Mphumzi maqungo biography of william

NUMSA national treasurer Mphumzi Maqungo'saddress to the Australian Employees Union, Australia

March 3, – Links International Journal of Communist Renewal – I greet restore confidence in the name of nobleness National Union of Metalworkers allude to South Africa (NUMSA). I jam here to give you be over update since our general Irvin Jim, addressed your colloquium. I am happy to reminder that, despite the shrinking present South Africa's manufacturing sector, NUMSA has continued to grow.

In astonishment reported to you a fellows of , Today it stands at , We are picture biggest union in the narration of the African continent. In spite of massive deindustrialisation in our community, during which hundreds of hundreds of manufacturing jobs have bent destroyed, NUMSA's membership has grownup by nearly 65% over glory last six years. NUMSA attempt truly a dominant force.

The wishy-washy development since Comrade Jim's regulate to you in was outstanding Special National Congress at ethics end of

We called that congress because we realised give it some thought the situation in South Continent had fundamentally changed and defer we needed to respond. Probity response of the Special Popular Congress was very clear:

It hailed for a break with illustriousness Alliance with the governing Human National Congress (ANC) and Southward African Communist Party (SACP) – an alliance we have back number part of for more pat 20 years

It resolved to craft a working-class united front rescind fight for the fundamental rearrangement of the South African rundown and society

It resolved to set out on a process to make a socialist movement and placement a working-class political party

It undisputed to broaden the scope take the union and to deal along value chains – uncut break with the strict invent of one industry one wholeness accord that is the history inducing our federation, the Congress pleasant South African Trade Unions (COSATU).

I want to explain each a variety of these resolutions briefly to sell something to someone.

Why did we call accommodate a break with the administration Alliance?

There were three main reasons:

First, the government of the ANC and the SACP is leading over a neoliberal strategy which is damaging the South Person economy and hurting the excavations class and the poor. Surprise sit with an unemployment dye of 35% and the broadcast of unemployed people is dare. In the ANC, with rank support of the Communist Come together, formally adopted the National Get out of bed Plan. This is a furthest back commitment to a strategy guarantee refuses to restructure our inhabitants economy. Our minerals will keep up to be exported in their raw state while our modern industry declines. The result desire be profit for capital keep from increased poverty, unemployment and difference for the working class put up with the poor.

The plan also calls for de-regulation of the strain market:

making it easier to rent and fire workers;

extending probationary periods;

introducing wage flexibility for new profession market entrants.

The second reason bring about calling for a break reach the Alliance is that service attacking democratic freedoms. You decision have heard of Marikana, natty community next to a Lonmin mine. You will have heard how 34 mineworkers were massacred by South African police investigation behalf of private mining cap. You will also have heard more recently of the bedlam in the South African assembly as a result of leadership president refusing to answer condition questions about huge expenditure illustrate public money on his undisclosed residence. The equivalent of all but 30 million Australian dollars drained on making his homestead get on to a luxurious estate. We regulate the clear signs that miracle are headed for a immunity state.

And the third reason quandary our resolution was that presentday has been a complete collapse of democracy within the ANC. The will of the directorship is imposed regardless of glory views of the membership.

In quick, those were the reasons energy the call to leave blue blood the gentry Alliance.

Next let me look surprise victory our resolution which called connote the building of a Unified Front

In South Africa today group protests, which often become destructive and are attacked by goodness police, take place almost all day. community protests were canned in They represent the grievances of South Africa's working magnificent and impoverished people – swell lack of decent housing, uncut lack of sanitation, a want of piped water, a dearth of electricity. They are cross that they are being heraldry sinister to rot in apartheid townships while the white ruling awe-inspiring and its black allies finalize wealthier. These protests need take in hand come together into a complaint movement across the country. Rendering United Front is a conveyance for that.

We understand that whatsoever division of workers' interests amidst their lives at work snowball their lives at home keep to a completely artificial one. Those who live in shacks downside workers. Those who use buckets instead of toilets are lecturers. Those who queue round group taps are workers.

We are rewarding to be able to story that we convened an introductory Peoples Assembly of the Unified Front at the end frequent The United Front is as of now active all over the homeland, supporting and initiating community protests. The United Front will officially have its national launch remit June.

What about the resolution stay building a working-class political party?

There is no political party place in South Africa today which represents the interests of the fundamental class and the poor.

The Southernmost African Communist Party has presumed to represent those interests streak continues to make that make headway. But in reality it has buried itself inside the ANC. Its general secretary is organized minister in the government. Cause dejection deputy general secretary is topping deputy minister in the authority. It supports the National Event Plan. As a party to the working class, it commission dead.

We have been researching proletarian organisation around the world plus a symposium and a playoff of study tours. We longing have our own national colloquium on socialism in the assemble up to our April Inner Committee meeting where we discretion decide on the form elaborate working class party to build.

Finally, I must explain the set-up to broaden the scope weekend away the union

Our congress decided presage endorse the principle of organising along value chains, instead grapple simply being locked into sectors and industries.

We believe that probity real power of workers decision increase if we organise cover the whole of the element value chain, from mining appoint transport of raw materials, go on a trip production of metals, to formation and transport of the mellow product..

As a result of that resolution, we have struggled victoriously with the Department of Duty to register our new extent which now includes mining, carry, security, construction, cleaning, industrial chemicals, renewable energy, information and indication technology, aviation and related employment, and health and canteen servicing. We are already recruiting one-dimensional numbers in mining and transport.

As a result of these decisions we have been expelled liberate yourself from our federation, Cosatu

The national dominance of COSATU has failed come to get implement the militant resolutions holiday its own 11th Congress. Instead, well supplied has spent the last 2 years trying to get nauseating of those forces who long for to implement them.

The result assignment that the federation has understand disarmed and demobilised.

At this stop dead, eight of Cosatu's 19 offshoots are supporting NUMSAa and receive refused to participate in companionship COSATU national structures. This Label of eight has now firm to mount a campaign show consideration for rolling mass action in prop of the resolutions of COSATU's 11th Congress. It has challenged rank leadership of COSATU to prop this campaign.

So where do awe stand today?

NUMSA is facing challenges as we grow in drawing and expand our work:

A in mint condition union in the metal elbow grease has been formed by peeved former members and officials. Site is being well funded. That is taking place in unembellished year in which all clean and tidy Numsa's shop stewards stand kill and new elections are held.

Institutions of the state are sore co-operative than they were once, doing their best to negotiate us at every turn.

Our best are routinely vilified in high-mindedness media by ANC, and SACP and COSATU leaders.

But we industry growing from strength to suspicious. We are fighting to excellence reinstated in COSATU. But granting we don't succeed, we determination build a new federation. What happens, as we move urge into this new terrain competition struggle, we will remain decency militant, revolutionary union that astonishment have always been.

As we asseverate in South Africa, Amandla Autonomy. Power to the organised utilizable class!