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Press Statement by the NUM-YF National Committee.

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Press Statement by the NUM-YF National Committee.

*Background*

The National Union of Mineworkers Youth Structure (NUM-YS) held its secondNational Committee meeting this year starting from the 19th to the 20th ofMay 2016 at Elijah Barayi Memorial Training Centre in Midrand.

The meeting took place when the movement is facing a number of challengesthat call for the unity of the working class in dealing with them; theyneed sober and dedicated cadres of the movement. We met when the AfricanNational Congress (ANC) is at the cross road.

*The R25 wage agreement signed between Sibanye Gold Mine and JosephSell-out Mathunjwa*

The NUM-YS is very perturbed by the continuous apartheid tendencies ofdivide and rule led by Sibanye Gold Mine in the mining Sector, we rejectthe so-called R25 stability settlement. We call upon Sibanye Gold torespect the agreement signed at the Chamber of mines in 2015. If they wantto open wage negotiations they know the right place. We call upon workersto reject the deal between Joseph Mathunjwa and Sibanye Gold CEO NeilFroneman. We refuse to be counted amongst the sell-outs who sold workers ata price of R25 because it is an insult to poor workers.

If Joseph Mathunjwa wants sell workers he should do that at his own peril,our members are not for sale.We demand a living wage, not peanuts given by the mining companies.

*Mining Charter Review *

The NUM Youth Structure welcomes the Gazetted draft of the Mining Charterfor public comments. This opportunity will give life to the foundingobjectives of the Freedom Charter, amongst them is to ensure that thewealth of this country is shared amongst who those who work it.

The NUM-YS will submit the following proposal to the minister that willfocus on the development of young people of this country who are themajority in the workplace and in the entire country.We welcome the decision by the department to retain the current 26%ownership by people from the historically disadvantaged background. Wefurther welcome the removal of the ‘’once empowered always empowered”principle.

We are also calling for Chamber of Mines and its members to refrain fromalways pointing fingers at DMR when they are failing to implement theCharter. The draft charter further calls for a minimum ownership of 5% forworkers, communities, and BEE entrepreneurs relatively. We believe thiswill benefit the majority of this country who have been robbed of theirrights to own the minerals.

We are calling for 10% (broadly), set aside for youth in mining and thelabour-sending areas.On the procurement, we welcome the increased targets, however, we have astrong view that the following should be revisited, on the BEE compliantthe companies must have 10% set aside for youth and on the 60% locallymanufactured capital; goods from the BEE compliant manufacturing companiesshould ensure that 10% of the workforce is young people.The 10% of the above targets must be from 100% youth owned companies, thusensuring their enterprise development initiatives are inclusive of theyouth. Human Resource Development, Employment Equity and mine communitydevelopment, these initiatives should be inclusive of many unemployed andemployed qualified youth.The issue of Free education in our country cannotbe left unattended the NUM Youth Structure is calling for big businesses toinclude 5% of their yearly budget to fund the education in this country asthey are the most beneficiaries in the process. This should not replace the1% that the companies are paying for skills levy.

*Ubank (Workers Bank)*

The NUM-YS welcomes the decision taken by the NEC of NUM to clarify onceand for all, that the Ubank is not for sale. We further thank the governorfor giving us an opportunity to consult our members on how are we going toprotect their assets. We strongly believe that Ubank is the strategic assetof the workers and its ownership must and should remain in the hands ofworkers. We should expose those who were pushing for the sale of Ubank atall costs undermining the decision of the NEC. Based on the abovebackground we have completely lost confidence that they will focus theirenergy to save the bank and further grow it to the benefit of the workers,we are left with no options but to request the CEO of Ubank Mr LuthandoVuthula to do the right thing and the right thing is to give others achance who are going to respect NUM and the workers. His departure in ourview will assist to grow the bank. The bank needs sober minds and dedicatedpeople who will work tirelessly to serve the interest of the workers.We further call upon those who were hell bent to sell the bank to vulturesto refrain from that and other further tricks of undermining the NUM NEC.Ubank is not for sale, we will defend it with everything we have. Ourmembers are encouraged to bank with the workers bank (Ubank).

*Social responsibility *

As part of our social responsibility, the NUM Youth Structure handed overthree soccer kits at Rooipoort Primary School in Carletonville region inMarch 2016. The donation was made possible by Teba Trust Fund. We willcontinue with our social responsibility activities and we are stillexpecting more clothes from other donors.We have also donated over 250 school shoes to seven schools at NelsonMandela Metro region in the Eastern Cape. The following schools benefittedfrom the initiative: Dumani Primary School, Ikhwezelihle Primary School,Imbasa Primary School, Khulile Primary School, NxanelimfundoPrimary School, Kwanoxolo Primary School, and Zanoxolo Primary School.

*June Month*

According to stats SA this year alone we have lost 75 000 jobs throughretrenchments and we can confirm that majority of those jobs are frommining, as companies have decided to downsize without looking at any otheroptions. Where we are there is nobody who is sure of his or her futurebased on this we are left with no option but to take the matter to thestreets, on the 15 June 2016 the NUM-YS will be marching to Eskom, miningcompanies and department of labour. We call upon all young people in thecountry to join us in this fight as the majority of the people retrenchedare young people.To mark the youth month the structure will be visiting Free State Region,Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Highveld region (Mpumalanga province) toembark on a month-long programme that includes recruitment, sportsactivities, marches and political education. We call upon the ProgressiveYouth Alliance (PYA) formations to support the programmes.

*Developments in the Progressive Youth Alliance*

The NUM-YS has been following the SRC elections with keen interest, wewould like to take this opportunity to congratulate SASCO for ensuring thatFort Hare University is reclaimed from counter-revolutionary forces DASO.We are further calling for the leadership of SASCO to ensure that allinstitutions of higher learning are under its leadership.We call upon ourregions to avail themselves of the process of campaigning for our reliableallies.

*Vuwani Situation*

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever ournationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colourreligion, language or any other status. We are all equally entitled to ourhuman rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated,interdependent and indivisible.

We are using the above lines precisely because young people’s rights toeducation are being undermined. Irrespective of frustrations and thepredicaments our communities faces there is no justification for resortingto violence.Burning schools and destroying public property is a criminaloffence and it must be condemned with the contempt it deserves. We callupon the state security to act swiftly in dealing with all those who arefound guilty or the perpetrators of violence.

The ANC must at the same time listen to our communities. We are calling forcalm in Vuwani to allow children to go back to school.

*Local Government Elections*

The NUM National Congress that took place in June 2015 resolved that we aregoing to campaign for the ANC in the next local government elections. TheNUM-YS commits itself in implementing the congress resolution in ensuringthat ANC wins all municipalities with a vast majority. The NUM members areencouraged to vote correctly to ensure victory of ANC is certain

*NUM Central Committee*

The NUM Youth Structure wishes the NUM a successful Central Committeemeeting. Unity of the NUM is sacrosanct.

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About Us
The National Union of Mineworkers was founded in 1982.

Its birth was facilitated by comrades Cyril Ramaphosa who rose to be its first General Secretary, James Motlatsi who turned to be its first President, and Elijah Barayi who became its Vice President and later the President of Cosatu in 1985 when the federation was formed. porn