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Since liberation from apartheid after 1994, the labour market was restructured to relieve employers of their obligations and keep workers on short-term contracts. New forms of work were created where the boss is one’s own self-discipline and the formal protections of a job don’t exist. This ‘casual’ labour includes care work, waste picking and call centre sales of insurance or cell phone deals.

As part of its commitment to organising and advancing the rights of marginalised workers, Workers’ World Media Productions is bringing such workers together to a conference in Johannesburg, 17-20 February 2016.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Day 1. Wednesday 17 February

19.00–21.30

OPENING SESSION

Welcome and Introductions

  • Who is WWMP and what is the LCMP?

  • Aims of the Workshop

  • Workshop Programme and documents

  • Arrangements for daily newsletter production

 

Keynote Input: The World Economic Crisis, the local Political Crisis and the state of the Working Class – What is to be Done?

 Day 2. Thursday 18 February

08.30–10.30

  • Reflecting on the opening session of the previous day

  • Reflecting on our Progress in building LCMF’s and working class power in our areas.

10.30–11.00

TEA BREAK

11.00–13.00

The Current and Future Attacks on the Working Class:

  • Retirement Funds

  • Education Privatisation

  • Increased Food Prices

  • Retrenchments

  • Healthcare – Privatisation and costs

  • Our Democratic Rights

13.00–14.00

LUNCH

14.00–17.00

An Introduction to Occupational Health, Safety and Compensation

19.00–21.30

 

Building Working Class Organisation, Building Working Class Power.

  • Understanding Us and Them

  • What is Power and why do we need it?

  • How do we build working class Power?

  • What strengthens us, what weakens us and how to respond?

  • The Crisis of Leadership and how to overcome it?

  • What is to be done and how?

  • Our tasks for LCMF’s and our Organisations

 Day 3. Friday 19 February

08.30–09.00

Recap Day 2

09.00–11.00

The situation of marginalised and vulnerable workers and the Struggle to get Organised

  • Care Workers and NUCWOSA

  • Farmworkers

  • Foreign migrant workers

  • Call Centre Workers

  • Waste Pickers

11.00–11.30

TEA BREAK

11.30–13.00

Supporting Marginalised and Vulnerable Workers

  • What are our Roles and tasks as LCMF’s for supporting the organising and defence of vulnerable and marginalised workers?

13.00–14.00

LUNCH BREAK

14.3017.30

Media Power and Our Media Production

  • Labour radio, TV, Print and Seminars, topics for 2016 and how we must participate and organise/mobilise.

18.0020.30

FAREWELL BRAAI

Day 4. Saturday 20 February

08.00–10.00

The STOP Violence Against Women, Justice for Pinky Mosiane Campaign

Report on Campaign and proposed POA for 2016

10.00–10.30

TEA BREAK

11.00–11.45

Summary of Workshop and Way Forward for 2016

11.45–13.30

Planning our LCMF’s Programmes of Action for 2016 – 2017

  • Our LCMF POA for our area

  • Resource Support

  • Local and National Co-ordination

13.30–14.00

  • Evaluation of Workshop

  • Concluding Remarks, Way Forward and Closure

14.00–15.00

LUNCH BREAK

15.00

Departure