Aug-Sept 2014 K.indd

75

www.cosatu.org.za • AUG/SEPT 2014

SAMWU celebrated the International Youth Day

S AMWU celebrated the International Youth Day on the 12th August 2014. The United Nations recommended a youth Theme, ‘Youth and Mental Health’. And this resonated with the unpalatable Statistics South Africa released in South Africa which said ‘youth unemployment is too high’, said SAMWU. ‘SAMWU is of the view that EPWP does not assist the country in reduction of poverty among

higher among adults than among youth in Q2: 2014: STATSSA, Q2, 2014

the youth. In the interest of creating decent work and eradicating poverty, SAMWU calls on the state to do away with this exploitative programme’, said SAMWU ‘The comparison between youth and adults revealed that the unemployment rate among youth was almost 20,0 percentage points higher than among adults (36,1% compared with 16,3%) while both the absorption rate and labour force participation rates were more than 20 percentage points

The unemployment statistics still reveals patterns of apartheid laws spill overs, based on discrimination of race, gender and colour. SAMWU is one of the critical Af fi liates identi fi ed to be instrumental to fi ght for the vulnerable workers in the municipal sector in the country.

CEPPWAWU focused on fighting for a living wage

C EPPWAWU has been focused on fi ghting for a living wage for its members. The fi rst round of negotiations has taken place in all national sectors where the union has a presence with the exception of the Furniture Industry, the Plastic Industry and the Paper Packaging Sector. ‘Minimum wages also remained well below CEPPWAWU’s demand for a minimum wage of R7, 000. For example, the Glass Sector maintained that the minimum wage should be R4,0000 and only be increased by CPI; the Petroleum Sector demanded a current minimum wage of R4,0000 to be maintained and the Industrial Chemicals Sector stated that the R4,621 minimum wage should be improved as per the wage increase tabled’. ‘In sawmilling, employers were only offering a mere 5% increase to the lowest paid. That meant that the minimum

continued to warn employers that it will not allow workers to be divided. CEPPWAWU called on the government to improve the social wage. We call on government to, amongst other things, provide: • Affordable, accessible, ef fi cient and safe integrated public transport • Access to healthcare and the National Health Insurance • Implement a national minimum wage • Decent housing • Access to quality education • Ban labour brokers ‘CEPPWAWU will not allow workers’ hard won gains to be eroded. We will continue our long and proud tradition of fi ghting for a living wage for our members’. CEPPWAWU also called on all workers to be united and fi ght our call enemy – capital and the bosses.

wage in the sector would increase from to R2, 230 per month to R2, 341.50 per month. Hardly a living wage and a decline in real income given the rate of in fl ation’, said CEPPWAWU in a statement. The intransigency of employers raised its ugly head in the sector like other sectors. ‘CEPPWAWU condemned employers’ refusal to make meaningful improvements to workers’ wages and working conditions. Employers cannot expect workers to work under conditions that they would never consider appropriate for themselves or their children. Employers cannot expect workers to work for peanuts in a sea of poverty and unemployment. To add insult to injury – employers give themselves hefty increases and hearty bonuses – even when companies are losing money’, said Cde Simon Mofokeng, CEPPWAWU General Secretary. CEPPWAWU has

Affiliates