Taking COSATU Today Forward, 2 December 2025 #HappyBirthdayCosatu #Cosatu40 #Cosatu40thAnniversary

[Norman Mampane]

 

COSATU TODAY #HappyBirthdayCOSATU! #COSATU scheduled to hold #CosatuGolfDay at Johannesburg Country Club, Woodmead on December 4 #Cosatu40 #VioletSeboniBrigade #Cosatu40thAnniversary #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

2 December 2025

“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”

Organize at every workplace and demand respect for labour rights Now!

Defend Jobs Now!

Join COSATU NOW!

 

Contents                      

• Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!

• COSATU embarks on a 40^th Anniversary Final Push at Soweto townships this week

• Swinging for Dignity: COSATU and President Ramaphosa Tee Off for a Cause

• Applications for media accreditation to cover COSATU 40^th Anniversary rally officially opened

• South Africa
• NUM and COSATU mark historic milestones: Four Decades of Fighting for South Africa’s Workers
• International-Workers’ Solidarity!
• Historic win for Italy’s metal workers

Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics  

COSATU embarks on a 40^th Anniversary Final Push at Soweto townships this week

Thabo Mahlangu, COSATU National Organising Secretary, 1 December 2025

Soweto targeted Areas (Mobilisation Blitz)		Expected Attendees		Date		Time
Emndeni, Jabulani and Zola		All national office bearers of affiliates All national organizers of affiliates All provincial office bearers in Gauteng Province All National organisers of affiliates.		2nd December 2025		10h00 until13h00
Orlando West and Meadowlands		All national office bearers of affiliates All national organizers of affiliates All provincial office bearers in Gauteng Province All National organisers of affiliates.		3rd December 2025		10h00 until 13h00
Bara Mall and Bara Taxi Rank		All national office bearers of affiliates All national organizers of affiliates All provincial office bearers in Gauteng Province All National organisers of affiliates.		4th December 2025		11h00 until 13h00
Dobsonville and Braamfischer Motorcade		All national office bearers of affiliates All national organizers of affiliates All provincial office bearers in Gauteng Province All National organisers of affiliates.		5th December 2025		11h00 until 13h00

 

Details for assembly are table below:

Dates :         2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th November 2025

Time :         09h00 – 14h00

Venue :         Dobsonville Stadium, Soweto

Resources required: Minimum of 5 cars from each affiliate 

_______________________________

Swinging for Dignity: COSATU and President Ramaphosa Tee Off for a Cause

Zanele Sabela, COSATU National Spokesperson, 24 November 2025

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is thrilled to announce its second annual Charity Golf Challenge, an inspiring event where labour, business and government unite on the green for a great cause. Members of the media are warmly invited to attend and cover this unique blend of sport, leadership and social impact.

This flagship initiative is more than a Corporate Social Investment project — it is a powerful demonstration of COSATU’s unwavering commitment to social justice and restoring dignity in communities beyond the workplace.

In a true celebration of Ubuntu, President Cyril Ramaphosa will join COSATU leaders, government departments and business partners on the golf course to help raise funds for its activities, school shoes and sanitary packs for underprivileged learners. Every swing will contribute to changing a child’s school experience and supporting their confidence and wellbeing.

Join us for a remarkable day of purpose-driven play:

COSATU Charity Golf Challenge

• Date: Thursday, 04 December 2025
• Presidential Tee off: 10:40
• Participants Tee off: 11:00 (Shotgun Start)
• Venue: Country Club Johannesburg (CCJ Woodmead)

The challenge will be followed by an elegant Gala Dinner at 18.30, where the day’s achievements will be celebrated and partners honoured.

Members of the media wishing to attend are invited to send their details to non...@cosatu.org.za

Issued by COSATU

_________________________

Applications for media accreditation to cover COSATU 40^th Anniversary rally officially opened

Zanele Sabela, COSATU National Spokesperson,10 November 2025

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) invites all members of the media to apply for accreditation to attend and cover the Federation’s historic 40^th Anniversary rally. This momentous event is scheduled to take place on 6 December at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto.

COSATU was launched on 1 December 1985, at the height of the struggle against apartheid. Its formation brought together 33 competing unions and federations that were opposed to apartheid but committed to a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa. 

Alliance partners, local and international guests have been invited to celebrate 40 years of this vibrant movement advancing, defending and protecting the interests and rights of workers and the working class in South Africa and beyond. 

Applications for accreditation may be submitted to mam...@cosatu.org.za or non...@cosatu.org.za with the following details:

Name:
Surname:
ID number: 
Media House/Address:
Contact number/email: 

Alternatively, an application form can be completed via this link:

COSATU 40th Anniversary Media Accreditation Application Form – Fill out form

Issued by COSATU

Zanele Sabela (National Spokesperson)

Mobile:  079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639

Email: zan...@cosatu.org.za

South Africa

NUM and COSATU mark historic milestones: Four Decades of Fighting for South Africa’s Workers

Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM National Spokesperson, 1 December 2025

This week, two of South Africa’s most powerful labour organizations, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and its federation Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), will mark foundational anniversaries, celebrating their enduring role as the voice and vanguard of the working class.

The NUM will commemorate its 43rd Anniversary on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at Great Noligwa Moab Khotsong in Motlosana. COSATU will celebrate its 40th Anniversary on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto. All workers are urged to join these historic celebrations.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM): 43 Years of Power and Expansion

Founded on December 4, 1982, in Klerksdorp, the NUM rapidly became the dominant force for black mineworkers in South Africa. Its early success was driven by the powerful founding “triad”: General Secretary Cyril Ramaphosa, President James Motlatsi, and Deputy President Elijah Barayi.

•            Under their leadership, the NUM grew explosively, securing formal recognition from the Chamber of Mines in 1983 and becoming one of the fastest-growing unions globally.

•            The NUM was a key architect in the formation of COSATU in 1985.

•            While rooted in mining, the NUM has consistently expanded its mandate and now organises across Mining, Energy, Construction, and Metal industries, reflecting its broad role across critical economic sectors.

COSATU: 40 Years at the Forefront of the Struggle

Since its formation on December 1, 1985, COSATU has been a pivotal player in South Africa’s political and labour history. The federation played a crucial role in dismantling apartheid and continues to shape the progressive labor landscape today.

•            NUM founding Deputy President Elijah Barayi was elected COSATU’s first President in 1985, famously declaring that “a giant has risen” to oppose the apartheid government.

•            Under Barayi's leadership, COSATU unified fragmented unions under the principle of "one industry, one union" and spearheaded campaigns for political freedom, the release of political prisoners, and the Living Wage Campaign.

•            Today, the Federation remains the leading voice for the working class, championing landmark achievements from the National Minimum Wage to improved social protections and working conditions.

We call upon all NUM members and the broader working class to attend and celebrate these legacies:

•            NUM 43rd Anniversary: Thursday, December 4, 2025 | Great Noligwa Moab Khotsong, Motlosana.

•            COSATU 40th Anniversary: Saturday, December 6, 2025 | Dobsonville Stadium, Soweto.

 

International-Solidarity   

Historic win for Italy’s metal workers

26 November, 2025

Last week Italy’s metal workers secured a major victory as the unions Fim, Fiom and Uilm, all affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, signed the renewed National Collective Labour Agreement (NCLA) with Federmeccanica and Assistal after four days of continuous and intense negotiations. The agreement covers more than 1.5 million workers across the country and guarantees a €205(US$ 237.17) increase on minimum contractual salaries over four years, which the unions say is essential to protecting wages amid rising living costs and economic uncertainty.

In June 2025, FIOM, FIM and UILM staged an eight-hour strike accompanied by regional demonstrations across Italy, calling out what they described as the employers’ irresponsible refusal to negotiate. Workers across the sector, including those in small and medium-sized enterprises, joined the strike action and additional measures, such as overtime and flexibility blockades, were enforced. Demonstrations sent a clear and unified message: workers would not accept stagnation, wage erosion or further delays. The strike movement strengthened union resolve and demonstrated to employers that metal workers were mobilized, united and prepared to continue the fight to defend purchasing power and secure fair working conditions.
 
Union negotiators have described this as a crucial victory that ensures long-term wage defence at a moment when many families are facing mounting financial strain. The revised wage structure maintains a system designed to safeguard purchasing power through inflation. The agreement also includes an additional salary quota and a safeguard clause should inflation surge beyond forecasts during the contract period.
 
General secretaries Ferdinando Uliano, Michele De Palma and Rocco Palombella, from Fim, Fiom and Uilm, said the contract represents not only a negotiation victory, but also the defence of Italy’s national collective bargaining system itself. They emphasized the unity and resolve of the unions throughout the process:
 
“It was a very hard negotiation, but we closed the gap and signed a strong contract. We protected the purchasing power of metal workers and strengthened rights and protections. The wage increase, the start of a working-time reduction trial and the stabilization of precarious work were our pillars and we achieved them. Today, we can say we saved the national contract, which has never stopped being challenged. This agreement ensures dignity for those who build the industrial heart of Italy. Metal workers are once again writing the history of this country at a time when it needs stability, courage and lasting solutions.”
 
The contract delivers significant gains in the fight against job insecurity and precarious work, issues that have been central to the unions’ platform. Employers will now be required to stabilize a share of fixed-term workers after 12 months if they wish to extend temporary contracts under specific conditions. Workers employed through staffing agencies will gain the right to permanent employment at the host company after 48 months, an important shift toward fairer and more secure employment for thousands of metal workers.
 
The agreement also introduces forward-looking changes, including a structured trial to reduce working hours under the guidance of a dedicated commission. Additional improvements include stronger health and safety protections, expanded rights to workplace training, enhanced safeguards for seriously ill and disabled workers and new provisions specifically aimed at preventing violence against women.
 
IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, praised the agreement and the determination of the Italian unions:
 

“This is an important victory not only for metal workers in Italy, but for workers everywhere who are fighting against insecurity, declining wages and the erosion of fundamental rights. By securing real wage protection, pathways to stable employment and groundbreaking progress on working-time reduction, Fim, Fiom and Uilm have shown what strong, united unions can achieve. This agreement sends a clear message: collective bargaining remains one of the most powerful tools workers have to build fairer, safer and more dignified workplaces.”

______________________________

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

 

 

 

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