NATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME
The National Education Programme is designed to help build and strengthen union organisation through innovative and creative responses to the challenges facing the workers’ movement.
The DITSELA National Education Programme consists of accredited and non-accredited, formal and non-formal educational interventions. On the accredited programmes, we have the:
• DITSELA Advanced National Labour Education Programme (DANLEP)
• Labour Law Skills Programme
• The New Occupational Certificate: Trade Unionist.
Other short learning programmes DITSELA provides are:
Case Handling Disputes and Dismissals Course – 4 days
Aims:
- To provide an introductory overview of new and amended labour laws and how these laws relate to each other.
- To explore the advantages and disadvantages of using the law and the impact on organising strategies.
- To examine the legal dispute resolution machinery for unfair dismissals.
- To provide a practical and strategic framework for dealing with unfair dismissal disputes.
- To enhance practical skills in conducting conciliation and representing members. Content
- An overview of Labour Laws.
- Key aspects of the LRA and its practical application.
- Understanding the BCEA.
- Understanding the EEA and how employers and unions can use it.
- Non-legal aspects of dismissals
- Categorisation of different types of dismissal
- Dismissal for misconduct, incapacity and operational requirements
- Dealing with dismissals at the workplace
- Referring disputes to CCMA
Arbitration Course – 4 days
Aims
- To understand the role of arbitration and how they can be used effectively.
- To explore how best to prepare for arbitration and develop supporting materials.
- To practice representation skills for workers in arbitration hearings.
Advocacy Cross & Examination – 4 days
Aims:
- To explore the role of a union advocate, and legal representation rights.
- To practice preparing, presenting and leading evidence in arbitration cases and at the Labour Court.
- To identify appropriate questions to ask without jeopardising the case of the member.
Recruitment and Organising Course – 4 days
Aims:
- Participants credited with this course will be able to organize, recruit, service and represent workers.
- coordinate the structures of the workers they represent in accordance with their trade union values, principles and policies.
- They will also be able to mobilize their members.
Negotiation Skills: Strategy &Tactics, Disclosure of Information Course – 4 days
Aims:
- To explore different strategies and tactics in negotiations.
- To practice developing arguments in favour of unions policies.
- To explore the linkages between negotiations and broader union strategy.
- To develop skills in gathering and analysing financial and other forms of information.
- To build the confidence of negotiators and help them to use information more effectively
- To help union negotiators to be more effective.
- To identify how the LRA provides for information disclosure form employers to use in negotiations.
Negotiation Skills: Strategy &Tactics, Disclosure of Information Course – 4 days
Aims:
- To explore different strategies and tactics in negotiations.
- To practice developing arguments in favour of unions policies.
- To explore the linkages between negotiations and broader union strategy.
- To develop skills in gathering and analysing financial and other forms of information.
- To build the confidence of negotiators and help them to use information more effectively
- To help union negotiators to be more effective.
- To identify how the LRA provides for information disclosure form employers to use in negotiations.
Collective Bargaining Course – 4 days
Aims:
- In this course we will explore in depth collective bargaining issues.
- Processes building on what has already been covered in previous courses.
Administrator course within the context of Trade Union (Block1) – 4 days
Aims:
- To help new administrators to locate themselves in the labour movement
- To understanding what a union is and the role of an administrator in supporting the work of the union.
- To share cross-union experiences and the challenges faced by administrators.
- To develop and practice the administrative skills required to work effectively.
- To introduce key labour laws.
- To develop an understanding of the role administrators can play in securing workers their legal rights.
- To build the confidence of administrators to read and use legal materials to answer workers’ queries.
Introduction to Labour law for Administrators (Block 2) – 4 days
Aims:
- This course aims to help administrators to develop an understanding of South African labour laws.
- How to assist trade union members with legal issues in the absence of union officials.
- To introduce administrators to key labour laws.
- To develop an understanding of the role that administrators can play in defending and advancing workers legal rights.
- To build confidence of administrators to read and use labour law to support union officials in their work.
- To practice skills and use administrative tools to ensure effective and efficient union administration and service to union members.
Minutes and Report Writing – 4 days
Aims:
- To equip participants with the skills and confidence to prepare and write documents and reports
- To explore a range of writing techniques
- To practise writing powerfully and effectively
Introduction to ICT – 4 days
Aims:
- To use computer technology for effective internal and external communication
- To explore how computer technology can be used for national and international networking
- To use computer technology to find useful contacts and information
Finance for Non-Financials – 4 days
Aims:
- Understand the basics of accounting, financial systems and administration relevant to the trade union context
- Make informed suggestions on how to tackle some of the challenges of financial accountability within the union
- Understand the importance of budgeting, and contribute to planning, budgeting and budget control in your branch, region or nationally as appropriate.
- Carry out simple, manual bookkeeping tasks, and apply your understanding of underlying principles to improve financial accountability and responsibility
- Clarify the concepts of financial responsibility and financial accountability
- Interpret and explain financial policies and use them as a tool for improving accountability
- Read and where necessary, challenge or question union financial reports
- Clarify your role your own and other people’s roles in the union financial system
- To contribute to the development of the sound financial Managemental within the Union
- To deepen the understanding of the importance of effective budgeting and Union Finical Monitoring
- To develop and agree a clear approach to budgeting in provinces and ensuring implementation
- To Provide practical experience in preparing and monitoring budgets
Political Economy – 4 days
Aims:
- Develop a basic understating of political economy and some of its key concepts
- Develop an understanding of different approaches to the analysis of economic issues
- Develop a framework for understanding current debates around South Africa’s economic development
- Deepen our confidence when confronted with debates around economic issues and to feel encouraged to pursue ongoing study of political economy
- To develop an understanding of how economies, work, in particular the capitalist political economy
- To deepen our understanding of the South African political economy within the context of globalisation
- To develop analytical skills to engage and understand the responses of the labour movement to various industrial and economic policies
Occupational Health and Safety – 4 days
Aims:
- To introduce participants to the field of occupational health and safety as it impacts on the core objectives of Trade Unions to improve the working and living conditions of their members who depend on their work for their survival, health and well-being.
- They will develop skills in recognizing and assessing occupational health hazards and risks, and approaches to addressing them effectively at workplace level and beyond in their own Trade Union structures.
- Will take the view that the key concepts of OHS, and the laws which govern it in South Africa must be interpreted in the growing presence of precarious employment.
Gender and Women Development – 3 days
Aims:
- To build women trade unionists’ knowledge, skills and confidence to provide strategic leadership in the labour movement
- To empower women to engage and address issues from a gender perspective
- To build women’s’ capacity to strategies and struggle for gender equality
Women and Other Forms of Oppression – 4 days
Aims:
- Raise participants’ awareness and consciousness to address different kinds of oppression or discrimination, especially Gender Inequality, at the workplace, in the trade union and in the community.
How Trade Union Works (History of the Trade Union movement) Course – 4 days
Aims:
- Explore the role of trade unions in working class struggles historically and in contemporary societies.
- Seeks to set the foundation for subsequent courses, and specifically on the history and structure of trade unions within the working-class struggles.
Introduction Leadership/Building Effective Organisation – 4 days
Aims:
- To enhance the knowledge, leadership skills and democratic management practices of senior trade union leadership
- To contribute to the building of strong union organisation
- To offer practical skills in effective organisational change and development
Media and Communication Unionist Course – 4 days
Aims
- Critically engage with media in a global context
- Write opinion and analysis pieces for print media
- Use radio as an educational medium in support of trade union campaigns
- Formulate a communication strategy for the union
Educator Development Course – 3 days
This is a programme that begins with a Train the Trainer course.
The educators would then have to roll out educational activities with the objective to extend the reach and depth of the province. DITSELA is definitely not able to reach each and every person. But believes that with the PEP educators, even the furthest towns and cities can access trade union education.
Skills Development Course – 3 days
Train the Trainer Course – 3 days
Aims:
- To produce efficient and effective trainers
- To contribute to the building of skilled trainers
- To Introduce participants to the history of Trade Union Education
- To introduce participants to Adult Learning Theories
- To conscientise participants on the principles of Popular Education
- To develop trainers on Workshop Planning
- To develop participants on Facilitation Skills
- To help test PEP material developed by Ditsela.
- To help participants to start planning their roll outs.
Introductions to Research for Trade Unionist Course – 4 days
Aims:
- To develop basic skills to understand and use research for policy formulation
- To use research to inform appropriate strategies to improve our work
Introductions to Trustee Development for Trade Unionist Course – 4 days
AIMS:
To build trustee capacity within the trade union movement and other working-class organisations. To train and develop a core of worker trustee who can protect member’s assets and can improve member’s benefits. To enhance worker control and stewardship over how their resources are managed. To promote the allocation of economic and financial resources in a socially responsible and environmentally friendly manner. Furthermore, on a broader spectrum we look to explore the role of the Trustee in a multicultural society, and explore the relationship between the employer and its shared value systems.
Introduction to Knowledge Economy and Workplace Technologies(4IR) Course:
The Impact of Globalisation, Technology & Development – 4 days
AIMS:
- To look at the impact of Globalisation, Technology & Development
- To understand World of Work in the 4th Industrial and its impacts on Labour
- To understand ICT’s for Development and Social Justice Advocacy?
- To know and understand workplace technologies and tools for organising