The purpose of a Union. A Union is supposed to be an organization that should have it first and foremost goal, the members that it represents and to be at all times unbiased, and or a-political, where it should not be influenced by any political party on its mission, vision and goal for its members that it represents. A Board of Trustees being in control of the Union. Popcru has been a union which has been within the ambit of the workplace for a very long time, yet from its original mission, vision and goal in what it wanted to achieve for its members, had dwindled down to be a ‘cow that its milking its members’ with very little concern to its achievements in the interest of its members. On closer scrutiny however of the organizational structure of the union and the management, it becomes evident that the mandate that is supposed to be concerned with had obliterated. (destroyed, demolished, eliminated, eradicated, annihilated) in that the Board of Trustees has as one of its members, Nathi Theledi, a person whom simultaneously of being a General Secretary to the Union, is also a Deputy Director within the Department of Correctional Services and also directly involved with the management of the Bargaining Council. The question arises how one person can actually ‘wear three different caps’ and in each situation act 100% in the interest of the party and or position that he is designated to act at that specific time and opportunity. Being the General Secretary of the Popcru Union and simultaneously holding down a management position within the Department of Correctional Services, gives him authority and a ‘unwritten mandate’ to encourage and by implication ‘force’ membership of the said union upon subordinates within the Department of Correctional Services. What worsens the situation is that the same person is also part and parcel of the bargaining council, yet he by mandate should have the interest of the union members at heart, but as being on the bargaining council, the question being whose interest does he actually represent at any given point in time? On clear analyses of the situation therefore being that the union, has only become an organization that has become a business where members are being ‘milked’ for their monthly membership fees, yet goals, mandates, are not being ameliorated and or action taken about it, to enact corrective measures. The OSD payment, the weekend overtime remuneration, the shift roster that employees of Correctional Services are being subject to and payment deprived of, has been on the table ad infinitum, yet the union has done very little to even address the issues and or enabled to correct the wrongs. So taken the situation as mentioned as a typical example, and one can almost guarantee that this is not the only person whom is wearing ‘different caps’ within the organizational structure of the union, one need to closely reconsider your membership and as to what your membership fees that you so diligently pay every month are being used for. Amazingly the capturing of membership to unions, which was previously done at management level, is now only being done at head office, which is sub rosa in its evidentiary modus operandi. Members within the Department of Correctional Services should have the freedom of choice to the union that it aspires to be a member with, and in which he or she has the confidence that the union would be acting in his/her benefit, and therefore the ‘direct’ biased position of the Department against any other union, is therefore unconstitutional and unorthodox. The Union should not be a business, which POPCRU seem to be lately, but should be an organization that has the interest of its members as foremost and first priority and act accordingly. Members within Correctional Services should therefore seriously consider an alternative to the current membership to POPCRU, whom is clearly not dedicated to act in the interest of members and should look seriously at becoming an active member to SACOSWU whom is dedicated to eradicate and correct wrongs within the Department of Correctional Services exclusively. Should you be interested in becoming a member to SACOSWU contact Maluleka and Stan at Medium B Jhb Prison and be assured of a better representation and of a better future.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 04:32:58 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015