Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 12 May 2026 #InternationalNursesDay
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY COSATU Call Center Contacts: 010 002 2590 #COSATU wishes nurses an awesome International #NursesDay #ClassSolidarity #ClassWar #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
12 May 2026
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- SALGA urges public to submit comments on revised draft White Paper South Africa
- COSATU demands urgent and decisive action to tackle the unemployment crisis
- President Cyril Ramaphosa assures nation on disaster relief efforts
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Queer union solidarity at the heart of democracy
- PSI Statement Condemning Govt's Ban on Public Sector Trade Unions
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics #ClassWar
SALGA urges public to submit comments on revised draft White Paper on Local Government
10 May 2026
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) calls on the public to actively participate in the process of redefining the next phase of local governance by submitting inputs into the Reviewed Draft White Paper on Local Government.
This call follows the publishing of the draft document for public comment by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr. Velenkosini Hlabisa, on 7 May 2026, giving stakeholders three-weeks, until 28 May, to submit their views.
SALGA, with the support of the Dullah Omar Institute at the University of the Western Cape, submitted comprehensive proposals to shape the review. The Association is encouraged that a significant number of its proposals have been incorporated in the gazetted draft.
Key SALGA proposals reflected in the draft White Paper include:
Fit-for-purpose municipal structures – by advocating for the simplification of local government structures, retaining district municipalities mainly in areas with limited capacity and strengthening metropolitan and urban municipalities.
Differentiated powers and functions – moving away from a one-size-fits-all model to a system that assigns powers based on municipal capacity, performance and local developmental needs.
Strengthening governance and accountability – through clear role definition between councillors and administration, improved enforcement of ethical standards, and strengthened oversight mechanisms.
Professionalisation of municipal administration – by prioritising competency-based recruitment, reducing political interference, and strengthening performance management systems.
Enhanced community participation and partnerships – by revitalising ward committees, improving transparency, and promoting meaningful engagement with communities and stakeholders.
Improved fiscal sustainability – reinforcing the principle that “funding follows functions”, protecting municipal revenue sources, and strengthening financial management systems.
“We support the reviewing the 1998 White Paper on Local Government, which has served South Africa for nearly three decades. While the current system of local government has laid a solid foundation and delivered important gains, it has not consistently worked as intended.
“Our focus during this review period has, therefore, been on practical, implementable reforms to build on existing strengths while addressing persistent challenges. SALGA’s proposals are designed to transform the system without losing the gains already achieved and to usher in a new era of effective, responsive and accountable local governance,” explains Bheke Stofile, SALGA President.
Stofile emphasised on the importance of members of the public, civil society organisations, state institutions, traditional leadership structures, business formations, labour, and all interested stakeholders participating in this “defining and historical process which will determine the kind of local governance communities experience in the next decades”.
Stakeholders can submit their comments through the following channels:
Submissions may be sent via email to: WPL...@cogta.gov.za; Rich...@cogta.gov.za; Maph...@cogta.gov.za.
Alternatively, submissions may be sent by posted to: The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Attention: Mr. Thabiso Richard Plank (White Paper Review), Private Bag X802, Pretoria 0001
Submissions can also be delivered in person to: The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Attention: Mr. Thabiso Richard Plank (White Paper Review), 87 Hamilton Street, Arcadia, Pretoria 0001
SALGA reiterates its commitment to working with government, municipalities and stakeholders to ensure that the final White Paper delivers a capable, developmental and citizen-centred local government system.
Enquiries:
Motalatale Modiba
Cell: 072 515 3022
E-mail: mmo...@salga.org.za
Tebogo
Mosala
Cell: 084 666 7699
E-mail: tmo...@salga.org.za
Issued by South African Local Government Association
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
COSATU demands urgent and decisive action to tackle the unemployment crisis
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, 12 May 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) demands urgent and decisive action to tackle the unemployment crisis. The latest jobs report released by Statistics South Africa for the 1st Quarter of 2026, is beyond depressing.
Whilst there is usually a slight downward trend after the festive season peak in the last quarter of the year, the job losses for the first three months of 2026 are extremely worrying.
The expanded definition of unemployment has risen by 1.6% to 43.7% with the total number of unemployed persons rising by 301 000. The construction as well as community and social services sectors have been particularly hard hit, notwithstanding some positive jobs increases in manufacturing, mining and agriculture. Whilst the overall increase in unemployment was largely driven by school leavers and matriculants entering the labour market after the end of the school year, we must all be deeply concerned by the state of the economy and its inability to absorb the youth.
The outlook for the 2nd Quarter is likely to be similarly bleak due to the unprovoked war in the Middle East and the massive impact it has had on international oil and fuel prices, essentially doubling over the last two months.
This has already seen economic growth projections for South Africa for 2026 slashed from an already meagre 1.4% to 1%. Inflation for transport has already jumped with food and other essential goods likely to soon follow suit. This may see the Reserve Bank hike the repo rate, inflicting even further pain upon highly indebted workers and an embattled economy.
We cannot continue to normalise 1% economic growth and dangerously high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality. The extent of this crisis requires a bold and aggressive stimulus package to kickstart the economy, rebuild public and municipal services, make capital affordable and accessible for SMMEs and industrial sectors, and extend relief for the unemployed by expanding public employment programmes.
Similarly, efforts to reduce the price of electricity, restore rail and ports to full capacity, and invest in economic infrastructure and tackle crime and corruption must be accelerated.
COSATU will be tabling formal proposals on a stimulus package mobilising every possible public and private financial resource to Nedlac and Parliament.
Unemployment is the single greatest threat to the nation. It requires the same decisive and progressive response as was mobilised and led by President Cyril Ramaphosa during COVID-19.
This is a ticking time bomb we dare not ignore.
Issued by COSATU
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President Cyril Ramaphosa assures nation on disaster relief efforts
11 May 2026
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the loss of at least 10 lives linked to severe weather events affecting several provinces.
The President’s thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of the people who have died in events arising from heavy rainfall, flooding, thunderstorms, damaging winds and snowfall.
Government has, through the National Disaster Management Centre, declared a national state of disaster in response to the loss of life, infrastructure damage, disruptions to essential services, and the displacement of communities.
President Ramaphosa assures the nation that national, provincial and municipal authorities will work with communities to address the effects of the disaster.
President Ramaphosa appreciates the way in which individuals, civil society organisations and the business sector have stepped forward to alleviate the difficulties inflicted by natural events.
The President also appreciates the way in which rescue and recovery crews are responding in conditions where the weather also has an impact on recovery and rescue operations, including limited air operations.
President Ramaphosa said: “As winter sets in, we are vulnerable to events which we may be able to forecast but whose actual intensity in specific locations we may not be able to predict.
“We are, however, making the best use of science to pre-empt some of these events and to respond to the aftermath.”
The President says the National Disaster Management Centre and Cabinet will be updated on critical forecasts and disastrous impacts and responses will be modified as conditions dictate.
Media
enquiries:
Vincent Magwenya
Spokesperson to President Ramaphosa
E-mail: me...@presidency.gov.za
Issued by The Presidency
International-Solidarity
Queer union solidarity at the heart of democracy
Equity and inclusion LGBTI+ rights, 12 May 2026
As authoritarian policies, censorship, and anti-gender campaigns intensify worldwide, education unions are reaffirming a long-standing truth: there can be no democracy without equality, dignity, and inclusive public education. This means education unions standing together against the global backlash on LGBTI+ rights.
During the Queer education union solidarity in the defense of democracy, a global webinar co-hosted by Education International (EI) and its affiliate the University and College Union (UCU) to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) – May 17th, one message was clear: queer solidarity is not a side issue. It is central to the fight for democratic, inclusive public education and for the dignity of all education workers and students. As education unions continue to organise, bargain, and mobilise globally for LGBTI+ rights, they are defending democracy every day — in classrooms, workplaces, and through collective action.
Solidarity, a core value and a commitment in action for education unions globally
In her opening remarks for the webinar on May 7th, EI Deputy General Secretary Cassandra Hallett set the struggle for LGBTI+ equality within the broader defense of democratic societies. “Human dignity, equality, and freedom are universal rights, and democracy cannot exist without them,” she said.
She also warned that “the only goal of the so-called anti-ideology and anti-rights movements is to attack the most vulnerable among us and to weaken the democratic institutions which protect their rights.”
For too many colleagues, Hallett stressed, “survival, safety, and job security are the core of their daily struggles, and engaging openly in LGBTI+ work can carry real risks. Naming this reality is part of solidarity. We stand together to support each other and to take care of each other.” “At EI, solidarity is a core value and a commitment in action,” she insisted.
She further reminded that the 10th EI World Congress held in 2024 adopted a resolution condemning the rise of anti-LGBTQIA+ ideology from the far-right.
International solidarity is not optional
Drawing on history, Mark Pendleton, Vice President of the University and College Union (UCU), reminded participants that queer liberation and labour struggles have always been intertwined. He reflected on international solidarity shown during the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa: “The lesson from these stories is that all oppression must be resisted, collectively, intersectionally, and internationally.” For trade unionists, he added, solidarity is rooted in the principle that “an injury to one is an injury to all.”
He went on highlighting that UCU “has a long and proud history of leading the trade union movement in the UK on LGBTQ+ inclusion.”
Pendleton also acknowledged that UCU acts internationally, recognising the UK's role in the creation of many laws that undermine LGBT+ people's rights in places that were colonised, and that “we have a responsibility to act in solidarity with those resisting the continued deployment of those laws against queer and trans people.”
Education unions, he noted, “are uniquely placed to act in workplaces and communities, using our skills as educators to challenge the narratives that seek to diminish our collective humanity.”
Noting that “here in the UK, we are resisting a sustained and coordinated attack on our trans and non-binary comrades and their right to bodily autonomy and self-determination,” Pendleton referred to the UCU LGBT+ charter and insisted on UCU’s strong support of all LGBTI+ rights backed by years of policy adopted at UCU annual Congresses.
The backlash against LGBTI+ people is a backlash against democracy
From a global human rights perspective, Nanoo Sandhu, Director of Programmes at ILGA World, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association, stressed that the current wave of repression is neither isolated nor accidental: “The struggle for LGBTI+ rights, the struggle for workers’ rights, the struggle for public education, and the struggle for democracy are not separate. They are part of one shared demand: that every person should be able to live with dignity, safety, and freedom.”
Sandhu described how LGBTI+ people are routinely turned into scapegoats to normalise wider restrictions on freedoms. “It is not only a backlash against LGBTI+ people. It is a backlash against democracy itself,” he said, underlining that attacks on queer communities often go hand in hand with assaults on trade unions, public education, and civil society.
For this reason, education unions have a “vital role” to play, and “schools and universities are on the front lines of the struggle. They can either become places of censorship and fear, or they can remain spaces of safety, learning, and democratic possibility.”
Sandhu added that solidarity must be grounded and accountable. “International solidarity must not be performative,” he said. “It must be accountable to those most affected.” Sometimes, it means speaking out loudly, sharing resources, training, legal expertise, or exerting political pressure, and at other times it means quiet, locally led support, stepping back and following the lead of local movements, he explained.
Lived realities: dignity at work
The webinar also focused on the experiences of union activists working under discrimination and risk.
Isidro Argua, a former schoolteacher and currently union officer at the Federation of Free Workers - Trade Federation VIII (FFW-TFVIII)/the Philippines, shared how he lost his job after his employer learned of his gender identity. “My contract was terminated because of it. Because I choose to be me,” he said.
Participation in a training on the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 transformed that experience into collective purpose. “The training did not just provide knowledge, it gave language to experiences like mine It affirmed that what I went through was not right, and more importantly, that it should never happen to anyone,” Argua explained. “Through C190 I became more aware, more empowered and more committed. I now carry a stronger responsibility, not only to protect myself, but to stand up for others who may still be facing discrimination in silence.
For him, queer union solidarity means “more than just inclusion. It is about active support, protection, and empowerment. It means recognizing that LGBTI+ workers often face unique challenges, that our unions must be safe spaces where everyone is valued equally.”
It is a continuous commitment “to listen, to learn, and to act,” to build workplaces “where respect and dignity are non-negotiable.”
Defending rights under criminalisation
From Uganda, Justine Balya, Director at the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), outlined the difficulties facing LGBTI+ communities under expanding criminalisation. Describing the impact of anti homosexuality legislation and new restrictions on civil society funding, Balya said advocacy work has become increasingly dangerous. “In theory, now it appears that any conversation with queer people, or any conversation about queerness that is not negative is promotion of homosexuality,” she explained.
Despite this, HRAPF continues what Balya described as “firefighting”: providing legal aid, emergency shelter, medical support, and strategic legal action.
International solidarity, she stressed, remains essential: “It’s very important that in spaces outside of Uganda, we continue to speak up about what is going on here,” because global attention “helps us to manage some of the more gross abuses. It keeps attention on the issue, and that provides a degree of protection.”
Balya also noted that research initiatives “targeting the lived realities of queer people in these difficult environments are always helpful, because it helps to focus resources and attention where it is most needed, especially by the community itself.”
Education unions on the frontline
From Eswatini, Lot Vilakati, General Secretary of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT), spoke about organising for LGBTI+ rights in a context where same sex relations remain criminalised and cultural taboos are strong. “This creates a fragile environment for LGBTI+ teachers and learners, especially within school.”
“When you talk about culture, you must also talk about rights,” Vilakati argued, insisting that “culture cannot supersede the right, because the minority right, it is a human right.”
He went on reminding the teacher responsibility in protecting minorities: “Whenever we teach, we are teaching the society we belong to, so what happens to teachers also happens to the members of the society.”
Through a cooperation programme run with Education International, the Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland (SASK) and OAJ – an EI member organisation in Finland-, SNAT has built members’ capacity to defend minority rights and challenge discrimination in schools.
That work has already had tangible effects, including reversing the expulsion of students targeted for same sex relationships. He also reported: “We are in an election period, where we see one of the members of the minority group contesting for a national gender position. She is a transgender woman, and we are hoping that she is going to win the election. She is going to be my gender officer if she wins.”
“We will keep on protecting our members,” Vilakati affirmed.
From visibility to protection
Closing the discussion, Seth Atkin, Equality Support Official at UCU, cautioned against confusing visibility with safety. “Visibility can make people really quite vulnerable and need protection,” he said, noting that far right attacks deliberately target the most marginalised. The task for unions, therefore, is to provide support and protection and to stand alongside civil society organisations challenging cultures that undermine democracy.
Atkin returned to a core trade union principle: “to stand with the weakest, and to stand alongside each other, all the time.” “There is concerted attack, but there is also concerted solidarity and standing together” - across unions, movements, and borders - to defend democratic freedoms.
He stressed: “Together, we can set up a culture. Elections are part of a culture. We heard about Hungary and how that change has happened there since the Pride, where people actually gathered together and made the biggest Pride in the whole of Europe by a show of solidarity.”
“We need to stand together, take action there, at all the different levels we can,” Atkin concluded.
You can learn more about EI’s work and policy regarding LGBTI+ rights here.
If you want to receive updated information on EI’s work in this area, join the LGBTI+ Rights mailing list here.
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PSI Statement Condemning Govt's Ban on Public Sector Trade Unions
May 11, 2026
PSI demands that the Government of Nepal immediately withdraw its unlawful ban on trade unions representing public service workers in civil services, healthcare
and water supply. The ban violates ILO conventions, Nepal's own Constitution, and sets a dangerous precedent for privatisation and erosion of public services.
Jyotsna Singh
Attack on Trade Unions in Nepal is also an attack on peoples’ right to Quality Public Services
Date: 11 May, 2026
Public Services International (PSI) reiterates the demand that the Government of Nepal immediately and unconditionally withdraws its unlawful decision to ban trade unions who represent workers delivering public services.
The illegal decision of Nepal’s new government to ban trade unions in selected areas is both a grave violation of trade union rights and an attack on quality public services.
In recent days the government appears to be issuing ordinances to targeted unions in multiple sectors. Civil Services Unions, Healthcare Unions as well as Water Supply Unions have been targeted. Consequently, formal complaints to international institutions
have been made.
PSI’s experience globally tells us that governments attack public service unions when they intend to privatise and reduce public services. Public service workers and their unions have long proud histories of defending public services against corporate interests,
against corrupt attempts to profit from people’s services and assets, and against billionaires and the elite from controlling public policy making. There is clear global evidence that higher union density reduces inequality, limits billionaire power, improves
public health and increases access to public services.
PSI issued a joint statement with other Global Unions in April reminding the government of their obligations, condemning the violations and committing to take all necessary steps at the international level in defence of the fundamental rights of unions in Nepal.
We reminded the government that Nepal has ratified ILO Convention No. 98 (Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining) which, together with the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, guarantee all workers — including workers who
deliver public services — the right to form and join organisations of their own choosing, free from government interference. All member states of the ILO are bound by the core conventions. These bans are a clear and direct breach of these obligations.
These ordinances also violate Nepal’s own Constitution. Articles 34 and 35 of the Constitution of Nepal (2015) explicitly guarantee the right to form trade unions and engage in collective bargaining. This executive action to ban trade unions is constitutionally
unlawful.
PSI will continue to support its affiliates to organise workers who deliver public services to achieve decent work and to defend vital public services against private interests. And we will use our international position and the solidarity of our 30 million
affiliated members worldwide to challenge attacks on our affiliates.
In solidarity,
Kate Lappin,
Regional Secretary, PSI Asia Pacific
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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