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    Union and business efforts to increase productivity in the mining sector: A critical Reflection
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2016-02) Kaggwa, Martin
    The aim of this paper is to examine the practicality of how mineworkers, organised under a trade union, can participate in employers’ productivity-increasing initiatives in a mutually beneficial way in South Africa. A critical analysis of the concept of productivity and its practical application in the mining business environment, including the aspect of relationship dynamics between mineworkers and employers is done. It is highlighted that defining productivity in the sector is subjective and characterised by information asymmetry in favour of the employers. Moreover, low productivity has frequently been used as a reason against mineworkers’ quest for higher wages; as a result, the concept is viewed with suspicion by mineworkers. For a trade union to aggressively encourage its members to participate in productivity initiatives at the workplace, it needs to get some assurance that its members will benefit from the resultant increase in productivity. This will require that mineworkers and employers have a prior agreement on the definition of productivity, the parameters to measure it, and the extent to which a change in productivity will influence workers’ wages and benefits. Given the precedent of mineworkers’ exploitation and the existing trust deficit between parties in South Africa’s mining sector, the onus lies on the side of mining businesses to demonstrate and convince unions that the productivity initiatives are not just another tool to exploit workers. Otherwise, there is no doubt that increased productivity can be beneficial for both mining businesses and mineworkers
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    The State of Transformation in South Africa’s Energy, Mining and Construction Sectors
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2016) Sam Tambani Research Institute
    The exclusionary policies of apartheid systematically marginalised the majority of South Africans from partaking in the economic activities of their country. The Mining Charter and the B-BBEE codes were introduced to facilitate transformation in the mining, construction and energy sectors. This paper examines the extent to which the objectives of the Mining Charter and the B-BBEE codes have been achieved in the mining, construction and energy sectors. The findings show that some progress has been made in terms of compliance, however transformation has not occurred at the intended rate. It is recommended that unions need to find space to be part of the mining Charter and B-BBEE compliance auditing processes. Furthermore, workers must be sensitised on the requirements of the mining Charter and BBBEE codes and be empowered to report, continually on progress made at the workplace towards meeting these requirements, within their own structures.
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    Can mining, sustainable development and mitigating effects of climate change be mutually inclusive? A reflection on South Africa’s situation
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2016) Kaggwa, Martin
    Central to Sustainable Development (SD) is the improvement of people’s welfare in perpetuity SD is based on the understanding that development of any country depletes a country’s resources needed to sustain it Implementation of development initiatives often has unintended negatives developing over time such as climate change Achieving higher levels of economic growth is a necessarily but not sufficient condition for SD To achieve SD, natural-resource rich countries have to exploit these resources to trigger the required economic growth! Exploiting the natural resources is inherently non-sustainable
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    Modelling the Effect of Carbon Tax on high emission sectors employment using a System Dynamics Model
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2016-11-17) Kaggwa, Martin
    Global warming is no longer a contested phenomenon –the issue is how to deal with it! SA government recognizes that the country is vulnerable to effects of climate change. Introduction of a CT is one of the policy interventions by SA government to mitigate global warming. Position of organized labour on the introduction of a CT has ranged from outright rejection to requesting delay in its implementation. Impact of a CT on employment in South Africa still uncertain. As a contribution to the debate, a SD is used to model the effect of CT on employment in high emission sectors.
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    Job Losses In The Mining Industry Minerals And Petroleum Board
    (National Union of Mineworkers, 2016) National Union of Mineworkers
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    Contextualising of Organised Labour’s Position on Carbon Tax in South Africa Using a Qualitative System Dynamics Model
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2016) Kaggwa, Martin
    The South African government planned to introduce a carbon tax from 2013 as part of its efforts to reduce pollution levels emanating from domestic economic activities. The position of organised labour has, however, ranged from outright rejection to requests for a delay in implementation of the policy until employment safe-guards are put in place. Organised labour felt strongly that a carbon tax would have a negative impact on local employment. This paper examines the validity of organised labours’ concerns on possible job losses using a qualitative system dynamics approach. A case is made that despite being set at low levels, the carbon tax has potential to negatively affect competitiveness of firms in the long term. The potential job loss from the carbon tax will not necessarily be a result of increases in the immediate operational costs of firms, but rather from the loss of firms’ competitiveness in the long term. It is recommended that the implementation of the carbon tax be put on hold until safe-guards to local employment are put in place. One of the possible safeguards is to ensure that local manufacturers have access to low cost but clean production technologies that do not substitute the local labour force but rather supplement its productivity.
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    A systems dynamics approach to understanding the biofuels socio-technical transition.
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2016) Stafford, W; Simelane, T; Kaggwa, Martin; Mutanga, Shingirirai
    Biofuels are renewable energy sources that are alternatives to petroleum fossil-fuels. Since energy is a domestic necessity and also a factor of production (enabling a variety of services such as transportation, heating, and food production), the widespread production and use of biofuels can facilitate low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive economic development. However, biofuels do not automatically deliver these development benefits. If managed incorrectly, biomass can be harvested at unsustainable rates, cause increases in emissions and environmental pollution, displace food security and livelihoods, and increase poverty. Therefore, appropriate management and governance will be needed to ensure that the biofuels transition is tailored to the local social, economic, and ecological context. Responding to this challenge dictates that new concepts and research tools be applied to represent and model complex systems. In addition, a multi-level perspective is needed to reveal the scale and levels of hierarchy in the system and understand the biofuels market uptake and diffusion. This chapter uses System Dynamics tools and a multi-level approach in order to reveal the various factors that will influence the transition to a biofuels socio-technical system, and to identify components that will regulate the behaviour of the biofuels system. Different stages of the biofuels system (biofuel feedstock production, biofuels production, and biofuels market uptake) were analysed using Causal loop diagrams in order to identify influencing variables and reveal important regulating feedback loops that determine the systems behaviour. This revealed that the transition to a sustainable biofuels future would require a spectrum of wide interrelated changes. The multidimensional shift from the current fossil based regime to a biofuels regime will require changes in technology, markets, user practices, social and cultural preference, policy and governance. Considering the established petroleum dependency of the existing energy system, the transition to a biofuels future will need a coordinated and systems approach so that biofuels contribute to a new green economy and a sustainable development pathway.
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    AMD and the Mining Sector Contribution to the South African Economy
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2015) Sam Tambani Research Institute
    Debate on how to make the mining sector in South Africa benefit more people and subsequently enhance the sector’s contribution to national development has tended to ignore that mining activities have negative effects to society. These negative effects, which economists broadly refer to as negative externalities of production, are important in assessing the short term and long term benefits of mining activities. Without taking into account the externalities, the sector’s contribution to the country’s economy is likely to be exaggerated. The chapter discusses the performance and contribution of the mining sector to the South African economy taking into account the negative externality element of the Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). It makes the case that profit and production levels for the sector have been kept higher than the optimal levels as a result of not taking into account the AMD. It suggests that this aspect need to be the acknowledged in national policy debates and in policy formulation aimed at sustaining the country’s benefit from mining activities. Otherwise the current and future contribution of mining to the local economy will remain distorted.
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    Potential Solutions to Economic Exclusion of the Youth, particularly Women in South Africa
    (National Union of Mineworkers, 2015) Mgotywa, Sabelo
    Definition of Economic Exclusion (EE) Extent of the Problem Proposed Potential Solutions to EE: Legislative Solution Economic Solution (Economic and Industrial Policies) Political Solution Societal Value System NUM Experience on EE
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    Contextualizing of Organized Labour Position on Carbon Tax in South Africa using a Qualitative System Dynamics Model
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2015-07) Kaggwa, Martin
    South Africa (SA) Carbon Tax Policy (CTP): structure and arguments for and against The conventional one way causal model of SA’s Carbon Tax Policy SA Carbon Tax Policy as Qualitative System Dynamics (SD) Model Insights from SA’s CTP articulated as SD Model Conclusion and recommendations
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    Carbon Tax
    (National Union of Mineworkers, 2013-08-01) National Union of Mineworkers
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    Women Structure Report To 06th National Women’s Conference
    (National Union of Mineworkers, 2014-11) Letlala, Faith
    -Feedback on the women structure performance –achievement and challenges -Analyses sustainability of women structure at national and regional levels -Discusses structure’s participation in national and international Women movements and forums -Includes with regional reports
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    The effect of labour unrest in the mines on skills development and training
    (National Union of Mineworkers, 2014) Montoedi, Tshimane
    “Labour unrest in the mining sector does not have a direct effect on skills development and training” Rather “Lack of skills development and training has been a cause of labour unrest in the sector” It is important to get the direction of causality right
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    Research on Challenges Facing Women in the Workplace (Mining, Construction and Energy Sectors)
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2014)
    1.Investigate challenges facing women within the mining, energy and construction sectors 2.Assess the extent to which women have benefited from developments in their respective workplace 3.Identify areas for intervention based on women needs and expectations 4.To enable the union to assess and review internal processes with a view of coming up with solutions\interventions to address women-specific challenges as identified
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    Sam Tambani Research Institute - Our Response To Corona Virus(Covid19)
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2020) Sam Tambani Research Institute
    Corona Virus (Covid-19) Safety Protocols, Getting The Workplace Ready for Covid-19 Covid-19 Impact on Socio-economic well being, SATRI Research Projects on Covid-19 impact
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    Dealing with Uncertainty: System Dynamics Approach for Modelling SA’s Response to COVID-19
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2020-08-20) Sam Tambani Research Institute; Kaggwa, Martin
    Background to COVID-19 Modelling in SA  What is Systems Dynamics Modelling  Basics of Systems Dynamics Modelling  Why Systems Dynamic in modelling SA Response to Covid-19 ?
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    What is it about and how should Organised Labour?
    (2019) Kaggwa, Martin; Sam Tambani Research Institute
    Industrial Revolution (IR): A fundamental change in the way production of goods and services is conducted The 4thIndustrial Revolution (4IR): A change in the way production of goods and services is conducted characterised by high technology and less human involvement –More details later Because 4IR has far reaching implication to employment, organised labour need to have a position on it. The presentation summarises characteristics of the different IRs, their
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    SATRI Response to Eskom Roadmap – Unbundling
    (Sam Tambani Research Institute, 2019) Sam Tambani Research Institute
    The unbundling model being proposed is complex, untested and the human aspect is not properly accounted for. The challenge labour has is that accepting the Transmission Entity is accepting the entire business model.
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    What is (has been) the role of Unions in the mining industry in South Africa?
    (National Union of Mineworkers, 2019) National Union of Mineworkers
    The mining sector has long history of worker exploitation of local and migrant workers Few companies dominates the sector (too much power over workers) Historically mine-profits were based on exploitation of illiterate mineworkers Hence the need of workers to organise for better conditions in the sector was inevitable It should be noted that black mineworkers were not allowed to form trade unions between the periods of 1946 to 1982