TransNamib Workers’ Strike: What Lessons Are Learned?

MUCH has been said and written about the recent strike at TransNamib.

Was the strike a political one or driven from the shop floor (workers)? Some argue that the strike had a political agenda. Strikes are tactical instrument to move the agenda.The media reports tell us that the strike was political in the sense of unions attempting to reconfigure power relations.Trade unionism is about strengthening bargaining power to defend workers’ interests and win demands to improve living and working conditions within traditional collective bargaining, when the bosses and unions are unwilling to compromise, they resort to pressurising each other to make concessions.For the trade union movement the strike is the ultimate weapon to pressure the employer.The power of the strike depends upon the unity and political commitment of the workers and importantly, the effects the strike has on company operations.The new breed of trade unionists who are attracted to the labour movements have no sense of the triggers they found in the labour movement.They assume its strength is derived from its public policy engagement or political role.The unions that emerged in the 1980’s were founded on strong shop-floor unionism – a movement strongly linked to the worker power! The focus was on entrenching the labour movement on the shop floor.The old approach was based on building power on the shop floor, industry, and branch and then at a national level, today the unions have abandoned the shop floor as primary place of engagement and gaining power! We need to engage at political level but the bigger challenge is maintaining a strong and democratic labour movement.Otherwise the labour movement will become about a trade union elite pursuing its own interest! The reality is that the future of the labour movement relies on the leadership who still believe in building strong independent worker power and independent working class politics.Therefore leadership who see their future elsewhere should move on to provide the opportunity for new blood to come into labour movement or old blood that would like to come back.The current leadership should however be actively developing and cultivating a second and third layer of potential leaders.One of the biggest challenges unions face is the culture of individualism, self-enrichment and sense of using the labour movement for material gains.This is affecting the ability of unions to mobilise members and retain militant base.The current attacks against the labour movement by some media and their associates must be evaluated in the context of the purpose trade unions existence.It is common cause that trade unionism is an organisational expression of a collective action.This locates trade unions as exclusively a phenomenon of capitalism.For it is within a capitalist society where free market conditions exist where the majority people are compelled to sell their labour to minority of owners of the means of production.This explanation further locates trade union within the class struggle.The democratic character of trade unions depends on the voluntary commitment of its members, leaders and employed officials.Therefore the primary characteristic of trade union is a democratic organisation in the struggle minus faceless, media sources that join trade unions for their personal gains! I am expecting that any sympathy from the capitalist-owned media and business and, certain instances, trade unions will irritate the government whose policies may result in the regression of the past trade unions gains.The trade unions shall always pursue and fight for the interest of its membership and working class at large and contradictions between trade unions and other class forces cannot be resolved by distortion of facts by some politicians! Trade unions are not in crisis! Trade unions need to engage with the issue of corruption in the same way as they should be dealing with issues around governance, workers control and democratic accountability.There is a challenge for trade union to rebuild union structures and give more power to the rank-and-file, shop stewards and the branches! The fight for worker control and good and accountable is a daily struggle and cannot be stopped.Corruption is not only about money nor is it about an official getting a so-called fancy car or getting gifts that are not declared in the trade union register as they have in parliament.So in part for us corruption must not only be seen as abuse of resources/funds for individual gain but as a fundamental attack on their values as a labour movement.Indeed the abuse of funds are important issues to address, but the failure to implemented democratically mandated decisions could amount to non-accountability to members and could be considered to be an element of corruption.Often some people in the trade unions choose what decisions they want to implement to advance their own cause- that corrupt the trade unions and can lead to mismanagement.Other areas that be constituted as corruption include: Doing outside business deals during union time (working hours) Sitting on company boards and attending local councils during union time with and without a union mandate, but the income goes directly to the individuals without agreement or knowledge of the unions’ structures Giving a company access to union members or its database and getting something in return.The trade union movement should encourage its members to speak out against corruption and should ensure that whistle blowers are defended.Ultimately unions cannot fight and expose corruption in the corporations or enterprises where they are working whilst its own house in not in order.This gives employers an easy way out and undermines the genuine peoples’ development We must work tirelessly to continue to improve this capacity.My view is that shall survive these bombardments and we will grow stronger and stronger as long as we do not allow ourselves to be derailed from our noble trade union aims and objectives.Cuana Angula Via e-mailStrikes are tactical instrument to move the agenda.The media reports tell us that the strike was political in the sense of unions attempting to reconfigure power relations.Trade unionism is about strengthening bargaining power to defend workers’ interests and win demands to improve living and working conditions within traditional collective bargaining, when the bosses and unions are unwilling to compromise, they resort to pressurising each other to make concessions.For the trade union movement the strike is the ultimate weapon to pressure the employer.The power of the strike depends upon the unity and political commitment of the workers and importantly, the effects the strike has on company operations.The new breed of trade unionists who are attracted to the labour movements have no sense of the triggers they found in the labour movement.They assume its strength is derived from its public policy engagement or political role.The unions that emerged in the 1980’s were founded on strong shop-floor unionism – a movement strongly linked to the worker power! The focus was on entrenching the labour movement on the shop floor.The old approach was based on building power on the shop floor, industry, and branch and then at a national level, today the unions have abandoned the shop floor as primary place of engagement and gaining power! We need to engage at political level but the bigger challenge is maintaining a strong and democratic labour movement.Otherwise the labour movement will become about a trade union elite pursuing its own interest! The reality is that the future of the labour movement relies on the leadership who still believe in building strong independent worker power and independent working class politics.Therefore leadership who see their future elsewhere should move on to provide the opportunity for new blood to come into labour movement or old blood that would like to come back.The current leadership should however be actively developing and cultivating a second and third layer of potential leaders.One of the biggest challenges unions face is the culture of individualism, self-enrichment and sense of using the labour movement for material gains.This is affecting the ability of unions to mobilise members and retain militant base.The current attacks against the labour movement by some media and their associates must be evaluated in the context of the purpose trade unions existence.It is common cause that trade unionism is an organisational expression of a collective action.This locates trade unions as exclusively a phenomenon of capitalism.For it is within a capitalist society where free market conditions exist where the majority people are compelled to sell their labour to minority of owners of the means of production.This explanation further locates trade union within the class struggle.The democratic character of trade unions depends on the voluntary commitment of its members, leaders and employed officials.Therefore the primary characteristic of trade union is a democratic organisation in the struggle minus faceless, media sources that join trade unions for their personal gains! I am expecting that any sympathy from the capitalist-owned media and business and, certain instances, trade unions will irritate the government whose policies may result in the regression of the past trade unions gains.The trade unions shall always pursue and fight for the interest of its membership and working class at large and contradictions between trade unions and other class forces cannot be resolved by distortion of facts by some politicians! Trade unions are not in crisis! Trade unions need to engage with the issue of corruption in the same way as they should be dealing with issues around governance, workers control and democratic accountability.There is a challenge for trade union to rebuild union structures and give more power to the rank-and-file, shop stewards and the branches! The fight for worker control and good and accountable is a daily struggle and cannot be stopped.Corruption is not only about money nor is it about an official getting a so-called fancy car or getting gifts that are not declared in the trade union register as they have in parliament.So in part for us corruption must not only be seen as abuse of resources/funds for individual gain but as a fundamental attack on their values as a labour movement.Indeed the abuse of funds are important issues to address, but the failure to implemented democratically mandated decisions could amount to non-accountability to members and could be considered to be an element of corruption.Often some people in the trade unions choose what decisions they want to implement to advance their own cause- that corrupt the trade unions and can lead to mismanagement.Other areas that be constituted as corruption include: Doing outside business deals during union time (working hours) Sitting on company boards and attending local councils during union time with and without a union mandate, but the income goes directly to the individuals without agreement or knowledge of the unions’ structures Giving a company access to union members or its database and getting something in return.The trade union movement should encourage its members to speak out against corruption and should ensure that whistle blowers are defended.Ultimately unions cannot fight and expose corruption in the corporations or enterprises where they are working whilst its own house in not in order.This gives employers an easy way out and undermines the genuine peoples’ development We must work tirelessly to continue to improve this capacity.My view is that shall survive these bombardments and we will grow stronger and stronger as long as we do not allow ourselves to be derailed from our noble trade union aims and objectives.Cuana Angula Via e-mail