Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 11 March 2026
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY COSATU Call Center Contacts: 010 002 2590 #SAMATU marches for jobs tomorrow, in Pretoria #EqualPay #GenderEquality #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
11 March 2026
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- Media Alert: SAMATU to March to Highlight Youth Unemployment Crisis
- SADTU KZN secures a meeting to discuss early retirement applications
- Media Accreditation: SAMWU 13th National Congress
- South Africa
- NUM Statement, 11 March 2026
- SADTU North West Province addresses speculative social media allegations
- Employment and Labour on elimination of silicosis in non-mining sectors
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- “Everybody counts or nobody counts”: meet IndustriALL’s president
Media Alert: SAMATU to March to Highlight Youth Unemployment Crisis
Zanele Sabela, COSATU Spokesperson, 11 March 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate, the South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU), will take to the streets of Pretoria on Thursday, 12 March, to protest the staggering level of youth unemployment in the country.
In its day-to-day operations, SAMATU organises medical professionals. However, given the pervasiveness of youth unemployment across occupational roles, SAMATU firmly believes this critical issue deserves a unified, collective response from all sectors of society.
The unemployment rate among young people aged between 15 and 24 is over 70%. It is SAMATU’s belief that the escalating crisis of youth unemployment not only threatens the lives of young people but the stability and economic growth of the entire nation. It is for this reason that the union has decided not to navel gaze and only spotlight unemployment in its sector, but to draw government’s attention to this ticking timebomb.
Details of the march are as follows:
Date: 12 March 2026
Starting point: Corner Madiba and Kgosi Mampuru Streets
Time: 9am
End point: Union Buildings
For more information, contact SAMATU’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Bokang Motlhaga, on 069 586 8430, me...@samatu.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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SADTU KZN secures a meeting to discuss early retirement applications
Nomarashiya Caluza, SADTU KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Secretary, 11 March 2026
SADTU KZN has secured a meeting with the Provincial Education Department - Head of Department to discuss HRM Circular 3 of 2026.
In this Circular, the Head of Department, Mr GN Ngcobo, indicated that he is not in a position to approve applications for Early Retirement without pension penalties.
This meeting is important for the SADTU to raise its concerns on behalf of members who applied for early retirement. The current posture of the KZN DOE undermines collective bargaining and threatens trust that employees and SADTU have in the department.
Going to this meeting, SADTU will be calling for transparency from the department for the union to understand the real reasons behind their decision to disapprove these applications.
Members will be informed about the outcomes of the meeting and the next steps.
ISSUED BY KZN SADTU Secretariat
_______________________
Media
Accreditation: SAMWU 13th National Congress
Papikie Mohale, SAMWU National Media Officer, 09 March 2026
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) will convene its 13th National Congress from 17 to 19 March 2026 at Church Unlimited, Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.
Held under the theme “Towards Four Decades and Beyond in Defence of Workers’ Interests,”
the Congress marks an important milestone as the Union reflects on nearly forty years of militant struggle, organisational consolidation, and its unwavering defence of municipal and water sector workers.
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the open sessions of Congress scheduled for 17 and 19 March 2026. Media houses wishing to cover the Congress are requested to apply for accreditation no later than 13 March 2026.
The Congress is expected to receive messages of support and addresses from the following leaders:
? COSATU General Secretary, Cde Solly Phetoe
? SACP General Secretary, Cde Solly Mapaila
? ANC Secretary-General, Cde Fikile Mbalula
? Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, H.E. Dickson Masemola
? SALGA Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Sithole Mbanga
? Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour, H.E. Jomo Sibiya
These addresses will engage the political, economic, and social challenges confronting workers and outline the programme required to defend and advance working-class interests. The 13th National Congress will deliberate on key organisational, political, and
collective bargaining matters, including strategies to strengthen the Union and respond decisively to the deepening crisis in local government.
Members of the media are encouraged to confirm their attendance with the National Media Officer, Cde Papikie Mohale, via email at
pap...@samwu.org.za
in order to secure accreditation by 13 March 2026.
Please note that only accredited members of the media will be granted access to the Congress venue.
Issued by SAMWU Secretariat
Papikie Mohale
National Media Officer
076 795 8670
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
NUM Statement, 11 March 2026
Mpho Phakedi, NUM General Secretary, 11 March 2026
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) notes the announcement made by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the 2026 State of the Nation Address regarding the continued restructuring and unbundling of Eskom, including the establishment of a fully independent transmission entity that will own and control transmission assets.
The NUM reiterates its firm opposition to the unbundling of Eskom in any form, as it threatens the long-term sustainability of the public power utility, undermines workers’ rights, and opens the door for the creeping privatisation of South Africa’s strategic energy infrastructure.
The establishment of the Independent Transmission Operator which will own the NTCSA assets will undermine the financial viability of Eskom, in fact it might accelerate the death of Eskom. The death of Eskom will result in energy poverty.
The obsession by the government to implement the liberalisation of the energy sector is unpatriotic.
It is informed by institutions like the World Bank and IMF. This decision will further undermine economic growth.
The NUM further noted the call by government to develop 14 000 km of transmission lines to cater for the Independent Power Producers. Eskom does not need these transmission lines. The NUM calls on government not to use taxpayers money to benefits private companies.
The NUM calls on the NECOM task team to convene urgent, structured consultations with NUM as the union that is representing workers in Eskom Holdings and National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) employees within the first month of the three months declared by the President, to be consulted and/or discuss in good faith, amongst other things:
- Associated risk of transferring ownership of transmission assets to independent Transmission System Operator TSO, on Eskom Holdings and (NTCSA)
- Written guarantees preserving all employment terms, conditions, and benefits, including ESKOM PENSION AND PROVIDENT FUND (EPPF) membership, beyond the ones conferred in terms of s197 of the LRA
- Transparent and definite plan addressing financial risks, cross-default mitigation, and compensation arrangements.
The NUM’s Plan of Action
Regional marches to target Eskom and relevant government departments.
The recent NUM National Executive Committee meeting has officially resolved to launch a series of coordinated regional marches across all NUM eleven regions.
We call on our members, civil society, and the broader working class to join us in defending a national asset that belongs to the people of South Africa.
We have already started with our marches, the first one took place in Eastern Cape region, and would be followed by the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal regions this coming Saturday (14 March 2026). Dates for the remaining regions, dates will be communicated as programmes unfold.
These mass mobilisations will target Eskom offices and various government departments to voice the union’s rejection of the unbundling and looming privatisation of the national power utility. We fundamentally reject the unbundling of Eskom in any form. Our long-standing position remains unchanged, regardless of the proposed structural or regulatory revisions.
This policy of separating Eskom into multiple entities (Generation, Transmission, and Distribution) is a neo-liberal project designed to dismantle a vital state asset and facilitate the wholesale privatisation of South Africa’s energy sector.
We view the current trajectory of Eskom’s restructuring not as a solution to energy stability, but as a direct threat to energy sovereignty, job security, and the affordability of electricity for the working class and the poor.
The core objectives of these marches include:
• Halting Unbundling: Opposing the fragmentation of Eskom into separate entities, which the union believes is a precursor to a full-scale sell-off.
• Rejecting Privatisation: Demanding that Eskom remains a 100% state-owned and state-funded utility dedicated to public service rather than private profit.
• Protecting Jobs: Safeguarding the livelihoods of thousands of workers within the energy value chain who face uncertainty due to these structural changes.
• Ensuring Energy Justice: Advocating for an energy transition that does not leave workers and communities stranded while electricity prices become prohibitive.
Distressed Ferrocrome Producers
Furthermore, the NUM officially welcomes the landmark decision taken by the national power utility, Eskom, to implement a significant 29% reduction in electricity prices for two major distressed ferrochrome producers, Samancor Chrome and the Glencore-Merafe Resources joint venture.
This intervention, finalised on Friday, February 27, 2026, is a decisive victory for workers and a critical step in halting the catastrophic "bloodbath" of job losses that has been looming over the smelting sector. Under this new tariff regime, the affected firms will now pay 62 South African cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This is a substantial decrease from the interim tariff of 87.7 cents/kWh approved in January, and a massive relief compared to the unsustainable R1.36/kWh that smelters were forced to pay at the end of 2025.
The Crisis in the Smelting Sector
The NUM expresses its profound shock and disappointment following the decision by ferrochrome producer Samancor Chrome to issue a retrenchment notice in terms of Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA).
This move comes as a devastating blow to the workforce, particularly after the NUM fought tirelessly to negotiate for lower electricity tariffs to ensure the sustainability of the company’s operations.
Despite Eskom agreeing to lower tariffs to 62 cents per kilowatt-hour, Samancor Chrome has proceeded with a process that threatens the livelihoods of thousands of workers.
The proposed retrenchments are expected to impact approximately 2,400 employees across the company’s smelting operations and corporate offices, including:
• Dikwena Chrome
• Ferrometals
• Middelburg Ferrochrome
• TC Smelter
• Tubatse Alloy
• Tubatse Ferrochrome
The NUM views this decision as a betrayal of the good-faith negotiations aimed at protecting jobs within the smelting sector. The union remains committed to challenging these retrenchments and will explore all available avenues to save the jobs of our members.
For too long, South Africa’s smelting industry has been pushed to the brink of collapse. Since 2008, electricity costs have skyrocketed by more than 900%, a staggering increase that has forced dozens of plants to shut their doors and left thousands of families without a livelihood.
Currently, only 11 out of 66 furnaces in the country are operational. This tariff reduction is not just a policy adjustment; it is an essential lifeline that will allow mothballed furnaces to be reignited and ensure that South Africa remains a global leader in ferrochrome production.
The NUM has consistently argued that high energy costs are the primary driver of retrenchments in the mineral beneficiation sector. We welcome this 62-cent tariff as a progressive move that prioritises industrial stability and job security over short-term utility profits.
By reducing the cost of doing business, we are protecting the livelihoods of thousands of workers who were facing imminent Section 189 notices.
Looking Ahead
While the NUM applauds this specific relief for Samancor and Glencore-Merafe, we call on the government and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to:
1. Extend Relief: Roll out this tariff framework to the broader smelting and energy-intensive sectors to revive the 55 furnaces currently stood idle.
2. Ensure Accountability: We expect the beneficiary companies to immediately withdraw all planned retrenchments and commit to long-term investment in their South African operations.
3. Industrialisation: Use this competitive pricing as a catalyst to ensure that South Africa's chrome ore is beneficiated locally rather than exported raw, thereby creating more downstream industrial jobs.
The NUM remains committed to defending the rights and jobs of its members and will continue to engage all stakeholders to ensure the long-term sustainability of the mining, energy, construction and metal sectors.
-THE END-
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SADTU North West Province addresses speculative social media allegations
George Themba, SADTU North West Provincial Secretary: 11 March 2026
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) in the North West Province has noted with grave concern various speculative social media posts and so-called "Breaking News" graphics regarding the leadership of the Zuluboy Moloto Region in the North West Province. These posts allege these leaders have been suspended on allegations of "Jobs-for-Cash" claims and political conspiracy.
The Union strongly cautions against the circulation of unverified and unsubstantiated claims relating to the alleged "selling" of educator posts or the alleged conspiracy of Department officials in internal Union affairs.
Such allegations, presented without credible evidence or due process, risk misleading the public and unfairly tarnishing the reputation of individuals and the union.
Not only does SADTU maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and any conduct detrimental to the interests of our members and the education sector, but it also believes in upholding the rule of law and fairness and considers these false rhetorics as malicious and defamatory to all those targeted.
SADTU distances itself from such utterances and urges all stakeholders, including members of the public and the media to refrain from amplifying unverified claims. The Union remains committed to protecting its integrity and that of the education sector and will not be deterred by external narratives that seek to undermine its credibility.
ISSUED BY: SADTU North West Secretariat
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Employment and Labour on elimination of silicosis in non-mining sectors
10 Mar 2026
The elimination of silicosis in non-mining sectors remains a priority for the Department of Employment and Labour, according to the Department’s Labour Policy and Industrial Relations Acting Deputy Director-General, Mr Thembinkosi Mkalipi.
Mkalipi said South Africa, as a member of the international community and the International Labour Organization (ILO), has an obligation to reduce workers’ exposure to silicosis. He warned that literature continues to show an increase in cases of the disease and emphasised that the Department is focusing on priority sectors where workers remain vulnerable.
He was speaking on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, in Kempton Park during a seminar marking the release of research findings on the “Benchmark study on silicosis in non-mining sectors”.
Silicosis is an irreversible and progressive occupational lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica dust. It leads to inflammation, permanent lung scarring and severe breathing difficulties. While treatment includes medication and avoiding further exposure, the disease remains fatal in many cases. Workers in sectors such as construction, mining and stone fabrication are among those most vulnerable.
To determine the prevalence of silicosis, the Department of Employment and Labour commissioned the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH), the University of the Witwatersrand and the Wits Health Consortium to conduct a comprehensive study.
The study aimed to determine the prevalence of silicosis across industries between 2012 and 2018, analyse trends in deaths from silica-related diseases over the same period, and develop occupational health strategies and programmes to reduce exposure to respirable silica dust and eliminate silicosis in South Africa by 2030.
Professor Nisha Naicker, Head of Epidemiology and Surveillance at the National Institute of Occupational Health, explained that the project was divided into three work packages.
The first work package focused on prevalence assessment, the second on guiding prioritisation and implementation of elimination strategies, and the third on developing a toolbox of tools and methods for silicosis elimination.
Key findings from Work Package 1 included:
A total of 225 workers participated in the study
178 workers had more than 10 years of work experience
The majority of participants were from the brick-making sector (40%), followed by construction (34%)
Participants’ ages ranged from 24 to 65 years, with an average age of 45.33 years
The majority of participants were male (81.78%)
Participants with more than 10 years of experience had an average of 20.43 years of sector experience, ranging from 11 to 43 years
None of the participants reported a prior diagnosis of silicosis
Symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis were experienced by 12.44% of participants during screening
Chest X-ray results identified one case of silicosis, representing a prevalence of 0.5%. The affected participant was a 45-year-old male crusher operator in the mineral processing sector with 15 years of experience and is currently receiving medical care
The Department’s Inspection and Enforcement Services branch Deputy Director, Mr Warren Mallon, emphasised that safeguarding the safety and health of workers is a fundamental right.
He noted that occupational accidents, injuries and diseases carry significant human, social and economic costs, and reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to eliminating exposure to silicosis.
“The Department’s National Programme for the Elimination of Silicosis was initiated in 2004,” Mallon said. The programme included the training of inspectors and the introduction of employer reporting requirements on worker exposure levels.
He added that, in line with ILO conventions and obligations, South Africa remains on track to achieve the elimination of silicosis by 2030. The Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Strategy 2024–2029 also places emphasis on achieving zero injuries and occupational diseases.
The study concluded that there is no single, simple or reliable method of collecting data on silicosis cases. It recommended strengthening diagnosis processes, improving reporting in terms of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, establishing a national silicosis register, analysing medical aid databases and conducting targeted surveys.
The research focused on sectors including construction, artificial stone manufacturing, brick manufacturing and pottery and ceramics.
Professor David Rees of the University of the Witwatersrand, who led Work Package 3, noted that the study assessed silica exposure levels in 11 companies. The findings indicated that workers were at risk of silicosis in all sectors studied, except roof tile manufacturing.
He warned that the elimination of silicosis could be undermined if exposure risks are not addressed effectively.
Enquiries:
Departmental Spokesperson
Teboho Thejane
Cell:
082 697 0694
E-mail: teboho....@labour.gov.za
Issued by Department of Employment and Labour
International-Solidarity
“Everybody counts or nobody counts”: meet IndustriALL’s president
11 March, 2026
She did not start with her credentials. When Christiane Benner introduced herself to the delegates of IndustriALL's 4th Congress in Sydney last November, she started with her mother. A single parent. Money that ran out before the month did.
She did not start with her credentials.
When Christiane Benner introduced herself to the delegates of IndustriALL’s 4th Congress in Sydney last November, she started with her mother. A single parent. Money that ran out before the month did.
“I am a daughter of a single mom. Our money was often not enough until the end of the month.”
That is where her politics begin. Not in a lecture hall, not in a union office, in a household where economic insecurity was a daily reality. She trained as an industrial clerk in a machine building company, joined IG Metall as a young worker and was elected to the youth representative body, then the Works Council.
“Feminism in unions is a practical, daily shift in power”
Before becoming a union official, she spent time in Chicago where she focused on gender studies and worked with a Black civil rights activist and friend of Malcolm X, organizing summer camps for young people from poverty-stricken neighbourhoods.
“This time really shaped my view and sensitivity for racism, for structurally entrenched discrimination, especially against Black people,”
she told Congress.
She returned to Germany, continued her studies in industrial sociology and joined IG Metall as a union official in 1997. In 2023, she became president of IG Metall, the first woman to lead the union in its 132-year history. Two years later, IndustriALL’s affiliates elected her as their president.
She has never separated where she comes from and what she fights for.
A historic moment and what comes next
The timing of her election is not incidental. At the same Sydney Congress, IndustriALL’s affiliates adopted a landmark feminist resolution, unanimously, with no votes against and no abstentions. For Christiane Benner, the two things belong together.
“For me, the unanimous adoption was a powerful moment of international solidarity. It shows that feminism is no longer a marginal issue, but our common political framework. For IndustriALL, this moment represents a clear decision on the direction we are taking: feminist trade union work is at the heart of our strategy, in trade union organizing, in the negotiation of collective agreements and in our global orientation.”
The resolution calls for feminist principles to be mainstreamed across all of IndustriALL’s work, from Just Transition to global supply chains to collective bargaining. That is a significant commitment. The real question is what it looks like in practice.
“I want to start where strategic decisions are made. We will know that something is changing when women are systematically sitting at these tables and have real decision-making power. Change will be evident when feminist perspectives are a natural part of our work.”
Power is not given
More than two decades of building feminist structures inside IG Metall have taught her one thing above all.
“I have learned that feminist unions do not arise on their own. They need structures that actually empower women: transparent pay systems, work-life balance, genuine participation and spaces where women can express themselves. And they need the courage to actively change patriarchal patterns. Feminism in unions is a practical, daily shift in power.”
This matters especially now. Across the world, the gains women workers have made are under attack. Right-wing movements, organized, funded and growing, are targeting reproductive rights, workplace protections and the legitimacy of feminist politics itself.
For the women on the front line of that backlash, she is unequivocal.
“You are not alone. This backlash is directed at us because our movement has grown stronger. Don’t be intimidated. Organize, network internationally and stay vocal. Our global trade union movement stands behind every woman who fights for dignity, safety and equality.”
Use your voice
At Congress, speaking to the youngest delegates in the room, she was clear about one more thing: the union youth work that shaped her own trajectory is not optional. It is how movements reproduce themselves.
Christiane Benner at the IndustriALL global youth conference, Sydney, 3 November 2025
Her message to a young woman worker just finding her voice in her union is the same message she would have needed to hear.
“Your voice is effective. If you use it, you can change structures, for yourselves and for future generations.”
From a household where money did not last the month, to the presidency of a global union representing 50 million workers, she is not speaking in abstractions.
She knows what it takes. And she knows change is possible.
______________________________
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