Taking COSATU Today Forward, 18 December 2025 #HappyXmas #HappyNewYear2026
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY Happy Festive Season to all workers and their families! #Cosatu40 #VioletSeboniBrigade #Cosatu40thAnniversary #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
18 December 2025
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- SAMWU condemns National Treasury decision to withold Municipal Equitable Share
- President Cyril Ramaphosa receives interim report of Madlanga Commission
- South Africa
- COSATU 2025 Year-end Statement
- SACP statement on alleged comments against dual membership: SACP calls on revolutionaries to unite and defend the progressive movement's values
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- A mandate to act, a responsibility to deliver
- International Migrants Day 2025: Rights, social justice and democracy for all workers
- Collective agreements at Renault Morocco
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
SAMWU condemns National Treasury decision to withold Municipal Equitable Share
Dumisane Magagula, SAMWU General Secretary, 17 December 2025
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) expresses its outrage and total rejection of the National Treasury’s reckless decision to freeze the December equitable share allocations for 75 municipalities across the country. This move is nothing short of an act of economic sabotage directed at the heart of the working class.
By pulling this funding just days before the festive season, the National Treasury is effectively sentencing thousands of municipal workers to a December without salaries, bonuses, or the ability to provide for their families. It is a cruel and calculated assault that treats the livelihoods of workers as collateral damage in a bureaucratic war over balance sheets.
While SAMWU acknowledges and agrees with the National Treasury that many of the country’s municipalities are facing severe financial challenges, leading to the non-payment of statutory obligations such as salaries, pension contributions, and medical aid, we find the Treasury's response completely illogical.
It makes no sense to withhold the equitable share from municipalities that have already demonstrated extreme financial hardship. Instead of intervening to provide the necessary technical and financial support to stabilise these institutions, the National Treasury has chosen to compound the problem, effectively pushing struggling municipalities over the precipice.
Beyond the immediate suffering of workers, this decision serves as a death warrant for service delivery across the most vulnerable regions of our country. The equitable share is the lifeblood of municipal operations.
Without it, taps will run dry, lights will go out, and refuse will pile up in our streets.
To withhold these funds during the height of the festive season is to invite a humanitarian crisis, as municipalities will be left unable to pay for bulk water, electricity, or the basic materials required to maintain crumbling infrastructure. The Treasury is single-handedly creating the very collapse it claims to be preventing, and the brunt of this disaster will be felt by the poor and marginalized residents who rely on these essential services daily.
SAMWU further condemns the National Treasury for its consistent failure to offer genuine support to struggling municipalities, opting instead for a punitive tough love approach that solves nothing. For years, the national government has ignored the structural flaws in the local government funding model and the billions of Rands in debt owed to municipalities by national and provincial departments. It is the height of hypocrisy for the Treasury to invoke Section 216 against municipalities for financial mismanagement while doing nothing to compel other state organs to pay their municipal bills.
This big stick approach ignores the root causes of the crisis and focuses solely on punishing those at the bottom of the hierarchy.
As SAMWU, demand the immediate and unconditional release of the withheld funds to ensure that workers are paid and services are maintained. If the National Treasury and the government at large are truly interested in fostering municipalities that work for residents and workers alike, they will cease being accomplices to a black Christmas for municipal workers.
We will not stand by while our members are sacrificed at the altar of fiscal austerity.
Issued by SAMWU Secretariat
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President Cyril Ramaphosa receives interim report of Madlanga Commission
18 Dec 2025
President Cyril Ramaphosa has on, Wednesday 17 December 2025, received an interim report of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System.
President Ramaphosa established the Commission, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, in July 2025.
President Ramaphosa will study the interim report while the Commission, which is in recess, prepares to hear further testimony from new witnesses or persons who have previously testified.
President Ramaphosa has expressed his appreciation for the interim report as well as his expectation that the Commission will, as part of its terms of reference, refer actions thought to be criminal acts for prosecution.
Media enquiries:
Vincent
Magwenya, Spokesperson to the President
E-mail: me...@presidency.gov.za
Issued by The Presidency
COSATU 2025 Year-end Statement
Zanele Sabela, COSATU Spokesperson, 18 December 2025
The year 2025 has been significant for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) as it celebrated its 40th anniversary at Dobsonville Stadium on 6 December, and the 70th anniversary of its predecessor, South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU), on 5 March at Liliesleaf, Rivonia.
The Federation also commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter, which it adopted as a guiding document in the struggle against apartheid at its National Congress in July 1985.
COSATU and other progressive civil society organisations successfully pushed back on government’s plan to increase VAT by two percentage points when it tabled the budget on 19 February; at the second tabling on 12 March government proposed half a percentage increase, which was also rejected.
The budget was eventually tabled with a zero VAT increase on 21 May, reminding government of the importance of listening to the working class and society.
The Federation also led marches to Parliament in solidarity with civil society to demand a People’s Budget that rejects austerity, tackles inequality and poverty, focuses on the needs of the poor and working class, promotes economic inclusion, and combats crime and corruption when the Minister for Finance, comrade Enoch Godongwana tabled the budget.
The Federation hosted Workers’ Day rallies across all nine provinces on 1 May, with the main event held in Mpumalanga.
The day presented an opportunity to highlight the gains COSATU has secured over the four decades of its existence in taking the lead in the formation of the country’s progressive laws including the right to form a trade union and participate in collective bargaining; the right to strike; the right to safe working conditions; protection against unfair dismissal; protection against discrimination; maternity and parental leave benefits; etc.
COSATU will continue to campaign until Workers’ Day, Freedom Day and election days are declared non-trading holidays to ensure all workers can enjoy these hard-won public holidays.
Disappointingly, this year saw relations between South Africa and the United States deteriorate. South Africa’s engagements with US must continue to seek ways to reduce the 30% tariff on SA exports to the US, in particular for agricultural and manufacturing products.
COSATU has been steadfast, insisting on a reset of relations with the US while also urging government to diversify and expand trade partnerships across the world.
The Federation applauded the Presidency, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, and the entire government led by the African National Congress on a job well done in successfully hosting the first G20 Summit on African soil.
COSATU also welcomed the support and solidarity shown by countries from both the global South and North, which made the summit a victory for multilateralism, political maturity and meaningful dialogue to seek solutions for the myriad challenges facing the world.
The Federation supports the G20 declaration on debt relief, affordable financing, Just Transition, critical minerals which were in line with the outcomes of the three Labour 20 engagements that COSATU and its fellow federations hosted and committed to take forward.
COSATU reaffirmed its stance at COP 30 in Belem, Brazil that there can be no climate justice without social justice and no Just Transition if workers’ needs are not placed at the centre.
The Federation put forward demands including protection of existing jobs, creation of new decent jobs, guaranteed income support, retraining and reskilling of workers and strengthened public services, local economies and community resilience.
Whilst COSATU has welcomed recent positive developments including South Africa’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force’ grey list, the credit rating upgrade by S&P, the addition of 248 000 new jobs in the third quarter, and a rise in the projected growth rate to 1.8% in the next three years, COSATU remains concerned that government is fixated on continuing along the path of failed neoliberal austerity that has seen the economy stagnate at 1% growth rate since 2008, resulting in the alarmingly high unemployment rate of 42.4%.
This, however, will not deliver the 3% economic growth needed for job creation.
The Federation vows to continue opposing government’s neoliberal trajectory and lobby for the employment of more teachers, nurses, doctors, police and provision of resources they need to do their jobs.
Whilst progress at Eskom and work done at Transnet and Metro Rail is applauded, we believe much more needs to be done to arrest the collapse of municipal and public services.
Throwing forward to 2026, COSATU will continue to tackle employers who default on paying workers’ pension fund contributions by engaging Nedlac, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority and the Department of Employment and Labour on measures to resolve this critical issue urgently, including requiring labour inspectors to check compliance when conducting company inspections.
COSATU is preparing for the 2026 May Day celebrations with the national event taking place in Polokwane, Limpopo.
The Federation will be joining its Alliance Partners to also celebrate the African National Congress’ 114th anniversary on the 10th of January, near Rustenburg, in the North West.
As the year draws to a close, the Federation wishes all workers a peaceful and restful festive season filled with joy.
We urge all road users to obey the rules of the road, be cautious towards other travellers and not to drink and drive to ensure they arrive alive and safe. To those who will be working throughout the holidays, we send well wishes and our appreciation, in particular members of law enforcement and security services, workers in the hospitality and retail sectors, those who will be transporting passengers and goods, nurses and doctors, farm and other workers who will keep South Africa running and who deserve our praise.
A merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all.
Issued by COSATU
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SACP statement on alleged comments against dual membership: SACP calls on revolutionaries to unite and defend the progressive movement's values
Mbulelo Mandlana, SACP Head of Media, Communications and Information, 10 December 2025
The South African Communist Party (SACP) notes the statements reportedly made by the Secretary General of the African National Congress (ANC) to the ANC’s National General Council (NGC) as part of a report presented to the NGC. Supposedly, these statements claim that the National Executive Committee of the ANC has rejected dual membership as a standing operational mechanism to conduct the political programme of the alliance between the ANC, the SACP, COSATU and SANCO.
As the SACP, we acknowledge that the NGC is currently in session and that its final outcomes, including on the Strategy and Tactics, will be announced at the conclusion of the NGC, just as we acknowledge the right of the ANC to take any decisions it deems appropriate for itself as an organisation. However, it is imperative that a clarification be provided immediately on the issue of dual membership and to that end this statement is a preliminary clarification exercise of the SACP to respond to this evolving situation as it relates to assertions relating to dual membership.
The question of the essential meaning of the “rejection of dual membership” arises and requires a prompt response. The ANC must respond to several key questions as it constructs a political position on dual membership at this critical juncture. The manner in which the ANC addresses these key questions will determine the substance of the political strategy of the Alliance at present and indeed going into the future.
For the SACP, the current moment extends beyond the upcoming local government elections. It encompasses the character and sustainability of the shared revolutionary project as we understand it. Does the purported rejection of dual membership preclude ANC members from becoming members of the SACP and vice versa? Does rejection of dual membership imply a looming systematic organisational purging of communists who hold membership of the ANC? Does rejection entail the systematic punitive political actions by the ANC towards those who serve as deployees in government and elsewhere, who happen to lead the SACP, under the erroneous notion that the ANC has the sole right to claim the leadership of those deployed? Does the abandonment of dual membership prohibit the participation of ANC members in the SACP or create conditions for this reality?
These are some of the strategic questions that are essential to comprehend the posture that the ANC is now reportedly constructing. An alliance as strategic and historic as that of the ANC and SACP should be viewed with due recognition of its impact on South Africa’s history and not with a periodic perspective limited by an impending election season. The Alliance is based on a common political programme of national transformation that is founded on a vision of national liberation that has specific objectives. The creation of a non-racial society, the ending of women’s oppression, the ending of exploitation of the working classes and fighting against imperialism are our common goals that are at the foundation of the Alliance. The organisational mechanism of dual membership recognises that the struggle to attain these objectives is a singular struggle that however takes place in various terrains of struggle and yet requires collaborative efforts to attain victory, which is the reason why there are communists in the national liberation struggle and nationalists in the struggle for socialism as well as trade unionists in both political organisations. This framework does not downplay the individual identity of the organisations involved. On the contrary, it sets a framework for the strategic nature of Alliance relations.
The concept therefore of dual membership recognises this reality, and any act to undermine it sets a stage for fundamental changing of the political framework that has historically held the national transformation project together and indeed defined the democratic political system as we know it.
The SACP calls for all revolutionaries in every part of our country, inside and outside the NGC, to protect the progressive movement and its values, including its important traditions as well as the organisational operational mechanism of dual membership between the ANC and the SACP. The dual membership operational mechanism of the Alliance has guaranteed the ANC its mass base and its character as a disciplined force of the left and located the SACP as its ideological pre-eminence and radicalising impact in the political and ideological formation of our revolution while uniting the working-class movement and radicalising its economic struggle. To protect these values is key to progress and prevention of the systemic ransacking of the people’s camp. The SACP anticipates a positive outcome of the NGC in this regard.
ISSUED
BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY
FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.
Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID
International-Solidarity
A mandate to act, a responsibility to deliver
17 December, 2025
As 2025 comes to an end, the discussions and decisions of IndustriALL’s fourth Congress in Sydney are still fresh. Congress is more than a meeting; it is where we take stock and set our collective direction. The days in Sydney were a success, but more importantly it is a mandate. A mandate from affiliates across every region and sector to act with clarity, courage and determination in a world that is becoming more unequal, more unstable and more hostile to working people.
By Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary
This past year has not been an easy one. War continues to define daily life for millions. Democratic space is shrinking in too many countries. Corporate power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, while working people are told to accept insecurity, precarity and declining living standards as inevitable. Climate breakdown accelerates, and technological change, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) is introduced not as a tool for shared progress, but too often as a mechanism for control, surveillance and job destruction.
And yet, if there is one lesson from 2025, it is this: workers do not accept injustice quietly.
Trade unions do not retreat when the terrain becomes difficult. We organize. We negotiate. We fight, and we win.
During the year, our affiliates have shown incredible resilience and strength. In Kenya, a court ruling upheld trade union rights against intimidation and abuse, making it clear that the rule of law still matters when workers stand together.
In Italy, metalworkers secured a historic agreement after sustained mobilization, showing that collective bargaining remains one of the most powerful tools workers have to defend dignity and fair pay. In Türkiye, metalworkers also won significant gains amid record inflation, reinforcing that union strength matters across Europe and beyond.
In the United States, workers scored major victories in traditionally difficult organizing environments: after a 15-week strike, IAM union members ratified a new contract at Boeing; autoworkers achieved a historic union win at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant; and energy workers secured a groundbreaking victory with UWUA in the wind power sector, powerful reminders that collective action can overcome rooted resistance even in highly financialized and hostile contexts.
From South Africa, where NUMSA secured a wage deal while calling for industrial policy to protect the auto sector, to India, where courts ordered the regularization of contract workers and garment workers defied illegal closures, the message has been consistent: precarious work is not destiny. It is a choice, and one that can be challenged.
In Quebec, ArcelorMittal workers won a stronger collective agreement, proving that even global giants can be held accountable when unions are organized and persistent. While in Mexico more than 3,000 workers secured a hard-fought settlement after a prolonged strike at ArcelorMittal over profit-sharing and working conditions, including wage gains and the withdrawal of legal actions against workers and their union.
In Bangladesh, Pakistan, Korea, and Morocco workers won Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), regularization and recognition through strikes and negotiation alike, often in contexts where the risks are high and the space for union activity is limited.
We also saw a powerful defence of fundamental rights in Indonesia, where unions successfully challenged the regressive omnibus law, demonstrating once again that determined collective action can push back against legislative attacks aimed at undermining labour protections and bargaining rights.
In Korea, unions welcomed the decision to uphold the impeachment of President Yoon, a powerful reminder that trade unions are not only economic actors but defenders of democracy itself.
And in sectors that define the future of the global economy, shipbreaking, semiconductors, energy and automobiles, union victories this year have shown that transformation does not have to come at the expense of workers’ rights. The entry into force of the Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling is a milestone, decades in the making, improving safety and shifting power in one of the world’s most dangerous industries.
In Cambodia, progress was also made on wages in global supply chains, as international brands signed an agreement with IndustriALL to support collectively bargained wages in the garment, textile, footwear and travel goods sector. These legally binding commitments require brands to back factory-level collective bargaining and responsible purchasing practices, marking an important step toward improving wages and working conditions for workers in a sector that is central to the country’s economy.
These are not isolated successes. They are part of a broader pattern. They show that even in an era marked by war, inflation, climate crisis and corporate greed, organized workers can still shape outcomes.
This matters, because the challenges ahead are immense.
Beyond national struggles, 2025 also brought important progress at global level. IndustriALL renewed and strengthened global agreements with multinational companies including ASOS and the H&M Group, reinforcing commitments on freedom of association, collective bargaining and workers’ rights across complex global supply chains. These agreements matter because they move responsibility up the chain, making clear that brands cannot outsource risk while retaining profit.
Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than regulation, and too often without workers at the table. Global value chains are being reorganized in response to geopolitical tensions, with workers paying the price through job losses, outsourcing and weakened protections. Oligarch power, economic and political, is tightening its grip in many parts of the world, undermining democracy and labour rights alike. And the climate crisis is no longer a future threat; it is a present reality, already reshaping industries, regions and livelihoods.
These are not separate issues. They are deeply connected. And they all raise the same fundamental question: who decides?
At Congress, our affiliates answered that question clearly. Workers must decide. Trade unions must be central actors in shaping the future of work, industry and society. That is why the Action Plan 2025–2029 adopted in Sydney is so important.
The Action Plan is a political commitment. It sets out how we will strengthen union power, expand collective bargaining, defend democratic space, advance Just Transition, and confront corporate power across global supply chains. It reflects the lived reality of our affiliates, and it gives direction to our collective work over the next four years.
But no action plan delivers itself.
What gives meaning to this mandate is the daily work of our affiliates: the shop stewards negotiating under pressure, the organizers facing intimidation, the workers who strike knowing the risks but acting anyway, the women and young workers pushing to be heard and to lead. It is also the work of our staff and partners, supporting struggles across borders, building capacity and keeping international solidarity alive when it is most needed.
Behind these achievements are real people. Workers dealing with repeated crises, organizers facing pressure and intimidation, and unions that keep going even when progress is slow and uncertain.
This is why solidarity is essential to our movement. No affiliate stands alone, and no struggle is isolated. Victories in one place strengthen workers everywhere, and attacks on rights concern us all.
As we move into 2026, we do so with pride in what has been achieved, and with urgency about what lies ahead. The world of work will continue to be contested terrain. Capital will continue to push its interests aggressively. Governments will continue, too often, to fall short of their responsibility to protect workers and communities.
IndustriALL and affiliates will continue to respond by organizing, by bargaining, by building alliances, and by insisting that dignity, democracy and justice are non-negotiable.
Congress has given us a clear mandate. The year behind us has shown what is possible. We enter that future together, confident in our collective strength, grounded in solidarity, and committed to defending the rights and dignity of working people everywhere.
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International Migrants Day 2025: Rights, social justice and democracy for all workers
18 December 2025
On International Migrants Day 2025, the ITUC reaffirms that a rights-based governance of migration is fundamental for social justice and democracy.
As we approach the 2nd International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) in May 2026, governments must deliver on the promise of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM): safe, orderly, and regular migration that respects human rights and labour standards.
Trade unions worldwide have engaged in this process to ensure that migration policies uphold the principles of a New Social Contract: fair labour migration governance, an end to exploitation and equal treatment for all workers.
Today, migration is weaponised by far-right and authoritarian forces to divide societies, weaken democratic institutions and scapegoat migrants. This anti-migrant agenda is an attack on democracy itself. Migrants face violent raids, arbitrary detention, and unlawful deportations, while exploitative recruitment practices and employer-tied schemes trap workers in abuse and poverty. These policies harm all workers and deepen global inequality.
“Migrants are not a threat. They are workers, families, and members of our communities. When human rights are denied because of one’s migration status, democracy itself is weakened for all.”ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle
"On this International Migrants Day, we call on governments to reject fear and division and commit to rights-based governance of migration. Together, we can build a future where every worker, regardless of status, is treated with dignity and respect."
To ensure rights-based governance of migration, the ITUC calls on governments to:
Place labour rights at the centre of systems governing migration – ratify and implement International Labour Standards for all migrants regardless of their status, including the ILO migration-specific Conventions No. 97 and No. 143, as well as guaranteeing freedom of association and the right to organise and collectively bargain, and respect the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
Ensure fair recruitment for decent work – eliminate recruitment fees and costs to migrant workers and regulate recruitment and temporary employment agencies to prevent human trafficking, forced labour, exploitation and other abuses.
Promote rights-based migration pathways ensuring access to decent work – implement regularisation programmes and oppose exploitative, temporary, employer-tied labour migration schemes. Foster migrant workers’ access to decent employment including vocational and language training and programmes for the recognition of skills, prior learning and qualifications of migrant workers as a tool towards the formalisation of work.
Eradicate xenophobia and racism for social cohesion – promote non-discrimination and implement programs for socio-economic inclusion of migrant workers and guarantee equal treatment and access to quality public services.
Remove barriers to migrants’ access to social protection – ensure that migrants are covered by universal social protection systems and floors, and grant portability of social protection entitlements.
Implement living wages to ensure decent jobs for migrant workers, and to combat rampant wage theft.
Provide effective access to justice and remedies against labour rights violations for all migrant workers regardless of their status.
Address root causes of forced migration such as the lack of decent work opportunities, poverty, conflict, inequality, discrimination, repression and adverse impacts of climate change in origin countries.
Strengthen the role of social partners and tripartism to design, implement, monitor and evaluate policies and programmes concerning migration.
The upcoming IMRF will result in a Progress Declaration including recommended actions negotiated by governments. This will be a critical opportunity to secure concrete commitments and ensure that migration governance is shaped through social dialogue with trade unions and rooted in decent work for all. This is essential to prevent migration from exacerbating global inequalities and to protect democracy worldwide.
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Collective agreements at Renault Morocco
16 December, 2025
Last week, Renault Morocco signed three collective agreements in Casablanca and Tangier with the unions affiliated to IndustriALL -Syndicat Nationale des Industries de la Métallurgie et Electromécanique - SNIME-CDT La Confédération démocratique du travail (CDT) and Fédération Nationale de la Métallurgie et des Industries Synthétiques Métallurgiques et Electroniques - FNMISME - UMT Union marocaine du travail (UMT).
The signing ceremony was presided over by Younes Sekkouri, minister of economic integration, small business, employment and skills and Riadh Mezour, minister of industry and trade. It was attended by Mohamed Bachiri, managing director of Renault Morocco. It was also attended by a trade union delegation from UMT led by secretary general, Miloudi Moukharik, and a delegation from CDT, led by secretary general Khalid Alami Houir.
The agreement will improve workers’ benefits and working conditions. It also emphasizes the importance of ongoing dialogue in promoting the gains of the approximately 10,000 workers and ensuring the development of the company. The agreement also includes new provisions relating to Just Transition particularly on job security through continuous training and skills acquisition to adapt to modern technology and automation.
The agreement concerns workers at the Somaca factory in Casablanca, affiliated to the CDT, and the Renault factory in Tangier, affiliated to the UMT, which are renewing the agreement for the third consecutive time. The agreement also concerns Renault Commerce Morocco workers affiliated to CDT through the signing of their first collective agreement.
IndustriALL has a global framework agreement with Renault. Through this agreement, Renault commits to working with its suppliers to ensure they comply with fundamental workers’ and trade union rights. This issue was the subject of several meetings between Moroccan unions and Renault management in 2024 and 2025 and the IndustriALL Renault MENA Union Council. IndustriALL is also currently conducting a project on Just Transition in a Renault operation in Morocco, in collaboration with the company and union.
Minister of employment, Younes Sekkouri said: “The agreement reflects Morocco's approach to balancing workers’ rights and the needs of the company. We value ongoing social dialogue within the company because of its impact on human capital, which is essential to the company's success.”
Minister of industry and trade, Riadh Mezour, said: “These agreements aim to establish a solid and clear social framework that guarantees the rights and benefits of employees and contributes to improving working conditions within the group. This strategic move by Renault Morocco reflects its firm commitment to strengthening its social model and its renewed confidence in the sustainability and effectiveness of the Moroccan industrial system.”
Miloudi Moukharik, secretary general, UMT said: “The collective agreement has been a constant demand of UMT since the factory was established, given its importance in supporting workers’ rights. Labour laws represent the minimum social standards and therefore a collective agreement is needed to improve the situation of workers. We are proud of this exemplary collective agreement, which will reorganize the relationship between workers, their representatives and management. In response to this important agreement, the union office and human resources will need to motivate workers to increase productivity and ensure the quality of cars manufactured in Morocco.”
Secretary general of CDT, Khalid El Alami Houir, said: “The collective agreement signed represents a qualitative shift in the structure of relations between the company and its employees. The agreement guarantees greater protection of workers’ rights while taking into account the rights of employees and, at the same time, the needs of the company and its competitiveness requirements at the national and international levels. Permanent and responsible social dialogue is an important factor in reaching such a collective agreement.”
Mohamed Bouchmal, secretary general of the Renault Tangier Union – UMT and board emmebr of Fédération Nationale de la Métallurgie et des Industries Synthétiques Métallurgiques et Electroniques - FNMISME – UMT said: “This agreement sets an example that should be followed and we call on other companies to conclude similar agreements, because collective agreements make it possible to compensate for the shortcomings of labour law and enable workers to gain new social benefits. The framework agreement between IndustriALL and Renault formed an important basis for the current collective agreement, which provides for sustainable social dialogue.”
Mohamed Moufid, secretary general of Renault Casablanca SOMACA Union -CDT and general secretary Syndicat Nationale des Industries de la Métallurgie et Electromécanique - SNIME-CDT said: “The agreement represents a milestone in the history of social dialogue and reflects the strength of social dialogue within the company and the spirit of responsible partnership.”
IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, said:
“The global automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation that is affecting jobs and working conditions. We congratulate the workers, unions and all other parties involved on this important achievement, which addresses such transformation and is being managed wisely through genuine social dialogue, leading to agreements that maintain social and economic balance.”
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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