SACTWU KEY SERVICES

Collective Bargaining providing wage coverage for over 100 000 workers, or for 600 000 South African family members, through 16 central negotiations and 123 plant level agreements. Job security negotiating alternatives to closures, retrenchments and liquidations, and lobbying for jobs with government. Member benefits providing R6 million in funeral and retirement benefits to members and dependents, in 3800 pay-outs a year. Promoting higher education sponsoring 700 students at universities, institutes of technology and colleges, and contributing about R5 million in bursaries every year. Member complaints assisting 99 000 members through a network of 1 682 workplace shop stewards at 1493 organised workplaces.

Health education running a unique HIV/AIDS industry service reaching 50 000 workers annually with a focussed awareness message, train 1000 shop stewards every year and deliver a free voluntary counselling and testing programme for members that have seen more than 178 000 workers counselled to date, since inception of this program in 2002. Health services co-managing 6 clinics in the Cape in residential and industrial areas, covering 100 000 members and dependents, plus a clinic in Johannesburg and Durban each.

Building basic education providing literacy and numeracy programmes at 200 primary schools nation-wide through the Edupeg programme, reaching over 260 000 learners over the last three years alone Developing shop floor leadership training more than 1500 shop stewards annually in labour law, industry agreements, representation skills and workplace problem solving.

Job advocacy through initiating the Proudly South African campaign during the 1998 Job Summit negotiation, and launching the Cape Town Fashion Festival. Promoting vocational and workplace training through co-managing the Fibre Processing & Manufacturing (FPMA) and Wholesale & Retail (W&R) Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA s). Disseminating information and communication technology skills through partnerships with institutes of technology that have seen worker leaders graduate in our Computer School.

Helping high school students through a unique Matric Winter School programme that has assisted 4 470 students to date. (From 2000 onwards, when it was first initiated). Creating employment through 100% ownership of two factories in the industry that employs a total of 205 workers, through investments in companies that employs in excess of 30 000 workers inside and outside the industry, through contributing to the labour Job Creation Trust, as well as through Policy measures that protect tens of thousands of jobs of the union s membership.