POPCRU and SAPU, Training Implementation Report, 2001 – 2003

Background

POPCRU was established in 1989 during political campaigns that sought to challenge the apartheid state. POPCRU is affiliated to the main trade union federation, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), and represents 86.000 members from three State departments: Confection Services, Traffic, and Safety & Security. The South African Police Union (SAPU) was formed in 1993 and represents 68.000 members in the police service. SAPU is not affiliated to any trade union federation.

The democratisation of South Africa in 1994 brought about sweeping changes at a legislative level, ushering in a human rights framevork across the political, economic, cultural and social spectrum. Under the labour legislation of the apartheid government the unionsation of state organs such as the police and the defence force, was illegal. The subsequent repeal of previous labour laws introduced the rights of workers and their organisations in the workplace, which in turn facilitated the ongoing mobilisation of workers in the public sector and gave effect to their lawfull operation.

At an internal level, a hierachy of rank systems that promoted and entreched authoritarian management styles characterised the organisation structure of the South African Police Service and the Correctional Services Department. The organisational environment was a barrier to addressing challenges faced by workers which includes low pay, long working hours, dangerous working conditions and low morale. It was hostility to trade unionism, which was perceived to be a mechanism through which autority was being undermined. This potentially obstructed the develompent of sound labour relations whitin the organisation. Externally, the organisation's image was tarnished. Its historical role as an oppressive organ of the State was further diminished by a public view that it was incapable of dealing with crime.

POPCRU believed that the labour relations problems encoutered by its membership in the safety and security sector and in correctional services was partly due to a lack of appropriate professional skills. It was therefore imperative that education and training initiatives included a component of professional responsibility as a positive contribution to effective service delivery. SAPU's position was that as long as conditions of service remained poor, morale would continue to be low and service delivery would continue to suffer. It argued that if was paramount importance to invest in improving management as an approach to building sound labour relations in the police service.

Purpose/objective

With consistent support from the Norwegian Labour Federation, the Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS) and NORAD, the South African Police Union and the Police and Prison Civil Rights Union established a collaborative training parthership in the area of Union Leadership Management Training. A totalt of fifteen training courses were implemented over a threeyear period.

The aim of the training was that participants would learn basic and advanced skills in project management, union leadership and management and gender studies. It was further envisaged that participants for the advanced training programs would be drawn from those who previosly attended the elementary training. In addition, participants would be derived from leadership located at a local provincial and national level. From the targeted group, at least 30% of the trainees would be female participants. Another main objective for the project was to develop a closer relation between POPCRU and SAPU.

Methodology

Random samples are usually drawn with the assumption that the samples are representative. In attempting to gauge the impact of the training, a sample of the participants was drawn at random from the participant lists as an unbiased approach, since no member of the target group has any more chance of being selected than any other member. The rationale for this approach is that all members are equal before the bar of selection.

Althoug the sample was randomly selected from attendance registers it had to be altered because gender representation could not be ensured and/or where participants could not be contacted for various reasons.

Interviews were semi-structured (to allow for probing were necessary) and conducted with participants randomly chosen from specific courses. It provided an oppfortunity to explain the information we were looking for and the extent of the response required. This was done telephonically as a cost-effective measure.

Key findings

Both SAPU and POPCRU report that their members benefit from this program, particularly regarding skills as i.e.: Facilitation, Disciplinary hering and Procedures, Organising, Union leadership, Gender studies and so on. IS is apparent that the programs succeeds in improving the relationship between the two organisation, and they report their satisfaction with the contribution from YS.

Recommendations

Although the political situation in South Africa is stable, the relationship both between employer/employees organisations and between different employees organisations are fragile. A well functioning labour market is beneficial for development of any democracy. Feedback on this project indicate a positive development regarding the relationship between the participating organisations, however, it also seems clear this process needs to continue. Both organisations push for continued co-operation.

Comments from the organisation

As the employees organisations gain more experience an natural step in this or a future project would be to involve employers organisations both from Norway and South Africa. The Norwegian model with fruitful co-operation between employers and employees confederation receives a keen interest. However, the trust among these parties in South Africa appears to be on a different level than I Norway, thus an effort in this area is being looked into; and ought to be considered in the future.