Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 30 January 2025
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #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
30 January 2025
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- COSATU will donate school shoes and sanitary towels to the children of Ganyesa in the North West
- SADTU KZN Statement on the untimely passing of Cde Nkosingiphile Shabalala
- South Africa
- COSATU welcome repo rate cut and calls for more cuts in 2025
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Zambia ratifies Convention 190 to end violence and harassment at work
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
COSATU will donate school shoes and sanitary towels to the children of Ganyesa in the North West
Kopano Konopi, COSATU North West Provincial Secretary, 30 January 2025
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) will present much-needed school shoes and sanitary products to the learners of Mochware Primary School, Ganyesa in the North West tomorrow, 31 January 2025.
This donation was made possible and stems from the proceeds of the COSATU Charity Golf Day held in November 2024, to raise funds to help children from child-headed households to get back to and stay in school.
COSATU Deputy General Secretary Gerald Twala will be at the school to hand over the 200 pairs of school shoes and 1,200 sanitary towels.
Below are the details of the event:
Venue: Mochware Primary School, Ganyesa in the North West
Date: 31 January 2024
Time: 08:00am
Issued by COSATU
For more information, please contact:
Kopano Konopi (COSATU North West Provincial Secretary) on 082 339 5836
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SADTU KZN Statement on the untimely passing of Cde Nkosingiphile Shabalala
Nomarashiya Caluza, SADTU KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Secretary, 30 January 2025
SADTU KwaZulu-Natal has learned with great shock about the brutal killing of Cde Nkosingiphile Christian Shabalala of Erick Mtshali Secondary School in the Archie Gumede Branch, Pinetown District within the Mzi Mthembu Region. Cde
Nkosingiphile was shot and killed in cold blood on the evening of 17 January 2025 in front of his wife, his sister and other members of the family.
It is alleged that some thugs stormed his Claremont family house at night, armed with guns and demanded cellphones and valuable items from those that were in the house. Indeed, their cellphones were confiscated except for that of Cde Nkosingiphile. It is further said that there was no resistance from victims, yet despite this, Cde Nkosingiphile was shot and killed.
The SADTU KwaZulu-Natal continues to mourn this loss, which has left the family, and all of us devastated, as we have lost a loyal member and leader of our Union. Comrade Shabalala served as the Site Steward of Eric Mtshali Secondary for three terms.
Over and above that, Cde Shabalala was a scholar and a part of school management team, as he possessed a Master’s degree in chemistry and was the Departmental Head for Physical Science and Mathematics. At the time of departure, the school was still celebrating its excellent results, having achieved a pass rate of over 90% in Physical Science in 2024 NSC results. At this point the criminals are still at large, and as SADTU KwaZulu-Natal, we are calling for anyone with information that can lead to the apprehension of these ruthless killers to come forward and report it to the nearest law enforcement agencies.
SADTU further passes her words of condolences to the Shabalala family, Eric Mtshali Secondary staff and learners, as well as to Archie Gumede Branch which has lost a member of the Site Steward Council.
We further condemn the level of crime in our society that has turned communities into daily victims of such acts. Our schools and teachers, as part of society, continue to become recipients of acts of crime, which SADTU continues to fight against through our “I AM A SCHOOL FAN” campaign as we continue to invite communities to be part of.
Issued by KZN SADTU Provincial Secretariat
COSATU welcome repo rate cut and calls for more cuts in 2025
Zanele Sabela, COSATU National Spokesperson, 30 January 2025
The Congress of South African trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the latest 25 basis points repo rate cut to 7.5%, bringing the prime lending rate to 11%.
A rate cut was widely expected given inflation for December came in at 3%, the low end of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB)’s inflation targeting band of 3% to 6%.
COSATU was disappointed the last time the SARB’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met and only reduced the repo rate marginally by 25 basis points, considering at the time inflation was the lowest it had been in more than four years.
The current repo rate cut will provide welcome relief to workers who have had to contend with annual price increases for medical aid, school fees and uniforms, electricity tariff increases, as well as fuel prices, while at the same time salary increases have not kept pace with inflation.
The inflation rate has decreased substantially from its peak of 7.8%. COSATU believes this leaves ample room for the MPC to be bold, bring down the repo by between 100 and 200 basis points this year and kickstart this slumbering economy into gear, creating badly needed jobs.
COSATU will continue engaging the SARB to ensure it extends the rate cutting circle, providing much-needed oxygen to the economy that has been struggling to grow beyond 1%. Once again, the Federation calls on government to abandon its obsession with austerity as it has done nothing but saddle the country with an unemployment rate of 41.9%.
The Federation also calls on government to revive the economy by providing extra support to Eskom, Transnet and Metro Rail as these entities are crucial for the optimal functioning of the economy, and in particular to end Eskom’s dependency on unaffordable double-digit tariff hikes.
Government also needs to accelerate the review of the fuel price regime, reduce related taxes and zero rate key food items to provide relief to consumers, commuters and the economy.
Issued by COSATU
International-Solidarity
Zambia ratifies Convention 190 to end violence and harassment at work
30 January, 2025
Zambia has become the ninth African country to ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 (C190), a landmark global treaty aimed at eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work. Zambia has officially ratified the convention on 13 December 2024.
IndustriALL Global Union-affiliated unions in Zambia represent tens of thousands of workers across the energy, engineering, mining, cement, chemical, and manufacturing industries, where cases of workplace violence and harassment have been reported.
According to United Nations reports, one in three women and girls in Zambia have experienced physical violence, while 17 per cent have faced sexual violence. The reports attribute this to entrenched gender inequalities and patriarchal power structures, which are reinforced by social and cultural norms. These harmful practices—including domestic violence—are also prevalent in workplaces, making the fight against gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) a critical issue for unions.
To push for the ratification of C190, Zambian trade unions led national campaigns in cooperation with the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and engaged with the government through social dialogue.
Astridah Matau Phiri, director for workers’ education and training at the National Union of Commercial & Industrial Workers (NUCIW), highlighted the role of unions in securing this milestone:
“This is an important achievement for trade unions in Zambia. We relentlessly campaigned for the ratification of Convention 190. We are also grateful for the campaign toolkits developed by IndustriALL, which helped us raise awareness among workers on the importance of the convention.”
NUCIW’s campaign efforts included workplace visits, leaflet distribution on stopping GBVH, and training shop stewards on addressing gender inequality and discrimination. The union emphasized the need to foster a workplace culture that respects workers’ rights regardless of gender identity.
IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub-Saharan Africa, Paule France Ndessomin, emphasized that ratification is just the beginning:
“The regional office urges Zambian unions to view ratification as an important first step. However, the real challenge lies in implementation. It is crucial to develop workplace policies aligned with ILO Recommendation 206 and to integrate C190 into national labour laws so that real change can take effect in the world of work.”
IndustriALL Global Union continues to support Zambian unions in their efforts to ensure the convention translates into tangible protections for workers.
IndustriALL affiliates in Zambia include:
National Energy Sector and Allied Workers Union (NESAWU)
National Union of Building, Engineering, and General Workers (NUBEGW)
Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ)
National Union of Commercial & Industrial Workers (NUCIW)
Zambia’s ratification of Convention 190 is a step forward in the fight against workplace violence and harassment. Now, unions will shift their focus to ensuring its effective implementation and enforcement.
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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