Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 21 January 2026 #Right2LearnCampaign #Back2SchoolCampaign

[Norman Mampane]

 

COSATU TODAY #Back2School and #Right2Learn Campaigns underway  across all locals #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

21 January 2026

“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”

Organize at every workplace and demand respect for labour rights Now!

Defend Jobs Now!

Join COSATU NOW!

 

Contents                      

• Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!

• NEHAWU Eastern Cape Statement on the crippling delays on permanent employment of Community Health Workers and the isolation of lay counsellors by the Department of Health in the province

• South Africa
• COSATU Gauteng to hold a Memorial Prayer in honour of the 12 Vanderbijlpark learners
• International-Workers’ Solidarity!
• COSATU supports international and national actions in solidarity with the People of Venezuela – Our Call for coordinated action against occupation, imperialism and the globalisation of racism

Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics  

NEHAWU Eastern Cape Statement on the crippling delays on permanent employment of Community Health Workers and the isolation of lay counsellors by the Department of Health in the province

Mlu Ncapayi, NEHAWU Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary, January 20, 2026

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] in the Eastern Cape is flabbergasted by the crippling delays on permanent employment of Community Health Workers [CHWs] and the isolation of Lay Counsellors by the Department of Health in the province, following the historic agreement reached between NEHAWU and the National Department of Health on the 25 November 2025.

The union in the province met with a delegation from the department led by MEC Ntandokazi Capa when the agreement was signed. It was for the purpose of establishing a process flow for the permanent employment of the CHWs. In the meeting, the union discovered that the department had already submitted a list to the National Department of Health without consulting with the national union. It further transpired that there are employees who were excluded on the following grounds:

• CHW’s appointed on the persal system, however assigned the responsibility of Data Capturers.

• CHW’s appointed on persal and assigned in different facilities as cleaners/general workers.

• CHW’s appointed on the system and assigned to clerical responsibility and Pharmacy Assistant.

• The CHW’s appointed on the system as Home Based Carers and Lay Health Counsellors

The union raised the fact that all the above cohort are classified on the system as Community Healthcare Workers and the internal arrangement made by the department due to the high vacancy rate should not have led them to be excluded from the submitted list. The MEC agreed with the union, that the department cannot deliberately exclude them based on operational demands to achieve quality service delivery which led them to be deployed in different parts of the health system to bridge the gaps. We left the meeting with the understanding that a list of all the excluded workers will be drawn for the intervention of the MEC. We also agreed to establish a Provincial Task Team that is led by the DDG Human Resource and Corporate Services.

The union wishes to put it on record that we are highly disappointed by the levels of incompetence that has delayed this project. At this point, we have not seen the list of all the excluded CHWs as stated in the above categories. The department has also dismally failed to meet the timelines that are set by the signed agreement. We are not satisfied that the 5th of December 2025 has come and gone without the department confirming the total number of permanently employed CHWs in their system. Those that have been captured in the system have not all received their salaries and backpay as of 1st September 2025, as required by the agreement.

We are now faced with a cohort of CHWs assigned with the task of being Lay Counsellors as an operational arrangement not knowing what their future holds. This is due to the reckless nature of the Department and this is unacceptable. In addition, we have a duty to demand that the Department initiate the Recognition of Prior Learning process in order to accelerate the 2nd phase of the project which is to employ permanently those who do not have Grade 12. The majority of this cohort has served as CHWs since the late 90s and they are the first generation of CHWs that were employed & have served the system for all their lives. It is worrying that they are now leaving the system through natural attrition and they leave their families with literally nothing after having served the Eastern Cape communities for this long as frontline workers of the healthcare system. We all know their role during the Covid 19 pandemic era as frontline workers.

Time has come for the Provincial administration of the Eastern Cape to come to the scene. We are also getting reports from our members that there are ineligible people that are being smuggled in the lists and as such the accuracy and reliability of the progress made is highly compromised and suspicious to say the list. We intend to meet with the MEC during the course of the week, whilst we are continuing with our feedback sessions across the province updating the affected workers about our victory and the delays experienced in the project. We are aware that the reported delays are causing frustrations amongst the Lay Counsellors and those waiting for the RPL process without Grade 12. The union has vowed to fight until the bitter end to ensure that all the 4990 CHWs appearing on the original database are absorbed.

Furthermore, we call upon workers to unite and ignore the negative comments made by the opportunistic and reactionary opponents that were sitting idle all these years. NEHAWU has been fighting for this victory that has secured decent work, job security, dignity, and improved working conditions for all workers in the healthcare sector.

NEHAWU will not rest until the victory is secured for all the CHWs including those without Grade 12 and Lay Counsellors. We will not allow the employer to apply divide and rule amongst them including those who are trying to hijack this whole project for their selfish interests. We vow to dispel all the lies and account about the ongoing engagements. The union is currently embarking on membership meetings and feedback sessions until the last CHW is captured in the system for permanent employment.

Lastly, the betterment of conditions of service of Community Healthcare Workers and the strengthening of primary healthcare in the province remains our responsibility.

END

Issued by NEHAWU Eastern Cape Secretariat

South Africa

COSATU Gauteng to hold a Memorial Prayer in honour of the 12 Vanderbijlpark learners

Louisah Modikwe, COSATU Gauteng Provincial Secretary, 21 January 2026

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Gauteng will hold a Memorial Prayer at the scene of the accident that claimed the lives of 12 learners in Vanderbijlpark, in heartfelt solidarity with the families.

The details of the ceremony are as follows:

Date: Thursday, 22 January 2026

Time: 12pm - 2pm

Venue: Vanderbijlpark Golden Highway

Issued by COSATU Gauteng

 

International-Solidarity   

COSATU supports international and national actions in solidarity with the People of Venezuela – Our Call for coordinated action against occupation, imperialism and the globalisation of racism

Bongani Masuku, COSATU International Secretary, 21 January 2026

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the people of Venezuela against US aggression and the abduction of President Nicholas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores,

COSATU is part of the global coordination of the various international and national solidarity actions in defence of the people of Venezuela, their sovereignty and right to self-determination. The defence of the Bolivarian revolution is our internationalist duty and task, because we know none of us is safe if one of us is bullied.

These actions form part of a growing global response by the international working-class movement to resist the global onslaught led by the US against countries of the Global South in particular, with Venezuela and South Africa amongst the most targeted.

The 8^th Central Committee of COSATU articulated a very coherent perspective on the primacy of advancing working-class internationalism against the resurgence of racism, sexism, Zionism and targeting of progressive forces of the world in general.

COSATU is actively involved in all these international solidarity struggles basing itself on the rich traditions of the struggle against anti-apartheid, colonialism and oppression. This is the basis of the centrality of the working class and COSATU as the key force for global justice, democracy and the right to self-determination.

Towards this end, we affirm our full support and participation in the following activities:

1. COSATU, NEHAWU and the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) International Action Day in Solidarity with the People of Venezuela scheduled as follows:

·        Date: Thursday, 22 January 2026

·        Time: 12pm – 2pm

·        Venue: United States Consulate
1 Sandton Drive, Sandhurst

2. COSATU, SACP, ANC and SANCO Alliance-organised Picket in the Western Cape

·        Date: Thursday, 22 January 2026

·        Time: 11am

·        Venue: 02 Reddam Ave, Tokai (Western Cape)

3. COSATU supports the NUMSA March in Solidarity with the People of Venezuela and in Defence of the Bolivarian Revolution, taking place on:

·        Date: Saturday, 24 January 2026

·        Time: 9am

·        Assembly Point: Sandton Park

·        Destination: United States Consulate, Sandton Drive, Sandhurst

The unity of the working class is indispensable for the defeat of the forces of plunder, war, occupation and imperialism, wherever they are and we call on all peace-loving humanity to stand on the side of justice and progress.

Issued by COSATU
______________________________

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

 

 

 

 

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