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19 August, 2009
was an organic intellectual schooled by concrete realities and conditions on the ground. He was humble and down to earth and always prioritized the workers. He was the jewel in our crown. It is sad when leaders from whom we are supposed to draw inspiration when we are visited by misfortune in our organisations are leaving us behind.
When I started working at Volkswagen in 1994 PJ was already the president of Cosatu and a VW full-time shop steward. In 1995 there was a campaign in the plant that he must not be re-elected as a shop steward because he was serving Cosatu head office and not his constituency at plant level. But throughout the process Gomomo remained resilient, patiently engaging comrades constructively. He did not lose focus because he knew the challenges which go with a leadership position. He did not declare those who differed with him as his enemy. He held on and absorbed the pressure. Throughout this process, he accumulated a lot of experience. He became a politically mature comrade, a time-tested revolutionary, an embodiment of the (ANC, COSATU and SACP) Alliance.
He pushed for strategic unionism, where the role of Cosatu was to be concerned with broader social and political issues as well as the immediate needs of its members. He believed that the Union is a social force for transformation. It was important for the Union to remain committed to worker control and democracy, it must maintain its character as the movement and move with the challenges of the time.
He was able to see and identify dangers to the workers years before they could happen.He was consistent in saying that we can not use strategies of the 1970s to address 1997 challenges.
In 2003, when Volkswagen was celebrating its 50 years anniversary he was invited by management to address the gathering. He advocated that the role of the union is to be proactive and effective. It must be able to monitor complex agreements with government and employers. It must be able to make important contributions to national and economic and social development. What he warned us about in 2003 and before is currently happening in the company: there are temporary employees on long term contracts, there are retrenchments, there is short time, there is inflation targeting and there is no massive employment.
PJ was a good negotiator and a problem solver. Even though he spent most of his time in Johannesburg at Cosatu he always prioritized Numsa work at plant level. He was efficient to intervene on critical issues in the plant. He first took plant level negotiations to provincial level in the structure called the Eastern Cape Industrial Council where only General Motors, VWSA and Ford were parties. Later he helped found the National Bargaining Forum (NBF) where Numsa and auto employers negotiate every three years.
When the employer locked workers out for eight days due to an illegal strike, he led the negotiations with the company. He demanded that workers be paid four days out of that eight days. But the human resources manager, BK Smith, told workers to "go to hell". Gomomo responded by saying "we will meet in hell!" Workers with the help of Numsa lawyers returned to work with eight days pay, but only for Numsa members. After that every worker joined Numsa!
He was also a disciplinarian. He once he led a delegation of Numsa shop stewards to Germany. Some shop stewards misbehaved and did not attend meetings. PJ and other shop stewards sent those shop stewards back home. They instructed them to report to members the reasons for them to come back early.
PJ lived, not because he could breathe
He did not live, because blood flowed through his veins
PJ lived, because he surrendered his very being to the people
PJ had a vision and a purpose in life
PJ ceased to be himself and became the parapet of the people
While Cosatu lives
While Numsa lives
PJ cannot die
Adapted from an article in Numsa News No 1 March 2008 by Xolani Tshayana, Numsa's Education and Training Officer at Volkswagen.
When I started working at Volkswagen in 1994 PJ was already the president of Cosatu and a VW full-time shop steward. In 1995 there was a campaign in the plant that he must not be re-elected as a shop steward because he was serving Cosatu head office and not his constituency at plant level. But throughout the process Gomomo remained resilient, patiently engaging comrades constructively. He did not lose focus because he knew the challenges which go with a leadership position. He did not declare those who differed with him as his enemy. He held on and absorbed the pressure. Throughout this process, he accumulated a lot of experience. He became a politically mature comrade, a time-tested revolutionary, an embodiment of the (ANC, COSATU and SACP) Alliance.
He pushed for strategic unionism, where the role of Cosatu was to be concerned with broader social and political issues as well as the immediate needs of its members. He believed that the Union is a social force for transformation. It was important for the Union to remain committed to worker control and democracy, it must maintain its character as the movement and move with the challenges of the time.
He was able to see and identify dangers to the workers years before they could happen.He was consistent in saying that we can not use strategies of the 1970s to address 1997 challenges.
In 2003, when Volkswagen was celebrating its 50 years anniversary he was invited by management to address the gathering. He advocated that the role of the union is to be proactive and effective. It must be able to monitor complex agreements with government and employers. It must be able to make important contributions to national and economic and social development. What he warned us about in 2003 and before is currently happening in the company: there are temporary employees on long term contracts, there are retrenchments, there is short time, there is inflation targeting and there is no massive employment.
PJ was a good negotiator and a problem solver. Even though he spent most of his time in Johannesburg at Cosatu he always prioritized Numsa work at plant level. He was efficient to intervene on critical issues in the plant. He first took plant level negotiations to provincial level in the structure called the Eastern Cape Industrial Council where only General Motors, VWSA and Ford were parties. Later he helped found the National Bargaining Forum (NBF) where Numsa and auto employers negotiate every three years.
When the employer locked workers out for eight days due to an illegal strike, he led the negotiations with the company. He demanded that workers be paid four days out of that eight days. But the human resources manager, BK Smith, told workers to "go to hell". Gomomo responded by saying "we will meet in hell!" Workers with the help of Numsa lawyers returned to work with eight days pay, but only for Numsa members. After that every worker joined Numsa!
He was also a disciplinarian. He once he led a delegation of Numsa shop stewards to Germany. Some shop stewards misbehaved and did not attend meetings. PJ and other shop stewards sent those shop stewards back home. They instructed them to report to members the reasons for them to come back early.
PJ lived, not because he could breathe
He did not live, because blood flowed through his veins
PJ lived, because he surrendered his very being to the people
PJ had a vision and a purpose in life
PJ ceased to be himself and became the parapet of the people
While Cosatu lives
While Numsa lives
PJ cannot die
Adapted from an article in Numsa News No 1 March 2008 by Xolani Tshayana, Numsa's Education and Training Officer at Volkswagen.