Johannesburg - The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) believes that in order to regain respect from workers, it must become militant again.
Speaking at the NUM's youth structure national elective conference on Thursday, general secretary David Sipunzi told over 300 delegates the union had lost momentum and its future was in the hands of its young members.
“We have been asleep for far too long. We must revive that militancy in the NUM. I believe the youth should revive the militant NUM. That is your role as the youth,” said Sipunzi.
He admitted that respect had not only been lost from society at large, but from workers and employers as well.
The union which has been struggling with declining membership over the years was encouraged by Sipunzi to make its presence felt and take initiative.
During Sipunzi’s address, he was cheered on by delegates reaffirming that the union needs to find ways to bounce back and gain workers' confidence.
“Some things do happen seasonally, if it was a seasonal thing that we put our militancy in abeyance, this too long no. We must revive the spirit of militancy in the NUM. There is very little activism by the youth, if any,” he said.
“Let’s not blame others for the loss of respect. Let’s blame ourselves. We spend so much time and energy fighting among ourselves.We must avoid fighting among ourselves at all costs. We must work together and revive NUM.”
@heidigiokos
Labour Bureau