Taking COSATU Today Forward, 25 September 2025 #Cosatu@40 #Cosatu40thAnniversary
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #Cosatu40Anniversary celebration events are taking place in provinces…. #Cosatu@40 #Cosatu40thAnniversary #SACTU70 #ClassStruggle “Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism” #Back2Basics #JoinCOSATUNow #ClassConsciousness |
‘Whoever sides with the revolutionary people in deed as well as in word is a revolutionary in the full sense’-Maoo
Taking COSATU Today Forward
Our side of the story
25 September 2025
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
Organize at every workplace and demand respect for labour rights Now!
Defend Jobs Now!
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- NUM Statement: Radel's discrimination and failure of regulatory bodies.
- Relief as National Minimum Wage (NMW) Commission defer deadline for inputs into 2026 NMW adjustments
- South Africa
- SADTU condemns rampant burglaries in schools leading to the theft of valuable learner teacher support material
- Minister Dion George on Green growth as South Africa’s largest jobs programme
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Challenges for industrial integration in Latin America amid global trade uncertainty
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
NUM Statement: Radel's discrimination and failure of regulatory bodies
Senzo Mncwango, NUM PWV Regional Secretary, 24 September 2025
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) strongly condemns the recent and deeply disturbing actions by Radel management. On September 18th and 19th, 2025, a manager engaged in a blatant act of disrespect and discrimination by following employees to the restroom to monitor the time they spent inside. Furthermore, the company has installed surveillance cameras in sensitive areas like changing rooms and kitchens used primarily by black employees.
These acts are a gross violation of privacy, human dignity, and fundamental employee rights.
We are outraged and stand in full solidarity with our members who have been impacted by this senseless act of injustice. This behavior is a direct form of sexual harassment and racial discrimination, and we will not tolerate it.
Our Call to Action
NUM believes in fostering a workplace that is inclusive, tolerant, and free from all forms of discrimination. We are calling on the following bodies to urgently and thoroughly investigate Radel and hold those responsible accountable:
• The Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC)
• The Motor Industry Bargaining Council (MIBCO)
• The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL)
• The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)
• Law enforcement agencies
This incident is not an isolated one but a symptom of a broader issue: the ongoing failure of the MEIBC, MIBCO, and DEL to enforce compliance with labour laws. We urge our government to intervene immediately to ensure that Radek and other companies are held accountable for their actions and adhere to the law.
We call on the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure justice is served. It is crucial that all those responsible for this discrimination are held accountable for their actions.
We also urge employees to come together in this difficult time and offer support to one another.
Let us stand united against [violence/injustice/inequality] and promote peace and harmony in our workplace. We understand that this may be a difficult time for many, and we offer our support and resources to anyone who may need it. We stand with you and are here to help.
As an organization, we will continue to work towards creating a safe and inclusive workplace for all.
We call on the MEIBC, MIBCO, Human Rights Commission, and Department of Employment and Labour to urgently investigate the above-mentioned company. The company manufactures Electrical Components for Heavy Vehicles, Alternator Regulators, Motor Generator Inverters, Power Electronics, Design Services.
Mining & Industrial
· Components
· HMI Panels & Interface Systems
· Circuit Breakers & Intelligent Power Distribution Systems
· Flow Sensors & Switches
· Cable Entry Systems
Defence
• Electronic Load Switches
• Electro Boxes
• Defence Harnessing
• Circuit Breakers
• CablesLevel and Temperature Sensors
• RADOX Cables
• Cable Entry Systems
• Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS)
• Enclosures
Rail
• Interior & External Lighting
• Electronics
• Railway Harnessing
• Interface Systems
• RADOX Cables
• Connectors & Contactors
• Design Services
NUM condemned the ill-treatment and the abuse of the Radel employees who stood by the company through its challenging times, who remained loyal, showed commitment and resilience during the company's most difficult times while most lost their marriages. Central to the Radel challenges, has been the ongoing failure of MEIBC, MIBCO and the Department of Employment and Labour to enforce compliance.
We are calling on our Government to intervene by ensuring the above company complies with the law. We are also calling on law enforcement agencies to act on the ongoing violation of the Act
We understand this is a difficult time for our members, and we offer our full support and resources to anyone affected. The loyalty and resilience of Radel's employees have been tested repeatedly, even through challenging times that have impacted their personal lives. It is a travesty that their loyalty has been repaid with such disrespect.
The NUM will continue to work tirelessly to ensure a safe and respectful workplace for all.
________________
Relief as National Minimum Wage (NMW) Commission defer deadline for inputs into 2026 NMW adjustments
19 September 2025
The National Minimum Wage (NMW) Commission has announced an extension on invitation to all interested parties or stakeholders to make written representation concerning possible adjustment to the NMW for 2026.
In a gazette published on Thursday (18 September) evening the NMW Commission announced that it has extended the deadline from 18 September 2025 to 30 September 2025 - to allow for further submission of written representations.
The National Minimum Wage Commission said it will publish its annual report and recommendations concerning possible adjustment to the national minimum wage to the Minister of Employment and Labour later in 2025, in accordance with section 6(2) of the National Minimum Wage Act, No. 9 of 2018.
The NMW Commission had opened for written inputs on 19 August 2025.
The NMW is currently fixed at R28,79 for each ordinary hour worked. The current rate was announced in February 2025 by Minister of Employment and Labour, Ms. Nomakhosazana Meth.
The Commission is responsible for annually reviewing and recommending adjustments to the national minimum wage. It also investigates and reports annually to the Minister on the impact of the national minimum wage on the economy, collective bargaining, and income differentials, making this information available to the public.
Representations should reach the directorate: Employment Standards, Department of Employment and Labour, Private Bag X117, Pretoria, 0001, or be sent to nmwr...@labour.gov.za
In addition to making representations on NMW, the Commission is appealing to interested parties to complete a survey questionnaire on the link: https://forms.office.com/r/jXFtcZag90?origin=1prLink, and the link can also be accessed on the Department of Employment and Labour's website and social media pages.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Teboho Thejane
Departmental Spokesperson
082 697 0694/ teboho....@labour.gov.za
-ENDS-
Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour
SADTU condemns rampant burglaries in schools leading to the theft of valuable learner teacher support material
George Themba, SADTU North West Provincial Secretary, 25 September 2025
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) in the North West province is deeply concerned and outraged by the growing number of burglaries in schools across the province: e.g. Reivilo Secondary School.
These criminal acts have led to the theft of valuable learner support materials, including laptops, tablets, and other essential resources meant to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
SADTU views these incidents not only as criminal activities but also as direct attacks on the future of our learners and the progress of our education system. The theft of these critical tools deprives learners—especially those from poor and working-class backgrounds—of opportunities to access modern learning resources and widens the gap in education equity.
SADTU condemns these acts in the strongest terms and calls for:
- Increased School Security: The provincial department of Education, must urgently strengthen security measures in schools, including employing trained security personnel, installing alarm systems, and ensuring rapid response to reported incidents.
- Community Involvement: Communities must play an active role in safeguarding schools as valuable public assets. Schools belong to communities, and it is the duty of all citizens to protect them from vandalism and theft.
- Law Enforcement Action: We urge the South African Police Service (SAPS) to prioritise investigations into these burglaries, arrest the perpetrators, and dismantle criminal syndicates that target schools.
- Government Support: The government must ensure that stolen learning materials are urgently replaced so that learners are not disadvantaged in their academic development.
SADTU remains committed to fighting for quality public education and protecting the right of every learner to access resources that enable effective teaching and learning.
We will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the scourge of school burglaries and ensure that education is defended as a societal priority.
ISSUED BY: SADTU North West Secretariat
____________________
Minister Dion George on Green growth as South Africa’s largest jobs programme
25 Sep 2025
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has highlighted the department’s role as one of South Africa’s largest generators of work opportunities, particularly for young people, women, and marginalised groups.
“Every government decision must be judged by whether it creates work. In our department, we can say with confidence that our programmes do exactly that. They provide jobs today while building the skills South Africa needs tomorrow,” Minister George said.
Through the Expanded Public Works Programme, the department has committed to creating 121 059 work opportunities over the next five years, equal to more than 77 000 full-time jobs. Sixty percent of these opportunities will go to women, 55 percent to youth, and 2 percent to persons with disabilities.
The minister noted that initiatives such as Youth Environmental Services, Youth Jobs in Waste, and Environmental Monitors are giving thousands of South Africans accredited training, mentorship, and career pathways in biodiversity conservation, aquaculture, waste management, and renewable energy.
He explained that the National Employment Vulnerability Assessment ensures that workers in coal, metals, petroleum, agriculture, and tourism are supported with resilience plans. This makes the country’s just transition practical, not abstract, by ensuring that people in older industries are equipped to participate in the new economy.
The minister also pointed to rising global support for just transition finance, noting that investors are already shifting billions into sustainability projects. In South Africa, the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan has attracted over R350 billion in private renewable energy investment since 2023, alongside significant international commitments.
“Every new solar panel, every waste separation project, every environmental monitor we train is more than a line in a report. It is dignity, it is work, it is a future for families across South Africa,” the minister said.
He emphasised that the department’s focus is not only on job numbers, but also on the quality of work, with training and support that prepare participants for long-term employment.
“Our programmes show that climate action and job creation are the same project. South Africa’s largest jobs initiative is not in spite of sustainability. It is green growth itself,” Minister George concluded.
Enquiries:
Thobile Zulu-Molobi
Cell: 082 513 7154
E-mail: tmo...@dffe.gov.za
Chelsey
Wilken
Cell: 074 470 5996
E-mail: cwi...@dffe.gov.za
Issued by Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment
International-Solidarity
Challenges for industrial integration in Latin America amid global trade uncertainty
23 September, 2025
On 16 September, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, IndustriALL Global Union brought together experts and its affiliates in Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss strategies to meet the challenges surrounding trade, production and industrial integration in the region, amid concerns over the impact of global uncertainty on employment, freedom of association and human rights.
The seminar, held under the heading “Challenges for trade and industrial integration in Latin America and the Caribbean”, was attended by IndustriALL’s general secretary, Atle Høie, vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean, Lucineide Varjão, assistant general secretary, Kemal Özkan, members of the regional executive committee, union leaders from affiliated organisations and guest experts.
Atle Høie opened the event by congratulating IndustriALL regional office in Latin America and the Caribbean, its affiliates and the regional executive committee for the discussions underway on the issue. He also expressed concern about the challenges of establishing rules and international trade that includes all countries and provides stability and predictability.
He said:
“What we are seeing today is massive industrial job losses around the globe due to low investment and uncertainty about future trade between countries. The impact of this will be low growth and fewer jobs in 2026.”
Høie called on the affiliates in the region to contribute to the discussions on trade and industrialisation, based on their experiences, at the IndustriALL Congress to be held from 4 to 7 November 2025 in Australia.
The main political, economic and trade union challenges facing the region were addressed during the meeting, analysing the situation in the region and worldwide. The need was emphasised to build a trade union agenda that anticipates and responds to changes in international trade and production dynamics.
The main topics addressed included the impacts of US tariff policies on Latin America’s economies and regional supply chains. Strategies were also discussed for dealing with an international context marked by slowing economic growth and increasing geopolitical instability.
Virtual panel discussions were held with Camila Gramkow, economist and interim director at the ECLAC office in Brazil, and Pedro Silva Barrios, a doctor in Latin American integration and researcher at IPEA (Institute of Applied Economic Research – Ministry of Planning and Budget, Brazil). Both of them emphasised the importance of strengthening regional integration mechanisms and reindustrialisation policies, given the continued low growth forecasts for 2026.
Another focal point for discussion was presented by Kemal Özkan IndustriALL assistant general secretary, who outlined the due diligence laws in force in several European countries and their importance in the fight to ensure decent work, freedom of association and human rights. Özkan noted with concern the business trend of resisting their implementation in Europe, offering an international perspective to help strengthen trade union actions and strategies.
The meeting drew to a close with reflections on how to tackle the shared challenges affecting our economies, strengthening dialogue and joint action in the defence of workers’ rights and interests.
IndustriALL’s regional secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Marino Vani, concluded:
“The seminar was a success, with high level discussions and quality contributions from members of the executive committee, affiliates and panellists. As industrial workers and trade unions, we came away with ideas and proposals to share with the various stakeholders and to contribute to this crucial and strategic debate on trade, production and industrial integration in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
______________________________
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