Taking COSATU Today Forward, 18 March 2026
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY COSATU Call Center Contacts: 010 002 2590 #SAMWU 13th National Congress is in session in Mbombela… #WorkerControl #Cosatu40 #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 March 2026
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- COSATU National Gender Elective Conference
- COSATU presented its submission on the Budget's Division of Revenue and Special Appropriations Bills
- South Africa
- COSATU General Secretary Speaking Notes to the SAMWU 13th National Congress, 17 – 19 March 2026, Mbombela
- COSATU is encouraged by the Postbank's securing its long-sought licensing by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- WFTU Congratulatory Statement to the workers of EKTAM SOFT DRINKS in Cyprus
- French court holds Yves Rocher accountable for workers’ rights violations in Türkiye
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
COSATU National Gender Elective Conference
Zanele Sabela, COSATU Spokesperson, 17 March 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is set to convene its 2nd National Gender Elective Conference from 26 to 27 March as part of the organisation’s three-year accountability cycle.
The Gender Office Bearers and Gender Structure will report on the implementation of resolutions and programmes adopted at the Gender Conference in 2022. The Conference takes place at a time of sharpened gender inequalities in the workplace and in society, particularly for women workers, workers with disabilities and LGBTQI+ workers.
The conference will deliberate on the following:
- GBV and sexual harassment, including the implementation of the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 190 and Recommendation 206, which relate to the elimination of violence (including GBV) and harassment in the workplace.
- Care Economy and Care Workers’ Rights
- Gender and climate change: Examining the impact on workers with disabilities.
- Engendering collective bargaining, in particular advancing parental rights and maternity protection.
- Ensuring implementation of COSATU’s gender policies and organisational power.
Alliance partners, ANC Women’s League, SACP and SANCO will deliver messages of support.
The conference will also elect National Gender Office Bearers who will assume responsibility to ensure that the Federation’s work of striving for gender equality is taken forward.
The details of the National Gender Elective Conference are as follows:
•
Date: 26
& 27 March
• Time: 9am
• Venue: Anew Hotel, OR Tambo, 1 Country St, Lakefield, Benoni.
All members of the media are invited to the conference.
RSVP to mam...@cosatu.org.za or non...@cosatu.org.za
Issued by COSATU
Zanele Sabela (COSATU Spokesperson)
Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639
Email: zan...@cosatu.org.za
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COSATU presented its submission on the Budget's Division of Revenue and Special Appropriations Bills
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, 17 March 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) presented its submission on the 2026/27 Budget's Division of Revenue Bill and the 2025/26 Budget’s Special Appropriation Bill to Parliament’s Standing Committee: Appropriation.
COSATU is extremely disappointed with the lackluster 2026/27 Budget and Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.
Whilst appreciating that there are some important allocations that COSATU campaigned for in the Budget, it fails to respond decisively to the fundamental crises facing the working class and the economy, in particular a 41.1% unemployment rate, economic growth far below the 3% needed to create jobs, struggling public and municipal services and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), entrenched levels of poverty and inequality, and endemic crime and corruption.
Tragically the Budget is focused on balancing the books not on aggressively kickstarting economic growth or tackling unemployment.
Key to providing an environment where the economy can take off and the lives of the working class improved, is to ensure that frontline public services have the resources needed to fulfill their constitutional and developmental mandates.
We welcome investments in health and education, in particular R18 billion allocations to enroll 300 000 Grade R learners; R7.8 billion for the National Health Insurance Grants plus R24 billion for revitalising public healthcare, R92 billion for district health programmes, the building of seven new provincial hospitals and R21 billion for the employment of doctors over the MTEF.
Local government remains the state’s Achille’s heel with more than 60% of municipalities in financial distress and many struggling to provide basic services or pay staff. The allocation of R27 billion to improve metros’ abilities to provide basic services and bill correctly is critical, as are plans to strengthen national government’s ability to timeously intervene in and hold failing municipalities accountable.
Plans to connect over 320 000 houses to electricity and roll out 258 000 smart meters are welcome.
However, these interventions do not go far enough to capacitate often highly dysfunctional municipalities, tackle rising municipal debt or deal with corrupt and incompetent municipal management.
Much more must be done to enable Eskom to reduce the price of electricity, plus return Transnet and Metro Rail to full capacity to unlock mining, manufacturing and agricultural jobs as well as to provide efficient public transport for urban workers. The substantial infrastructure investments over the MTEF of R1.07 trillion, in particular for energy, rail, ports, water, roads and airports will help boost economic growth and jobs.
The absence of a bold stimulus package for SMMES, industrial and export sectors badly needed for boosting economic growth and jobs is deeply worrying. It is beyond disappointing that the Presidential Employment Programme has been cut by half despite SONA’s commitments to increase it.
Although there are important allocations for some frontline services and infrastructure, COSATU is extremely frustrated that Treasury and government collectively, have once again reduced the Budget to balancing books and missed the opportunity to table a bold stimulus package that would fix public and municipal services, spur economic growth, boost employment, provide relief for the poor and unemployed, and ramp up tax compliance.
COSATU will be seeking urgent engagements with Treasury and government to ensure these failures are addressed. We cannot afford to continue to normalise 1% economic growth nor 41.1% unemployment.
The patience of the working class and society are not unlimited.
Issued by COSATU
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
COSATU General Secretary Speaking Notes to the SAMWU 13th National Congress, 17 – 19 March 2026, Mbombela
Solly Phetoe, COSATU General Secretary, 17 March 2026
Salutations
The President of SAMWU
The General Secretary of SAMWU
All 12th National Congress Office Bearers, and CEC
Leadership of COSATU present
All Alliance partners present
International guest
Former leaders of SAMWU
Delegates to this congress
Government deploys and SALGA
The 13th National Congress of SAMWU takes place at an important time, in the year in which we commemorate some significant and historical struggles and milestones in the history of both our struggle for liberation and in our democratic transition. Comrades, this year marks 70 years of the historic Women’s March. The 1956 Women’s March was the first most organised struggle after the promulgation of apartheid in 1948.
From here, we learnt of the pivotal role of women, their visible sacrifices, and participation in the anti-apartheid struggle.
This year also marks 50 years of the 1976 Soweto uprising. The 1976 uprising reinvigorated the struggle against apartheid, with scores of young people joining the liberation struggle, including many who went to join exiled liberation organisations and their respective military camps.
Third, this year marks 30 years of the South African democratic constitutional order. On 10 December 1996, the South African democratic Constitution was adopted, signalling the era of constitutional democracy for South Africa.
As we commemorate constitutionalism, we should continue our fight to protect our hard-fought gains of freedom, including defending workers’ rights to form and belong to trade unions and our right to collective bargaining.
Comrades, this Congress also takes place in a significant year of local government elections, a critical lever of state power for ensuring governance that best serve delivery of services and deepening of democracy at the municipal level. This is significant particularly for SAMWU, as the union that organises in this important sphere of government, tasked with advancing the NDR and service delivery to working-class communities, from which your members also come.
Worsening crisis of global capitalism and collapse of the international order
At our recent CEC, COSATU outlined the interconnectedness of the international and domestic balance of forces in shaping our class perspectives, understanding that domestic victories can easily be rolled back by international class offensives if we do not build sufficient international class solidarity for progressive advances.
As we meet here today, the global economy, including the South African economy, is experiencing the crippling effects of the criminal aggression and attacks by America and apartheid Israel on Iran, spiking the price of oil to unprecedented prices, currently between U$100 and U$120 a barrel, likely to see the price of petrol and diesel shoot up significantly next month.
The most defining feature of our present-day international situation is the deepening crises of capitalism and wars of imperialism and conquest of lands and resources of other people. The following examples reflect the intensity and aggressiveness of imperialism today:
The unprincipled missile and air strikes by imperialist US and apartheid Israel Defence Force (IDF) on Iran. This attack guised behind a false claim that Iran is developing its uranium to build nuclear weapons. This claim, Netanyahu has been making since his first stint as Prime Minister in Israel back in 1996. These are the same false claims Israel and the Bush administration made to attack Iraq in 2003.
The war of aggression against Venezuelan territory, the abduction of its President and wife, and the forceful takeover and control of its oil resources, which, interestingly, now benefits Israel.
These are the most recent, classic, and brutal examples of heightened imperialist aggression against the people of the Global South. Furthermore, the unilateral sanctions and tariffs regime and their weaponisation reflect the desperation of the US ruling class as a declining hegemon’s ultimate obsession for power, the MAGA mantra.
The heightened aggression by the Trump regime, joined by blood thirsty Netanyahu, is not only plunging the entire international economy into an economic crisis, but is destabilising the entire Middle East, as all US military and oil bases in the region become sites for retaliation by Iran against the aggression by US imperialist war machine.
These attacks also further expose the weakness of the United Nations and the lapse of the utility of the international order governed by the United Nations. The latest attack on Iran broke every UN convention on dealing with conflicts, which the US and Israel have been doing without impunity.
Comrades, we are also witnessing a period of sustained “de-ideologisation”, which has given rise to the most reactionary forms of control, views, and power outlooks. This is reproducing new forms and the reemergence of racism, sexism, ethno-nationalism, and tribalism in particular. These are accompanied by corresponding accumulations, particularly the rise of varying forms of primitive accumulation even in the most developed parts of the world.
In fact, this is best represented by Trump or Trumpism, which is a “Transactional art of global control in the case of the US under the Trump administration”.
Every approach to major issues of the world, be it peace, security, trade, issues on the environment, or human rights, is accompanied or based on transactions and self-interest rather than on principles or values. This also reflects tendencies towards lumpenism, even by classical accumulation outlooks.
Analysis of the South African political conjuncture
As already mentioned in the introduction, towards the end of the year, South Africa will again have its seventh Local Government Elections. These elections seem to indicate a further erosion in the public trust of the majority of South Africans, both in the ANC, as well as in the electoral system that has failed to deliver substantial transformation in their lives. While the 2024 elections produced the lowest voter turnout in national and provincial elections, with only 58,3% of registered voters casting their votes, local government elections promise even lower turnout, with most By-elections in the course of this year registering very poor voter registration and voter turnout.
The recent Ward 102 By-elections in Johannesburg, on 25 February 2026, only had 3627 voters cast their votes.
Registered voters in this ward were 20 757, meaning that only 17,47% of voter turnout.
When considering that the 20 757 registered voters only constitute less than 50% of adults of voting age, the real value of this vote significantly reduces to even below 10%. The deteriorating trust of our people in governance, especially at the municipal level emanate from repeated failures in service delivery, collapsing infrastructure in many municipalities, and a general decay, mostly experienced by working-class communities in townships and rural areas.
At the recent CEC, the political report decried the persisting deep structural crisis in the economy, marked by deindustrialisation, fiscal austerity, and an aggressive capitalist restructuring of the workplace. This crisis has produced an unemployment rate exceeding 40 percent. It has also resulted in growing labour fragmentation, with outsourcing, automation, and the informalisation of work. This crisis is compounded by a severe cost-of-living crisis that systematically erodes the dignity of the working class.
For instance, while wages stagnate, the rising costs of food, energy, and transport lock many working-class households into permanent indebtedness. The austerity agenda continues to push the burden of social reproduction—caring for families amidst collapsing health, water, and energy infrastructure to fall disproportionately on women, whose unpaid labour sustains life where public services have failed.
Comrades, the South African political economy also continue to reproduce spatial inequalities of the past. We continue to witness high-income urban enclaves in Sandton, Hyde Park, and Constantia, coexisting alongside deteriorating townships and rural settlements that have been stripped of any productive assets in Alexander, Thembisa, KwaMashu, and Khayelitsha.
This uneven development has turned local municipalities into zones of crisis rather than development, where the breakdown of public order and infrastructure fuels crime and social fragmentation. Ultimately, the current neoliberal trajectory has produced a weak state unable to drive industrial renewal or redistribute resources, leaving the working class to bear the brunt of a system designed for profit rather than human need.
One of the main political discussions for the 13th National Congress of SAMWU must be on the Review of the White Paper on Local Government. One of the critical areas of this review is the funding model of local government. The current revenue-based funding model was itself developed following GEAR and the adoption of neoliberalism, based on an assumption that municipalities would mostly generate budgets to administer municipal services through revenue collection, with only 10% of municipal funding coming from the National Treasury.
As we celebrate 30 years of democratic municipal governance, we have also learnt of the longstanding failures of this funding model, and its only plausibility in affluent urban cities. The principle of ‘the user pays’, while it sounds good on paper, in reality fails to account for people’s rights to services in municipalities and communities, some of which have more than 50% unemployment.
At this 13th National Congress, SAMWU must revisit this discussion on the Review of the White Paper on Local Government, as well as make resolutions to join struggles by progressive working-class organisations, like the SACP, Abahlali base Mjondolo and other progressive working-class formations.
At the recent CEC, the federation called on the working class to build the widest possible programmatic unity to confront neo-liberal austerity. We said, workers must work with other federations, trade unions and our working-class ally the SACP, to strengthen efforts at building a popular Left Front and a powerful, socialist movement of workers and the poor, including the steps already underway, towards the convening of the Conference of the Left.
Assessment of the political conjuncture facing the working class, COSATU, and the Alliance
The political report to the CEC of COSATU noted the upcoming local government electionsat the end of this year, noting that these elections are to take place in a context in which the political currency of the liberation movement in the figurehead of the ANC is at an all-time-low.
Comrades, we saw how the Zondo Commission laid bare the scope of capture of ANC public representatives and ANC deployees in government and in SOEs, which punished the ANC in 2024 National Elections. Worse-off, the upcoming 2026 LGE are preceded by even more damning revelations currently unfolding in the Madlanga Commission and the Parliamentary ad hoc Committee, which both further expose in gory detail levels of capture of the ANC representatives, and deployees in senior echelons of the state, including the national capture of our entire criminal justice system by criminal syndicates.
As if the Madlanga Commission is not enough, we receive continuing reports of dilapidating municipal services, threats of violence and criminality, that have turned every space in our communities into unsafe locations for women and children, due to gender-based violence and femicide. Just last week, the Auditor General made a presentation to Parliament, in which she announced more than R62 billion in irregular expenditure processed by municipalities through writing-off in the last five years.
Only 1% of this has been recovered since 2021, since many of these figures were written-off without any investigation, even ion the cases where there are investigations, these are flawed and without consequence.
Comrades, this trade union must be at the centre of struggles and demands for better levels of governance and service delivery at local government. The levels of public distrust are likely to manifest in the lowest voter turnout in the upcoming LGE 2026 elections.
We already know that a lower voter turnout signifies a growing loss for the liberation movement, it signifies further regression in the NDR, yet scores of our people are increasingly disengaging in electoral processes.
Conference of the Left
At the 8th Central Committee, COSATU resolved to work with our working-class Ally the SACP to convene the Conference of the Left, significant in both consolidating working-class formations towards a common programme to oppose austerity agenda, as well as building blocks towards a Left Popular Front, to build peoples’ organs of peoples power, as well as our push for building a powerful socialist movement of workers and the poor. A framework for the Conference of the Left is currently being developed, through which, as COSATU we also see it as an important avenue to contribute to our longstanding campaign on the reconfiguration of the Alliance.
SACP 5th Special National Congress Resolution on 2026 Local Government Elections
The 8th Central Committee of COSATU also developed a framework in the political report, adopted by the CC, which resolved towards a consultative process for all the affiliates of COSATU, to receive a mandate from their members on the posture of workers and the posture of COSATU in the upcoming local government elections. The federation has engaged both the SACP and the ANC, as well as collectively through Alliance platforms, in order for the Alliance to develop mechanisms and modalities of a continued Alliance electoral platform in the new context of both the ANC and SACP contesting elections independently.
While discussions are ongoing between both organisations, as workers we must not be caught in between these two organisations, but must set a clear path for workers, both best representing organised labour, but more importantly, a class-oriented position, to the best interest of workers and the poor.
The political report to the CEC summarised strategic tasks emanating from the 8th Central Committee — on the political programme of the federation, responding to the challenge of Alliance and its reconfiguration, building an ideological and political education programme to re-instil working-class orientation and character of the federation. These principles which the 8th CC reaffirmed, include:
Our characterisation of COSATU as a working-class trade union for socialism, and our call to defend and advance the NDR towards socialism.
The concrete political and organisational programs the federation has resolved on the reconfiguration of the alliance, on building working-class ideological and political consciousness through education.
Our characterisation of the state as contested, and the call for workers to contest the state, to campaign and contest the electoral platform, to exert working-class hegemony.
The key tasks facing the federation leading to our 15th National Congress is to lead and guide the discussion on our analysis of the NDR and its advance to socialism, the alliance reconfiguration process, in the context of both the ANC and the SACP contesting elections independently.
The 8th CC also resolved to prioritise and strengthen its political and ideological education by convening political schools and socialist forums to empower workers ideologically and politically, and to develop and implement a minimum political program aligned with the objectives of the NDR and socialism as a guide to COSATU’s political work.
On the SACP 5th Special National Congress resolution to contest elections independently, there are two key tasks for the CEC, leading to the 15th National Congress. The CEC has developed a framework, following a resolution from the 8th CC, which the Political Commission of COSATU will prepare and process. Political report for the 15th National Congress.
The CEC has also developed a framework to operationalise the 8th Central Committee resolution on a consultative process, to ensure affiliates of COSATU have a guiding framework on the process of consultation, to produce a decisive directive for the federation to take its position leading to the 15th National Congress.
Key considerations:
Ensure Participation Across All Affiliates: Each month must include structured engagement at the branch, shopfloor, and provincial levels.
Embed Political Education: Every consultation phase should integrate ideological and strategic education linked to NDR and the 8th CC mandates.
Strategic Decision-Making: Recommendations must protect COSATU’s independence while maintaining principled Alliance engagement.
Feedback Loops: Reports from branches, affiliates, and online platforms must continuously inform the Political Commission.
Specific Issues facing SAMWU and the state of local government
The federation congratulates SAMWU for being at the forefront of struggles for municipal workers, especially in upholding workers’ rights in collective bargaining and defending workers' political rights.
We still recall that in April 2025, the Constitutional Court issued a landmark ruling confirming the Labour Court’s declaration that the inclusion of the phrase “staff member” in section 71B of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act was unconstitutional and invalid.
That judgment became a resounding victory for the political rights of municipal workers and a powerful reaffirmation of the democratic principles enshrined in our Constitution. Even today, as the federation, we reaffirm the SAMWU position that workers should not be required to surrender their constitutional rights at the workplace gate.
At the end of October last year, SAMWU won another victory against the City of Tshwane when, on 31 October 2025, the South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) dismissed the City of Tshwane’s application for exemption from implementing the 2021/2022 Salary and Wage Collective Agreement. This victory by workers was a result of a long-drawn battle with the City of Tshwane, which has not only refused to honour a signed Collective Bargaining Agreement, but has also dismissed workers for exercising their democratic right to industrial action.
The struggle of municipal workers goes hand in hand with the deteriorating state of local government in the country. Just between last year and now, the following municipalities have failed to pay salaries to employees, including Mafube, Kopanong, and Mohokare, in Free State; Mamusa, Ditsobotla and Matwasi Hills in the Northwest province; Impendle, Jozini, and Umzinyathi, in KZN; Nkomazi, in Mpumalanga province; as well as Kheis, Thembelihle, and Renonsternburg, in the Northern Cape. Tshwane, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and Ethekwini Metros have all, in various ways, undermined Collective Bargaining and undermined the rights of municipal workers, while dismissing workers who undertook industrial action to defend these rights.
As a progressive trade union, the biggest challenges facing local government are not just the intransigence of the employer against workers, but also the failure of the municipal systems as a whole, with the majority of municipalities in our communities collapsing, severely affecting working-class communities.
Communities of Merafong, Kagiso in Gauteng, Ditsobotla, Matlosana, and Tswaing municipalities in North West, Masilonyana and Kopanong in the Free State, and townships like Lamontville and parts of Umlazi River in KZN experience such failing infrastructure, resulting in raw sewage on the streets, in some cases, even entering households.
Comrades, this Congress must take a strong resolution to confront the devil of municipal collapse, mostly resulting from tenderpreneurship that is collapsing our municipalities, in order to benefit private service providers.
This Congress must call for a moratorium on the sabotage of water infrastructure in our townships, mostly instigated by connected beneficiaries in the water tanker business. We just read from the weekend newspapers on the water tanker business in Tshwane, implicating some of our own Comrades, profiteering through the suffering of our people.
Concluding remarks
Comrades, as you begin this 13th National Congress, this Congress must build on the hard work already done by the 12th National Congress CEC of consolidating this great union.
Again, the federation commends the work done by this leadership, and calls for the 13th Congress to build towards a stronger and united trade union of municipal workers.
This Parliament of municipal workers is also expected to make a resolution on State and Popular Power, in particular on the posture of municipal workers on the resolution of the SACP 5th Special National Congress, to contest Local Government Elections independently.
SAMWU must make such a resolution first for the benefit of this trade union.
But such a resolution must be informed by a class perspective, a resolution not just on behalf of municipal workers, but representing the interests of the class, mainly our working-class communities, in which we work and live.
We wish this congress a successful debate with mandate to protect workers rights
Amandla!
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COSATU is encouraged by the Postbank's securing its long sought licensing by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, 17 March 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is encouraged by the Postbank’s securing its long-sought licensing by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority. This is an important milestone towards enabling the Postbank to become a fully-fledged and now licensed state bank. This achievement lays the foundation for a state bank geared towards ordinary consumers, in particular the poor and marginalised.
Many workers, the poor, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, those residing in informal and rural areas, and other vulnerable persons have long been redlined by mainstream commercial banks leaving them unable or struggling to access banking and financial services. Our banking and financial sector is rife with anti-competitive and monopolistic behaviour, a tendency to milk consumers with excessive bank charges, exploit banking workers with poverty wages, and an ambivalence towards supporting job creation and local investments.
Parliament adopted the Postbank Amendment Act in 2023 laying the foundation for the full operationalisation of the Postbank. This was a necessity for it to be able to fully enter the banking and financial services sectors. It will inject competition into sectors needing a shakeup. It will help workers and the marginalised access banking and financial services. The Postbank with its symbiotic relationship with the Post Office, will help to repivot, stabilise and grow the Post Office and ensure disadvantaged communities can once again access and rely upon its services.
Whilst supporting this long overdue licensing of the Postbank, if it is to meet its developmental objectives, government will need to provide it with the necessary support, including recapitalisation, and the appointment of competent management for the Postbank and Post Office to grow and to thrive. Equally government institutions need to support the Postbank as their preferred banking service institution.
For the Postbank and the Post Office to be firmly placed upon the path to recovery, they need to be accompanied by clear turnaround plans. For the Post Office this needs to be based upon expanding the range of products it offers consumers; including courier services, access to SASSA payments and other government services. It cannot be based upon retrenching thousands of employees, slashing their wages or defaulting upon their tax and third-party obligations.
The Postbank and Post Office cannot be sustained by empty chairs and demoralised workers.
The turnaround of other embattled state-owned companies, from Eskom to Transnet, Metro Rail and the South African Airways proves that with competent management, removing corrupt and criminal elements, filling frontline vacancies and recruiting critical skills, investing in infrastructure and other capacity, and financial relief; they can be rebuilt and once again become contributors to economic growth and jobs.
It is critical that the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies with the support of Treasury and other state organs, provide the Postbank with the necessary assistance to become a successful state bank.
Issued by COSATU
International-Solidarity
WFTU Congratulatory Statement to the workers of EKTAM SOFT DRINKS in Cyprus
by WFTU HQ, 13 Mar 2026
The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing more than 105 million workers in 134 countries across all continents, warmly salutes you on your successful 35‑day strike and the militancy you demonstrated in recent weeks.
We congratulate you for choosing the path of dignity, solidarity, and struggle, achieving the reinstatement of all dismissed colleagues and the signing of a collective agreement that meets your demands.
Your relentless struggle constitutes yet another example, proving that hope lies in our struggles, which remain the only way to improve our working and living conditions and to satisfy our contemporary needs.
______________________________
French court holds Yves Rocher accountable for workers’ rights violations in Türkiye
Workers and IndustriALL representatives rally outside Yves Rocher's factory in Türkiye, demanding an end to union busting in 2018.
13 March, 2026
The Paris Judicial Court has delivered a landmark ruling finding that the Yves Rocher Group failed to comply with its obligations under France’s Duty of Vigilance Law in relation to labour rights violations at its Turkish subsidiary.
The case concerns the dismissal of more than 130 workers between 2018 and 2019 after they joined the Petrol-Is union to challenge poor working conditions, systematic discrimination against women and reports of sexist and sexual violence in the workplace.
The complaint was brought by ActionAid France, Sherpa, Petrol-Is and 81 former employees. After years of determined legal action, the court has now confirmed that the parent company failed to adequately identify and address risks to workers’ rights in its Turkish operations.
A historic step forward under the Duty of Vigilance Law
In its judgment, the court concluded that the Yves Rocher Group did not meet the requirements of the French Duty of Vigilance Law of 27 March 2017, which obliges large companies to identify and prevent human rights violations linked to their global operations.
The court found that the group should have identified the risk of serious labour rights violations within its Turkish subsidiary. By excluding the subsidiary from its vigilance plan and failing to take appropriate measures to prevent anti-union practices, the company did not fulfil its legal obligations.
Importantly, the ruling established that workers were dismissed in 2018 and 2019 in order to prevent the presence of a trade union and avoid collective bargaining. The court also found that the company had not properly assessed the risk of violations of trade union freedom in its 2017 and 2018 vigilance plans, despite having access to information indicating these risks.
This is the first time that a French company has been found liable under the Duty of Vigilance Law for human rights violations linked to its activities abroad. The decision sends a strong message that multinational companies must respect fundamental workers’ rights throughout their global operations.
Workers’ persistence leads to justice
The case is the result of years of persistence by the dismissed workers and their union. After being fired for organising, many workers continued their fight for justice, including through more than 300 days of protest outside the factory.
Their determination, supported by trade unions and civil society organisations, has now led to a historic court ruling confirming that the violations they faced were linked to anti-union practices.
Although most workers had previously signed a settlement agreement with the Turkish subsidiary in 2019, the court’s recognition of the company’s responsibility represents an important victory for those who brought the case.
Compensation and recognition
The court ordered the Yves Rocher Group to pay damages of €8,000 each to six former workers — Nimet Göksu, Nazim Sancak, Erdin Günaydın, Nejdet Mengübeti, Ersan Alasulu and Sedat Ordu — consisting of €5,000 (US$5,800) for moral damages and €3,000 (US$3,400) for economic damages.
The union Petrol-Is was awarded €40,000 (US$46,000) in damages, while Sherpa and ActionAid France received symbolic compensation of €1 (US$1) each.
In addition, the company must pay €1,000 (US$1,000) in legal costs to each of the six workers, as well as to Sherpa, ActionAid France and Petrol-Is.
The judgment is provisionally enforceable, meaning that it remains applicable even if an appeal is lodged.
A strong signal for corporate accountability
“The ruling represents an important milestone for corporate accountability. By confirming that multinational companies can be held responsible for labour rights violations linked to their operations abroad, the judgment strengthens the role of due diligence legislation as a tool to protect workers.
“For trade unions and workers, the decision shows that persistence can lead to results and that legal mechanisms such as the Duty of Vigilance Law can help ensure that companies respect fundamental rights throughout their global operations”
said Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll Europe’s general secretary.
Said IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan:
“We salute the determination and solidarity of the Flormar workers and their years of steadfast struggle. This case demonstrates that worker resistance is essential to defending freedom of association. We welcome the French judiciary’s landmark verdict confirming that Yves Rocher violated fundamental workers’ rights. Using human rights due diligence through binding legislation is a central strategy for IndustriALL and an essential instrument for workers around the world.
“While the court has delivered justice for individual rights violations, union recognition and the right to collective bargaining are still not in place. We call on Yves Rocher to recognize Petrol-Is as the bargaining unit so that such serious abuses never happen again.”
______________________________
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