Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 21 May 2026 #HappyBirthdaySATAWU
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
21 May 2026
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- South African left forces convene the Conference of the Left to build working-class unity
- South Africa
- COSATU General Secretary Solly Phetoe – Memorial Service of Comrade Bushy Maape, Late Premier of the North West Province
- Eskom’s threat to cut power in Johannesburg is unreasonable and irresponsible
- Auto Incentive Schemes revamp key in new energy vehicles – Deputy Minister Godlimpi
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- South Africa condemns Israel's illegal abduction of South African nationals participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla bound for Gaza
- The WFTU participates in the ICJ advisory proceedings regarding the interpretation of Convention No. 87.
- IndustriALL withdraws from human rights agreement with Mercedes-Benz
- Building inclusive and sustainable youth structure in Asia Pacific
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics#ClassWar
South African left forces convene the Conference of the Left to build working-class unity
Mbulelo Mandlana, SACP Head of Media, Communications and Information, 19 May 2026
From 29 to 31 May 2026, South African organisations of the left will converge at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg for a national Conference of the Left, convened under the theme “Building a Left Movement for Working Class and Popular Power”.
The Conference of the Left is collectively convened by organisations of various forms that identify with political aims and objectives conventionally associated with the leftist political tradition. The conference is the pinnacle of the varied efforts of the forces of the left to realise positive outcomes from their diverse and sustained struggles over time. These struggles, undertaken individually and collectively, have been instrumental in creating conditions for this conference as a common political platform of the left to address critical issues facing the working class and the people as a whole.
The Conference of the Left is not intended to form a new political party, nor is it to impose ideological uniformity. Its purpose is to strengthen coordination, unity in action, political education and organised struggle among diverse left, working-class and popular formations.
This conference arises from the urgent material conditions confronting the working class in South Africa, the African continent and the world. In the South African context, these conditions are epitomised by deepening unemployment, poverty, inequality, austerity, privatisation, and the continued domination of monopoly capital over the economy despite the democratic breakthrough of 1994. The conference will pay particular attention to conditions of the people characterised by the gradual erosion of their progress through market orthodoxy and neoliberal dominance. The Conference of the Left convenes on the understanding that the crisis facing South Africa is fundamentally a crisis of capitalism and that only organised working-class power can chart a strategic way toward genuine liberation and socialism.
The democratic breakthrough of 1994 dismantled the formal institutions of racial domination. It extended political rights, opened representative institutions, and initiated a period of social provision that improved the material conditions of millions. However, it did not dismantle the economic foundations of inequality. The ownership remained concentrated in the same hands. Productive capacity remained orientated toward extraction and export. Finance capital retained its grip on investment and macroeconomic policy. This is the objective context within which the Conference of the Left becomes necessary and indeed urgent.
The organisations that form part of the conference come from various corners of the country and vary in their nature, spheres of operation and organisational forms. To epitomise this diversity, the conference will be composed of political parties, non-governmental organisations, community organisations, trade unions, trade union federations, youth and student organisations, legacy organisations, think tank organisations of the left and invited individuals and institutions. Some international organisations and speakers have also been invited to the conference.
These organisations and individuals, while diverse and wide-ranging in their nature, are united by a shared perspective about the nature of the South African political and economic crisis and the urgent need to collectively devise new means to confront this national crisis as defined. The Conference of the Left is therefore not merely a discussion forum. It is a strategic moment in rebuilding working-class unity and sharpening the offensive against monopoly capital.
The South African Communist Party, working together with various revolutionary organisations, has played and continues to play a coordinating and convening role for the Conference of the Left.
At a strategic level, the process of convening of the Conference of the Left is driven by a steering committee that is composed of representatives from various organisations that are part of the conference. The steering committee is responsible for formulating and continually refining the conference agenda, considering and approving key actions related to conference arrangements, discussing and processing the political content to serve as a guide and framework for the discussions, and overseeing the overall preparation and proceedings of the conference when it convenes.
The working class remains the primary social force at the centre of the Conference of the Left, and its objectives are at the centre of the conference’s agenda.
The central task of the conference is to lay the foundations for a Left Popular Front capable of uniting the working class, the poor and progressive forces in sustained struggle against capitalist exploitation and for socialist transformation. In that spirit, the conference and its declaration will ensure the sustainability of the political programme of the conference and its objectives.
We call on all progressive and revolutionary forces to support this historic initiative as part of the broader struggle for a socialist South Africa.
Admission to the conference remains open but limited and shall close on 20 May 2026.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY,
FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.
Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
COSATU General Secretary Solly Phetoe – Memorial Service of Comrade Bushy Maape, Late Premier of the North West Province
Solly Phetoe, COSATU General Secretary, 21 May 2026
Comrades, family, friends, leadership,
Today we stand with heavy hearts.
We mourn. We also celebrate. We mourn because we have lost a giant. We celebrate because Comrade Bushy Maape lived an illustrious life. A life of struggle. A life of service. A life of sacrifice.
Let me start by greeting the family of Comrade Bushy. To his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his brothers and sisters – we say to you: your loss is our loss. Your pain is our pain.
COSATU shares your grief. The working class shares your grief.
I greet the friends of Comrade Bushy.
The comrades who walked with him in the trenches. I greet the leadership of the African National Congress. I greet the leadership of COSATU here in the North West. I greet the leaders of our Alliance – the SACP and SANCO. I greet the leaders of government, national and provincial.
We are here together because Comrade Bushy belonged to all of us.
He was a son of the North West. He was a humble leader of the ANC. He was a quiet soldier of the people.
Comrades, today is a chance to remember where Comrade Bushy came from. He was born during the dark days of apartheid. Those were days of baaskap. Days of pass laws. Days when a black child could not dream. A black child was told: you are nothing.
You will be nothing.
But Comrade Bushy refused. From a young child in a village, he rose to the highest office in this Province. He became Premier. That was not luck. That was struggle. That was sacrifice. That was the ANC. That was the power of a people who refuse to be slaves.
From his youth, Comrade Bushy made a choice.
He chose his people. He chose freedom. He chose to dedicate his life to the liberation of the oppressed, no matter the risk. No matter the price. The apartheid regime was brutal. It killed. It tortured. It jailed. But Comrade Bushy was not afraid.
That choice led him to join the African National Congress. He did not join to wear a T-shirt. He did not join for positions. He joined to fight. He joined the underground. He joined Umkhonto we Sizwe, the people’s army. He took up the spear of the nation. He was ready to die so that we could live free. That is what we call a revolutionary. That is what we call a militant.
But Comrade Bushy was not only a soldier.
He was a teacher. He was a principal of a school. Every day he taught our children. He taught them maths. He taught them history. But most of all, he taught them to stand up. He taught them to be proud. He taught them that black is beautiful. That is why he was not only a principal. He was a leader of his
community. When the community had a problem, they went to Bushy. When the people needed hope, they went to Bushy. He was with the people. He was of the people.
Comrades, the regime tried to crush the ANC.
They banned it. They exiled leaders. They killed leaders. But they could not kill the idea.
Why?
Because of cadres like Comrade Bushy. He played a key role in building the ANC underground machinery here in the North West and in what is now the Northern Cape. Under the nose of the boers, he built structures. He moved arms. He moved messages. He moved people.
Quietly. Carefully. Bravely.
He did not only build the ANC.
He built the movement. He helped build local structures of the General and Allied Workers’ Union, GAWU. GAWU was a fighting union. It organised farm workers. It organised general workers. The most exploited workers. Bushy knew: there is no liberation without the workers. He also helped build the United Democratic Front, the UDF.
The UDF was the voice of the people inside the country when the ANC was banned. Bushy was there.
Building. Mobilising. Agitating.
This work was dangerous.
The enemy was watching. And they caught him. They arrested him. They charged him. They sent him to Robben Island. The same Island where Mandela, Sisulu, Mbeki, and Kathrada were kept. Robben Island was hell. But it was also a university. On that Island, Bushy did not break. He became stronger. He learned. He debated. He planned for freedom. He came out ready to finish the job.
Then 1994 came. We voted. We won.
We got our freedom. Many people ran for positions. Many wanted to be seen on TV. Not Comrade Bushy. He did not seek the limelight. He was content to do the hard work. The quiet work. He helped build the new provincial government from scratch. He served. He did not shout. He delivered. That is a true cadre. A servant of the people.
But comrades, the struggle did not end in 1994. The ANC in the North West went through pain. It was divided. It was weak. Government was battling. Services collapsed. Corruption grew. Our people suffered. When the call came, Comrade Bushy did not hide. He did not say “I am old” or “I am tired”.
He rose to the leadership.
He became Premier.
Why?
Because the movement needed him. Because the people needed him. He put the ANC first. He put the people first. He put himself last.
Comrades, we need such leaders today.
Look at Ditsobotla. Look at our municipalities. Many are dysfunctional. No water. No lights. No roads. Workers are not paid. Tenders are stolen. We need leaders like Bushy who are not afraid to fix what is broken. Leaders who go to the people. Leaders who are clean. Leaders who serve.
We need such leaders to unite the ANC and the Alliance. We are divided. Our enemies are happy when we fight each other. They laugh when the Alliance is weak and divided. Comrade Bushy knew: unity is a weapon. A divided movement cannot defeat
unemployment. It cannot defeat poverty. It cannot defeat inequality. It cannot defeat crime. It cannot defeat corruption.
We need such leaders to tackle the five evils facing our people: unemployment, poverty, inequality, crime and corruption. These evils are killing our people every day. A child who goes to bed hungry – that is violence. A young person with no job – that is violence. A worker who is robbed on the way to work – that is violence. A tender that is stolen – that is violence against the poor. We need militants like Bushy who will wage war on these evils.
Most of all, we need such leaders to give hope to the masses.
Our people are tired. They are angry. They are losing faith. But when they saw Bushy, they saw hope. They saw that a child from a poor village can lead. They saw that a quiet man can be brave. They saw that the ANC can still produce servants, not bosses.
So, comrades, let us not just mourn today. Let us learn from Comrade Bushy Maape. Let us be like him. Let us be humble. Let us be brave. Let us be united. Let us be on the ground with the people. Let us fight for the workers.
Let us fight for the poor. Let us rebuild the ANC.
Let us rebuild the Alliance. Let us rebuild the North West.
To the family: we thank you for lending us this great son. We will not forget him. To the ANC: produce more Bushy Maapes. To COSATU: let us honour him by organising workers. To government: serve the people like Bushy served the people.
Comrade Bushy, you ran your race.
You fought the good fight. You kept the faith. Rest now, son of the soil. Rest now, MK soldier. Rest now, teacher of the nation. Rest now, Premier of the people.
Your spirit is with us. Your example guides us.
The struggle continues.
Hamba kahle, Mkhonto! Hamba kahle, qhawe lama qhawe!
Amandla! Matla!
Long live the spirit of Comrade Bushy Maape, long live!
I thank you.
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Eskom’s
threat to cut power in Johannesburg is unreasonable and irresponsible
Mbulelo Mandlana, SACP Head of Media, Communications and Information, 21 May 2026
The threat issued by Eskom to cut electricity supply in the City of Johannesburg on the basis of the city’s debt to Eskom is not only unreasonable but also reveals the shortsightedness of Eskom’s leadership and the punitive mentality of the government department responsible for Eskom.
The South African Communist Party (SACP) unequivocally condemns the threat as an unconscionable act. This decision reflects a mentality that holds the citizens of Johannesburg collectively responsible for an energy crisis primarily attributable to poor management; poor planning and management of the energy infrastructure by local government; poor maintenance regimes for energy facilities; corruption and outsourcing; cable theft and other criminal activities; as well as the destructive effects of austerity and neoliberal policies in local and national government.
Eskom’s response to the city’s debt reflects a perspective typical of neoliberal government structures in South Africa, which often attribute blame to the populace for capitalist failures while crediting the bourgeoisie for any positive outcomes. If implemented, it would effectively deepen austerity measures and worsen the socioeconomic situation for the people, the working class in particular.
The energy crisis in South Africa as a whole and the City of Johannesburg in particular is clearly a multilayered and nuanced crisis that cannot be solved by a single swipe to switch off the lights in the whole city. This simplistic approach is unfortunate and regrettable. If such a perspective finds expression in the corridors of decision-makers at Eskom, we have much more reason to be concerned than we have ever thought possible as citizens of the Republic and as a progressive movement.
The energy market has undergone a gradual diversification over time, particularly since the onset of the load shedding pandemic. This diversification has primarily benefited privileged sections of society, while the working class has been largely left behind and remains heavily reliant on Eskom as its energy provider. Against that backdrop, this punitive shortcut by Eskom practically guarantees that the working class will be the primary victims of this operation while the middle strata and upper classes may have alternative energy sources. This action is not technical balance sheet management by the national energy company, as some liberals may argue, but a political act whose outcomes determine the winners and losers in a society where the working class is already in a decidedly disadvantaged position.
Working-class communities are already subjected to blackouts reminiscent of load shedding in the name of “load reduction”. Additional disruptions will exacerbate this crisis. The structural energy crisis cannot be resolved by abrupt and illogical measures such as the mooted power cuts. As the SACP, we reject such measures and call for a more comprehensive plan that takes into consideration the varied and complex nature of the energy crisis as well as its class articulation in a society as unequal as ours.
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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Auto Incentive Schemes revamp key in new energy vehicles – Deputy Minister Godlimpi
20 May 2026
To make the South Africa’s automotive sector competitive and have comparative advantage, the government needs to revamp its incentive schemes to accommodate new energy vehicles and hybrids. This was said by the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Zuko Godlimpi during his business engagement with stakeholders from the automotive sector, innovators and investors based at the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) in KuGompo City, Eastern Cape.
According to Godlimpi there is a price point problem in the South African market and there is a need to restructure production to make vehicles more affordable. He said the global trend of increasing sales of the Chinese cars due to price and technology must be adopted by the local sector.
“Both government and the private sector must prioritise technological innovation in the automotive sector, and investment more in research and development to remain competitive. It is also essential for businesses to target the domestic market and exports to other African countries for growth,” he said.
Godlimpi urged businesspeople to initiate market readiness programmes and export support to target twenty-two African markets identified by the government. He emphasised the importance of driving these initiatives and having experts talk to businesses about opportunities. He called for the sector to step up and address the problems they face, with government’s support.
Godlimpi stressed the importance of the Eastern Cape economy growing beyond its current operations, suggesting that businesses should aim for large scale operations. He further highlighted the importance for public policy makers to support the growth of businesses to create employment and defend industrial capabilities.
He added that the strategic outlook and growth potential of the East London Industrial Development Zone, highlight global headwinds and technology transitions affecting automotive manufacturers.
The engagements and visits to different businesses based in the zone covered logistics, port infrastructure, energy costs, tariffs, funding and the potential for solar PV and battery plants.
Caption: The Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Zuko Godlimpi and MEC for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism in the Eastern Cape, Ms Nonkqubela Pieters visiting the East London Industrial Development Zone in KuGompo City, Eastern Cape.
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International-Solidarity
South Africa condemns Israel's illegal abduction of South African nationals participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla bound for Gaza
19 May 2026
The Government of South Africa notes with grave concern reports that following the illegal seizure of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) bound for Gaza, South African nationals have been abducted in international waters and may now be facing detention/imprisonment in Israel.
It must be underscored that the Flotilla, a civilian-led initiative, embarked upon a peaceful and humanitarian mission. Its participants aim to draw attention to the severe and urgent humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza and to deliver vital aid to alleviate the widespread suffering of a people living under occupation and genocide.
Such developments raise serious humanitarian, legal and diplomatic concerns that cannot be treated lightly. South Africa has a longstanding commitment to international law, the protection of human rights and the safety and wellbeing of its citizens wherever they may be.
South Africa calls for restraint, respect for international law and the immediate protection of the rights, dignity and safety of all concerned. The safety, security and physical integrity of all unarmed participants aboard the Flotilla, including South African citizens, are of paramount importance. Any forceful detention of these vessels in international waters constitutes a grave breach of international legal norms and fundamental human rights.
We will be engaging all relevant stakeholders and organisations liaising with the GSF as part of efforts to secure the safe and immediate release of those affected, while ensuring that their families are kept fully abreast of developments as the situation unfolds.
We further call upon the international community and all relevant parties to uphold their obligations under international law and to ensure the safe and unimpeded passage of humanitarian missions.
*ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION*
OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
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The WFTU participates in the ICJ advisory proceedings regarding the interpretation of Convention No. 87.
21 May 2026
The WFTU participates today in the advisory proceedings of the International Court of Justice at the Peace Palace in The Hague, during which the ICJ Advisory Opinion on the question of the Right to Strike under ILO Convention No. 87 will be read in open court.
The WFTU is represented by Lawyer Augusto Praca, a member of the WFTU Democratic and Trade Union Rights Committee.
You can read below the relevant WFTU written statement submitted to the ICJ:
https://www.wftucentral.org/wftu-written-statement.../
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IndustriALL withdraws from human rights agreement with Mercedes-Benz
19 May, 2026
IndustriALL Global Union has withdrawn from its Principles of Social Responsibility and Human Rights agreement with Mercedes-Benz Group, after the company repeatedly violated the agreement's core commitments and refused all attempts to find a constructive way forward.
The decision follows years of documented anti-union conduct by Mercedes-Benz at its plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, confirmed by the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and the company’s failure to address the violations despite repeated opportunities to do so.
In a letter sent to Mercedes-Benz Group CEO Ola Källenius on 11 May 2026, IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie set out four grounds for withdrawal: the company’s failure to remain neutral during union organizing at Tuscaloosa, its refusal to engage constructively with IndustriALL on solutions, its 2025 unilateral update of the agreement without resolving the Alabama situation, and its continued use of law firms whose stated business is opposing unionisation, including the firm managing MB’s own whistleblower channel in the US.
“Mercedes-Benz has broken every rule in the book. They committed to respecting the right to organize, the right to collective bargaining and neutrality. At the same time, at their plant in Alabama, they paid more than US$650,000 to bring union-busting firms onto their own site to pressure workers into voting against a union. That is not neutrality. That is not even close to neutrality. When Mercedes tells the outside world that it is neutral, it is not telling the truth. The workers in Alabama should continue their fight for a collective agreement,”
said Atle Høie.
A commitment made and broken
The Principles of Social Responsibility and Human Rights were signed by Mercedes-Benz and IndustriALL on 1 September 2021. The agreement stated that MB’s labour standards were “binding around the world for all managers and employees” and that “in the event of organizing campaigns, the company and its executives shall remain neutral.”
In January 2024, workers at the Tuscaloosa plant launched a campaign to join IndustriALL affiliate the United Auto Workers (UAW). What followed was one of the most aggressive union-busting campaigns in recent US history.
Mercedes-Benz hired at least five anti-union consulting firms, spending a documented US$659,116 to oppose the workers’ organizing drive. The most notorious was Road Warrior Productions, which advertises its expertise in getting workers “to vote non-union.” The company held mandatory captive-audience meetings, threatened workers with plant closure and loss of benefits if they voted for the union, and brought a minister onto the shop floor three days before the election to urge Black workers, who make up roughly 60 per cent of the workforce, to vote no.
Workers were told unionizing would be pointless. A 25-year employee with a spotless record was disciplined for telling colleagues he had union cards. The leading union organizer, Jeremy Kimbrell, had worked at the plant for 26 years. He was fired in February 2025 on what the UAW describes as a fabricated pretext.
The NLRB investigated and found merit in multiple charges that Mercedes had violated US labour law. In March 2026, Mercedes settled those charges. As part of the settlement, an official notice, signed by an HR manager and bearing the seal of the US government, was posted on the walls of the Tuscaloosa plant. It reads: “WE WILL NOT threaten you with the closure and/or relocation of the facility to a non-union location, like Mexico, or anywhere else, if you choose to be represented by a union.”
Mercedes did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Refusal to engage
Despite the NLRB findings, Mercedes refused to engage with IndustriALL on how to move forward. The company cited ongoing legal proceedings as justification for declining all attempts at dialogue, what Atle Høie’s letter describes as a “flimsy excuse.”
In 2025, Mercedes unilaterally updated the Principles of Social Responsibility and Human Rights without addressing or acknowledging the Alabama situation. IndustriALL considered this an attempt to reset the agreement’s credibility without earning it.
“You rejected all our attempts to jointly elaborate constructive solutions. You updated the Principles of Social Responsibility and Human Rights in 2025 without clarifying the incidents in the US, making it impossible for IndustriALL Global Union to continue as a signatory to the agreement,”
Atle Høie wrote to Ola Källenius.
The consultants hired by Mercedes compound the problem. The firms engaged to fight the Alabama organizing drive openly advertise their union-avoidance services. Their own promotional materials describe “defeating a union” as “gratifying,” offer to help employers maintain “union-free workplaces,” and promise to get workers “to vote non-union.” Several of these firms have documented records of unlawful conduct in previous campaigns. US federal labour judges found their principals had violated workers’ rights, before Mercedes hired them. These records were publicly available before Mercedes engaged them.
Under Mercedes’ own Integrity Code, the company is required to ensure its business partners comply with its principles. It did not.
The hearing
On 26 May 2026, the NLRB opens a formal hearing in Birmingham, Alabama, on UAW objections to the conduct of the May 2024 election. A regional director has found that five of those objections raise substantial and material issues of fact that could be grounds for overturning the election result. The hearing will examine, among other things, Mercedes’ mandatory captive-audience meetings and its discriminatory application of workplace policies against union supporters. It will also look at whether the company compelled workers on sick leave to attend and vote. The central question is whether this conduct prevented workers from making a free choice. In 2024, workers voted 2,642 against the union and 2,045 in favour, a margin of 597 votes out of approximately 5,075 eligible voters.
A different road is possible
IndustriALL has not closed the door. Should Mercedes change course, the agreement can be renewed.
The example of Volkswagen demonstrates that a different approach is possible. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, VW adopted genuine neutrality during the UAW’s 2024 organizing campaign. Workers voted by more than two to one to join the union. VW and the UAW subsequently reached a collective bargaining agreement. That is what the Mercedes Principles were supposed to guarantee for workers in Alabama.
“We once again call on Mercedes-Benz to cease its anti-union behaviour in the US and urge you not to cede the field to law firms and other opinion formers,” Atle Høie wrote to Ola Källenius.
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Building inclusive and sustainable youth structure in Asia Pacific
20 May, 2026
Gender representation, youth leadership and the future structure of regional organizing were on the agenda at the first online meeting of the Asia Pacific regional youth committee (APRYC), on 15 May 2026.
Participants stressed that the youth structure must represent young unionists across South Asia, South East Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, while ensuring gender balance and strong leadership. It was agreed that the sub-regional youth working groups, the South Asia youth working group (SAYWG) and the South East Asia and Pacific youth committee (SEA2PAC) will be phased out and will be integrated into APRYC by the end of 2027. Over the next year, the APRYC will make new proposals on the nomination and selection process. This will happen in consultation with IndustriALL Asia Pacific leadership. All APRYC members commit to continue actively advocating for the rights and interests of young workers.
Prior to the APRYC meeting, the sub-regional youth working groups conducted a meeting on 28 April. They met to discuss and decide what representation structure would best represent them at the Asia Pacific level. Both working groups concluded that the APRYC should be composed of five members from each sub youth structure. These would be two co-chairs, a secretary and two bureau heads.
The 10 APRYC members elected their youth official. They also decided that the co-chair would represent their region in the global youth committee:
APRYC co-chair (woman): Jean Faye Daguman,
APRYC co-chair (man): Bhanu Pratap Singh,
APRYC secretary: Laura Cook.
Jean Faye Daguman, APRYC co-chair, said:
“Building an inclusive and sustainable youth structure in Asia Pacific means creating spaces where young workers are empowered to lead, organize and shape the future of the labour movement. I am committed to advancing just and equal representation, promoting evidence-based approaches and ensuring fairness in strengthening youth organizing and solidarity across the region.”
Bhanu Pratap Singh, APRYC co-chair, said:
“Strong coordination among young workers across Asia Pacific is essential to building a united and forward-looking labour movement. I will help strengthen collaboration, develop new generations of youth leadership and create meaningful connections between young trade unionists across sectors and sub-regions so that collective action and solidarity can grow stronger throughout the region.”
IndustriALL assistant general secretary, Christina Olivier, said:
“Young workers are not just the future, they are an important voice for change, bringing energy and a growing commitment to inclusion and equal opportunity. Building an inclusive youth structure in Asia Pacific helps to ensure that their voices are heard and their rights are represented.”
______________________________
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