POPCRU celebrate the revolutionary collegiality of Trade Union Educators POPCRU joins the millions of pedagogues and progressive Trade Unions, to celebrate the importance of human capital ushered with the vital function of nurturing, unlocking and developing the leaner’s potential of in all institutions of learning; Educators. In agreeing with SADTU on inadequacies on girl-child and women education opportunities, it is imperative to distil what one of the finest Marxist-Leninist scholars, Angela Davis said that ‘real solution to women’s problems in society can only come from changing society through the democratic organisation of women in the same kind of way as workers are organised, so that their organisation is a component of democracy and is not outside of democracy’. Whilst, we admit that educators are playing an important role within the basic education fraternity, we need not in the same vein undermine the equally executed work done by Trade Union Educators, to make the working place a Mecca of life-long learning. To achieve this, we need to plough the principle that a Shop Steward must be life-long learner who should strive to, always broaden, deepen and enhance their understanding on how Trade Unions operate and that experience to galvanize power for and on behalf of workers is acquired by actually doing the practical work by representing members diligently at all times. And such tasks must be dovetailed with the quest to change the world as Paul Freire alluded to on ‘Pedagogue of the Oppressed’, will enhance a universal view which says, education is a catalyst to eradicate poverty and also bring about sustainable development. A Trade Union Educator must always strive, amongst others, to nurture provision of a necessary platform to bring to the fore the critical challenges facing worker in the workplace in particular, working class in general, and the deepening of the analysis of challenges facing worker education, and deepening an understanding that which distill a fact that; • Worker education is not neutral, • It has a specific orientation and must be controlled by workers, • It instills thinking, collectivism and deconstruction of dominant ideas, • It helps the working class to create its own intellectuals, and lastly • It helps us to learn from history and shape a better understanding of our future Worker Education must also involve the youth and the youth and young workers within your structures to become more involved in organizing activities both in the workplaces and in the communities. We are content that many Trade Unions within COSATU have embraced the implementation of 10% allocations towards education and training for workers. And indeed such adherence imperatives were elevated by the recent NALEDI Report to the 05th COSATU Central Executive Committee as held at Midrand, in which majority Unions were duly responding on this pillar of building COSATU engines, to realize the Growth Path towards Full Employment and crafting of an alternative towards Socialism. POPCRU on the 05th of October 2011 salutes all Trade Union Educators for the sterling work on re-engineering, revitalizing and reviving the importance of recognition of prior learning in the workplace, on promotion of worker education, enhancing signing-off of sector skills plan by Labour, with focused attention on full utilization of SETA’s funding for improvement of workers’ skills levels and inoculation of Marxist-Leninist tools of analysis and promotion of these principles, as a way of life to solve modern socio-economic ills caused by capitalism. To realize the COSATU 10th Congress undertaking on ‘Building a vibrant Trade Union movements, the machinery of the liberation movements with enhanced internal dynamism, internal democracy, heightened mass education and activism to raise the level of class consciousness’, will only be realized with vigour by enhancing worker education. Education for change must never be compromised! Issued by: Mampane Norman National Spokesperson Police and Prisons Civil Right Union Tel: 0112424600/4615 Cell: 0720737959 Email: [email protected] www.popcru.org.za 01 Marie Road Auckland Park 2006
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