Taking COSATU Today Forward, 3 November 2025 #Cosatu@40 #Cosatu40thAnniversary
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #Cosatu40thAnniversary countdown begins… #Cosatu scheduled to hold its 40th Anniversary at Dobsonville, Soweto on December 6 #Cosatu@40 #Cosatu40thAnniversary #SACTU70 #ClassStruggle “Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism” #Back2Basics #JoinCOSATUNow #ClassConsciousness |
Taking COSATU Today Forward
‘Whoever sides with the revolutionary people in deed as well as in word is a revolutionary in the full sense’-Maoo
Our side of the story
3 November 2025
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- COSATU to host lectures in the lead up to 40th anniversary
- South Africa
- NUM Post-NEC Statement
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- COSATU wishes South Africa a successful term as SACD Chair
- Global unions reaffirm support for a binding UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
COSATU to host lectures in the lead up to 40th anniversary
Zanele Sabela, COSATU National Spokesperson, 25 September 2025
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is set the host a series of lectures in the lead up to its 40th anniversary celebration at Dobsonville Stadium on 6 December.
The culmination of four years of unity talks, COSATU came into being on 1 December 1985, and brought together 33 competing unions and federations opposed to apartheid and whose common goal was to bring about a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society.
The Federation has been at the forefront of advancing, defending and protecting the interests and rights of workers since, and has led in the formation of the country’s progressive labour laws including workers’ rights to form trade unions, collective bargaining and to strike, minimum conditions of service, National Minimum Wage, etc.
From its vehement resistance of apartheid to the ushering in of the democratic dispensation and improving the economic and social wellbeing of the working class 31 years post democracy, COSATU has stood the test of time.
In the lead up to its 40th anniversary in December, the Federation will host a variety of activities starting with a series of lectures by its National Office Bearers.
The lectures will tackle diverse subjects from COSATU’s pivotal role in gender struggles to the strike that broke the back of industry-wide exploitative labour practices as far back as 1959.
Province:
North-West
Date:
19 November
Topic: Strengthening Industrial Unions to build a militant COSATU
Main Speaker: Duncan Luvuno, COSATU 2nd Deputy President
Province:
Eastern Cape
Date:
20 November
Topic: COSATU and the Reconfiguration of the Alliance
Main Speaker: Mike Shingange, COSATU 1st Deputy President
Province:
Gauteng
Date:
21 November
Topic: COSATU and the Mass Democratic Movement
Main Speaker: Zingiswa Losi, COSATU President
Issued by COSATU
NUM Post-NEC Statement
Mpho Phakedi, NUM General Secretary, 2 November 2025
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) convened its Ordinary National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on the 30th and 31st of October 2025 at Emperors Palace. The NEC thoroughly assessed the struggles facing mineworkers, energy workers, construction workers, and metalworkers, resolving to intensify the fight against job losses, exploitation, and the destruction of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs).
1. Crisis of Job Losses and Industry Shrinkage
The NEC expressed grave concern over the escalating crisis of retrenchments and the shrinkage of key industrial sectors, which directly impacts the livelihoods of thousands of working-class families.
• Beeshoek Mine Closure Threat: The NEC demands urgent government intervention to save up to 688 jobs at Beeshoek iron ore mine, calling for proactive measures to prevent a socio-economic disaster. The NUM specifically insists that the government take immediate steps to ensure the renewal of the supply contract or implement alternative solutions that secure continued employment for affected workers. The NEC highlights the need for transparent updates from the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) on the status of mine closure protocols and demands full legal compliance.
The formal consultation process initiated by the mine via a Section 189 notice earlier this year concluded on 27 October 2025. This painful process has confirmed that 622 employees will be retrenched, effective 30 November 2025.
As the NEC, we are deeply concerned about Assmang’s approach throughout this process. We note their insistence on applying a uniform retrenchment model across different operations without recognising the unique socio-economic and operational circumstances of each site. We are further alarmed at the speed with which Assmang Beeshoek advanced this, running the Section 189 of the LRA process parallel to the mine closure application under Section 52 of the MPRDA.
We also note with sadness that mine closure protocols, which fall squarely under Section 52 requirements, did not appear to have been followed to the letter of the law. As workers now face going home, the status of the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) processes remains alarmingly unclear.
This retrenchment will have a devastating impact on our members, their families, and the greater Postmansburg community. Retrenchments are always painful and deeply concerning for unions, as they strike at the heart of workers’ dignity, livelihoods, and the economic lifeblood of communities built around mining operations.
NUM will stand with the affected workers and demands that Assmang and all relevant regulatory authorities fully comply with legal, ethical, and social obligations. The NUM specifically calls on the government, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR), and all social partners to immediately intervene with concrete measures to prevent socio-economic collapse, including job protection initiatives and community support.
• Metal Sector Bloodbath: The NEC noted with alarm the challenges in the Metal Sector, where numerous companies face Section 189 notices due to intense competition, particularly from China. We condemn the practice of Chinese companies prioritizing sales shops over local manufacturing, which is detrimental to job creation. The NEC calls for an immediate and urgent joint session with the relevant government departments and industry stakeholders to develop a plan to protect and grow domestic manufacturing jobs.
2. Collective Bargaining: Fighting for a Living Wage
The NEC affirmed its uncompromising commitment to securing substantial and justifiable wage increases for all members in the face of the crippling high cost of living (food, petrol, and electricity).
• Sibanye-Stillwater Gold Negotiations: The NEC is monitoring the deadlock in wage negotiations at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Gold Sector, now referred to the CCMA. We reject the company's continuous plea of poverty when the gold price has more than doubled, recently scaling new record peaks above $4,300 an ounce. Our revised demand of a 6.5% increase for artisans, miners, and officials, and R1,300 for the lowest category, for three years, is justifiable. The NEC also insists on six months of fully paid maternity leave, not the four months currently offered. Sibanye must put profits second and employees first.
• Eskom Wage Talks: The NEC is firm on its demand for a 15% wage increase for Eskom employees, a figure justified by the soaring cost of living. We stand in solidarity with other unions at Eskom in demanding that negotiations remain within the Central Bargaining Forum. Eskom and the government must understand that the unbundling of the entity must not be used to unbundle workers’ unity and collective bargaining rights. The unions are saying that while Eskom is currently unbundling itself, it must not unbundle their members, as the members prefer to negotiate in the Central Bargaining Forum. Wage talks could stall early over Eskom’s proposal to let unbundled and legally separated entities establish their own union recognition agreements. The NUM is demanding 15%. This increase is justifiable given the high cost of living. The price of food, petrol, and electricity has increased exponentially. This 15% will assist workers in compensating for these increases. Eskom and it's trade unions will meet again on the 11th to the 14 of November 2025 .
• Modikwa Platinum Mine: The NEC fully backs the demand for R1,300 for A-Band to B7 and 6% for C-Band. Members have correctly rejected the meagre R1,100 offer.
• South African Diamond and Precious Metal Regulator (SADPMR): While acknowledging global market challenges, the NEC condemns SADPMR's continuous plea of poverty. We demand that Treasury fully fund this PFMA Schedule 3A public entity to enable a justifiable 10% Cost of Living Adjustment for all employees.
3. Health and Safety: Zero Harm is Non-Negotiable
The NEC expresses its deepest concern and anger over the increase in mining fatalities, with the total reaching 38 for the year to date—a tragic increase from 32 in the previous year. Key health and safety challenges are exposure to occupational health and safety hazards resulting in fatalities, injuries, and occupational diseases. Employees fear exercising their right to withdraw from dangerous working conditions due to victimization. Timely adoption of technology and leading practices to protect the health and safety of the mineworkers. The NEC is of the view that the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) must ensure that all mines collaborate with the organized labour to have health and safety days and campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of adhering to health and safety protocols. The NUM will continue to fight for zero fatality and zero harm in all four sectors it organises.
• Carletonville Tragedy: The NEC is extremely disturbed that on the 7th of October 2025, NUM Carletonville Region experienced a gruesome accident where a female worker who was working for a company called Covalent at Blyvoor 6 accidentally fell to her death in the shaft bottom. She was working as an Onsetter. This accident was very disturbing as there were allegations that the worker passed away while she was doing the work of a banksman, and we hope the investigations and the fatal inquiry and shed light on what really happened. Employers who compromise safety for production must face the full might of the law.
4. Action Against Privatisation: Western Cape March
The NEC unequivocally supports the upcoming NUM Western Cape Region and SACP march to Eskom and the Department of Employment and Labour offices on Saturday, 8th November 2025. This march is a direct offensive against:
• The Privatisation and Unbundling of Eskom and the Liberalisation of the Energy Sector, which serves capital at the expense of the working class.
• Wage stagnation and the exploitation of workers, including the Exploitative Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
• Electricity tariff hikes that punish the poor.
• Constant delays in the signing of crucial wage agreements by the Minister of Employment & Labour.
• 5. A Decade of Struggle: Anniversary Celebrations
5. The NEC proudly acknowledges the political advancement and historical importance of key allied organizations.
• COSATU 40th Anniversary: The NEC congratulates the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) on its 40th Anniversary on 06 December 2025. We call on all NUM members to attend the celebration at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto to honour the legacy of our founding Deputy President, Comrade Elijah Barayi, and the Federation's pivotal role in the struggle for workers' rights and democracy. Since its formation on December 1, 1985, COSATU has been at the forefront of the struggle, playing a pivotal role in dismantling apartheid and shaping the progressive labour landscape we know today. From championing the National Minimum Wage to advocating for improved working conditions and social protections, the Federation has consistently served as the voice of the working class. Former NUM founding Deputy Elijah Barayi was the first president of COSATU, serving as a key leader during the union federation's founding in 1985. His role was to help unify fragmented unions under the principle of "one industry, one union" and lead the federation in its fight against apartheid through strikes and campaigns for workers' rights and political freedom, such as the Living Wage Campaign and the demand for the release of political prisoners. Barayi played a crucial role in the unity talks that led to the creation of COSATU and was elected its first president at the inaugural rally in December 1985. As president, he became a prominent voice, famously declaring that "a giant has risen" to oppose the apartheid government. He helped lead COSATU's efforts to campaign for political change, including the unbanning of organizations like the ANC and the release of political prisoners.
• WFTU 80th Anniversary: The NEC congratulated the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) for celebrating its 80th anniversary at the Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg last week. The event was addressed by the WFTU Deputy General Secretary (DGS), comrade Swadesh Devroye. WFTU was established in Paris on 3 October 1945 . The First World Trade Union Congress (Paris, 3-8 October 1945), which voted to establish the WFTU, was attended by delegates representing 67 million workers from 56 national organizations from 55 countries and 20 international organizations. The basic aim of the First World Trade Union Congress was nothing other than the objectives quoted above from the U. N. Charter. The U. N. Charter spoke in the name of “We the peoples of the United Nations”. The Paris Congress of WFTU spoke in the name of the working people of the world, organized in trade unions, who wanted a world free from war and social injustices.
• NUM Leadership Deployment: The NEC has formally extended its congratulations to its General Secretary, comrade Mpho Phakedi, for being co-opted in the Central Committee (CC) of the SACP. The NEC also congratulated the NUM Youth Structure (NUMYS) National Political and Ideological Officer, Comrade Olorato Olifant, following her successful election to the South African Youth Council (SAYC) National Executive Committee (NEC). This demonstrates the NUM’s capacity to deploy capable leaders to advance the broader National Democratic Revolution.
6. NUM to Mark 43 Years as a Voice for Mine, Energy, Construction and Metal Workers
The NUM will celebrate its 43rd anniversary on December 4, 2025, marking more than four decades as a key player in the labour movement, initially for the mining sector and now across multiple industries.
Established on December 4, 1982, in Klerksdorp (now Matlosana), the NUM quickly rose to prominence as the voice for black mineworkers in South Africa.
An Era of Rapid Growth
The union’s early years were characterized by explosive growth and strong leadership. The founding “triad” included the adept Cyril Ramaphosa as General Secretary, the “field marshal” James Motlatsi as President, and the astute political ideologue Elijah Barayi as Deputy President.
Under their stewardship, the NUM became one of the fastest-growing unions globally, soaring to over 300,000 black mineworker members in the 1980s.
• The union achieved remarkable initial success, reaching 14,000 members within just 12 weeks of its founding.
• The first elective National Congress saw the establishment of eight branches across four regions: Carletonville, Free State, Klerksdorp, and Westonaria.
• In a significant milestone, the NUM was formally recognised by the Chamber of Mines in August 1983 as the representative for workers in categories one to eight of the mining industry.
Its influence extended beyond the industry when the NUM became a key stakeholder in the formation of COSATU (the Congress of South African Trade Unions), the country’s largest labour federation, in 1985.
Expanding Beyond the Mines
While its roots are firmly planted in mining, the NUM has consistently expanded its scope to represent more workers.
• In the early 2000s, the union formally extended its operations to cover the energy sector, particularly at Eskom, and the construction industry.
• More recently, from 2019, the NUM extended its scope again to include the Metal Sector.
The union now organises in Mining, Energy, Construction, Metal and Allied Industries, reflecting its broad mandate across critical economic sectors. The December 4 celebration will serve to commemorate its foundational role while looking ahead to its continued function as a multi-sectoral union.
International-Solidarity
COSATU wishes South Africa a successful term as SACD Chair
Zanele Sabela, COSATU National Spokesperson, 2 November 2025
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes South Africa’s early assumption of its duties as 46th Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa and government led by the ANC.
SADC leaders made the decision to appoint South Africa as 46th Chair of SADC at the 45th ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of States in Antananarivo, Madagascar in August. The Summit is the highest policy-making structure in SADC. Now, due to political developments in Madagascar (current Chair of SADC), South Africa is set to assume leadership earlier than anticipated on an interim basis until the Summit makes a formal determination. Meantime, as interim Chair, South Africa will host all SADC meetings from November 2025.
The Federation also applauds the retention of Botswana’s Elias Magosi as Executive Secretary of SADC; a position he has held since August 2021; this will undoubtedly aid continuity.
South Africa’s election is a vote of confidence in the country’s capability to anchor and stabilise the region and cements its indispensable role not only in the region but also on the continent and globally. It is also well-timed given the unprecedented onslaught of fake news and vitriol that South Africa has been subjected to this year.
Yearly, presidents of member states gather to review overall policy direction, regional issues and make key decisions that impact the community.
COSATU wishes President Ramaphosa and government led by the ANC all the success as 46th Chair of SADC and is confident the lessons learned during the country’s G20 presidency will stand it in good stead.
Issued by COSATU
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Global unions reaffirm support for a binding UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights
30 October 2025
Global unions have reaffirmed their strong support for a binding United Nations treaty to hold corporations accountable for human rights abuses in their supply chains, following the latest session of the group tasked with working on this.
The negotiations of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group, which held its eleventh session from 20 to 24 October, represent a critical opportunity to strengthen global standards for corporate conduct and protect fundamental human rights, including workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Global unions welcome the Chair’s proposal to redraft certain articles to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises. The proposal demonstrates a sincere effort to develop compromise language that can advance the negotiations constructively.
ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle said: “For more than a decade, the ITUC and global union federations have led the push for a robust and enforceable treaty. Our goal is clear - close the legal loopholes that allow corporations to evade responsibility for human rights violations. We must shift the long-standing prioritisation of corporate interests over the rights and dignity of working people. The Treaty represents a historic chance to correct this imbalance and place human rights at the heart of global business practices.
“At a time when the multilateral system is under threat, the Treaty represents an opportunity to reaffirm and protect the international legal order. Globalisation without rules has fuelled corporate impunity and weakened democracy. A strong and enforceable treaty can restore balance by placing human rights, workers’ rights and the rule of law above corporate profit.
“Global unions remain committed to working with governments, civil society, and international institutions to ensure that the final treaty delivers real accountability for corporations and real justice for workers and communities affected by corporate abuse.”
The binding treaty must include:
Comprehensive coverage of human rights: The treaty must cover all internationally recognised human rights, including labour rights. Freedom of association, the right to organise and safe working conditions are fundamental, not optional.
Applicability across all businesses: All companies, regardless of size or sector, must be held accountable. Exempting certain businesses leaves millions of workers unprotected and sets a dangerous precedent.
Extraterritorial regulation: Victims of corporate human rights abuses, particularly in transnational contexts, must have access to justice wherever the abuse occurred. States must hold corporations accountable for actions abroad, ensuring avenues for redress.
Human rights due diligence: Companies must adopt and implement human rights due diligence policies. Identifying, preventing and addressing human rights risks before they materialise is crucial. Businesses must engage proactively to prevent abuses, not react only after media exposure.
Strong enforcement mechanisms: A treaty without enforcement is meaningless. It must establish a robust international monitoring and enforcement system. A patchwork of voluntary standards has proven inadequate—legally binding regulation is now needed.
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Norman Mampane (Shopsteward Editor)
Congress of South African Trade Unions
110 Jorissen Cnr Simmonds Street, Braamfontein, 2017
P.O.Box 1019, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
Tel: +27 11 339-4911 Direct line: 010 219-1348