Taking COSATU Today Forward, 20 October 2025 #Cosatu@40 #Cosatu40thAnniversary
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #Cosatu holds bilateral with the #ANC today! #Cosatu scheduled to hold its 40th Anniversary at Dobsonville, Soweto on December 6 #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
20 October 2025
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
Organize at every workplace and demand respect for labour rights Now!
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- SADTU statement on the start of the 2025 national senior certificate examinations
- COSATU to host lectures in the lead up to 40th anniversary
- South Africa
- COSATU welcomes efforts to remove ghost posts in the public service
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Palestine: ITUC condemns Israeli attack on PGFTU offices
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
SADTU statement on the start of the 2025 national senior certificate examinations
Dr. Mugwena Maluleke, SADTU General Secretary, 19 October 2025
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) wishes all the candidates who will be sitting for the 2025 National Senior Examinations (NSC) the best of luck.
The importance of these examinations cannot be overstated. They mark the culmination of twelve to thirteen years of schooling and serve as a gateway to tertiary education. The NSC examinations also play a crucial role in benchmarking the quality of South Africa’s education system.
The journey of the Class of 2025 has not been easy. Their learning was disrupted by the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 during their Grade 7 and 8.
We commend both learners and teachers for their resilience, hard work, and determination in overcoming these challenges and making it to this crucial stage.
SADTU expects this examination period to proceed without disturbances.
We call on all stakeholders in education – parents, communities, transport providers, and government – to offer their outmost support to learners during this critical time. We further urge everyone to uphold the principles of SADTU’s “I Am a School Fan” campaign by protecting schools from thuggery, violence, and vandalism.
We appeal to communities to ensure that roads leading to schools are not blockaded as part of community protests, and that school transport services operate smoothly so that learners can arrive safe, on time.
To the learners, we say: remain disciplined and avoid any conduct that could jeopardise your chances of obtaining that all-important National Senior Certificate.
Believe in your abilities, stay focused, and finish strong.
To our teachers, we call on you to continue displaying professionalism and integrity as you invigilate and mark these examinations.
We encourage families to provide learners with the necessary emotional and physical support throughout the examination period.
Finally, we urge provincial departments of education and schools to strengthen security measures to prevent any examination paper leaks as such incidents compromise the integrity and credibility of the entire examination process. Good Luck to the Class of 2025!
ISSUEDBY: SADTU Secretariat
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COSATU to host lectures in the lead up to 40th anniversary
Zanele Sabela, COSATU National Spokesperson, 25 September 2025
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is set the host a series of lectures in the lead up to its 40th anniversary celebration at Dobsonville Stadium on 6 December.
The culmination of four years of unity talks, COSATU came into being on 1 December 1985, and brought together 33 competing unions and federations opposed to apartheid and whose common goal was to bring about a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society.
The Federation has been at the forefront of advancing, defending and protecting the interests and rights of workers since, and has led in the formation of the country’s progressive labour laws including workers’ rights to form trade unions, collective bargaining and to strike, minimum conditions of service, National Minimum Wage, etc.
From its vehement resistance of apartheid to the ushering in of the democratic dispensation and improving the economic and social wellbeing of the working class 31 years post democracy, COSATU has stood the test of time.
In the lead up to its 40th anniversary in December, the Federation will host a variety of activities starting with a series of lectures by its National Office Bearers.
The lectures will tackle diverse subjects from COSATU’s pivotal role in gender struggles to the strike that broke the back of industry-wide exploitative labour practices as far back as 1959.
Province:
Northern Cape
Date:
30 October
Topic: COSATU and the Liberation Movement
Main Speaker: Solly Phetoe, COSATU General Secretary
Province:
North-West
Date:
19 November
Topic: Strengthening Industrial Unions to build a militant COSATU
Main Speaker: Duncan Luvuno, COSATU 2nd Deputy President
Province:
Eastern Cape
Date:
20 November
Topic: COSATU and the Reconfiguration of the Alliance
Main Speaker: Mike Shingange, COSATU 1st Deputy President
Province:
Gauteng
Date:
21 November
Topic: COSATU and the Mass Democratic Movement
Main Speaker: Zingiswa Losi, COSATU President
Issued by COSATU
COSATU welcomes efforts to remove ghost posts in the public service
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, 19 October 2025
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes efforts by government to identify and remove ghost posts in the public service. The directive by the Department of Public Service and Administration for government departments to conclude physical verification of all staff employed by the end of February 2026 is a positive step towards tackling corruption in the state.
It builds upon similar verification already successfully concluded within various public service departments.
Ghost posts are a particularly grotesque form of state capture and corruption.
Not only are they tantamount to the theft of workers’ hard-earned taxes but they place unbearable burdens upon already overstretched nurses, doctors, teachers, police officers and other frontline staff struggling to provide public services to working class communities whilst battling high vacancy rates and painful austerity budget cuts.
The ratios of teachers to learners, health workers to patients and law enforcement to society, amongst others, have been dangerously eroded over the past decade. It is unforgivable that whilst thousands of dedicated public servants have done their best to ensure service delivery, that this form of corruption has taken place.
Whilst it is not yet possible to know the full extent of ghost posts, we believe that given the extent of corruption across many arms of the state and similar instances of ghost posts already found, including the notorious 3 000 exposed at PRASA, that it is highly likely pockets will be found.
This physical verification needs to be done under the close scrutiny of the Auditor-General and the Public Service Commission, lest the very same persons involved in creating ghost posts in the first place, be enabled to cover their tracks. Similarly, it is crucial this verification includes all public sector entities, state-owned enterprises and municipalities.
It is critical that any savings achieved from eradicating such ghost posts be utilised as intended, to fill critical frontline posts and thus easing the burden upon public servants and improving service delivery. These funds should not be diverted for any other non-mandated purposes.
If we are to eradicate the culture of corruption that has become pervasive across the state and society, government must hold all persons implicated in such acts of criminality fully accountable as required by the law.
COSATU will continue to support the tireless efforts of its Affiliates in the state to win this war against state capture and corruption in all its manifestations.
Issued by COSATU
International-Solidarity
Palestine: ITUC condemns Israeli attack on PGFTU offices
16 October 2025
The ITUC strongly condemns the raid by Israeli army and intelligence forces on the offices of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) in Nablus, in the Occupied West Bank, on Wednesday evening.
During the assault, the offices of the general secretary and several other departments were ransacked and vandalised, with entrance doors broken across the premises.
ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle denounced the Israeli operation: “This attack, taking place on Palestinian territory, constitutes a serious violation of international law and of the fundamental right to freedom of association.
“It is an assault on a legitimate, democratic, representative institution of working people. Trade unions are a force for peace, dialogue, and negotiation. They are not military targets.
“We demand an immediate, independent and transparent investigation into this incident and full accountability for those responsible.
“The ITUC is in full solidarity with the PGFTU and all Palestinian workers targeted by this assault. Peace in the region cannot be built through violence, intimidation, humiliation or repression, but only through respect for international law, for human rights and for labour rights.”
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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