NUCWOSA formed to advance struggle for national minimum wage

By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa

A new trade union has been born in South Africa.

The National Union of Care Workers of South Africa (NUCWOSA) comes into being at a time when the national minimum wage of R3, 500 ($242) is making its's way in the country.

From 23 to 25 November eighty care workers from all nine provinces (drawn from both the health and social development sectors) gathered in Johannesburg to form the new national union. 

According to NUCWOSA this was the culmination of many years of self-organising during which workers created forums in the major urban centres to engage government and the NGO’s that employ them to recognise the extreme exploitation and job insecurity that they face.

"This process reached a peak early this year when the Labour Court ruled that their so-called ‘volunteer’ status is unlawful and that they are in fact employees performing a vital role in providing health and social care for the most vulnerable sections of the working class – the chronically sick, the aged, the bed-ridden as well as orphaned children."

Also noted is, "The need for a trade union, however, has never been more apparent in that the departments of Health and Social Development that still refuse to grant them “employee” status and thereby denying them workers’ rights as enshrined in our labour laws. Wages in the sector for most workers continue to be less than R2000 per month, being as low as R1000 (in Mpumalanga) and no higher than R2263 (for community health workers in Gauteng), says NUCWOSA.  

NUCWOSA also confirmed that the inaugural meeting of the union (which already has a membership of some 5,000 workers) was attended by observers from the Department of Labour. 

"Officials expressed confidence that the union would soon be registered and be able to play its part in defending the status and living standards of workers in the sector. Guests from FNV Mondiaal (the international solidarity organization of the Dutch trade union federation) which had provided valuable seed money for the formation of the union were also present.

Motions mandating the formation of the union and adoption of a constitution as well as resolutions covering health and safety, the launch of a Living Wage campaign, intensification of the struggle for permanent employment status with full benefits, building united fronts with similarly vulnerable workers and rapid recruitment of new members across all provinces were adopted. 

The union’s scope includes all community care workers in both the public and private sectors, including child care workers."

In addition, the following National Office Bearers were elected:  General Secretary Bonga Thubeni (from Mpumalanga), Deputy General Secretary Clara Mahlangu (from Limpopo), President Makhosazana Ganamfana (from Gauteng), Treasurer Thobeka Faltein (from Eastern Cape) and William More (Deputy President from Free State). 

The congress was facilitated by non-profit labour service organisation, Workers World Media Productions which has assisted care workers over the past two years in building the organization.