HOW UNIONS ARE HAMSTRUNG IN THE PR ARENA

I received what I suppose was intended as a slap over the wrist this week. From Vodacom.It was because of the column written last week about the dispute between the company and a group of unionised workers wearing Communications Workers’ Union (CWU) T-shirts. The company response noted with “concern” that I had not first obtained the view of the Vodacom’s “chief communications officer,” Dot Field before writing.This reveals a misunderstanding about what this column is about. And the manner in which the message was issued underlined just why such a column should exist in the way it does, as a reflection of the views, perceptions and attitudes of and within the labour movement.Because, although the message was signed by Dot Field, it was issued by Mari-Louise Esterhuizen of Magna Carta, the public relations wing of the major advertising agency TBWA\ Hunt\Lascaris. In bold red capital letters it also informed me that “MAGNA CARTA MAY NOT BE QUOTED ON BEHALF OF VODACOM”.I have obeyed this injunction, but feel it is necessary to point out the connection with Magna Carta because it highlights the disproportionate balance of resources and public relations expertise that exists between employers and unions. This has long been a source of resentment within the labour movement.It is not just a national, regional or continental reality, it applies internationally. The labour movement maintains, with apparent justification, that at least part of the reason is that most mainstream media outlets are owned or controlled by individuals or groups that share the interests of, or are beholden to, the corporate world.As a result of this imbalance of resources and access, employers all too often win the media battle in terms of getting across their viewpoints to the general public. This, in turn, causes widespread anger about the media among rank and file trade unionists, with journalists frequently in the firing line.But there are a few spaces within the mainstream media for the voice of labour. With few exceptions, on a weekly basis, 48 times a year for the past ten years, this has been one — and remains so.This column reflects labour. It is not a dispassionate analysis of industrial relations; in it I accept that employers and employees have conflicting interests; that it is in the interests of the former is to maximise profits; the latter to improve wages and conditions which have a negative impact on profits. Here are to be found some of the varied viewpoints of unionists and unions.They exist within our liberal parliamentary democracy, where the exploitative nature of capital is ameliorated by the existence of independent trade unions and by the labour laws they, as collectives of voters, are able to to influence.But while the trade union movement is numerically by far the largest formation in society its financial resources and public relations expertise are puny compared with those that especially large companies and employer organisations can muster.Corporate public relations are constantly in play in often sophisticated and — as many unionists see it — underhand ways to win journalist friends and influence media people and output.Several unionists remarked this week that Vodacom’s response to me was clear evidence of this. It was summed up by Mfanafuthi Sithebe, spokesperson of the CWU: “In the media battle, it’s like a boxing match where the union fighter has his hands tied behind his back.”However, the union fighter is the numerical heavyweight. In South Africa, the three main trade union federations alone have a combined membership of more than 2 million workers. And that weight has swung behind the CWU.Says Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven: “On Wednesday this week the Cosatu central executive committee resolved ot give full support to the CWU.” After examining the reports regarding Vodacom and the CWU, the federation resolved that the employer had displayed both “arrogance and ruthlessness” in its dealings with the union.Cosatu’s statement ended with the traditional “Viva! CWU, viva!” salutation, which was echoed by National Council of Unions (Nactu) national organiser, Chaka Leepo, although the CWU is a Cosatu affiliate.Says Leepo: “Employers have to realise that workers have the right of freedom of association — the right to organise — and that no employer has an absolute right to dictate to workers what they should wear.”Federation of Unions (Fedusa) general secretary Dennis George, concurs. : “Many employers do not have regard for our constitution and our rights; in the pubic relations field they often have millions of rands they can throw at issues.”As the unions see it, this is a clear case of an injury to one being an injury to all. And the CWU has pointed this out in an open letter to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela who recently staged her 70th birthday celebration at a Vodacom venue in Sandton.“We are now asking for everyone who supports the democratic rights of workers to take a stand on principle,” says Sithebe.