Taking COSATU Today Forward, 2 October 2025 #Cosatu@40 #Cosatu40thAnniversary

[Norman Mampane]

 

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

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

2 October 2025

“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!

• Be Aware About employer’s association notice issued

• COSATU to host lectures in the lead up to 40^th anniversary

• South Africa
• COSATU commends Eskom and its employees for its continued recovery 
• SACP message of condolences on death of former minister Nathi Mthethwa
• International-Workers’ Solidarity!
• SACP reflections on the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly
• Lindsey refinery: redundancies begin despite bids to save site

Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics  

Be Aware About employer’s association notice issued below: COSATU PROTEST ACTION 7 OCTOBER 2025

 

Dear employer The Confederation of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has given notice of its intention to embark on a socio-economic protest action on Tuesday, 7 October 2025. Their main reason for the protest action is their demand for “the stoppage of retrenchments for purposes of maximising profits”. The protest action has been approved by NEDLAC and is therefore protected. Employers are advised to the following: The principle of no-work-no-pay will apply to all employees who are absent due to participation in the protest action; employees may not be disciplined for being absent if they participate in the protest action, but may be disciplined for misconduct committed during the protest action; and overtime worked during the course of the previous week will be paid at ordinary rates, to compensate for the working hours lost on 7 October. Employers can contact their NEASA regional office for any queries in this regard.

 

For more information NEASA Media Department me...@neasa.co.za

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COSATU to host lectures in the lead up to 40^th anniversary

Zanele Sabela, COSATU National Spokesperson, 25 September 2025

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is set the host a series of lectures in the lead up to its 40^th anniversary celebration at Dobsonville Stadium on 6 December.

 

The culmination of four years of unity talks, COSATU came into being on 1 December 1985, and brought together 33 competing unions and federations opposed to apartheid and whose common goal was to bring about a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society.

 

The Federation has been at the forefront of advancing, defending and protecting the interests and rights of workers since, and has led in the formation of the country’s progressive labour laws including workers’ rights to form trade unions, collective bargaining and to strike, minimum conditions of service, National Minimum Wage, etc.

 

From its vehement resistance of apartheid to the ushering in of the democratic dispensation and improving the economic and social wellbeing of the working class 31 years post democracy, COSATU has stood the test of time.

 

In the lead up to its 40^th anniversary in December, the Federation will host a variety of activities starting with a series of lectures by its National Office Bearers.

 

The lectures will tackle diverse subjects from COSATU’s pivotal role in gender struggles to the strike that broke the back of industry-wide exploitative labour practices as far back as 1959.  

 

Province: Free State
Date: 3 October     

Topic: COSATU and the International Struggle         

Main Speaker: Gerald Twala, COSATU Deputy General Secretary 

Province: Mpumalanga
Date: 16 October
Venue: Ikhethelo Secondary School, Bethal     

Topic: Gert Sibande Potato Boycott      

Main Speaker: Duncan Luvuno, COSATU 2nd Deputy President

Province: Northern Cape
Date: 30 October   

Topic: COSATU and the Liberation Movement

Main Speaker: Solly Phetoe, COSATU General Secretary

Province: North-West
Date: 19 November

Topic: Strengthening Industrial Unions to build a militant COSATU        

Main Speaker: Duncan Luvuno, COSATU 2nd Deputy President

Province: Eastern Cape
Date: 20 November

Topic: COSATU and the Reconfiguration of the Alliance      

Main Speaker: Mike Shingange, COSATU 1st Deputy President

Province: Gauteng
Date: 21 November

Topic: COSATU and the Mass Democratic Movement 

Main Speaker: Zingiswa Losi, COSATU President 

 

Issued by COSATU

South Africa

COSATU commends Eskom and its employees for its continued recovery 

Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, 01 October 2023

 

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) commends Eskom, its employees and government led by the African National Congress for the electricity utility’s remarkable recovery and steady improvement. 

 

This consistent turnaround is a massive boost for the economy from the dark days when Eskom struggled to provide reliable electricity, which at its peak two years ago saw the economy crippled with up to 12 hours of loadshedding a day. 

 

The hard-working staff of Eskom and our municipalities deserve our gratitude for their relentless efforts to stabilise and rebuild our most important economic asset. This is a vindication of the COSATU driven Eskom Social Compact adopted by government and social partners at Nedlac in 2020.

 

Whilst commending this achievement, including the announcement of Eskom’s first profit in eight years, it is not out of danger yet.  More support must be provided to Eskom and municipalities to overcome its still precarious faultlines.  Municipal debt owed to Eskom has doubled in the past few years to over R95 billion. 

 

Cable theft, corruption, vandalism and criminality continue to bleed Eskom of billions annually.  Illegal connections and millions of consumers who fail to pay for electricity consumed present an existential threat to the utility and have made load reduction a norm in many poor communities. 

 

Eskom’s continued dependence upon above inflation tariff hikes has seen thousands of industrial workers sent to the unemployment queue as electricity becomes increasingly unaffordable for working-class families and the economy.

 

Key interventions need to include ensuring that:

• All consumers are moved to prepaid electricity bills, whilst ensuring that indigent households receive their free electricity allocation.
• Eskom and municipalities disconnect illegal connections and are provided the necessary protection by law enforcement when doing so.
• Revamping Treasury’s debt relief package for municipalities owing Eskom.
• Treasury’s Chief Procurement Office provides support to Eskom and municipalities to reduce wasteful expenditure.
• The South African Police Service, Hawks and the judiciary ramp up support to Eskom and municipalities to tackle crime and corruption, including cable theft and vandalism.
• Investment in 14 000 kilometres of transmission lines are expedited to unlock renewable energy in the three Cape Provinces.
• Eskom is provided the support, including financing, to enter the renewable energy space to help reduce its own generation costs.

 

Whilst these key interventions will provide the medium- and long-term solutions needed to place electricity on an affordable trajectory, an immediate intervention is needed from government and Eskom to enable industrial sectors to cope and avoid further smelter and other company closures, including through reduced tariffs. 

 

What the economy cannot afford to continue is to allow the massive financial leakages undermining Eskom’s ability to provide affordable electricity to continue, including the widespread culture of non-payment for electricity.

 

The Federation has placed this matter on Nedlac’s agenda to ensure solutions are put in place to provide Eskom with the necessary support to secure its long-term sustainability and that the economy has the reliable and affordable electricity it requires to reach the 3% growth target and tackle our dangerously high levels of unemployment. 

 

We are heartened by the Minister for Electricity and Energy, Dr. K.S. Ramokgopa’s support for this urgent call and hope to see tangible solutions soon.

Issued by COSATU

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SACP message of condolences on death of former minister Nathi Mthethwa

Mbulelo Mandlana, SACP Head of Media, Communications and Information, 30 September 2025

The South African Communist Party (SACP) conveys its heartfelt condolences to the family of Comrade Nathi Mthethwa, South African ambassador to France and former minister. The SACP further conveys its condolences to the African National Congress and the entire liberation movement as a whole and the people of South Africa for the loss.

The SACP recognises the role Mthethwa played in our liberation struggle, first as a teenager in the struggle against the apartheid system wherein he joined the Klaarwater Youth Organisation in 1982 and serving as its chairperson from 1987 to 1989 and also served in the ANC Youth League and the ANC.

Comrade Mthethwa also made his contribution in the trade union movement, serving as a shop steward in the Food and Allied Workers Union in the late 1980s, helping to galvanise and strengthen the working-class forces against apartheid rule. His active role in the underground, particularly in the “Operation Vula” in 1988 and 1989 was instrumental in weakening the apartheid regime, pursuant to which the oppressive regime detained him during the 1989 state of emergency.

In memory of Comrade Nathi Mthethwa, the SACP reiterates its call for the unity of the working class in the struggle for total social emancipation. The SACP makes the further call for grassroots development, and to this end the Party, through the People’s Red Caravan, is actively involved in empowering the people at grassroots level to take a lead in their own development.

ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY,

FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID

International-Solidarity   

SACP reflections on the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly

Mbulelo Mandlana, SACP Head of Media, Communications and Information, 1 October 2025

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has observed the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which convened at its headquarters in New York City, USA.

On multilateralism

The United Nations remains a pivotal platform for multilateralism, particularly serving as a space for nations from the global south to shape the international political system in accordance with their own developmental objectives. However, despite this significant potential, the United Nations’ organisational framework, in practice, remains constrained by neocolonial institutional structures, replicating the outcomes akin to the political machinations of the colonial era. This is evident in its security structures and its trade relations regulation framework. Consequently, as underscored by several African representatives, the key reforms necessary to position the African continent as a key player in decision-making are not only urgent but also crucial to the legitimacy of the United Nations itself.

Parallel to that, the SACP has noted the disregard and contempt expressed by the United States resident, Donald Trump, towards the United Nations during the assembly, reflecting the American government’s stance against multilateralism in general and its preference for unilateral action. This Trump administration position is also evident in the American tariff policy, the withdrawal of financial support to United Nations agencies, and other decisions that weaken the system of the United Nations.

The SACP supports multilateralism and rejects any attempt by any actor, including Washington, to undermine or diminish the United Nations and its role in international affairs, even while simultaneously advocating for its reform.

On Palestine

The UN General Assembly witnessed a surge of solidarity towards Palestine from various countries that expressed their support for the Palestinian people by formally endorsing the establishment of a Palestinian State as a full legal entity under international law, granting it equal sovereign, political, economic, and diplomatic rights. A notable section of these countries are Western countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Australia and France, among others, indicating the unquestionable legitimacy of the demand for a sovereign and independent Palestine. This shift in policy is a profound and historic one which should not go unacknowledged. However, this progress is contrasted with an even more rigid and hostile attitude of the United States and apartheid Israel that have vowed to continue to prevent the recognition of the Palestinian state. The fundamental stance of both the United States and Israel is rooted in the persistent denial of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Furthermore, they have intensified their military offensive, which includes the annexation of the West Bank, thereby hindering the realisation of the two-state solution. The SACP condemns this posture of Israel and the United States on this question as this posture only serves to guarantee the continuation of ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people in Gaza, the greatest human tragedy of our time.

War in Ukraine

The UN General Assembly also witnessed the United States’ stance on the war in Ukraine. The fundamental United States regime’s stance on the conflict is one of escalation and destruction, accompanied by an explicit commitment to providing unlimited military aid and support to Ukraine with the explicit objective of achieving Russia’s complete annihilation. This posture does not seek a political resolution to the military conflict but seeks a more extreme position of deliberate escalation, which is incompatible with the UN objectives of peace, stability, and progress. NATO is thus emboldened by the United States president’s stance to play a more destructive role in the conflict, thereby postponing the day of peace and stability.

This new strategy between the United States and NATO is a grave concern for us, as it primarily serves to fuel the military industrial complex in the United States as a constant provider of arms rather than determining a sound political solution for the situation in Ukraine.

On state of imperialism

The global system of imperialism encounters internal contradictions and challenges that have resulted in a state of strategic discord. The unipolar world we have known faces objective fundamental limitations. From these limitations, conditions for a multipolar world have already emerged and are now poised to manifest. The counter balance of western hegemony by the existence and expansion of BRICS and other forms of regional cooperation among the global south places western imperialist domination as unsustainable in the present historical context.

The United States’ aggression against Venezuela signifies the latest desperate attempt by the United States regime to maintain its regional influence and derive economic benefits through violent means in a world which is increasingly unsuited to such methods as a result of the proliferation of other geopolitical options rather than the United States. Our solidarity with the Caribbean nations is in harmony with our broader solidarity with the global south. Our unwavering support for Cuba is the cornerstone of our South American international programme.

On Israel speech at General Assembly

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Zionist prime minister of apartheid Israel, expressed the standard ahistorical Israeli theories of genocide denial that have now become the very identity of the settler state of Israel. The speech of the Israeli prime minister reflects a belligerent Israel state that is intent on intensifying its genocidal war on the people of Palestine, one that is prepared to adopt the most inhumane tactics to take forward its ethnic cleansing campaign. The standard framework of Israel to claim the repeatedly refuted so called “imminent nuclear attack” against it was used as a ploy to justify the attacks on Iran. The weaponisation of antisemitism to create victim status for Israel and to create guilt for those who dare criticise Israeli genocidal actions was employed as a tool to excuse Israel from accountability for its continued atrocities.

The characterising of Palestinian resistance as unprovoked violence is another aspect of the standard Israeli propaganda script. This stance of the Netanyahu regime also clearly demonstrates a rejection of the two-state solution by the Israeli government and its ruling classes. This alignment of the Israel-USA political axis effectively hinders progress for those who actively resist the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Netanyahu’s stern criticism and admonishment of European and other Western governments for their recognition of a Palestinian state, however, present new opportunities for the pro-Palestine movement to establish a new consensus with other forces that share similar objectives that were previously unattainable. This consensus can serve as the foundation upon which a future, independent Palestine can be constructed.

The SACP calls upon the progressives around the world to deepen our shared struggle to defend the people of Palestine and to resist Zionist Israel and its political agenda.

 

ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY,

FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.

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Lindsey refinery: redundancies begin despite bids to save site

1 October, 2025

The announcement of 125 redundancies at the Lindsey Oil Refinery marks a devastating escalation in the fight to save one of the UK’s last remaining refineries. Unite the Union has condemned the government for refusing to intervene, despite credible bids that could keep the refinery running, protecting both jobs and the UK’s energy security.

Redundancies announced amid ongoing bids

On 29 September, insolvency firm FTI Consulting, which is managing Lindsey, issued redundancy notices to 125 workers. Unite revealed that at least two bids are on the table to purchase and run the site with a full workforce, but that these are being ignored. Instead, the union believes the preferred option is to decommission Lindsey and turn it into a storage terminal for oil tankers.

This move, Unite argues, would gut jobs, devastate the regional economy and weaken the UK’s energy security. The refinery directly employs 420 workers and supports a further 500 contractors, with thousands more jobs in the supply chain.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:

“The government has been tin-eared to the plight of workers at the second oil refinery facing closure in less than a year. This makes a mockery of government promises to protect workers and its plan for net zero. The government had promised to ensure that job-focused bids would be the priority at Lindsey, yet prior to bids even being considered, they are already issuing redundancy notices. Unless Labour start to back workers and British industry it will continue to haemorrhage support.”

A community dismantled

For workers in North Lincolnshire, the redundancies are not just numbers but lives upended.

“This is about thousands of families and an entire community whose livelihoods are being dismantled,”

said Jamie Dalgetty, Unite convenor at Lindsey. 

“Government must make a choice: protect creditors or protect jobs. We are fighting for the latter.”

Delegates at the Unite National Oil Refineries and Terminals Committee (NORTCC) meeting in London on 23-24 September, described the closure as chaotic and unsafe. Safety teams have been dismantled, key plants closed without proper decommissioning and maintenance neglected. They warned the site is operating “well below safe levels,” raising fears of a serious accident.

Workers with over 25 years of service have been dismissed without compensation. Technical staff have been laid off with less than a week’s notice. Families are facing unemployment, stress and upheaval.

Political shockwaves

Unite’s NORTCC has now written to General Secretary Sharon Graham urging her to demand the resignation of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Energy Minister Michael Shanks and to consider disaffiliating Unite from the Labour Party altogether.

At the same time, a Unite delegation is at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, pressing for urgent government action to halt the redundancies and secure a just solution.

Cliff Bowen, Unite Executive Council member for CPPT, said:

“Exporting jobs and skills by attempting to decarbonise through deindustrialisation and destroying working-class kids’ futures and their communities whilst moving production abroad has never been the energy transition this country needs. Just ask the working-class people of Grangemouth, the thousands of workers who have lost their jobs in the North Sea or our members at the Lindsey Oil Refinery who are watching as they fight for their jobs and their communities. Workers refuse a repeat of the unjust transition which devastated Grangemouth. The type of transition we are seeing is not one on our terms, driven by a tone-deaf government. It must stop and my union and our members will not put up with it any longer.”

Energy security at risk

Lindsey is not just vital for jobs but for national energy security. Before its closure, the refinery supplied around 25 per cent of the UK’s diesel market. Without it, the UK becomes more reliant on imports, particularly from Turkey and India, where much of the diesel is produced using Russian crude.

Turning Lindsey into a storage terminal may satisfy creditors, including HMRC and oil company Glencore, but it would leave Britain dangerously exposed to global market shocks and price rises at the pump. With the right government support, Unite argues, Lindsey could remain a functioning refinery, preserving both jobs and fuel security.

A European trend

The Lindsey case is part of a broader pattern across Europe: deindustrialisation disguised as decarbonisation. From Grangemouth to the North Sea and from Germany to Italy, plants are being shut down without plans for workers or investment in alternatives. Promises of new green jobs remain largely unfulfilled, while communities are left devastated.

At the NORTCC meeting, international contributions reinforced this perspective. Mike Smith of the United Steelworkers described the same trend in the United States, warning that transitions are increasingly “without workers”, leaving unions to demand public ownership of refineries to protect jobs and energy stability.

 “A test case for Europe”

IndustriALL Global Union has pledged full support to Unite and its members, stressing that Lindsey is a test case for Europe.

“What is happening at Lindsey is a test case. If governments allow companies to collapse without plans for jobs, skills, or safety, then we are headed for a transition without workers. IndustriALL stands with Unite and all our affiliates in the UK. We will mobilize international solidarity to defend jobs and demand that industry transitions are planned, just and negotiated, not chaotic and imposed,”

said Diana Junquera Curiel, IndustriALL energy director.

A fight for the future

Unite and IndustriALL demand:

Immediate government intervention to halt redundancies and site dismantling.

A tripartite body bringing together workers, government and investors.

A just transition plan that guarantees training, alternative jobsand site safety.

Trade union participation in all decisions about Lindsey’s future.

The redundancies announced this week are not the end of the story. For Unite, Lindsey is a battleground, not only to defend thousands of jobs in North Lincolnshire, but to expose the dangers of an energy transition driven by market logic and political neglect.

The outcome will shape more than one refinery: it will shape whether workers have a future in the UK’s energy transition, or whether communities will continue to pay the price for a transition without justice.

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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

 

 

 

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