*Role of trade union members in society*
There is a need for union leadership and its members to do self introspection and its contribution to society at large not only a union that services its members alone but a union which is able to fight for the poor and the working class families in our society in particular those who are living in rural areas to address triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality. That will be a union that really cares for its members and their families who are unfortunately bread winners in their families and a torch of light in their communities. All members of union before they became members of union they were members of the society and knowledge they have learned through their studies and work experience in the shop floor should translate into a community activist for better life for all, not members who are only concerned about their salaries and what union is investing on them by sending them to learn political education in Cuba, needs not to be impart to members of the union only but to the broader mass democratic movement. Without taking away rights of unions to fight for the wellbeing of their members and their working condition but the experience and knowledge of union members needs also to be exercised for the benefit of the poor and the working class in our society. Skills transfer is not only meant for academic knowledge but also political, mobilizing and organizing skills in which members of union have that knowledge that can help in particular our Alliance partner the ANC to educate their members and rescuer those who join the ANC only to become members of members in the movement but can encourage and bring back the culture of debate and critical thinking amongst members of the ANC. The knowledge that members of union possess is of important, union members are known for their organizing and mobilizing skills which are very important for the ANC led Alliance to win elections and recruit new members and build other mass democratic movement like SANCO and civic organizations movement. What can be warring factor is the fact that some of union members are not members of the ANC, the unions should also look into their members who are divorcing themselves from society and behave like they live in their own island, they choose not to become an integral part of society. These members are amongst people who can sell the revolution to the highest bidder and even vote against ANC led government. We cannot even say more about those members of union who are not members of the SACP the political home of all union members. We live with shopstewards in our communities who are not members of the SACP and we should all ask ourselves questions of whether we are doing enough to communicate with our members and leaders the importance of our revolutionary alliance and why union members must join and play their meaningful role to build and strengthen the vanguard of the working class the SACP in our march towards building socialism in our lifetime. How many traffic officers who can stop and help an elderly person or school learners to cross the road when they are not in duty? How many police officers can participate in villages or township community police forum to better strategies the fight against crime when they are not in duty. How many correctional officers participate in the integration of ex-convicts into society by campaigning and lobbying the formation of support groups for ex-offenders so that they don’t repeat their crime activities again, when they are off duty. How many health workers, who took the responsibilities of assisting the HIV/AIDS patients, help young girls not to fall pregnant and teach them about ABC and other chronic diseases when they are not at work. How many teachers who organize and mobilize extra classes in holidays and weekends for learners of poor and working class families, when there are off duty? How many engineers and artisans who are able to help in their communities to maintain dilapidated infrastructure inherited from apartheid regime, when they are not at work? COSATU affiliated unions cannot always make noise on the media about the plight of poor people in our society without making a real practical impact in the communities they live in, as indeed theory without practice is dull. It can’t be correct to analyse society at its best but unable to transfer it to resolve our social challenges and strengthen our democratic organizations from the grassroots level. Union members activism and their contribution in developing and strengthening our mass democratic movement from branches and all structures will translate to a more united, vibrant and society free from corruption, sexism, crime, racialism and xenophobia, to a democratic and prosperous society. Working together we can do more for a better socialist society. If only union members can put their radicalism and militancy in agitation and struggle for the working class and the poor to improve their living conditions and jobs creations in our villages and townships by starting sustainable cooperatives enterprises could be of greatest aid in contributing to end poverty, unemployment and inequality. Lets the trade union members take their rightful place in the society. *Cde Rendani Thanyani* *YCL Limpopo Province deputy Chairperson * *0820625056* -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. 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