Taking COSATU Today Forward, 28 January 2025
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #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
28 January 2025
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- Employment and Labour’s Compensation Fund to engage employers during a Business Networking Breakfast session
- South Africa
- Trade, Industry and Competition on improving poultry sector in South Africa
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Official YCLSA Position Statement Trump’s return to Office: A New Chapter in U.S. Imperialist Aggression
- Education International launches Global Status of Teachers report on the International Day of Education
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
Employment and Labour’s Compensation Fund to engage employers during a Business Networking Breakfast session
27 January 2025
The Compensation Fund will host a Business Networking Breakfast session with Employers from Mbombela, Mpumalanga province.
The purpose of the session is to engage with employers on the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA).
This session will also serve as an opportunity for both the Compensation Fund and Employers to deal with issues related to amongst others, registration, assessment, claims submission processes, as well as to address challenges and propose remedial solutions.
A Help desk service will be available to assist Employers with enquiries.
Details of the session are as follows and the media is invited:
Date: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Time: 08h00- 12h00
Venue: Khayalami Hotel, 29 Vanwijk Street, Mbombela
For RSVP please contact Hlonitshwa Mpaka at 072 6705464 or Hlonitsh...@labour.gov.za
For enquiries, please contact:
Teboho Thejane
Departmental Spokesperson
082 697 0694 / teboho....@labour.gov.za
-ENDS-
Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour
Trade, Industry and Competition on improving poultry sector in South Africa
26 Jan 2025
Export-driven strategy a priority for the poultry sector in South Africa
Under the leadership of the Deputy Minister of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition(the dtic), Mr Zuko Godlimpi, the poultry sector will pursue an export-driven growth strategy to advance the South African economy. A phase two master plan framework to guide the implementation of this strategy is under development through a collaborative action between government, industry and all social partners. This was said by the Chief Director of Agro-processing at the dtic, Ms Ncumisa Mcata-Mhlauli during a visit to the Rainbow Chicken plant in Rustenburg, North-West.
The Poultry Sector Master Plan 2030 was signed off in November 2019 at the 2nd South Africa Investment Conference. Phase one of the master plan concluded in 2023, and had a focus seeking to address a number of serious challenges faced by the poultry industry including high feed costs, export barriers, as well as increasing imports primarily from Brazil and the United States of America.
According to Mcata-Mhlauli the second phase of the master plan will mainly focus on growth driven by exports of cooked meat and local demand increase strategies, effective trade measures, biosecurity measures for local and export markets, and transformation of the poultry industry, among others.
“The other focus areas proposed by the social partners include addressing food security and malnutrition; proposal on Value Added Tax exemption for some poultry products; funding; and other support for contract farmers and small businesses, with job creation, job-loss mitigation and transformation as cross-cutting themes. The ongoing process to finalise and sign off the phase two framework is being facilitated through the convener’s structure of the master plan and bilaterals with constituencies represented,” said Mcata-Mhlauli.
Mcata-Mhlauli also highlighted the dtic’s role in regards to trade support for the poultry industry and pointed out its importance towards ensuring protection of the industry against imports, as well as promotion of exports.
“It is important for us to engage with the industry on several issues that require collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development. This partnership is essential to provide primary support to farmers, ensuring that there is sufficient production to feed the nation. Most importantly, government needs to support the investment efforts of the industry enabling optimal employment of existing capacities created as this will ensure sustainable growth of the industry envisaged,” added Mcata-Mhlauli .
The poultry industry is the largest contributor to the agricultural sector with a total annual gross value of production of almost R72 billion in 2022, accounting for 17.1% of the total agricultural gross value. In the period 2019 to 2023 since the master plan implementation begun the aggregate chicken meat inclusive of fresh, frozen, whole and offal displayed a 6% growth in exports.
For
media enquiries and interview requests:
Bongani Lukhele
Director: Media Relations
Tel:
(012) 394 1643
Cell: 079 5083 457
WhatsApp: 074 2998 512
E-mail: BLuk...@thedtic.gov.za
Follow us on X: @the_dtic
#ServiceDeliveryZA
Issued by Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
International-Solidarity
Official YCLSA Position Statement Trump’s return to Office: A New Chapter in U.S. Imperialist Aggression
Mzwandile Thakhudi, YCLSA National Secretary- 26 January 2025
The Young Communist League of South Africa (Ufasimba), as the autonomous militant youth wing of the vanguard of the working class, the South African Communist Party (SACP), unequivocally condemns in the strongest terms the reactionary and anti-progressive policies of President Donald Trump. Since his inauguration on January 20, 2025, Trump has unleashed a barrage of policies aimed at reinforcing the stronghold of U.S. neoliberal capitalist exploitation and bolstering imperialist aggression.
On the matter of Cuba: Imperialism’s Relentless Target Since 1960 and Beyond
The unjust reinstatement of Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, enacted through his signing of Executive Order 13818, constitutes a blatant act of imperialist aggression against the Cuban people and their fundamental right to self-determination.
For more than six decades, the United States has maintained an illegal and inhumane economic blockade against Cuba, a deliberate and calculated strategy explicitly designed to dismantle its socialist project and weaken its standing in the global community.
On January 14th, 2025, former President Joe Biden rightfully removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, acknowledging its significant contributions to global peace and development. In a move emblematic of his vindictive spitefulness and a regressive agenda, Trump chose to reverse this approach. Trump’s reversal of Cuba’s removal from the U.S. terrorism list has no legitimate justification; instead, it is a calculated manoeuvre to appease the most reactionary elements of the U.S. political establishment.
These actors include his far-right base, the so-called “RINOs” (Republicans In Name Only), the military-industrial complex, and corporate interests that benefit from maintaining Cuba’s isolation from global discourse. By reinstating Cuba on the terrorism list, Trump aims to delegitimize its socialist model, undermine its international standing, and justify the ongoing illegal blockade against the nation. This action is not merely a policy decision but a deliberate strategy to suppress Cuba’s achievements and perpetuate the exploitative dominance of U.S. imperialism.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, while Trump relied on his trademark press briefings using the podium of the U.S. presidential seal to stage a grotesque spectacle of misinformation and self-promotion on the contrary during the same time Cuba deployed more than 3,700 medical professionals to 39 countries, saving countless lives and demonstrating the power of solidarity . Similarly, during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Cuban healthcare workers were among the first to respond, risking their lives to combat the epidemic. This is precisely why Trump’s new administration seeks to continue its policy of undermining Cuba through baseless accusations of terrorism to justify an illegal blockade.
On Trump’s Executive Orders: The New Imperialist Onslaught on Humanity Trump’s recent spree of executive orders are not merely policy decisions; they are weapons in the arsenal of imperialism, meticulously designed to entrench capitalist domination. Each order represents a direct assault on international solidarity, environmental sustainability, and the rights of the oppressed. Governing through executive fiat, while technically legal, is a loophole to rule via coercion rather than consensus. It allows a single individual to impose their will unchecked, bypassing democratic process and undermining the constitutional principles of checks and balances.
The YCLSA reflects below on specific executive orders that exemplify Trump’s renewed imperialist onslaught on humanity, exposing the exploitative and reactionary nature of his administration’s agenda for the next four years.
1. Abandoning the World Health Organization (WHO):
Under Executive Order 13994, Trump formally withdrew the United States from the WHO, undermining global efforts to combat pandemics and other health crises. This decision leaves vulnerable populations without access to vaccines, treatments, and critical resources, prioritising his nationalist rhetoric over the collective well-being of the world.
2. Backtracking on the Paris Accord:
Through Executive Order 14008, Trump reinitiated the U.S.’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, accelerating climate change and disproportionately impacting the poorest and most vulnerable. This decision epitomises the reckless pursuit of profit at the expense of both people and the planet.
3. Universal Tariffs:
Executive Order 14017 introduced a 10% universal tariff on all imports, a protectionist strategy designed to safeguard U.S. domestic capital at the expense of global economic stability. This universal tariff will disrupt international trade while placing a significant strain on developing economies and perpetuates neocolonial dependence on Western markets.
4. Crushing Labor Rights:
Under Executive Order 14026, Trump has systematically undermined labour rights, reducing critical workplace protections and making it more difficult for workers to organise themselves. These measures are direct attacks on the working class, aimed at suppressing collective power and ensuring the dominance of capitalist interests. This executive order is a calculated strategy to entrench bourgeois hegemony and exploit the proletariat, ensuring that the working class remains divided and powerless.
The YCLSA views Trump’s policies as nothing less than a declaration of war on the global working class and oppressed nations. We condemn his imperialist ambitions, including his threats to assert control over independent territories like Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal. As the Young Communist League of South Africa, we will continue to stand in revolutionary solidarity with our oppressed comrades in the African Continent, Palestine, Cuba, Latin America, and across the globe. Together, we will resist imperialism, fight for socialism, and build a shared future rooted in justice, equality, and solidarity.
Issued by YCLSA
National Secretary- Mzwandile Thakhudi
For interviews and Enquiries
National Spokesperson- Ramatolo Tlotleng Cell: (074) 478 4403
Media Liaison Officer – Dineo Mokoena. Cell: (073) 969-8532
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Education International launches Global Status of Teachers report on the International Day of Education
Standards and working conditions Go public! Fund education, 24 January 2025
On January 24, Education International (EI) marked the International Day of Education with the launch of the Global Status of Teachers Report. Authored by Dr. Ben Arnold and Dr. Mark Rahimi, this groundbreaking publication provides an analysis of the state of the teaching profession worldwide, highlighting the key role teachers play in ensuring equitable and quality education for all.
The survey says: key findings
The report draws on data from 204 unions in 121 countries, providing a vivid picture of the challenges and opportunities faced by educators globally. It reveals a teaching profession under strain yet brimming with potential. Key findings include:
- Teacher shortages: The report identifies severe shortages across all levels of education, particularly in special education, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects, and secondary teaching. Low salaries, poor career progression, and excessive workloads are the primary drivers of this crisis.
- Working conditions and well-being: Teachers face high stress levels due to large class sizes, administrative burdens, and emotional demands, exacerbated by inadequate mental health support and unsupportive working environments.
- Professional status: Despite their vital societal role, teachers are often undervalued, facing limited professional voice, restricted labor rights, and public perceptions that fall short of recognising their expertise and contributions.
The way forward: building a high-status, high-retention profession
The report calls for bold and urgent action to address these challenges. Key recommendations include:
- Improve teacher compensation: Competitive salaries and career progression opportunities are essential to attract and retain qualified teachers.
- Support teacher well-being: Reduce workloads, enhance support systems, and prioritise mental health in school environments.
- Elevate teacher status: Foster respect for the teaching profession through strong social dialogue, equitable resources, and meaningful engagement in decision-making.
- Invest in public education: Governments must commit to fair funding for public education and resist privatisation trends.
The report serves as a vital tool to mobilise action, aligning with EI’s Go Public! Fund Education campaign, which advocates for increased public investment in education and the teaching profession.
Call for action
During the launch, EI General Secretary David Edwards called on governments and stakeholders to act decisively, stating: “Today, we come together to end the acute global teacher shortage putting the right to education at risk for millions of students. Our new report offers critical insights and a global consensus on how to strengthen the teaching profession. Now, we must organize and mobilize to compel governments to act."
EI’s President Mugwena Maluleke added: "The Global Status of Teachers report calls for bold action: addressing teacher shortages through better pay and manageable workloads, prioritising retention with supportive environments, promoting equity and strengthening social dialogue to tackle education challenges collectively. The Go Public! Fund Education campaign advocates for increased funding for teachers and public education worldwide."
Get involved
Explore the full findings and recommendations of the 2024 Global Status of Teachers Report. Download the full report, read an exclusive blog by the authors, and access our communications toolkit to amplify the message. Join EI’s Go Public! Fund Education campaign to advocate for quality, inclusive, and well-funded public education systems.
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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