Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 14 January 2026 #Back2SchoolCampaign #Right2LearnCampaign
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #COSATU launches #Back2School and #Right2Learn Campaigns across all provinces #Cosatu40 #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
14 January 2026
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
Organize at every workplace and demand respect for labour rights Now!
Defend Jobs Now!
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- COSATU welcomes historic victory for Rustenburg Municipal workers
- SADTU welcomes members and learners to the 2026 academic year
- SADTU North West congratulate the Matric Class of 2025
- South Africa
- COSATU notes the National Assembly's passage of the Adjustments Appropriation Bill
- COSATU Eastern Cape congratulates Class of 2025 Matriculants
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- UA Zensen: Japan’s largest industrial union at a turning point
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
COSATU welcomes historic victory for Rustenburg Municipal workers
Zanele Sabela, COSATU Spokesperson, 14 January 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the historic victory for Rustenburg Municipality’s employees with the Council agreeing to adjust their salaries from a Level 5 to Level 7 municipality.
This agreement is the result of Rustenburg Municipality’s earlier upgrading to a Level 7 municipality. COSATU is pleased that its intervention led by its President, Zingiswa Losi, and General Secretary, Solly Phetoe, led to an agreement by the Mayor and Municipal Manager for the urgent convening of the Council to ratify the long overdue salary upgrading for these workers.
This is a progressive victory for thousands of employees in this municipality and thus helping ease their debt burden, take care of their families and stimulate local economic growth. It will help boost workplace productivity with workers receiving just compensation for their hard work.
COSATU commends the local African National Congress and South African Municipal Workers’ Union for their support and efforts to resolve this matter in a manner that addresses workers’ frustrations.
The Federation will continue to monitor this situation to ensure that workers do receive their full wages.
Issued by COSATU
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NEHAWU KZN condemns the reinstatement of Dr Mayise at Victoria Mxenge Hospital
Ayanda Zulu, NEHAWU KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Secretary, January 14, 2026
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in KwaZulu-Natal expresses its profound outrage and deep disappointment at the reckless and irresponsible decision by the Department of Health to reinstate Dr Mayise at Victoria Mxenge Hospital. This decision ignores the devastating institutional harm caused by his leadership and risks plunging the hospital into renewed instability.
NEHAWU further places on record that in a formal engagement with the MEC for Health and the Head of Department, it was explicitly agreed that Dr Mayise would not be permitted to return to Victoria Mxenge Hospital until a physical meeting had been convened with the union to formally present and discuss the findings of the investigation arising from NEHAWU’s memorandum. The unilateral decision to reinstate him in the absence of such a meeting constitutes a direct breach of that agreement and a violation of good-faith engagement.
In a meeting we had on the 27th September 2023, NEHAWU submitted a memorandum of demands to the MEC for Health, Ms Nomagugu Simelane, after all internal avenues to resolve the crisis at the hospital had been exhausted. In response, the Department committed itself to an investigation into the serious allegations raised by the union. Given the seniority of Dr Mayise, NEHAWU insisted – and the Department agreed – that the investigation be conducted by an external and independent Investigating Officer. An Investigating Officer from the Department of Community Safety and Liaison was appointed but later withdrew. A second Investigating Officer from the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs issued a preliminary report recommending the suspension of the CEO to ensure a credible and unhindered investigation. She too later withdrew.
In a deeply suspicious turn of events, the Department then appointed Mr Dladla, an official from within the same Department of Health. NEHAWU immediately rejected this appointment. Mr Dladla is far too junior to investigate a hospital CEO, and his conduct during engagements with the union demonstrated bias, arrogance and a complete lack of objectivity. Despite our objections, the Department forced this process through, citing legal pressure from Dr Mayise.
The outcome of Mr Dladla’s so-called investigation was therefore pre-determined. His report is flawed, biased and procedurally illegitimate, and NEHAWU rejects it in its entirety. We further declare Mr Dladla persona non grata in all matters involving NEHAWU. His conduct and lack of professional integrity disqualify him from presiding over any process affecting our members.
NEHAWU therefore warns the Department of Health in the strongest possible terms that the decision to return Dr Mayise to Victoria Mxenge Hospital is reckless and dangerous and will inevitably destabilise the institution. The union will deploy all organisational, political and legal instruments at its disposal to resist and overturn this decision.
NEHAWU further places it on record that the union will not tolerate any form of victimisation, intimidation or retaliation against its shop stewards or members as a revenge tactic for having exposed and challenged the wrongdoing and abuse of power that characterised Dr Mayise’s tenure. Any such conduct will be met with swift organisational, legal and political action by the union.
NEHAWU remains unwavering in its commitment to defend workers and protect their dignity. We will not allow any action that threatens the stability of Victoria Mxenge Hospital or undermines the well-being of its staff to go unchallenged.
END
Issued by NEHAWU KwaZulu-Natal Secretariat Office
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SADTU North West congratulate the Matric Class of 2025
George Themba, SADTU North West Provincial Secretary: 14 January 2026
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) in the North West Province warmly congratulates the Class of 2025, the teaching fraternity, school management teams, support staff, parents, and all education stakeholders on the release of the matric results, which reflect a commendable improvement in the province’s academic performance.
We are delighted to note that the North West Province achieved an impressive overall pass rate of 88.49%, marking an increase of 0.9% from the previous year. This upward trajectory underscores the resilience, commitment, and tireless effort of our educators and learners under challenging conditions.
This achievement is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of our teachers, who continue to uphold excellence despite the pressures of overcrowded classrooms, resource constraints, and the complexities within the education environment. Their unwavering commitment to quality teaching and learning remains the heartbeat of our provincial education system.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the learners who have passed and encourage those who did not achieve the desired results not to lose hope. Opportunities for support, rewriting, and academic recovery remain available, and SADTU will continue advocating for measures that cushion and assist all learners.
SADTU North West further calls on the Department of Education to build on this momentum by ensuring improved resource allocation, expanded psychosocial support, strengthened teacher development programmes, and functional infrastructure in all schools — especially those in rural and under-resourced areas. As the union, we remain committed to advancing quality public education for all and ensuring that the conditions of service for educators are improved to sustain and surpass this performance.
Congratulations, North West!
Together, we can achieve even greater milestones.
ISSUED BY: Secretariat
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SADTU welcomes members and learners to the 2026 academic year
Mugwena Maluleke, SADTU General Secretary, 13 January 2026
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) warmly welcomes all educators, support staff, and learners to the commencement of the 2026 academic year as school open their doors to learners on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.
We extend a special welcome to learners entering school for the first time, as well as those transitioning to new phases of their educational journey. We wish all our members strength, good health, and renewed commitment as they continue with the noble task of shaping the future of our country.
The start of a new academic year symbolises hope, renewal, and the opportunity to build on the gains of previous years. Despite the many challenges confronting the public education system, teachers continue to demonstrate unwavering dedication, professionalism, and resilience in ensuring that teaching and learning take place under all circumstances. SADTU salutes its members for remaining steadfast in their commitment to quality public education.
We want learning and teaching take place on the first day of school in all schools across the country, but this does not happen as some schools are still waiting for the delivery of learning and teaching materials. Some learners are still in the queues waiting to be registered in schools.
We acknowledge that the 2026 academic year begins in the context of deepening austerity measures. These measures continue to have a severe impact on the basic education sector, resulting in shortages of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, inadequate infrastructure, delayed provision of learning and teaching support materials, and increasing workloads for educators. Teaching and learning will therefore take place under difficult conditions that place immense pressure on both educators and learners.
SADTU remains deeply concerned that austerity measures undermine the constitutional right to basic education and compromise the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in no-fee-paying and rural schools. The continued freezing of posts, budget cuts, and failure to adequately invest in education threaten to reverse hard-won gains made in improving learner performance and access to education.
Despite these challenges, SADTU calls on its members to remain professional, united, and focused on the core mandate of education. At the same time, we reaffirm that educators cannot be expected to do more with less indefinitely. The sacrifice and resilience of teachers must not be normalised or exploited. Government has a responsibility to ensure that schools are properly resourced, staffed, and supported so that educators can perform their duties effectively and learners can learn in safe, dignified, and enabling environments.
As part of SADTU’s I Am a School Fan campaign, we also call on parents, school governing bodies, communities, and all social partners to collaborate with educators and schools to support learners throughout the 2026 academic year. Education is a societal responsibility, and collective effort is required to safeguard the future of our children. We urge communities to be the eyes and ears of their schools; ensure they are safe and that learning and teaching takes place without any disturbances.
As SADTU, we reiterate our commitment to defending the rights, conditions of service, and professional dignity of educators, while continuing to advocate for a well-funded, equitable, and quality public education system. We will continue to engage government and all relevant stakeholders to oppose austerity measures that harm education and to advance the interests of both educators and learners.
We wish all our members and learners a productive, safe, and successful 2026 academic year.
ISSUED BY: SADTU Secretariat.
COSATU notes the National Assembly's passage of the Adjustments Appropriation Bill
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, 14 January 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions notes the National Assembly’s passage of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement’s Adjustments Appropriation Bill allocating additional funding to departments. COSATU remains deeply concerned with the Budget’s overall neo-liberal approach.
Workers have borne the brunt of austerity cuts to frontline public services that the working class and economy depend upon.
Whilst we do not believe that the Adjustments Appropriation Bill goes far enough to ensure that public services are sufficiently resourced to fulfill their constitutional, developmental and transformation mandates, there is critical positive supplementary funding allocated by the African National Congress led government that COSATU welcomes, in particular:
- R2.7 billion to commence the roll out of Early Childhood Development at public schools.
- R2.06 billion to boost municipal electricity and water services in the metros.
- R698 million for the National Health Insurance Indirect Grant and revitalising health facilities as well as for building hospitals and clinics in the Western Cape, Free State and Limpopo.
- R2.1 billion additional funding for the SRD Grant.
- R2.8 billion to reinforce Home Affairs’ capacity and civic services.
- R991 for communications infrastructure investments.
- R824 million for upgrading informal settlements.
- R1.2 billion to support emerging farmers and land reform.
- R1.8 billion to boost the deployment of the South African National Defence Force and Landward Defence.
- R600 million to ease the courts’ backlogs and R556 million to boost the South African Police Service.
Whilst welcoming these progressive allocations to invest in public and municipal services and provide relief for the poor, we are deeply concerned by several glairing setbacks in the MTBPS and the Bill, in particular:
- Not adjusting the SRD Grant for inflationary erosion and setting a path to raise it to the Food Poverty Line over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.
- R40 million cuts to the Department of Employment and Labour’s inspectorate whilst millions of workers’ rights are routinely violated and no additional funding for the CCMA despite the flood of cases facing it.
- No additional allocations to the Departments of Electricity and Energy plus Trade, Industry and Competition to cushion distressed companies facing increasingly unaffordable electricity and the imposition of 30% tariffs on South African exports to the United States.
- R4 billion cuts in road infrastructure and maintenance, including through SANRAL.
COSATU will continue to engage government on a much bolder, more aggressive set of interventions to be included in the 2026/27 Budget to fully capacitate frontline public services, stimulate inclusive economic growth, slash unemployment, and tackle poverty, inequality, crime and corruption.
Investments in public services must be viewed as a necessary investment to unlock economic growth and create decent work.
Issued by COSATU
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COSATU Eastern Cape congratulates Class of 2025 Matriculants
Mkhawuleli Maleki, COSATU Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary, 14 January 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the Eastern Cape congratulates the Class of 2025. The province has achieved an 84.17% pass rate.
This has been a journey of many years that has culminated into this milestone achieved by these learners. The results are a product of hard work by those involved in the process, from Grade R, through to the foundation phase and ultimately matric, teachers, learners and parents have been working towards this day. Their commitment, hard work and focus have paid off.
Those who were unsuccessful must never give up; they must persevere, because determination is the mother of success and stumbling is also part of learning. Matriculation is a gateway to a multitude of opportunities; with a positive frame of mind, they will undoubtedly conquer the obstacles in their way and be on course to success.
Parents have a pivotal role to play in encouraging these learners to dust themselves off and get back to school. Education is the cornerstone of every nation, and we must let these learners be active players in building a better future through education.
Government must address the demoralising factor of having hundreds of thousands pass matric and be eligible to enter tertiary institutions, only to realise these institutions can only accept a limited number. It is unacceptable that this has become a perpetual phenomenon.
Issued by COSATU Eastern Cape
International-Solidarity
UA Zensen: Japan’s largest industrial union at a turning point
13 January, 2026
Representing more than 1.9 million workers across diverse sectors, UA Zensen faces the same pressures confronting the rest of Japan’s labour movement, including declining union density and the rise of non-regular employment. The union has responded by concentrating on organizing workers often left outside traditional structures and by strengthening its involvement in supply-chain human rights issues. Elected president of UA Zensen last year, Tomoko Nagashima discusses how the union is preparing for the years ahead.
As president of UA Zensen, what are your top strategic priorities for the next three to five years?
“Our top priority is organizing, which is important for IndustriALL overall and of course for us as well.
“Japan’s unionization rate continues to fall, but UA Zensen is committed to increasing membership and exceeding our annual organizing targets. As unions in Japan are enterprise-based, we must reach companies that remain unorganised. We have already made progress in organizing part-time workers, who were traditionally not included, and we want to keep widening the scope of union membership. Our long-term goal is to build unions in every company and to strengthen bargaining power, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises.
“UA Zensen has a long-standing focus on identifying and fostering leaders, which is something I am proud of. Since the 1960s, we have helped develop leaders both domestically and internationally, strengthening today’s labour movement. We are also working to develop the next generation of leaders and to promote more balanced leadership, particularly by supporting women.”
Your own background spans twenty-five years in the movement. How has your experience shaped your leadership today?
“I started in retail and became a full-time union officer in 2000. The company I worked for went bankrupt and we were struggling through a restructuring plan, supporting our members throughout. After a merger, I became general secretary of AEON Retail Workers’ Union. From there I continued to advance within UA Zensen, becoming chair of the commerce sector, vice president, and then last year president of UA Zensen. I also serve as deputy president of RENGO and as a steering committee member of IndustriALL’s textile and garment sector.
“The tasks are more difficult now. Twenty-five years ago I could focus on a narrower set of issues. Today the challenges are broader and more diverse, and the responsibilities have grown.”
How do you see UA Zensen’s role within Japan’s wider labour movement, given declining unionization rates?
“As I mentioned, we have to organize unorganised companies and accelerate our organizing efforts if we are to counter the decline in union density. Many unions are struggling with the same challenge. We should work more closely with RENGO, the Japanese trade union confederation, to help stop this trend. RENGO is trying to organize individual workers, and it may be necessary for us to consider other forms of organizing as well.”
How would you describe general attitudes toward unions in Japan?
“Japan has long had harmonious industrial relations and a history linked to the three guiding principles of productivity. With this approach, companies and unions cooperate in production, and after companies make a profit we negotiate over the distribution of that profit. In general this creates good relationships. However, some global multinational companies see unions as enemies, and in those cases the situation is more difficult.”
Can you please let us know more about UA Zensen’s focus on human rights due diligence?
“UA Zensen works to promote human rights due diligence in supply chains, and here global framework agreements are an important tool, implemented through social dialogue. In Japan, only three GFAs have been signed – one with IndustriALL and Mizuno, and two with Uni Global Union and AEON and Takashimaya. Japanese brands can be proud of this, but more work is needed and GFAs should be expanded to other companies. Increasing society’s awareness of human rights due diligence is important, and GFAs provide a meaningful way to help achieve that.”
What does global solidarity mean to UA Zensen in practice?
“Global solidarity is important and beneficial for two reasons. First, being globally connected allows us to obtain information that is valuable for unions and also for companies, because we can detect problems early and try to solve them.
“Second, we can learn from other countries. Workers in Japan and elsewhere face similar challenges, and some countries have solutions or initiatives that we can learn from. When Japanese companies operate overseas, there may be labour disputes or union-busting. Local unions sometimes reach out to us, and because we can obtain information and extend support, this becomes beneficial for the workers and also for the companies involved.”
FACT BOX
UA Zensen is Japan’s largest industrial union, representing more than 1.9 million members across a wide range of industries that shape daily life. Its coverage spans everything from textiles, chemical, pharmaceuticals and energy, to building materials, commerce and restaurants, including temporary agency work and contract work. The union is affiliated to the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, RENGO.
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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