Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 11 February 2025 #CosatuProvCongress
Norman Mampane
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Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin
‘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
11 February 2025
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- SAMWU condemns Mayor Pappas for politicising service delivery in Umngeni – calls on workers to reject discriminatory practices
- Department of Employment and Labour hosts an OHS conference for the high risk iron and steel sector
- South Africa
- SAMWU demands immediate compliance with safety regulations following death of municipal workers
- SAMWU welcomes Labour Court ruling against Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality upholding workers’ rights
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- SACP tribute to Namibian liberation struggle stalwart, President Sam Nujoma
- AI Action Summit: Trade union rights are key to technological transformation
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
SAMWU condemns Mayor Pappas for politicising service delivery in Umngeni – calls on workers to reject discriminatory practices
Nokubonga Dinga, SAMAWU KZN Provincial Secretary, 11 February 2025
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in KwaZulu-Natal stands resolute in its condemnation of the reckless, undemocratic, and deeply divisive remarks made by uMngeni Local Municipality Mayor, Chris Pappas. His suggestion that residents who publicly support political parties other than the Democratic Alliance (DA) should not expect assistance from him is not only deeply troubling but a flagrant violation of the democratic principles and constitutional rights enshrined in our Bill of Rights.
Municipal services are not the property of the DA or any political party—they belong to the people of uMngeni, irrespective of their political affiliation. The provision of basic services is not a privilege to be dispensed as a reward for political loyalty; it is a fundamental constitutional right guaranteed to every South African. Mayor Pappas’ remarks represent a dangerous attempt to weaponise service delivery, fostering a toxic environment where access to municipal resources is dictated by political allegiance. This is a gross violation of the principles of fairness, non-discrimination, and equal treatment under South African law.
On social media, Mayor Pappas callously stated:
“If you ask for help and have the ANC, EFF, or MK as your profile picture (PP), don’t expect an answer. I serve all our people, but please don’t insult my intelligence and then come to the DA for help. I’m not a girlfriend you flirt with when you want something but are never committed to marrying.”
This statement is not only unacceptable but also profoundly inappropriate for a public official. It sets a dangerous and unconstitutional precedent, one where service delivery is politicised and access to municipal assistance is denied based on political affiliation. Such rhetoric undermines the very fabric of our democracy and threatens the rights of every citizen.
SAMWU reminds Mayor Pappas and the DA that municipalities exist to serve all people, not just party loyalists. Section 19 of the Bill of Rights guarantees every citizen the right to make political choices freely, including the right to form, support, and campaign for a political party of their choice. These rights are sacrosanct and protect citizens from political discrimination and retaliation. Mayor Pappas’ suggestion that service delivery should depend on political allegiance is a direct assault on these rights and a betrayal of the core values of democracy.
Furthermore, Section 9 of the Constitution prohibits unfair discrimination, including discrimination based on political belief. Section 27 guarantees every citizen the right to access basic services, such as water, sanitation, and electricity, without discrimination. No mayor, no party, no official has the authority to override these rights. Any attempt to do so is a gross abuse of public office and an insult to the principles of equality and fairness that underpin our nation.
Mayor Pappas’ remarks are not merely divisive—they are dangerous. They set a precedent that, if left unchallenged, could embolden further discrimination in service delivery across South Africa. This must not and will not be tolerated.
SAMWU calls on all its members to resist any attempt to politicise service delivery. We will not allow municipal workers to be used as instruments of political discrimination. Our members and all municipal employees must reject any instruction from management that seeks to prioritise services based on political allegiance. We refuse to be complicit in any form of political exclusion that violates the rights of residents.
As a Union, we demand that the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) urgently investigate this matter to ensure that service delivery remains free from political interference. We also urge all residents of uMngeni to hold their leaders accountable and to demand equal and fair access to municipal services, regardless of their political beliefs.
Municipal workers are the backbone of service delivery, and our duty is to the people—not to politicians. We will not be part of the DA’s agenda to politicise service delivery in uMngeni. We stand united in our commitment to fairness, equality, and justice for all.
Issued by SAMWU KwaZulu-Natal
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Department
of Employment and Labour hosts an OHS conference for the high risk iron and steel sector
10 February 2025
In a pledge to strengthen and continuously improve Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) systems in order to realise the Decent Work Agenda in workplaces in South Africa, the Department of Employment and Labour is to host a national OHS conference.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic - occupational health and safety (whose goal is to prevent the occurrence of occupational accidents and diseases) – has assumed an elevated importance.
The Department's Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch through the Occupational Health and Safety Chief Directorate intends to host the conference under the theme: “Improving health and safety in the iron and steel sector".
The theme resonates with the three IES pillars of Advocacy, Inspection and Enforcement.
Through the conference IES branch seeks to strengthen and continuously improve Occupational Health and Safety systems by Government, Organised Business and Organised Labour in workplaces. The OHS Act requires of every employer to provide a safe working environment without risk to the health of employees.
The objective of the gathering is to share best practices and empower small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to comply, address the challenge of underreporting in the iron and steel sector, reduction and elimination of incidents and injuries in the sector, ensure that the level of compliance with Occupational Health and Safety at workplaces is improved.
According to IES the iron and steel sector was as far back as 2005 identified as one of the high risk. Following that, the Department together with social partners signed an accord in 2013 as part of the intervention where partners committed themselves on ensuring safe and healthy workplaces. However, high number of incidents are still being reported.
This conference is expected to focus on: Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act ( COIDA) Amendment Bill; Unemployment Insurance Fund compliance; OHS international perspectives; snapshot of compliance in the Iron and Steel sector; OHS strategy and OHS Accord; construction challenges in the iron and steel sector; implementation of hearing conservation program; safe handling of liquefied petroleum gas in the sector; future of Major Hazardous Installation; safety in the use of conveyor systems; lifting machinery in the sector; electrical machinery in hazardous locations; and electrical installation.
The conference is expected to be attended by more than 400 delegates who are playing a key role in the iron and steel sector. Speakers will deliberate on challenges as well as proposed solutions to address injuries and diseases in the iron and steel sector.
The conference is targeted at OHS practitioners, labour inspectors, health and safety managers, General Machinery Regulation (GMR 2) appointees and associations that are active in the iron and steel sector.
ILO estimates that every year over 1.2 million workers are killed due to work-related accidents and diseases and 250 million occupational accidents and 160 million work-related diseases are occurring. The economic loss related to these accidents and diseases are estimated to amount 4% of world gross national product.
According to ILO Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) goal is to prevent the occurrence of occupational accidents and diseases. The organisation says employers have to comply with OSH laws and regulations. Workers and their representatives should cooperate with employers by taking reasonable care of their own safety, complying with the instructions given regarding safety and health, using protective equipment correctly and reporting any hazardous conditions or events and accidents.
“There is a business case for safety and health at work. Good OSH performance can help ensure business continuity, preventing high levels of absence and avoiding losses of skilled workers. It can raise productivity and competitiveness as well as lead to reductions of insurance premiums," ILO said.
Media is invited to attend and the National OHS conference will be held as follows:
Venue: Protea Hotel (Barend and Margaretha Prinsloo Streets) – Klerksdorp
Time: 08:30 - 15:00
Date: 26-28 February 2025
For media RSVP, please kindly contact:
Botsang Huma
Provincial Communications Officer: NW
Cell: 082 082 497 7438
Email: botsan...@labour.gov.za
For media enquiries contact:
Teboho Thejane
Departmental Spokesperson
082 697 0694/ teboho....@labour.gov.za
-ENDS-
Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour
SAMWU demands immediate compliance with safety regulations following death of municipal workers
Vincent Diphoko, SAMAWU North West Provincial Secretary, 11 February 2025
The South African Municipal Workers' Union (SAMWU) is deeply saddened and outraged by the tragic and entirely preventable deaths of two municipal workers from Tswaing Local Municipality in North West Province on 6 February 2025. These workers lost their lives while attempting to unblock a drainage system, a task they undertook without the necessary safety equipment. This devastating incident is yet another stark reminder of the dire consequences of neglecting worker safety and failing to provide adequate protection for those who serve our communities.
We condemn, in the strongest terms, the municipality’s failure to ensure a safe working environment for its employees. The loss of these workers’ lives is not just a tragedy—it is a clear indictment of systemic negligence and a blatant disregard for worker safety. This is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. For years, SAMWU has engaged municipalities on the urgent need to prioritise worker safety by providing proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), enforcing strict safety protocols, and ensuring proper training for high-risk tasks.
Yet, despite countless warnings, we continue to see municipalities treat worker safety as an afterthought, resulting in avoidable deaths. We do not need to remind municipalities that as per the Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers are legally supposed to ensure the health and safety of employees in the workplace. For us, the health and safety of workers is not negotiable and cannot be compromised.
As SAMWU, we demand immediate and decisive action. All municipalities across the North West province—must take urgent steps to prioritise worker safety. Proper PPE must be provided without delay, and safety protocols must be implemented and enforced. No worker should ever be forced to gamble with their life just to earn a living. The well-being of workers must be non-negotiable.
We now issue a bold and unequivocal warning: if the safety of workers is not guaranteed, SAMWU will not hesitate to advocate for workers to withdraw their labour. We refuse to stand by while municipalities continue to place workers in life-threatening conditions. The time for empty promises and half-hearted measures is over. Municipalities must act now to prevent further loss of life—or face the full weight of worker resistance.
Furthermore, SAMWU demands a full and transparent investigation into this tragedy. Those responsible for failing to protect these workers must be held accountable. We call on the Department of Employment and Labour to intervene immediately and ensure that all municipalities comply with occupational health and safety regulations. Enough is enough. We will not allow these deaths to go unanswered.
To the families, friends, and colleagues of the deceased workers, our hearts go out to you. Your loss is immeasurable, and your grief is shared by an entire workforce that faces the same risks daily. As a Union, SAMWU, we will fight relentlessly to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again. Workers’ lives matter, and we will not rest until their safety is secured by all municipalities.
Issued by SAMWU North West Province
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SAMWU welcomes Labour Court ruling against Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality upholding workers’ rights
Peter Demas, SAMWU Regional Secretary, 11 February 2025
South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) Decarna Region in the Northern Cape province notes, welcomes and celebrates the judgment handed down by Acting Judge K. Mokwena of the Labour Court of South Africa on 10 February 2025, in the matter between the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality and our member, Comrade Mahlo. For us, this is not just a legal victory, it is a triumph for workers’ rights, justice, and the rule of law.
For six years, Cde. Mahlo, who is a former SAMWU Decarna Deputy Regional Chairperson, endured unfair treatment, wrongful dismissal, and a battle for dignity in the workplace. The South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) saw the injustice and ruled in her favour. Instead of accepting the outcome of the SALGBC, the Municipality wasted time, resources, and public money dragging this matter to the Labour Court. And now, yet again, another independent legal body has found against them. The Labour Court’s decision to dismiss the Municipality’s review application and uphold Ms. Mahlo’s reinstatement is a clear and final condemnation of the Municipality’s conduct.
We are calling on the Karoo Hoogland Municipality to finally do the right thing: respect the ruling, reinstate Ms. Mahlo, and end this reckless abuse of public funds. Municipalities have made it fashionable to appeal every ruling that goes against them, treating the courts as weapons to delay justice instead of places to uphold it. This practice has had detrimental impact on employer-employee relations and must come to an end immediately.
If anyone within the Municipality still believes they should pursue an appeal, they must do so at their own expense. Not a single cent of public money, money meant for service delivery—should be used to fund personal vendettas and legal theatrics. Municipal budgets belong to communities, not to individuals desperate to save face after being found guilty of unfair labour practices.
Furthermore, this judgment is a direct warning to all municipalities across the country: workers are not disposable. No employer has the right to silence workers, victimise them for speaking out, or ignore the constitutional structures meant to protect them. The Local Labour Forum (LLF) exists to foster transparency, dialogue, and fairness in the workplace—yet this Municipality sought to undermine and intrude on its operations. The Court has now confirmed what we have always known: such interference is unlawful and will not be tolerated.
We commend the Labour Court for delivering a just and decisive ruling, one that reaffirms the fundamental rights of workers. We stand with Ms. Mahlo, and we stand with every worker who has been victimised, dismissed unfairly, or silenced for daring to demand fairness in municipalities.
As SAMWU, will never stop fighting for workers’ rights, and we will continue to expose and challenge any Municipality that refuses to uphold justice.
To the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality, we say: the courts have spoken, accept this ruling, reinstate Ms. Mahlo, and put an end to this disgraceful abuse of power.
Issued by SAMWU Decarna Region
International-Solidarity
SACP tribute to Namibian liberation struggle stalwart, President Sam Nujoma
Dr Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, SACP Central Committee Member
National Spokesperson & Political Bureau Secretary for Policy and Research, 11 February 2025
The South African Communist Party (SACP) dips its red flag and pays tribute to Namibian liberation struggle stalwart, President Sam Shafiishuna Nujoma.
The SACP conveys its message of heartfelt condolences to his family, particularly his wife Utoni Nujoma, the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) and the people of Namibia for the loss.
President Nujoma led the people of Namibia during the most difficult moments of their liberation struggle until the country’s liberation in 1990. By this time, our struggle, in close co-operation with SWAPO, forced the apartheid regime to concede to negotiations. Paving the way for this and the advanced march to the liberation of Southern Africa was the defeat of the apartheid regime in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in Angola, where Cuba played a decisive role.
Nujoma worked tirelessly to unite the Namibian people as they faced the racist apartheid South African regime, establishing SWAPO’s military wing, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia, in 1962, and waging a relentless war for the liberation of the Namibian people until they triumphed.
SWAPO was part of the revolutionary forces that made an indelible contribution to the defeat of the apartheid regime, both in South Africa and Namibia, as well as fighting against apartheid influence across the southern African region, and continues to unite the Namibian people in their desire to build their country and eliminate the legacy of apartheid and colonialism.
For his contribution to the struggle for peoples’ liberation, President Sam Nujoma was acknowledged in various countries as well as national and international institutions, receiving multiple prestigious awards. These include the Soviet Union, where he was awarded the International Lenin Prize for Strengthening Peace Among Peoples in 1973; Vietnam, where he was honoured with the Ho Chi Minh Peace Prize in 1988; and the Order of José Martí, which he received in Cuba in 1991, among many others.
For his unwavering opposition to the government of apartheid South Africa, President Nujoma was honoured with the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo in South Africa.
In paying tribute to Comrade Sam Nujoma, the SACP reiterates its support for the Namibian people’s efforts to develop their country further, grounded in national sovereignty and self-determination. In this respect, the SACP will strengthen its ties with its historical ally, SWAPO.
The SACP calls for the unity of the African peoples in the fight against imperialism, for the right to self-determination. The masses of our people remain impoverished across the board, while a few, both national and foreign exploiters, are becoming richer out of the exploitation. The SACP reiterates its call for African continental unity to continue and deepen the struggle to advance the African Revolution in honour of the exceptional founders and leaders of our national liberation movements, of whom President Sam Nujoma was an indefatigable force.
Further, the SACP is committed to the rejuvenation of the African Left Networking Forum to unite the African people in the fight for social emancipation. This is crucial for our African struggle against imperialism. Building the African Left Networking Forum is urgently necessary. Africa is not fully independent yet, because of persisting imperialist domination and exploitation of its resources and people.
Issued by the South African Communist Party,
Founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa.
Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID
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AI Action Summit: Trade union rights are key to technological transformation
10 February 2025
At a major global summit on artificial intelligence (AI), the ITUC has called for stronger worker involvement in how AI is introduced and used in the workplace.
The AI Action Summit, hosted by the French government, brought together heads of state, international organisations, multinational companies, trade unions, and academics to address the societal implications of AI.
Speaking at the event, ITUC Deputy General Secretary Eric Manzi stressed the need to protect and involve workers:
“The future of work, shaped by digitalisation and AI, is inevitable, but the outcomes are not predetermined. The question is not if this change comes, but how it is managed. And for this, workers’ trade unions are crucial.
"By ensuring that trade unions are actively involved in this transformation, we can create a future of work that is both inclusive and equitable."
“This means respecting the fundamental, democratic trade union rights of collective bargaining and social dialogue. This is about democracy in the workplace that delivers technological changes that work for everyone.
“At the same time, we need strong safeguards against the unchecked use of algorithms in employment decisions and worker surveillance. We need strengthened regulation at national and international level to protect workers in the age of AI.”
The ITUC demands that:
Workers and their unions must be involved in deciding how AI is introduced and used in the workplace.
AI must not be used to undermine fundamental rights, including freedom of association and the right to organise.
Algorithmic decision-making cannot replace human oversight, especially in areas that affect employment, wages and working conditions.
Additionally, the ITUC has stressed that stronger international regulation is needed, including a binding ILO Convention on Decent Work for the Platform Economy – a key demand of the global trade union movement in the leadup to the upcoming ILO International Labour Conference in June.
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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