Taking COSATU Today Forward, 30 April 2026 #CosatuMayDay2026
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY COSATU Call Center Contacts: 010 002 2590 #COSATU declares its readiness to deliver 12 #InternationalWorkersDay rallies on May 1 #ClassWar #Cosatu40 #SACTU70 #ClassStruggle “Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism” #Back2Basics #JoinCOSATUNow #ClassConsciousness |
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
30 April 2026
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- Workers must assert their right to dignity, safety, and fair treatment – Employment and Labour Deputy Minister, Judith Nema
- Media accreditation for COSATU May Day celebrations officially open
- South Africa
- COSATU Limpopo Province Statement on the National May Day Rally 2026
- COSATU ready to celebrate International Workers’ Day
- MEC Maboya welcomes SADTU Free State Conference outcomes and commits to a renewed social compact to strengthen public education
- South African Communist Party statement on Freedom Day
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- EU budget: national governments must follow Parliament’s lead by backing social spending
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics #ClassWar
Workers must assert their right to dignity, safety, and fair treatment – Employment and Labour Deputy Minister, Judith Nema
24 April 2026
Employment and Labour Deputy Minister, Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala said the struggle to maintain healthy and safe workplaces continues not in the streets alone, but in the factories, farms, offices, and construction sites where workers must assert their right to dignity, safety, and fair treatment.
Nemadzinga-Tshabalala said a workplace that is unsafe, physically or psychologically, is a betrayal of the very freedoms “that we celebrate. A workplace that exploits labour, undermines wages, or disregards the well-being of workers stands in contradiction to the ideals of our liberation struggle".
The Deputy Minister was speaking today (24 April) during the commemoration of 2026 World Day for Health and Safety at work held at Emnotweni Arena in Mbombela (Nelspruit). The day is observed to promote safe, healthy, and decent work. It was held under the theme: “Let's Ensure a Healthy Psychosocial Working Environment."
As the Deputy Minister was addressing delegates the Geneva-based International Labour Organization released the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2026 which shows that there were 840,000 deaths a year linked to psychosocial risks at work. The global report shows how poorly designed or managed work, including high demands, long hours, and job insecurity in poorly managed workplaces are damaging workers' health and the economy.
She said the event comes on the eve of two of the most significant milestones in South Africa's democratic calendar - that is on the 27th of April the to commemorate Freedom Day, a day that marks the historic victory of over apartheid and Workers' Day - a day rooted in the long and militant struggles of the working class, both globally and locally, for fair labour practices, humane working conditions, and the right to organise.
“This World OHS Day commemoration brings us together as government, organised business, and organised labour in a unified platform of social dialogue to confront the growing challenge of psychosocial risks in the workplace. The presence today of COSATU, NACTU, SAFTU, FEDUSA BUSA, RMA and FEM remind us that the Labour Relations Act does not seek to create antagonistic relations between employers and the employees but an environment that promotes the mutual advancement of the worker rights and their wellbeing," explained Nemadzinga-Tshabalala.
“It is precisely for this reason that the role of social partners gathered here today becomes critical. The responsibility to address the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment, and inequality cannot rest on the state alone.
“Employers must commit to fair wages, decent working conditions, and inclusive employment practices. Trade unions must continue to advance the interests of workers while promoting workplace stability and social dialogue. Institutions must strengthen enforcement, compliance, and support systems that protect vulnerable workers," she said.
Addressing the triple challenges requires a renewed and strengthened social compact, she said.
Turning to health and safety, Deputy Minister Nemadzinga-Tshabalala said a workplace cannot be truly safe if it is psychologically unsafe. She argued that psychosocial environment is shaped by how work is organised, managed, and experienced, including factors such as workload, job security, fair remuneration, and workplace power relations.
“A healthy psychosocial working environment is therefore not only a moral obligation, but a key condition for sustainable productivity. Workers who face stress and exploitation are less able to perform effectively, leading to reduced productivity, weakened organisational performance, and broader socio-economic instability.
“Similarly, the employment of undocumented foreign nationals under exploitative conditions reflects a systemic attempt to bypass labour protections, depress wages, and fragment the working class. These practices do not only undermine fair labour standards; they create environments of fear, instability, and competition among workers, eroding solidarity and weakening collective resistance. Ultimately, they contribute to reduced productivity and the deterioration of workplace cohesion," she emphasised.
She said as the Department embarks on a recruitment drive of new inspectors, these needed to be equipped not only with technical knowledge of legislation, but also with the necessary soft skills (communication, empathy, conflict resolution, and psychological awareness) to engage complex workplace dynamics.
Nemadzinga-Tshabalala called for an integrated approach to strengthen the capacity of the state to monitor, assess, and intervene in workplaces where psychosocial risks are prevalent. She warned that employers must understand that the creation of a conducive working environment is not an act of benevolence; it is a legal and social obligation.
“Failure to address psychosocial risks will inevitably result in mental health challenges among workers, reduced productivity, and long-term socio-economic costs," she said.
Simphiwe Mabhele, a technical specialist on health, HIV and TB at ILO in South Africa said there was a need to build stronger research and knowledge base to understand the psychosocial working environment. Mabhele said workplaces were witnessing the emergence diseases and suicidal act. He noted that although South Africa has made strides in inclusion and focus on psychosocial factors must still need to be done.
“Employers are not spared from emerging hazards – they had to contend with fatigue, absenteeism, and decreased productivity levels," he emphasized.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Teboho Thejane
Departmental Spokesperson
082 697 0694/ teboho....@labour.gov.za
-ENDS-
Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour
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Media accreditation for COSATU May Day celebrations officially open
Zanele Sabela, COSATU Spokesperson, 08 April 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has officially opened media accreditation applications for Workers’ Day celebrations on 1 May 2026. The Federation will continue with its tradition of hosting celebrations across the country, with the national rally to be held at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
The President of COSATU, Zingiswa Losi will deliver the keynote address, with messages of support from leaders of Alliance Partners: the African National Congress (ANC), South African Communist Party (SACP) and South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO).
COSATU National Office bearers will lead provincial commemorations, alongside leaders of affiliated trade unions and members of the Federation’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Applications to cover the national rally may be submitted to mam...@cosatu.org.za or non...@cosatu.org.za.
Alternatively, an application form can be completed via this link:
Media accreditation for COSATU May Day celebrations officially open – Fill out form
Applications to cover provincial rallies can be sent to the following contacts:
1. Western Cape- Mbekweni Sport Stadium (Paarl) at 10:00
Malvern de Bruyn 060 977 9027 or Cleopatra Kakaza 072 312 6822
2. Gauteng - Tsakane Stadium (Brakpan) at 10:00
Louisa Modikwe 082 297 2659 or Itumeleng Moloantoa 071 873 5238
3. Free State- Bultfontein Stadium (Bultfontein) at 10:00
Tiisetso Mahlatsi on 077 607 3012 or Mongezi Mbelwane on 072 308 7658
4. KwaZulu Natal Curries Fountain Stadium (Durban) at 10:00
Edwin Mkhize 082 339 7756 or Khaliphile Cotoza 082 339 5760
5. Mpumalanga- Kamagugu Stadium (Mbombela) at 10:00
Thabo Mokoena 082 799 5699 or James Mahlabane 064 753 9055
6. Northern Cape- Open Air Arena (Galeshewe) at 10:00
Thandi Makapela 079 481 9077
7. North West- Olympia Stadium (Rustenburg) at 10:00
Kabelo Kgoro 067 410 4696
8. Eastern Cape - Nangoa Jebe Hall – Gqeberha, Orient Theatre (kuGompo) – Buffalo City, Tobi Kula Indoor Sports Centre (Komani) and Lusikisiki College Great Hall at 10:00
Mkhawuleli Maleki 082 339 5482
Issued by COSATU
Zanele Sabela (COSATU Spokesperson)
Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639
Email: zan...@cosatu.org.za
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
COSATU Limpopo Province Statement on the National May Day Rally 2026
Hangwani Mashao, COSATU Limpopo Provincial Secretary, 29 April 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Limpopo is privileged and proud to host the 2026 National May Day rally.
The rally will take place at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane.
Preparations for this crucial event in the international workers’ calendar are underway, as workers will, once again gather on this 140th anniversary of International Workers Day.
This worker's day takes place when COSATU has celebrated its 40th anniversary in December 2025.
This is also the 32nd iteration of Mayday under conditions of democracy in South Africa.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) also commemorates the country’s attainment of democracy 32 years ago.
For the first time in our history, citizens of all races could make their voices heard at the polls and in any theatre of society, marking the end of a vile system of racial segregation and discrimination.
This gathering of thousands of members of COSATU’s Affiliates and the community promises to be again a testament to commitment to the struggles of workers and the working class as they analyse the twelve-month period that passed since the last National Mayday Rally in 2025 and to contemplate their tasks as workers and the working class in the ensuing period.
The Federation’s Central Executive Committee members, led by COSATU President, Zingiswa Losi, and the national leaders of our Alliance partners will be present at the rally to give statements on the domestic and international outlook.
COSATU Limpopo calls on all workers to attend the National May Day rally in their numbers.
It is crucial to do so as this day remains a testimony to the struggles waged by workers over generations.
Mayday was not handed to workers on a silver platter but was a result of the gallant struggles of the generations of workers that came before us.
Workers in South Africa and the world should hold dear the legacy that was bequeathed on them by their forebears, because May Day is the only day dedicated to workers and the working class.
Although numerous gains have been achieved through the years, today many are suffocating under the pressure of the high cost of living.
Celebrating this day is compounded by both the appreciation of the sacrifices made by those who stood at the forefront of the liberation movement and an overarching frustration towards the lived reality of hardship.
While Mayday is commemorated, the struggle to make ends meet is an everyday and stressful exercise.
The working class is under siege from exorbitant medical aid fees from a government service provider that was designed to cushion public servants’ expenses, which has now reared its capitalist head. The working class is buckling under the pressure of job losses, rising energy and food prices.
This mayday takes place when the international situation is tense due to the heightened aggression and capitalist wars of conquest and accumulation we have witnessed over the period, as result of the capitalists’ drive to appropriate the world resources for themselves and their profits and not for the world’s people.
The rally promises to be a successful and entertaining one where artists like Master KG, Ezra tsa Manyalo, Bana ba Step, Prince and a brass band will entertain members and the community.
The mobilization programme is continuing as planned.
We invite all our members to be present in their rally as it unfolds on 1 May 2026.
Transport arrangements are being communicated through COSATU, Affiliates and Alliance channels.
All accreditation activities will take place at Mark Shope House, 79A Biccard Street, Polokwane from 16h00 on 30 April 2026.
Issued by COSATU Limpopo
For more details, contact:
Hangwani Mashao
COSATU Limpopo Provincial Secretary
Mobile: 067 413 0165
Email: Hang...@cosatu.org.za
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COSATU
ready to celebrate International Workers’ Day
Zanele
Sabela, COSATU Spokesperson, 30 April 2026
On 1 May, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) will host rallies across all nine provinces, with workers gathering in their thousands to celebrate Workers’ Day.
This year also marks the 140th anniversary of International Workers’ Day, but in South Africa, May Day only became an official public holiday in 1995, following the country’s first democratic elections in 1994. Since then, Workers’ Day has remained a highlight
of the labour movement’s calendar.
Depressingly, this year’s May Day comes at a time when workers are facing a deepening cost of living crisis. In the last five years, the cost for electricity has increased by 68%; water by 50%; food by 45%; primary education on the one hand by 37%, while secondary
education has risen by 42%.
Medical aid is also a key factor, the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) being a case in point having gone up by a staggering 23% in two years. Workers’ salaries have unfortunately not kept pace.
In real terms, taking inflation into account, workers are earning 47% less than they did a decade ago. Consequently, they are borrowing increasingly – not to buy luxuries but to put food on the table, pay school fees and keep the lights on. Research shows 82%
of South African households are in debt.
The situation is likely to worsen given the war in the Middle East, with escalating oil costs leading to higher petrol, diesel and paraffin prices.
COSATU has welcomed the fuel price relief provided by National Treasury, but government has warned it cannot continue lowering fuel levies on petrol and diesel beyond July.
However, COSATU views this as the most cost-effective and impactful solution to shielding workers, society and the economy from this global crisis.
The Federation has been deeply concerned about the lack of relief for households that use paraffin because it doesn’t attract a levy. An injustice as these are the households that need the most relief given a litre of paraffin costs up to R28.
Should the war drag on, more interventions must be put in place including adjusting social and the SRD grants for inflation, delivering food parcels to social grant recipients, putting in place measures to protect food from inflation with targeted support for
agriculture and Transnet, and engaging Eskom on measures to reduce the price of electricity.
The Reserve Bank will need to restrain itself and resist hiking the repo rate as this will help protect workers’ wages.
Unemployment is still alarmingly high at 41.1% and over 70% for young people aged between 15 and 24. While economic growth is far below the 3% required to create jobs.
COSATU has been disappointed by Treasury's insistence on tabling a budget that balances the books instead of stimulating economic growth, fixing public and municipal services, filling critical public service vacancies, boosting employment and ramping up tax
compliance.
The ongoing battle between public service unions and their federations with GEMS only serves to intensify our resolve to advocate for the full implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI). Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi agrees with labour and has
confirmed that South Africa’s healthcare system is too expensive and unsustainable, particularly given the disparities between the private and public sectors. Despite allocating 8.5% of GDP to health, South Africa’s health outcomes do not reflect this partly
because 51% of allocated funding is spent on 14% of the population, while the remaining 86% of the population is relegated to sharing the 49% of the funding. For COSATU the NHI is the only path to equitable universal health coverage.
COSATU calls on the Department of Employment and Labour to fast-track the finalisation of the Occupational Health and Safety Bill, which left Nedlac in 2016 but is yet to be tabled in Parliament. The eventual promulgation of this Bill is critical, particularly
for high-risk industries such as mining and construction as evidenced by recent incidents. The Ekapa Mine mudslide in Kimberly left five miners trapped underground and eventually presumed dead. The last of their remains were recovered more than a month later.
Tragedy also struck in Verulam when a temple construction site collapsed and killed five workers on site in mid-December.
Enforcement of health and safety is pivotal in these sectors as well as in the agricultural sector where employers do not pay workers minimum wage or register them with the Unemployment Insurance and the Compensation Funds. These social security entities also
need to be fixed to halt leakages due to corruption and be set straight, so workers’ claims are paid on time, every time.
The Federation was pleased to learn government intended to employ 10 000 more labour inspectors but was rapidly disappointed when no allocation for the employment of these critical personnel was mentioned in the budget. Labour inspectors play a critical role
in the enforcement of labour laws, particularly now that they have been empowered to enforce compliance regarding the payment of pension fund contributions. The most recent report by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority showed that more than 15 500 employers
were defaulting on paying their workers’ pension fund contributions.
Enforcement of the National Minimum Wage also needs more focus.
COSATU fully supports its Affiliate, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), as it vocalises our strong opposition to the unbundling of Eskom, specifically the establishment of National Transmission Company. COSATU and NUM view this as a bid to privatise perhaps
the most strategic parastatal via the backdoor. A public good as crucial as electricity must never be put in private hands; privatising Eskom will only lead to energy poverty.
We cannot let that happen.
Government must also get serious about tackling crime and corruption, protecting whistleblowers and ramping up measures to eradicate gender-based violence.
Despite all these challenges, the Federation looks forward to celebrating May Day with workers across all nine provinces.
Issued by COSATU
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MEC Maboya welcomes SADTU Free State Conference outcomes and commits to a renewed social compact to strengthen public education
28 April 2026
Bloemfontein - The Free State MEC for Education, Dr MJ Maboya, welcomes the successful convening of the 3rd Quadrennial Provincial Conference of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU), held in Parys from 22 to 24 April 2026. On behalf of the Free State Department of Education and the people of the province, MEC Maboya extends warm congratulations to the newly elected provincial leadership, particularly Mr Gape Legopo on his election as Provincial Chairperson.
The MEC noted that the conference was convened at a critical moment for the education sector - one that calls for both honest reflection and decisive, coordinated action to confront persistent structural challenges and advance the transformative mandate of public education. Reflecting on the conference theme – “mobilizing revolutionary professionals to strengthen foundational learning” - MEC Maboya emphasised its alignment with the Department’s sector priorities and the broader, shared mandate and objectives of building a capable, developmental state.
The MEC added that: “Teachers are critical agents of change - not only in advancing learning, but in shaping consciousness, advancing social justice, and anchoring the developmental aspirations of our democracy. The call to mobilize revolutionary professionals speaks directly to the responsibility we all carry to place foundational learning at the centre of our collective efforts.”
MEC Maboya welcomed the frank, honest, and self-critical reflections that characterised the conference, noting that such candour is essential for meaningful renewal and sustained progress. The Department notes the concerns raised regarding infrastructure backlogs, overcrowded classrooms, unsafe learning environments, and the decline in the 2025 matric outcomes, and accepts this diagnosis not as a point of despair, but as a necessary basis for decisive and focused intervention.
The MEC reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to a strengthened and principled partnership with SADTU, recognising the union as a strategic partner in the broader project of transforming and defending public education: “Public education remains the most powerful instrument to disrupt intergenerational poverty, inequality, and exclusion. Its advancement requires a united front - rooted in collaboration, accountability, and a shared commitment to the success of every learner.”
MEC Maboya further welcomed SADTU’s support for the Draft History Curriculum for Grades 4 to 12, describing it as a critical step towards deepening historical consciousness, advancing epistemic justice, and affirming the lived experiences of the majority. The union’s rejection of the commodification of education is also acknowledged as a principled stance in defence of education as a public good.
To give practical effect to this shared vision, the Department commits to structured, regular engagements with SADTU leadership. These engagements will be firmly outcome-driven and focused on key system priorities, including teacher professional development, the integration and expansion of Early Childhood Development (ECD), the strengthening of school safety, and the accelerated rollout of the I AM A SCHOOL FAN campaign across all districts and branches. These platforms will serve not merely as forums for dialogue, but as instruments of accountability, coordination, and problem-solving - ensuring that agreed interventions translate into tangible improvements at school level.
The Department notes the concerns raised regarding infrastructure backlogs, overcrowded classrooms, unsafe learning environments, and the decline in the 2025 matric outcomes, and accepts this diagnosis not as a point of despair, but as a necessary basis for decisive and focused intervention.
*Issued by the Free State Department of Education*
For media enquiries, kindly contact:
Media and Parliamentary Liaison Officer: *Sibusiso Majola* – 071 983 8233
Head of Communications: *Howard Ndaba* – 079 503 5485
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South African Communist Party statement on Freedom Day
Mbulelo Mandlana, SACP Head of Media, Communications and Information, 27 April 2026
The South African Communist Party (SACP) joins the millions of South Africans in the celebration of Freedom Day, this year being the 32nd anniversary of the people’s right to vote. When we won the right to vote through the 1994 democratic breakthrough, we irreversibly placed South Africa on a path to complete freedom, creating conditions and political correlation that were inconceivable for the successive colonial governments – from Dutch settlers all the way to the apartheid regime.
While a lot of commentators and peacetime heroes have downplayed the significance of the political breakthrough of 1994, the South African Communist Party has full recognition of the historic nature and value of the victory our people secured in 1994.
With the working class at the forefront as a motive force of the National Democratic Revolution, the masses from all corners of the country, fully conscious of their revolutionary history and future aspirations, carried their fate in their hands and permanently changed the trajectory of South Africa. The exercise of the vote is not a ceremonial act performed every five years to change and recycle leaders imposed by the capitalist system. Rather, it is an opportunity for the people, particularly the working class, to control their own destiny. This includes consistently reviving their agenda for development and total liberation from the enduring legacy of colonialism, apartheid and pervasive capitalist oppression.
The liberal conception of voting and democracy assumes that voting is about perfecting the system of power as it exists by placing an exaggerated emphasis on the individual right to vote while deliberately downplaying the revolutionary collective power and potential of election to move society from one form of organisation to another. This is to associate liberalism with democracy. We reject this notion. At this time, we continue to work for revolutionary democracy and the transfer of power to the masses. Although the vote itself is not a reliable means for radical change in capitalist relations, it provides a sound basis for understanding the correlation of forces from which a revolutionary strategy for alternatives can emerge. As we mark this important day, we seek to build people’s power in the modern era.
Therefore, we celebrate Freedom Day today with full appreciation of the potential the people have to accelerate our revolutionary advance. Our marking of this important day is not a declaration of the end of the revolution. We believe that the freedom of the people in its various expressions is the foundational basis from which a new society can be imagined and indeed built through their unity and commitment to transformation.
We celebrate Freedom Day fully aware of the pervasive neoliberal agenda that is beginning to dominate the South African state, particularly within the progressive movement and the key contradictions it presents for our revolution. We are conscious that the Freedom Day celebrations do not represent the end of the revolution but new opportunities for its articulation under new and increasingly challenging conditions embodied by emboldened neoliberalism.
We call for the continued defence of our national democracy, the continued defence of the national transformation programme in all its aspects, the deepening of organisational unity and revitalisation of the people’s camp, the reconfiguration of the Alliance and deepening of collective struggle against corruption and neoliberalism.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY,
FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.
Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID
International-Solidarity
EU budget: national governments must follow Parliament’s lead by backing social spending
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling on national governments to match the European Parliament’s ambition following today’s plenary vote on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034 by committing to a social investment agenda.
With negotiations ongoing in the Council, Member States must ensure the next EU budget delivers for workers and their families. This means backing spending provisions that prioritise quality jobs, fair wages and social progress across Europe.
Workers need an EU budget that delivers:
A strong European Social Fund (ESF) as a standalone instrument with at least €140 billion to support jobs, skills and social inclusion.
Binding social conditionality across all EU spending, ensuring respect for workers’ rights and collective agreements.
Robust investment in cohesion and social infrastructure to drive upward convergence across regions.
Full respect for the partnership principle, with trade unions having a real say at work in shaping and implementing programmes, supported by dedicated capacity-building resources.
A fair and inclusive just transition, with sufficient funding to support all regions and workers through industrial change.
A shift towards social and sustainable priorities, moving away from ineffective “money for reform” approaches.
Esther Lynch, ETUC General Secretary, said:
“Only through investment can Europe give working people the lift they need. National governments must now step up and back a budget that delivers the quality jobs and strong public services that have always been the backbone of Europe’s success.
"At a time of rising inequalities and economic uncertainty, cutting or weakening social investment would be a serious mistake that risks undermining trust in the European project.”
Ludovic Voet, ETUC Confederal Secretary, said
“This is the moment to turn commitments into guarantees. Every Euro in the EU budget must support workers’ rights, strengthen collective bargaining and reduce inequalities across Europe.
"Governments must also ensure trade unions are fully involved in how funds are spent because delivering results on the ground depends on workers having a real say at work and in shaping Europe’s priorities.”
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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