News from SACTWU

SACTWU WELCOMES IEC ORDER FOR LOCALLY MADE ELECTION T-SHIRTS

The COSATU-affiliated Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) has noticed, through its in-house tender monitoring system, that the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has invited tenders for 210 000 units of t-shirts to be used by its electoral agents in next year’s local government elections.


We note that the tender specifications require these t-shirts to be manufactured locally, and welcome this requirement. It will help to save and possible even create jobs in the local clothing industry. We have alerted local clothing manufacturers to this tender.

We have written to the IEC, congratulating it on this, but also cautioning it against any possible attempts by tenderers to bypass the local manufacturing requirement.

Issued by
Andre Kriel
SACTWU
General Secretary
20 September 2010

If further comment is required, kindly contact Etienne Vlok, Director of the Southern African Labour Research Institute (SALRI), the union’s research wing, on 082 448 0506.




SACTWU MOBILE HIV/AIDS CLINICS WIND THEIR WAY TO CAPE TOWN

The SACTWU Worker Health Programme (SWHP) has taken the fight against HIV and Aids to a new level.

Two of our mobile health care clinics, each fully equipped and professionally staffed to conduct on-site HIV testing and counselling, are on a road show from Durban to Cape Town. On their way, they are delivering
Voluntary Counselling & Testing (VCT) services to SACTWU members and the community. As at this morning, the two clinics have tested 600 persons and counselled each on their HIV status. On their return trip to Durban, they will do the same.

The mobile clinics left Durban on 13 September 2010 and are due to arrive in Cape Town on 22nd September 2010.

Today and tomorrow, one mobile clinic is delivering VCT services at Southgate Mall in Soweto and the other at NY6 Mdantsane City Mall near East London.

In 2009 alone, our worker health program tested 29 300 union members, and counselled each of them on their HIV status.

Below is a summary of our mobile clinics road show plan:


Mobile 1:
15 - 16 Sep 10 Mpumalanga - Standerton Mills
17 Sep 10 Gauteng - Sesli Blankets
18 - 19 Sep 10 Gauteng - Southgate Mall, Johannesburg

20 Sep 10 Free State - Manhood & Blue Disa factories in Botshabelo

22 Sep 10 Cape Town - Hextex in Worcester
23 Sep 10 Western Cape - Cape Town
24 Sep 10 Kuils River

Community outreach 
27 Sep 10 Oudtshoorn



Mobile 2

14 Sep 10 Port Shepstone - Dirose Enterprises cc factory
16 Sep 10 King Williams Town - Pro Glove factory
17 Sep 10 East London - Service Products factory
18 Sep 10 East London - NY6 Mdantsane City Mall
20 Sep 10 Uitenhage - Transwerk
21 Sep 10 Jeffrey's Bay - Billabong Clothing factory

23 Sep 10 Western Cape /  Cape Town
24 Sep 10 Western Cape

Community outreach, Cape Town
27 Sep 10 Groot Brak River - Watson Footwear


Issued by
Andre Kriel
SACTWU
General Secretary

If further information is required, kindly contact Nikki Soboil, SACTWU Worker Health Program Director on cell number 082 449 30 29