Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 25 April 2024 #CosatuMayDay2024
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #COSATU has deployed its National Leaders and CEC members across nine provinces to mobilize workers for #MayDay celebrations #Back2Basics #ElijahBarayiBrigades #VoteANC #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
25 April 2024
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- Media Alert: Journalists are invited to apply for media accreditation for International Workers' Day rallies across all nine provinces
- South Africa
- COSATU welcomes Parliament's adoption of the Climate Change Bill
- COSATU welcomes the National Council of Provinces' passage of the South African Post Office SOC Limited Amendment Bill
- COSATU welcomes the National Council of Provinces' passage of the Pension Funds Amendment Bill (Two Pot Pension Reforms)
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- No More Rana Plazas – No More Blood For Profit
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
Media Alert: Journalists are invited to apply for media accreditation for International Workers' Day rallies across all nine provinces
Matthew Parks, COSATU Acting National Spokesperson & Parliamentary Coordinator, 23 April 2024
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) invites journalist to apply for media accreditation to attend International Workers’ Day celebrations on 1 May 2024. The Federation will host rallies across all nine provinces. Below are the venues, times and contact details.
Western Cape (Main event)
Venue: Athlone Stadium, Cape Town
Keynote Address: Cde Zingiswa Losi, COSATU President
Time: 10:00
Contact: Cleo...@cosatu.org.za Siya...@cosatu.org.za 0661943618 Mal...@cosatu.org.za
Northern Cape
Venue: AR Abass Stadium, Kimberley
Keynote Address: Cde Freda Oosthuysen, COSATU National Treasurer
Time: 09:00
Contact: Orap...@cosatu.org.za Tha...@cosatu.org.za 0794819077
Limpopo
Venue:
Mahwelereng Stadium, Mokopane
Keynote Address: Cde Duncan Luvuno, COSATU 2nd Deputy President
Time: 09:00
Contact: Hang...@cosatu.org.za Toe...@cosatu.org.za 0723409489
KwaZulu-Natal
Venue: Curries Fountain Stadium, Durban
Keynote Address: Cde Solly Phetoe, COSATU General Secretary
Time: 09:00
Contact: Ed...@cosatu.org.za Cot...@cosatu.org.za 0823395760
Gauteng
Venue: Dobsonville Stadium, Soweto
Keynote
Address:
Cde Michael Shingange, COSATU 1st Deputy President
Time: 09:00
Contact: lmod...@cosatu.org.za
Molo...@cosatu.org.za
0718735238
Free State
Venue: Phuthaditjhaba Stadium, Qwaqwa
Keynote Address: Cde Gerald Twala, COSATU Deputy General Secretary
Time: 09:00
Contact: Mony...@cosatu.org.za Mon...@cosatu.org.za 0723087658
Eastern Cape
Venue: WSU Stadium, Mthatha Campus
Keynote Address: Cde Nyameka Macanda, NEHAWU 1st Deputy President
Time: 10:00
Contact: mkhaw...@cosatu.org.za Mz...@cosatu.org.za 0674104666
Mpumalanga
Venue: Secunda Stadium
Keynote Address: Cde Mduduzi Mbongwe, SACCAWU General Secretary
Time: 10:00
Contact: Th...@cosatu.org.za Ja...@cosatu.org.za 0737502041
North West:
Venue: Ikageng Stadium, Potchefstroom
Keynote Address: Cde Dan Balipile, NUM President
Time: 10:00
Contact: Kop...@cosatu.org.za Kab...@cosatu.org.za 0674104696
COSATU
welcomes Parliament's adoption of the Climate Change Bill
Matthew
Parks, COSATU Acting National Spokesperson & Parliamentary Coordinator, 25 April 2024
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the National Council’s adoption of the Climate Change Bill.
Climate change is a real threat to workers, their families, communities and the economy. Its effects are being felt with the pollution that claims the lives of thousands of workers annually, increasing occurrences of devastating floods whilst some regions experience dwindling supplies of drinkable water, rising temperatures and arable land being lost to desertification. The key causes of climate change result from the unsustainable behaviour of humanity and unbridled capital’s thirst for profits at the expense of workers and society’s needs.
The Climate Change Bill is a welcome and long overdue intervention that seeks to provide a balanced approach for South Africa to try to manage the many crises of climate change and to ensure that the transitions which are taking place, will be just and protect workers, their jobs and communities. It is a welcome assertion by government led by the African National Congress that we will move collectively to manage climate change and do so in a manner that takes all of society with and leaves no person or community behind.
COSATU engaged extensively on the Bill at Nedlac and is pleased that its concerns and proposals were accommodated in the Bill. These include the need for South Africa’s climate change responses to tackle not only the climate change crises, but also our employment and economic development needs simultaneously. These cannot be tackled separately if we are to ensure a sustainable approach to these challenges.
The Federation welcomes the Bill’s provisions:
- Establishing the Presidential Climate Change Commission, that will include key stake holders including organised labour; and help guide South Africa’s climate change responses.
- Requiring national, provincial and local government as well as key State Owned Entreprises have climate change plans to reduce and mitigate their footprints.
- Providing for provincial and municipal forums for key stakeholders, including labour, business and communities to participate in the development and implementation of these climate change plans.
- Synchronising South Africa’s climate change responses with our carbon tax regime. This is critical to maintaining trade relations with the European Union and other key partners.
- Providing for strict penalties for government entities and businesses who fail to comply with environmental and climate change requirements.
COSATU looks forward to the President, Cyril Ramaphosa’ assenting of this important Bill. Whilst the Bill lays a progressive foundation for the nation’s response to climate change, it will only achieve its objectives if government resources its organs to implement it. Equally important is for the private sector to plays its role, adopt less pollutive behaviour and invest in reskilling and not retrenching workers’ whose jobs are at risk.
Issued by COSATU
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COSATU welcomes the National Council of Provinces' passage of the South African Post Office SOC Limited Amendment Bill
Matthew Parks, COSATU Acting National Spokesperson & Parliamentary Coordinator, 25 April 2024
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the National Council of Provinces’ passage of the South African Post Office SOC Limited Amendment Bill. The Bill provides a viable path for a revitalised and repivoted South African Post Office (SAPO) geared towards ordinary consumers, in particular the poor and marginalised.
The Post Office has been in financial freefall for many years. This has led to the retrenchments and resignation of many postal workers and seen wages unpaid, increases not given, and medical and pension funds payments deducted from workers’ wages not paid to those funds as legally required.
This progressive Bill provides a new mandate for the SAPO. It cannot rely upon posting letters in an era of e-communications. The Bill provides a critical shift by expanding the mandate of the SAPO to include e-commerce, courier services, support for SMMEs and an enhanced partnership with the Postbank. It positions SAPO to serve as a multi-purpose access point where the public can apply for key government services.
If the SAPO is to survive, government at all levels, from national to provincial, from municipalities to entities and State-Owned Enterprises, must utilise SAPO and Postbank for their postal, banking and other services.
COSATU welcomes the R3.4 billion provided for in the Budget for the Post Office. It needs to be accompanied by a clear turnaround plan that ensures SAPO is stabilised, repositioned and set on a sustainable path. This needs to be based upon urgently expanding the range of products that it offers consumers, including courier services, access to SASSA payments and other government services.
The progressive leadership by the African National Congress led government gives hope to workers at SAPO and their families that their jobs and salaries will be protected and the Post Office set on a path to recovery.
COSATU urges the President, Cyril Ramaphosa to assent to this progressive Bill providing a platform for SAPO to be placed on a sustainable path.
Issued by COSATU
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COSATU welcomes the National Council of Provinces' passage of the Pension Funds Amendment Bill (Two Pot Pension Reforms)
Matthew
Parks, COSATU Acting National Spokesperson & Parliamentary Coordinator
25 April 2024
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the National Council of Provinces (NCOP)’s passage of the Pension Funds Amendment (PFA) Bill, one of two critical amendment bills that will enable the long sought Two Pot Pension Reforms to take place on 1 September 2024. The PFA Bill which was amended by the NCOP, will now go to the National Assembly for concurrence.
The other Bill, the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill, has been adopted by both Houses of Parliament.
The Federation has been engaging on the Two Pot Pension Reforms with Treasury and Parliament since May 2020. We are pleased that whilst we may not have achieved everything we proposed, that not only have we reached consensus on the key matters but legislation providing for the reforms is before Parliament and there is agreement for implementation to happen on 1 September 2024.
We welcome the continuous support we have received from Members of Parliament, in particular from the African National Congress and the Chairpersons of the Parliamentary Committees on Finance.
Workers are highly indebted due to slow economic growth, the rising costs of living and having to support relatives in an economy battling a 41% unemployment rate. The current pension laws are excessively inflexible only allowing workers access to their pension funds upon retirement, losing their job or resignation. Consequently, many workers opt to resign to cash out their entire pension funds leaving them unemployed and with no savings left.
The Two Pot Reforms provide a progressive compromise and fair balance where workers will have access to a portion of their pension funds whilst remaining employed. This will allow workers to access 10% up to R30 000 of their existing savings when the law comes into effect on 1 September 2024 and from then on once a year, access to a third of future savings. Workers will retain access to existing savings. These will enable workers to remain employed, receive the equivalent of a thirteenth cheque on 1 September and once a year going forward and have more savings when they retire.
COSATU welcomes amendments made to the Bill by the National Assembly and NCOP to ensure the Government Employees, Transnet, Post and Telecommunications Pension Funds are included in the Two Pot Reforms and their members as well as other important amendments dealing with divorce and separation of assets. These were critical to ensure all workers are included in the Two Pot Reforms.
What is most important now is for the final adoption of the Bill by the National Assembly to be concluded before rising for the May elections. This is critical to enable the President to sign, Treasury to promulgate, SARS to adjust its tax systems and the pension funds to amend their rules and put in place the necessary education and administrative measures for workers seeking this relief.
We are confident we are on track and all deadlines will be met to ensure implementation on 1 September 2024. Workers have been waiting for this relief since 2020. We dare not disappoint them.
Issued by COSATU
International-Solidarity
No More Rana Plazas – No More Blood For Profit
24 Apr 2024
The World Federation of Trade Unions expresses its solidarity with the working class of Bangladesh on the occasion of the 11th dark anniversary of the Rana Plaza bloody crime which had cost the lives of 1134 garment workers, including 851 women, on 24th April 2013.
The protection of workers in all aspects of their life is a main duty of the class-oriented trade union movement. We will relentlessly continue our struggle for the determination and implementation of health and safety measures in the workplaces, for free and safe vaccine for all, for public free and high-quality healthcare to all.
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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