Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 8 July 2025
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #CosatuCallCentre number is 010 002 2590 #DecentWork #DecentLives #SACTU70 #ClassStruggle “Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism” #Back2Basics #JoinCOSATUNow #ClassConsciousness |
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
8 July 2025
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- Invitation to El Africa Young Educators Network (AYEN) Webinar
- South Africa
- COSATU pained workers at Daybreak Foods remain vulnerable
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- President Cyril Ramaphosa responds to US tariffs announcement
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
Invitation to El Africa Young Educators Network (AYEN) Webinar.
We bring you greetings from the El Africa Regional Office.
In the framework of its Operational Plan 2025, El Africa will organise the Young Educators' Network (AYEN) Webinar on 9 July 2025 on the Zoom platform, from 09:00 to 12:00 GMT(Accra Time).
The main purpose of this webinar, whose theme is, "Strengthening the Role of Young Educators in the Implementation of the CESA 2026-2035" is to enhance the knowledge and advocacy skills of young educators in Africa regarding global education frameworks and the African Union's new Continental Education Strategy 20026-2035.
This webinar will provide an opportunity for AYEN members to contribute to the development of a toolkit for use by member organisations in their advocacy for the implementation of CESA 2026-2035.
The specific objectives of the workshop are:
1. To enhance the participants understanding of the global education architecture, SDG 4 and CESA objectives 2026-2035;
2. To enhance participants' advocacy skills to help boost unions' campaign for the achievement of quality education in Africa by 2030; and,
3. Develop strategies to ensure full implementation of the new CESA objectives by governments.
Please, see the attached concept note for more details. The draft programme will be shared with you in the coming days.
This webinar is a follow up to the AYEN workshop organised in October 2024 in which young educator participants discussed the draft CESA 2026-2035 and provided feedback to the African union.
We encourage you to share this invitation widely among your young members.
To join the webinar, please, click on the below link.
Meeting link: https://ei-ie.zoom.us/i/91343498480...
Meeting ID: 913 4349 8480
Passcode: 104518
COSATU pained workers at Daybreak Foods remain vulnerable
Zanele Sabela, COSATU National Spokesperson, 8 July 2025
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and its Affiliates, the Southern African Textile and Clothing Workers Union (SACTWU) and the Agricultural Food and Allied Democratic Workers Union (AFADWU), are distraught that a contractual dispute between the business rescue practitioner (BRP) of Daybreak Foods and a service provider is delaying the payment of workers’ salaries.
Last week workers at the chicken producer took to the streets because their June salaries had not been paid. Daybreak went into business rescue after it run out of money to pay workers and buy feed for the chicks in May.
The company became headline fodder after the SPCA was forced to put down 350 000 starving chicks, many of which had resorted to cannibalising each other to survive.
The PIC which controls 100% of the shares in Daybreak Foods on behalf of the Government Employees Pension Fund, Unemployment Insurance Fund and the Compensation Fund, intervened and injected R76 million in working capital to pay workers and buy feed. It also agreed to the business rescue as the best way to save the company and secure the 3 000 jobs.
Now workers’ salaries for June have been delayed because the service provider responsible for payroll, Altron, is not prepared to disburse the salaries until it is paid monies owed to it by Daybreak Foods. It is important to stress that what Altron is demanding is illegal, because the BRP cannot favour one creditor above all others. Due to this, the BRP is forced to approach the court to either force Altron to pay the salaries or hand over the database, so the BRP can contract another payroll company to pay the workers. Altron is not prepared to pay the workers or hand over the database until it is paid monies owed to it.
The PIC injected a further 150 million into Daybreak Foods last week to ensure workers would be paid. COSATU, SACTWU and AFADWU are hoping that sense will prevail and that Altron will realise what is it demanding is illegal and simply cannot pass.
What pains us most is workers remain vulnerable to the whims of unscrupulous service providers who think nothing of making illegal demands.
COSATU and its dedicated Affiliates whole-heartedly support the BRP and want Daybreak Foods to emerge from the process more successful with workers’ jobs secure and will stop at nothing to ensure this happens.
Issued by COSATU
International-Solidarity
President Cyril Ramaphosa responds to US tariffs announcement
07 Jul 2025
President Cyril Ramaphosa has noted the correspondence from President Donald Trump on the unilateral imposition of a 30% trade tariff against South Africa. The President has further noted that South Africa is one of a number of countries to have received this communication on 7 July 2025.
This 30% tariff is based on a particular interpretation of the balance of trade between South Africa and the United States. This contested interpretation forms part of the issues under consideration by the negotiating teams from South Africa and the United States. Accordingly, South Africa maintains that the 30% reciprocal tariff is not an accurate representation of available trade data. In our interpretation of the available trade data, the average tariff imported goods entering South Africa stands at 7.6%. Importantly, 56% of goods enter South Africa at 0% most favoured nation tariff, with 77% of US goods entering the South African market under the 0% duty.
South Africa will continue with its diplomatic efforts towards a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States. We welcome the commitment by the US government, that the 30% tariff is subject to modification at the back of the conclusion of our negotiations with the United States.
South Africa has continued to engage the United States, most recently at a meeting held on the side-lines of the US-Africa Summit on 23 June 2025 in Luanda. It was at this meeting where South Africa learned of a template with which the US wishes to engage sub-Saharan Africa on matters of trade. The South African negotiating team still awaits this template, however, President Ramaphosa has instructed the team urgently engage with the US on the basis of the Framework Deal that South Africa submitted to the US on 20 May 2025. This Framework deal addresses the issues initially raised by the US, including South Africa’s supposed trade surplus, unfair trade practices and lack of reciprocity from the US.
The President urges government trade negotiations teams and South African companies to accelerate their diversification efforts in order to promote better resilience in both global supply chains and the South African economy.
Media enquiries:
Vincent Magwenya
Spokesperson to the President
E-mail: me...@presidency.gov.za
Issued by The Presidency
______________________________
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