Picture: The CWP workers march to ANC offices in Vryburg
By OBAKENG MAJE
The Community Work Programme (CWP) participants are threatening not to vote come 2024 General Elections, if the government does not improve their salaries and working conditions. The CWP participants in North West embarked on a peaceful march and submitted their memorandum of grievances to the ANC regional offices in Vryburg on Monday.
The CPW shop steward in North West and Maanda Ashu Workers Union (MAWUSA) member, Thandeka Mchunu alleged that the government is using CWP as a form of exploitation against the marginalised.
“We, the CWP participants who are all voters in our respective provinces and wards, demand that the ANC give a political directive to the Minister of Labour to speedily transform the CWP policies. This will allow the realisation of the living wage of the participants as per the memorandum sent to the Department of Labour on 3 February 2023.
“It cannot be accepted anymore for government workers to earn R800 per month in this high-cost economy status of the country. We also want the government to release the Maanda Ashu Workers Union of South Africa (MAWUSA)’s registration certificate, which was declined with no grounds,” Mchunu said.
She further said, the review of the ministerial determination for a lowest-earning beneficiary to be remunerated in line upper bound poverty line of R1800 per month. Mchunu added that, they also want immediate access to the minimum wage of R3500, migration of EPWP/CWP from ministerial determination to sectoral determination, and in-sourcing of CWP participants to full-time employment.
“Participants should work five days per week and 20 days per month. We further demand that, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and CWP national management engage with workers through our union to make inputs on any matter affecting the CWP and or workers.
“We call for the release of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and tool of trade (Occupational Health Safety), consistent payment day and monitoring of sites by COGTA and Department of Labour,” she said.
The ANC regional secretary in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Walter Mabogola received the memorandum on behalf of the ruling party. Mabogola said, he will ensure that, the memorandum is delivered to the relevant stakeholders and find expression.
“We have received your memorandum on behalf of the ANC in Luthuli House and it will be signed off. It will also be brought to the attention of those who are supposed to be held accountable. It is the ANC that has deployed anyone who is responsible for COGTA and the Department of Labour.
“So, you have taken the right step in directing your memorandum to the ANC. You have not made any mistake by so doing, so it is the responsibility of the ANC Regional Executive Committee (REC) through the Office of the Regional Secretary to ensure that your grievances are taken up with those who are supposed to respond to your grievances,” he said.
Mabogola also made a commitment that, before the end of this week, CWP participants will receive a progress report in terms of their memorandum. He said, the first progress they will be reporting on, is a meeting between ANC in the region and relevant regional directors.
“We will have a consultative engagement with all mayors across municipalities, including the Department of Labour. We will use that engagement as the platform to address your grievances.
“The second activity that we are going to embark upon, is a meeting with your leadership, where we will be presenting a feedback report. Where possible, we will have another meeting, which will be inclusive and agree upon a program of action,” said Mabogola.
He said this would assist CWP leadership to be able to go back to the participants and give a feedback report on the progress registered. Mabogola said since ANC is a policymaker, all policies including monitoring and evaluation should favour the masses.
Meanwhile, the North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Nono Maloyi said: “Unfortunately, I won’t be able to answer that question without facts. The CWP participants did not march to our offices and we do not know whether what they are getting is enough. So, we will tackle that issue when we have gathered all facts.”
The Guardian 