Taking COSATU Today Forward, 22 January 2026 #Back2SchoolCampaign #Right2LearnCampaign
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #Cosatu acknowledges workers and community members who honoured the candlelit/memorial service at Vanderbijlpark road crash scene #RoadSafety #Back2School #Cosatu40 #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
22 January 2026
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
Organize at every workplace and demand respect for labour rights Now!
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- Minister Nomakhosazana Meth on benefits processing for deceased family of Mr Phila Mntambo
- South Africa
- Statement of the 15th Plenary Session of the 11th Congress, Augmented Provincial Working Committee
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- IndustriALL calls to defend the rule-based international order
- Statement of the Council of Global Unions on the trial of Lee Cheuk-yan
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
Minister Nomakhosazana Meth on benefits processing for deceased family of Mr Phila Mntambo
20 Jan 2026
The Minister of Employment and Labour, Ms Nomakhosazana Meth learned with shock and sadness about the tragic incident and passing of 59-year old Mr Phila Mntambo who was an employee at the Steelbank Merchants in Pinetown, Durban. Upon seeing the news report, the Minister immediately instructed the Director General, Ms Jacky Molisane to furnish her with the report of the tragic incident. The Minister is pleased to report that the benefits of Ms Mncwabe, the widow of the deceased, are being processed and will be paid in less than a month.
Mr Mntambo had reportedly sustained head, face and chest injuries and further lost his left arm, while allegedly cleaning a machine during his night shift. Due to the severity of his injuries, sadly, Mr Mntambo passed away in hospital a few days later.
According to media reports, the family had been left without full disclosure by the employer as to what had transpired on that fateful night that Mr Mntambo had worked his night shift, and report that he had previously complained about being tasked with operating machines, which was not part of his delegation as a cleaner.
The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Chief Inspector, Mr Mlungisi Zondi, was tasked with preparing a preliminary report on the incident to establish all the necessary facts surrounding the death of the employee. The preliminary report outlines the circumstances of the incident, which allegedly took place on 29 June 2024. Following the incident, the Department conducted an inspection at the company to determine the cause and assess the employer’s compliance with occupational health and safety requirements. The investigation revealed several areas of non-compliance in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993).
The Ministry has spoken to the family of Mr Mntambo and can confirm that the claim is being processed in terms of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA).
Minister Meth wishes to extend sincere condolences to the family of Mr Mntambo and has urged the Department to fast-track the processing of the claims and assist the family to find closure around the incident.
“I was deeply touched by the news report of the family of Mr Mntambo. It cannot be that an employee can be fatally injured at work while operating machinery that he is not even trained for, and things simply continue as if nothing happened. We will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that the family receives the necessary support,” says Minister Meth.
The Minister further extends sincere condolences to the families who lost children in the Vaal scholar transport accident, as well as those affected by the floods in the north eastern region of the country, namely Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.
Enquiries:
Ministry Spokesperson
Ms Thobeka Magcai
E-mail: Thobeka...@Labour.gov.za
Mobile: 072 737 2205
Issued by Department of Employment and Labour
Statement of the 15th Plenary Session of the 11th Congress, Augmented Provincial Working Committee
Lucky Mbuyane, SACP Provincial Secretary, 20 January 2026
The South African Communist Party in Mpumalanga province held its 15th Plenary Session of the 11th Congress, Augmented PWC which was conducted through the virtual platform on the 18th of January 2026. The meeting took place at the time when the country is engulfed by the disastrous weather conditions affecting the working class and poor in the main. The heavy rains continue to cause havoc in many parts of the province putting more strain on our government and we appeal for the appropriate assistance to the affected families.
The meeting also sat at a time when the world continues to experience the harshness of the neoliberal offensive perpetuated by the United States of America which is unable to deal with the complexities of the speedily changing world and show the terminal weakness to always bring military force instead of a diplomatic tool. The abduction of President Nicolas Maduro is an indication that Donald Trump and America does not respect international law nor does it respect the sovereignty of other countries.
This barbaric behaviour by the Washington Administration under Donald Trump calls for all progressive forces especially the BRICS-plus countries to consolidate and fight for its hegemony. If this conduct goes unchallenged it will further exacerbate to various parts of the world where there are mineral resources to easily get exploited. The solidarity with all marginalised nations by the imperialist powers need to be strengthened and close ranks.
January is a very important month for the South African Communist Party, It is during this month where we commemorate our stalwart, comrade Joe Slovo who was also passionate about education. It is in this context that as the party we would like to once again congratulate the Matric Class of 2025 with especial appreciation to all the working class students who did exceptionally well in their exams. This shows that indeed success in education is not only for the rich but for all.
The party is however very disappointed by the growing tendency of our schools, particularly the “No-Fee” who continue to force parents to buy stationary items including cleaning material, toilet papers as these forms part of the school budget. The buying of printing papers by parents is also illegal and this is also part of the school budget. Education cannot be made a commodity as it is the only hope for the working class to bring about positive change in different families.
It is illogical to force parents who cannot afford to pay R150 school fees but are expected to buy two to four bundles of printing papers which are even more expensive to these parents. The party calls on the education stakeholders, particularly the School Governing Bodies to put the interests of the learners first. We also call for all the schools not to withhold results of the learners alleged not to have paid for their school fees.
One of the advances that we have made since the dawn of democracy is in labour Law which was meant to promote and protect the rights of workers and also do away with exploitations of the workers by the employer. These rights came as a result of lot of struggles and sacrifices made by our forebears and we expect the current government to respect these laws but also punish those that are found to be undermining the rights of workers.
However, the government, especially in municipalities continue to practice an exploitation of one person by another. One such example is the behaviour of Mbombela Local Municipality who just employed more than 250 General Workers which is a step in the right direction. However, these new workers are not treated with dignity, they are doing the same work as the old employees in the same category but are prohibited from getting the same benefits while the old ones doing the same job in the same amount of hours are qualifying for overtime.
This is the clear violation of Basic Conditions of Employment Act and Employment Equality Act as well as the Overtime Policy of the Municipality which clearly stipulates that, Overtime Policy applies to all employees. This behaviour shows that the municipality doesn’t care about the working conditions of its employees, hence it finds it easy to exploit and discriminate against them. The continuous mobilisation for workers to join IMATU against SAMWU is a serios cause for concern and will need a discussion within the revolutionary Alliance.
The SACP is not surprised by this conduct, we view it as part of the neoliberal offensive in the form of austerity measures while the municipality is prioritising service providers that are getting more payment than workers. This is really a cause for concern and It is on those basis the SACP calls for the municipality to do away with outsourcing of services as the tenderisation of the state has proven to benefit the few and majority of people continue to suffer the unemployment, poverty and inequality.
The year 2026 has also not been good for the workers in the private sector who are also facing job losses. Companies like VENCAM, TRANSALLOYS and FERRAALLOYS both from Emalahleni and Steve Tswete municipalities are already contemplating to retrench their workers. This will be a heavy blow to the employees who are bread winners at home and are already facing the high cost of living, and this is the phenomenon that will create an existential thread to the National Democratic Revolution.
It must be understood that these companies are not shedding jobs because there is no work; or markets to sell their products, this is simple methodology of their profit maximising strategy where companies retrench workers and hire new ones who will work as contractors under exploitative working conditions. They are putting profits before the people and we are calling upon workers irrespective of union affiliation, and progressive forces to unite against the job bloodbath in our province.
All these developments are a clear sign that the National Democratic Revolution is indeed taking a detour and will need the party to take a responsibilty of it. The continuing implementation of neoliberal policies through austerity measures by the government has found its expression in private companies as well. To win this battle, there has to be unity of the left forces under a vanguard party of the working class.
It is for this reason that the party in its Special National Congress took a decision to contest the upcoming Local Government Elections to rescue the National Democratic Revolution from the total collapse. It is only through the vanguard party that the voice of the working class and poor masses can find proper representation in government that will serve their interests and not that of bourgeoisie and petty-bourgeoisie parties.
The South African Communist Party is inviting all the progressive forces of the left to join forces as the road ahead is gaining momentum. Without the Left Popular Front to unite the people’s camp for the total liberation of the working class, the neoliberal hegemony will continue to wreak havoc to the poor masses and it is for this reason that the party believes the working class and poor cannot have a crisis of representation while it is available.
Issued By: The South African Communist Party, Mpumalanga Province
International-Solidarity
IndustriALL calls to defend the rule-based international order
22 January, 2026
The world needs peace, democracy and stability. The world order is at a dangerous crossroads with the invasion of Venezuela by the Trump administration which ended with the abduction of the country’s President and his wife. Trump has made no secret about the fact that he wants control of the world’s largest oil reserves. After that, the US president has made claims to Greenland which is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark and threatened Mexico, Colombia, Cuba and Iran.
IndustriALL Global Union stands behind the statement made by the International
Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), condemning the US military attack on Venezuela and the violation of its sovereignty. This is a clear violation of international law and cannot be tolerated. Forced
regime change is not acceptable anywhere in the world. We support the demand for an immediate release of the President and his wife and call for an urgent return to dialogue so that peace, sovereignty and self-determination are upheld in the region.
IndustriALL is extremely concerned about this dangerous move away from an international rule-based order and reiterate the
call from our Congress in November last year.
At its Congress in Sydney in November 2025, IndustriALL reaffirmed that peace, respect for international law and universal
human rights are non-negotiable foundations as we build towards a just and sustainable world. Congress also underlined the role of international institutions, such as the United Nations in peacekeeping, mediation and peaceful resolution of conflicts. Unilateral
military actions that bypass multilateral institutions undermine this framework, weakening global efforts to maintain peace.
The Congress resolution recalls that international trade must work for working people, be grounded in rules that apply to all and respect fundamental workers’ rights. Geopolitical escalation and unilateral measures disrupt global and regional supply chains,
destabilise economies and place workers at greater risk of job losses, trade union repression and declining wages and working conditions.
IndustriALL calls on governments to:
Respect international law and multilateral institutions
Prioritize diplomacy, dialogue and peaceful solutions
Avoid actions that escalate conflict and deepen geopolitical confrontation
Ensure that workers and trade unions are not targeted, silenced or made to pay the price of political decisions taken without their consent
IndustriALL reaffirms its solidarity with workers and communities affected by conflict, repression and economic instability. This particularly goes to people and workers in Venezuela. As trade unions, we stand for peace, democracy, social justice and workers’
rights globally. Without peace and respect for the rule of law, decent work and fair trade are impossible.
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Statement of the Council of Global Unions on the trial of Lee Cheuk-yan
21 January 2026
Brother Lee Cheuk-yan, General-Secretary of the defunct Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) is facing yet another trial in court for exercising freedom of association rights as a trade union leader.
He is facing a charge of inciting subversion of the state power of China and a sentence of 10 years in prison on conviction. The Council of Global Unions (CGU) representing the global trade union movement stands in unwavering solidarity with Brother Lee. Trade unionists are human rights defenders not criminals. We express our support to Brother Lee who has stood by his faith in democracy, human rights and non-violent struggles. We stand with the other trade unionists, civil society actors and human rights defenders under oppression in Hong Kong.
Brother Lee Cheuk-yan is a prominent trade unionist well-respected by the international trade union movement. He has dedicated himself to defending workers’ rights and building the independent trade union movement in Hong Kong. It is his lifelong commitment to bear witness to the brutal crackdown of the pro-democracy movement at Tiananmen in China in 1989, and to call for the right to freedom of association and democratic reforms in China.
In 2021, Lee was convicted on politically motivated charges of organising public rallies during the wave of mass- public protests in 2019 demanding universal suffrage to elect the Chief Executive in Hong Kong. Today, Brother Lee is in court again after 4 years of pre-trial detention prior to which he had served a sentence of 20 months in prison on a separate charge.
The offence of subversion is stipulated under the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong (the NSL) which was adopted by China in 2020 to suppress the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.
The CGU strongly condemns the prosecution of Lee and any other pro-democracy activist and human rights defender on trial and call for their immediate release. . Exercising the right to freedom of association and assembly in pursuit of democracy and fundamental human rights promotes peace, social progress and larger freedom. It is in line with the UN Charter and other international human rights instruments. It is not a crime. What is happening to Lee and others is a travesty and no one should be subjected to arbitrary detention and penal sanction for exercising these internationally protected rights.
We reiterate our deep concerns regarding the NSL and the rapidly deteriorating human rights conditions in Hong Kong in the wake of
its adoption. Trade unionists, activists, journalists and human rights defenders have been subjected to broadly framed offences of subversion, collusion and sedition, leading to the conviction of 8 independent trade unionists on lengthy imprisonment sentences
from 19 to 81 months.
More than 200 trade unions, civil society organisations and independent press outlets have been forced to disband themselves as a result of systematic state orchestrated smearing and defamation, threats and criminalisations.
The NSL is being applied beyond the borders of Hong Kong further instilling fear in those forced into exile as a result of their legitimate activities and creating an environment resulting in self-censorship and a chilling effect for those continuing their
human rights and pro-democracy activities abroad.
The Hong Kong government must stop using the national security law and criminal persecution against individuals exercising their fundamental rights and civil liberties. The government should repeal the NSL, the National Security Ordinance and all laws that infringe and restrict on the fundamental human rights of the people of Hong Kong.
We call on our global affiliates to stand in solidarity with Hong Kong trade unionists, workers under oppression, and demand the immediate and unconditional release of all those being prosecuted or imprisoned for the human rights and pro-democracy activities.
This is a Council of Global Unions (CGU) Statement jointly signed by:
Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI)
Education International (EI)
International Arts and Entertainment Alliance (IAEA)
IndustriALL Global Union
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF)
Public Services International (PSI)
Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC)
UNI Global Union
International Domestic Workers’ Federation (IDWF)
______________________________
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