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Today's News Monday 28th January 2002
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Business Report 28/1/2002

Fawu to fight for GM food embargo at negotiations
Thabo Mabaso
January 28 2002 at 07:28AM
Johannesburg - The Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) will hold talks
next week with representatives of the government and retail stores in its
battle to secure a ban against the production and selling of genetically
modified (GM) foods.

The meeting, will be held under the auspices of Nedlac, the negotiating
chamber, in the first two weeks of February.

It follows a dispute notice filed by the union to the body last year.

In the notice Fawu threatened to call a strike if the ban was not put in
place.

Fawu charged in the notice that the importation of GM foods posed a health
hazard. The union also alleged that imported goods from the European Union
(EU) had led to factory closures and workers losing their jobs.

The 119 000-strong trade union wanted the government to raise tariffs on
imported agricultural products, like cheese, chocolates and powder milk,
from EU countries. Fawu argued that due to high subsidies given to EU
farmers, imports from these countries sold a lot cheaper, boding ill for
South African goods.

The union also wanted supermarket chain stores Pick 'n Pay, Woolworths and
Shoprite to stop importing and selling GM foods.

William Thomas, the deputy secretary-general of Fawu, said the union would
present government representatives with findings of a study that showed the
harmful effects of GM foods and imported agricultural on the South African
economy.

"They want more research on how GM foods affect the industry and the safety
of food," he said.

Fawu has not ruled out embarking on industrial action, if the Nedlac talks
do not succeed.

The union's stand has received support from local environmental groups
campaigning against the introduction of GM foods on South African
supermarket shelves.

http://www.busrep.co.za/general/busrep/br_newsview.php?click_id=345&art_...
t20020127184015378N213470&set_id=60
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Daily Dispatch 28/01/2002

Teacher bodies criticise survey on child abuse

JOHANNESBURG -- While most teacher bodies agree with a call for teachers to
be suspended as soon as allegations of sexual abuse are made, the Ministry
of Education has cautioned against this.

Teacher unions and associations, the ministry, political parties and trade
unions have all reacted strongly to a Medical Research Council (MRC) survey,
detailed in a research letter published in the Lancet, a British medical
journal, that found a third of all child rapes in South Africa are committed
by teachers.

The ministry warned that immediate suspension of teachers before allegations
of sexual abuse were substantiated could lead to "pupils making false
allegations against a teacher they did not like, and would not afford
teachers the right of reply".

But if found guilty and dismissed by the department, these teachers should
face the full might of the education system. Even stronger sanctions should
be imposed on the guilty by the SA Educators Council (Sace), who can expel
the teacher from the profession, preventing them from working in any school
ever again, the ministry said.

Sace told The Star last year that it was difficult to obtain evidence from
pupils and the council's chief executive Reg Brijraj, said then that there
should be a national investigation into the depth of sexual abuse by
teachers.

However, the National Association of School Governing Bodies supported the
MRC's call for immediate suspension "and necessary disciplinary processes to
be speedily managed".

The association, the ministry and teachers unions have come out strongly
against teachers perpetrating sexual abuse against pupils.

The SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu), said it had consistently educated
its members on what is expected of a committed teacher.

"We have also spoken out against abuse by teachers. The specific report publ
ished in the Lancet, was first discussed on the front page of the union
newspaper The Educator's Voice in the November 2000 edition.

"In our last edition, December 2001 we published an international
declaration on ethics agreed upon by teacher organisations worldwide,
Education International," Sadtu said.

The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA (Naptosa) said in a
statement it "unequivocally condemns the rape of schoolgirls or other
children by teachers, in particular, and the violence against women in
general.

"Naptosa has, on numerous occasions, expressed its disgust in and abhorrence
of the escalating occurrence of sexual harassment and sexual exploitation of
innocent girls by teachers who are perceived to be in loco parentis,
custodians of high moral values and torch-bearers of human rights,
especially the rights of the child."

However, Naptosa hoped the reported figure of educators being involved in 33
percent of child rape cases should not be seen to be a reflection of the
profession as a whole.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions added its voice, cautioning the SA public
against seeing every teacher as a potential child molester and rapist.

"The overwhelming majority of teachers are dedicated professionals who
continue to provide a sterling service to the SA nation... There are some
rotten potatoes that must be wielded out though."

Cosatu said that those against whom there is evidence and who are found
guilty must be severely punished. -- DDC-Sapa
http://www.dispatch.co.za/2002/01/28/southafrica/CABUSE.HTM
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SABC News 27/01/2002

Thousands of jobs shed last year, more to be lost: Naledi

The National Labour, Economic and Development Institute (Naledi) has
released a gloom picture on the state of unemployment in the country.
According to Ravi Naidoo, Director at Naledi, 100 000 full time jobs were
lost between June 2000 and June 2001, increasing the already high
unemployment rate in the country. However, that's not the end of it, as more
job losses are on the cards, said Naidoo.

About 16 000 jobs were lost in the mining industry. The manufacturing
industry lost 50 000, the transport industry had to shed 13 000 jobs, while
19 000 jobs were lost in government. Naidoo said the outlook for this year
is likely to be worst, adding that employment will not pick up in the formal
sector, but it is expected to grow in the informal sector, which pays low
wages.

"The sector summit between labour/business and government should finalise
agreements on how jobs could be created in all sectors of the economy.
Leading sectors that could create job need to be identified soon," said
Naidoo.

The South African Catering and Commercial Allied Workers Union (Saccawu)
said that about 20 000 are to be shed in the commercial and catering
industries this year. Saccawu leaders met in Johannesburg last week to
review their strategy on protecting jobs in their sector. Last year the
union lost more than 20 000 members because of retrenchments, and already a
number of companies have indicated that they want to discuss retrenchments
with the union.

Morkels Stores announced that it will close 15 stores, while four Metcach
stores will close. Ellerines furniture stores and Shoprite are expected to
close some of their stores. Most of the stores that are closing blame the
current market conditions. Union leaders said that they would now mobilise
their members to act against retrenchments.

"We will be forced to apply for section 77 of the Labour Relations Act so as
to embark on industrial action. Our union membership is declining and our
status in Cosatu is also being affected by the low membership. We will have
to protect jobs," said Bones Skhulu, the Saccawu General Secretary.

Naidoo said the government will have to speed up the proposed income support
programme that is still under discussion. If it is legislated the income
support service will help people in the informal sector, who earn less than
R1 000 a month.

http://www.sabcnews.co.za/economy/business/0,1009,27352,00.html
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New Vision [Uganda] 28/01/2002

Teachers Strive to Have Union Registered

Milton Olupot

TEACHERS have revived their struggle to have the Uganda National Union of
Teachers (UNUT) registered as a union, through Parliament.

The organisation has appealed to all parliamentarians to throw their weight
behind the struggle.

In a letter dated January 18, 2002 the UNUT General-Secretary, John Situma
Wotsuna, appealed to Members of Parliament to help have the teachers' union
registered.

The letter also implores MPs to facilitate teachers in their respective
constituencies to access information regarding the union. The letters have
been distributed to all Members of Parliament.

Teachers have made several attempts since 1993 to form a union and have it
registered by government but have failed.

The Uganda medical workers' union (UMWU) and Uganda Civil Service Union
(UCSU) were registered in 1994.

Wotsuna said on Wednesday, "in order for teachers to benefit from the rights
of workers enshrined in the 1995 Constitution, they have set in motion the
process of mobilising teachers into a trade union."

"We have been left to conclude that there is a deliberate intention to
frustrate teachers from unionising unless we wake up and make our demands
loud and clear," Wotsuna added.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200201250223.html
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This Day [Nigeria] 27/01/2002

Labour Congress Accuses Government of Trying to Manipulate Court Decision

Duru Nnamdi

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the Federal Government of
deliberately delaying the hearing on the suit filed by it challenging the
decision of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which declared the
nation-wide strike action embarked by the congress last week illegal.

The congress while describing the move as an "attempt to manipulate the
court" demanded expedited action on the case and called on government to
ensure that there was no delay in further hearing of the case.

Speaking to Journalists in Lagos, the Assistant General Secretary
(Information) of the congress, Comrade Chris Uyot regretted that the appeal
which was filed by the congress and supposed to heard Thursday was not heard
as a result of the absence of the presiding judge hon. Justice Muhammadu
Dahiru Saleh.

He threatened that the labour movement would not tolerate delays in the
hearing of the case observing that the congress suspended its industrial
action as result of the court orders declaring it illegal.

He was particularly irked by the fact that it took the Federal Government
only a day to get an injunction against the striking workers while it has
taken the congress over a week to get a hearing of its appeal.

He therefore described the delay as "an attempt by the government to
manipulate the court and delay the matter, a situation he warned would not
be tolerated by the congress.

"This is an attempt by government to manipulate the court and delay the
matter. We will not accept this," he said.

He then called for an expedited action on the matter because according to
him, "justice delayed is justice denied".

Hearing on the suit filed by the NLC and its President, Comrade Adams
Oshiomhole was Thursday stalled by the absence of Saleh to hear the matter.
The suit was for an order of the Court to stay further proceedings in the
Federal Government's suit pending the determination of the appeal
challenging the decision of the court declaring the nation-wide industrial
action embarked upon by the congress illegal.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200201270061.html
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