Taking COSATU Today Forward, 26 March 2026 #CosatuNationalGenderConference2026
Norman Mampane
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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
26 March 2026
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- NEHAWU KZN to take legal action against the Department of Health on the unlawful and anti-worker dress code policy
- South Africa
- NEHAWU welcomes Labour Court ruling reinstating employment of our member at NHLS
- NEHAWU Eastern Cape statement on the fire incident AT Botha Sigcau Building
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Strengthening union organizing efforts in Nigeria’s manufacturing industries
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
NEHAWU KZN to take legal action against the Department of Health on the unlawful and anti-worker dress code policy
Ayanda Zulu, NEHAWU KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Secretary, March 26, 2026
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in KwaZulu-Natal strongly condemns the Department of Health’s unilateral implementation of HRM Circular 6 of 2026, which introduces a restrictive and unlawful dress code policy for workers.
NEHAWU had formally written to the Head of Department demanding the immediate withdrawal of this policy. The union made it clear that should the Department fail to comply, it will pursue all available legal avenues to defend the rights and interests of its members.
The union is deeply concerned that the Department has proceeded with the implementation of a policy that was previously rejected at the relevant Chamber level in December 2025. Despite clear objections raised during consultation processes, the Department has arrogantly retained all contentious provisions without meaningful engagement or rectification. This conduct undermines established collective bargaining processes and reflects a blatant disregard for worker representation.
NEHAWU is particularly alarmed by provisions within the policy that seek to restrict the wearing of union regalia. The policy limits the wearing of union attire to shop stewards during specific activities, effectively denying ordinary members the right to express their affiliation. This provision is both irrational and unlawful. Labour Court jurisprudence has consistently affirmed that the wearing of union t-shirts constitutes a lawful activity protected under the Labour Relations Act. Any attempt to prohibit this, especially under threat of disciplinary action, amounts to unfair prejudice and an infringement of constitutionally protected rights. The union maintains that preventing workers from wearing union regalia constitutes a direct attack on freedom of association and organizational rights, which are fundamental pillars of South Africa’s labour relations framework.
Furthermore, the policy imposes unreasonable restrictions on items such as blue denim jeans and tekkies without providing any justifiable rationale. It fails to distinguish between employees who receive uniform allowances and those who do not, thereby placing an unfair financial burden on workers. The Department has also failed to demonstrate that these dress code requirements qualify as inherent job requirements. Labour Appeal Court rulings have made it clear that such requirements must be strictly interpreted and must be essential to the performance of a job, not based on arbitrary or cosmetic considerations. By disregarding these legal principles, the Department is effectively enforcing a policy that is discriminatory, irrational, and disconnected from the lived realities of workers.
NEHAWU also notes with concern that the policy superficially references workplace diversity while failing to meaningfully accommodate cultural and customary expressions. This omission is inconsistent with constitutional values and established legal precedent that recognize and protect diversity in the workplace. The union had given the Department until 06 February 2026 to withdraw the unlawful provisions of the dress code policy and to date the department has not responded hence the decision by the union to escalate the matter through legal channels as well as mass organizational action.
NEHAWU remains resolute in its commitment to defend the dignity, rights, and economic realities of its members. The union will not allow any erosion of workers’ rights under the guise of administrative policies. We are making a clarion call to all our members and shop stewards to continue to wear their union regalia as permitted by the law, particularly on the 27th of March 2026 in keeping with our NEHAWU Friday tradition. Let this day be a visible show of unity, defiance, and organizational strength and a clear message that no unlawful directive will silence or erase the presence of unions in the workplace.
END
Issued by NEHAWU KwaZulu-Natal Secretariat Office
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
NEHAWU welcomes Labour Court ruling reinstating employment of our member at NHLS
Zola Saphetha, NEHAWU General Secretary, March 26, 2026
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] welcomes the Labour Court ruling reinstating employment our member at the National Health Laboratory Service [NHLS].
In 2017, the NHLS dismissed our member, Comrade Grace Sethosa on allegations she had unjustifiably absented for a considerable period, despite evidence presented that our member was medically ill. The employer failed to reasonably assess the evidence put forward by our member and proceeded to dismiss her.
The union immediately launched an internal appeal for our member, which was rejected on 14 December 2017 and we thereafter approached the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration [CCMA], which issued an arbitration award in favour of the NHLS on 30 July 2019. We then subsequently took matter on review. On the 9th February 2022, the Labour Court set aside the award and remitted the matter back to the CCMA for re-hearing in front of a different arbitrator.
On 8 November 2022, the commissioner issued an arbitration award finding that our members’ dismissal was substantively unfair and awarding her twelve-months’ compensation. Our member was not, however, reinstated.
We approached the Labour Court to review and set aside the arbitration award on the narrow basis that the commissioner committed a reviewable irregularity in awarding the employee compensation instead of reinstatement.
Indeed, on the 24th March 2026, the court found that the arbitrator had committed a reviewable error by awarding compensation without sufficient evidence that reinstatement was not reasonably practicable. Accordingly, the Court set aside the compensation award and ordered that Comrade Sethosa be reinstated with effect from 1 July 2018.
Lastly, this is a commendable victory for the union and our member, as it has restored her employment following a protracted legal conflict with the NHLS.
END
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat.
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NEHAWU Eastern Cape statement on the fire incident AT Botha Sigcau Building
Mlu Ncapayi, NEHAWU Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary, March 25, 2026
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in the Eastern Cape notes the recent developments regarding a fire that has gutted the Botha Sigcau Building in Mthatha.
We are deeply devastated by the news as we have learned of the damage the fire has caused to one of the Historic buildings in the Province which was inherited from the former homeland government.
The building has for the past 30 years been a centre of service delivery for our people in the former Transkei and the Province as a whole and as a result it was housing a seven (7) government Departments that were rendering services to the people of our Province. It is now sad that our masses are left without these services that they had access to because it was also easily accessible as it was centrally located. This incident also leaves hundreds of public servants without a workplace to be able to render services for the community.
We wish to extend our deepest sympathy to the affected workers and the community of King Sabata Dalindyebo and the OR Tambo District at large and wish to confirm that we stand in solidarity with them in particular the members of our giant union. It is for this reason that we call upon the government of the Eastern Cape to put together a Provincial Task Team that will include all stakeholders including labour unions to work around the clock in investigating the cause of the fire and come up with alternative arrangements for workers to continue rendering the services to the people of the OR Tambo region and surrounding areas.
We demand that the Department of Public Works ensures that inclusivity, transparency and openness is not compromised in the duration of the investigation and we also understand that this is a very difficult period but will require such transparency to all those affected parties.
We wish to state on record that the Union will not put itself and its members in a position whereby the government takes decisions on our behalf. Collaboration will be the key to avoid a situation whereby workers and the public is inconvenienced in finding alternative accommodation in the interim.
We further call for calm heads until the Department of Public Works has fully established the cause of the fire through its investigation. As a matter of urgency, we demand that the provincial government to ensure that OHS Provincial Structures are established by various departments as a strategy to start auditing the issue of compliance to OHS Act across the various government institutions in the province.
It is our view that most departments have offices that are not in compliance with the OHS Act and this violation requires an urgent turnaround strategy to ensure that a conducive working environment is created for workers as they service the public.
Lastly, this incident should serve as a learning curve for everyone that the department of Public Works as a Landlord of the state must be given all the necessary resources to improve the working conditions in various government buildings across the province.
This talks to our view, that of the overall maintenance of government buildings including the provision of security, gardening and cleaning services must be centralised to Public Works for single government entity accountability purposes over neglect of government buildings in terms of health and safety of workers, the general upkeep of government buildings which has been proven to be difficult for many government Departments.
Each government department has a unique mandate and they must be allowed to focus on their core business and Public Works must be given all the authority and resources to urgently intervene in improving the general environment of government buildings across the Province.
International-Solidarity
Strengthening union organizing efforts in Nigeria’s manufacturing industries
26 March, 2026
An IndustriALL Global Union delegation recently held consultative meetings with Nigerian affiliates to strengthen union organizing efforts and build unity and solidarity across the country’s manufacturing sectors. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with an estimated 242 million people, according to the UN, possesses a broad industrial base spanning energy and electricity, oil and gas, textiles and garments, footwear, rubber and leather, chemicals, steel and engineering, among others.
Discussions during the mission, 9-11 March, focused on persistent violations of freedom of association and collective bargaining rights, particularly at Chinese-owned firms. This happened alongside widespread decent-work deficits, precarious working conditions, the erosion of living wages and legal obstacles to union recognition most notably at Dangote Industries. Delegates and affiliates also examined challenges in defending workers’ rights along supply chains and strategies to increase union density.
The mission coincided with an International Women’s Day event in Lagos hosted by the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers (NUTGTW) on 11 March under the theme: Rights. Justice. Action. For all women and girls.”
Policy responses for economic development
The IndustriALL mission heard that Nigeria’s manufacturing revival faces formidable structural challenges. Chronic energy shortages, rooted in ageing infrastructure and recurrent national-grid collapses, continue to throttle industrial output. Early this year, about 16 power plants were offline at once, leaving generation at about 4,000 MW despite far higher installed capacity.
The cost-of-living crisis has further eroded real incomes. The national minimum wage of ₦70,000 (US$51) per month, introduced in 2024, has been rapidly overtaken by persistent inflation, prompting the Nigeria Labour Congress to demand an urgent review in 2026. Youth unemployment remains high, compounding social pressures in a country where the informal economy still dominates.
However, policy initiatives supported by unions offer pathways forward. For example, the government’s National Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) policy seeks to revive a once-vibrant value chain from farm to factory through targeted financing via the Bank of Industry. The establishment of a dedicated development board aims to curb billions of dollars in annual garment imports and generate much-needed jobs. Broader industrialisation efforts emphasise the untapped potential of Nigeria’s oil and gas reserves, particularly through the Decade of Gas programme, to power domestic manufacturing and position the country as a regional energy hub.
Regional and international trade agreements could amplify these gains. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) promises expanded market access and the development of cross-border value chains. Further, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), recently renewed for one year, provides tariff-free entry into the US market for eligible goods.
The unions said the levels of unionization in Nigerian manufacturing remain modest, reflecting both legal and practical barriers to organising.
“There are great opportunities to deepen organizing across most manufacturing sectors in Nigeria. For this to materialise, respect for trade-union rights and genuine collective bargaining is essential,”
said IndustriALL assistant general secretary, Kemal Özkan.
The delegation included Rose Omamo, IndustriALL vice president, and Paule-France Ndessomin, the regional secretary for sub-Saharan Africa.
IndustriALL’s Nigerian affiliates are the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association (CANMPSSAN), the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers (NUTGTW), the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN), the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFLNANMPE), the Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria (SEWUN), the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and Dangote.
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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