTU is determined to change this situation. We have vowed that South Africa’s labour market and politics will not be the same again following the launch of independent, truly worker-controlled and campaigning working class movement. We know though that we will be immensely reinforced if you were to take a decision to join forces with these 40 plus unions.

We thank you for the opportunity to address your congress and wish you a successful consultative conference.