FEDUSA

Press release dated 27 April 2013.

Today, as we celebrate 19 years since the first democratic elections in South Africa, The Federation of Unions of South Africa, calls on each and every South African to commit themselves to the pursuit of social cohesion, active citizenry, and democratic freedom. As each voter undertook their democratic responsibility to elect their government on 27 April 1994, FEDUSA calls on South Africans to sign the Active Citizens Charter in response to the values enshrined in the South African Constitution.

FEDUSA General Secretary Dennis George represents the Federation and its members at the Freedom Day celebrations taking place at the Union Buildings in Pretoria today. He said, “The theme for this year’s celebration is mobilising society towards consolidating our democracy and freedom, and this reflects FEDUSA’s vision that each and every citizen has a role to play in leading our country to achieve these ideals”. He continued, “It is important to recognise that it is through people that development will take place in this country, not through markets. The eradication of poverty and inequality is dependent on how each person applies themselves to education, job creation and sustainable use of our environmental resources”.

Following the Presidential celebrations, George will join leaders from business, labour and government at the signing of the Citizens Charter of South Africa. “The Citizen’s Charter is a citizen’s response to the Constitution and identifies his or her role in shaping the South Africa that we all wish to live in. FEDUSA calls on each of its members to sign this Charter, and commit to individually contributing to developing the values of a free nation, including freedom, liberty and equality” said George.

George continued, “The South African Constitution is one of the most progressive in the world, and it enshrines our individual rights to freedom and a democratic state. We must remember that our democracy is only 19 years old, and our Constitution merely 17. Turning those rights into reality for the majority of our citizens is an arduous and lengthy task, but not one of the Government alone. It is critical that FEDUSA, as part of organised labour takes responsibility for ensuring that the rights of our members and their families are brought to fruition”.

FEDUSA works through social dialogue and workplace policies and interventions to assist Affiliate Unions to bring about such lasting change within the workplace, and worker’s communities.

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FEDUSA is the largest politically non-aligned trade union federation in South Africa and represents a diverse membership from a variety of sectors in industry.  See www.fedusa.org.za for more information.

For more information:

Dennis George (General Secretary)

084-805-1529

Lauren Uppink (Social Policy Officer)

083-301-1925

The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) has intervened in the current bus strike on behalf of its affiliate, UTATU SARWHU.  The Federation has requested an urgent meeting with the Gauteng MEC for Transport to discuss matters of strategic importance.

The Federation this morning requested an urgent meeting with the Gauteng Transport MEC, Mr Ismail Vadi to discuss “several matters regarding the budget and funding” of Bombella and Mega Express, the operators of the Gautrain bus services, “as well as other matters of strategic importance.”  FEDUSA-affiliated UTATU SARWU is the majority union at the two organisations, representing approximately 80% of the striking drivers.

“Mega Express drivers currently earn around R6 023 per month, and they are demanding an 18% pay increase which will add about R1 100 to their basic rate of pay.  The drivers say that they will remain on strike until their demand is met.  We hope that the meeting with the Transport MEC will assist in facilitating a break-through,” said UTATU SARWHU Deputy General Secretary Pieter Greyling.  “It is important that we get the information from the proverbial horse’s mouth, as the companies continually indicate that their budgets are determined by the [Gauteng] provincial government,” said Greyling.

“We fully support UTATU SARWHU in this matter,” said FEDUSA General Secretary Dennis George.  “We will ensure that the meeting takes place and we will accompany our union to the meeting to ensure that we can break the current deadlock.  These kinds of strikes are not good for our already struggling economy,” George concluded.

At the time of this report the office of the MEC had not responded to the meeting request.

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FEDUSA is the largest politically non-aligned trade union federation in South Africa and represents a diverse membership from a variety of sectors in industry.  See www.fedusa.org.za for more information.

For interviews:

Pieter Greyling (UTATU SARWHU Deputy General Secretary)

076-084-7131

Dennis George (General Secretary)

084-805-1529

Krister J van Rensburg (Deputy General Secretary)

082-444-4548

The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) a few moments ago signed the Youth Employment Accord at the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto.  This accord, the fifth of its kind that form part of the New Growth Path Framework, contains controversial proposals such as the youth wage subsidy.

The Youth Employment Accord (YEA) was signed by the social partners (consisting of organised business, government and organised labour, as well as youth organisations) at the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto outside Johannesburg tomorrow.  This accord, which contains specific commitments by each social partner, is the fifth social accord that is part of the socioeconomic plan called the New Growth Path (NGP), first introduced by Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel in 2010.

One of the most controversial elements of the accord is the youth wage subsidy (YWS) which was first tabled by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan during his budget speech in 2011.  A deadlock was reached at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) where mostly organised labour felt that it would lead to displacement of older workers.  However, subsequent amendments to the agreement saw most of these fears being allayed, leading to all social partners signing the accord.

“FEDUSA is of the view that our nation stands on the threshold of a major breakthrough and this will require good faith social dialogue and the realization that the future of our country is dependent on how all South Africans contribute towards the economic emancipation of all. The signing and urgent implementation of this accord is only one of many steps to place our country on an irreversible new path of prosperity and a better life for all”, FEDUSA General Secretary Dennis George said in his public statement.

“According to Statistics South Africa young people are much more likely to be unemployed than older adults and the unemployment rate captures only one aspect of the problems young people face in their transition from school to work”, said George.

The final draft of the accord proposes three phases of implementation, starting with identifying areas of immediate action on youth employment to be implemented from this year, then using the lessons learnt from this first phase, as well as the trust that develops through practical measures, to identify additional actions on youth employment that are possible, revise targets where appropriate and scale up the programmes on youth employment, in an expanded and updated accord to be concluded in 2014.  The last phase would be to commence discussions on the constraints in the economy that hinder greater job creation and inclusive growth, including the structural features inherited from the past.

The accord includes several innovative measures to address the problem of youth unemployment.  This includes assisting young people with the school-to-work transition, connecting them with employment opportunities through initiatives like placement programmes, public sector initiatives such as the “youth brigade” programme which will include brigades in areas such as the green economy and healthcare, youth target set-asides in specific sectors of the economy such as the solar water heater programme, youth entrepreneurship programmes, as well as work with the private sector to “expand” the intake of young people.  The latter would be further concretised during Youth Month (June, 2013).

“FEDUSA would like to call on all our unemployed young people to have a mindset change and to seize this opportunity that the social partners offer to them to be empowered and to build social cohesion in our beautiful country,” said George.

“We are very glad that FEDUSA’s proposals regarding the condition of training and education to a wage subsidy or, as we term it, a training-based wage subsidy have been sustained,” said FEDUSA General Secretary Dennis George.  We have a clear mandate from our 2011 National Congress to campaign for these conditions to ensure maximum benefit to young people,” George concluded.

George signed the YEA on behalf of the Federation.

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FEDUSA is the largest politically non-aligned trade union federation in South Africa and represents a diverse membership from a variety of sectors in industry.  See www.fedusa.org.za for more information.

For more information:

Dennis George (General Secretary)

084-805-1529

Krister J van Rensburg (Deputy General Secretary)

082-444-4548

The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) will be one of the three (3) trade union federations to sign the freshly-negotiated Youth Employment Accord in Soweto tomorrow.  This accord, the fifth of its kind that form part of the New Growth Path Framework, contains controversial proposals such as the youth wage subsidy.

The Youth Employment Accord (YEA) will be signed by the social partners (consisting of organised business, government and organised labour, as well as youth organisations) at the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto outside Johannesburg tomorrow.  This accord, which will contain specific commitments by each social partner, is the fifth social accord that is part of the socioeconomic plan called the New Growth Path (NGP), first introduced by Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel in 2010.

One of the most controversial elements of the accord is the youth wage subsidy (YWS) which was first tabled by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan during his budget speech in 2011.  A deadlock was reached at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) where mostly organised labour felt that it would lead to displacement of older workers.

In February this year all the groupings were called together by Minister Patel following a Cabinet Lekgotla, where there was substantial agreement by social partners on the principles of the draft YEA throughout the process, and that finalisation should not pose problems.  At this same meeting new principles were tabled to allay the fears of specifically organised labour, including that there would be measures to ensure that only “genuine new jobs” are earmarked for the YWS, that the displacement of older employees by young employees would be avoided, and that the condition of training and education would be attached to the YWS.

“We are very glad that FEDUSA’s proposals regarding the condition of training and education to a wage subsidy or, as we term it, a training-based wage subsidy have been sustained,” said FEDUSA General Secretary Dennis George.  We have a clear mandate from our 2011 National Congress to campaign for these conditions to ensure maximum benefit to young people,” said George.

George will be signing the YEA on behalf of the Federation tomorrow.

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FEDUSA is the largest politically non-aligned trade union federation in South Africa and represents a diverse membership from a variety of sectors in industry.  See www.fedusa.org.za for more information.

For more information:

Dennis George (General Secretary)

084-805-1529

Krister J van Rensburg (Deputy General Secretary)

082-444-4548