Taking COSATU Today Forward, 22 October 2025 #Cosatu@40 #Cosatu40thAnniversary
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY #Cosatu scheduled to convene a Just Transition Global South Exchange next week at Boksburg... #Cosatu scheduled to hold its 40th Anniversary at Dobsonville, Soweto on December 6 #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
22 October 2025
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- COSATU to host lectures in the lead up to 40th anniversary
- South Africa
- ANC-COSATU Post Bilateral Meeting Statement
- COSATU Eastern Cape wishes the Class of 2025 Grade 12 learners well in their final examinations
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Fire in Bangladesh’s garment factory claims 16 lives
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
COSATU to host lectures in the lead up to 40th 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 40th 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 40th 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:
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
ANC-COSATU
Post Bilateral Meeting Statement
Mahlengi
Bhengu, ANC National Spokesperson, 21 October 2025
The
African National Congress officials met with the National Office Bearers of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in a bilateral meeting on Monday, 20 October, at COSATU House, Braamfontein.
The meeting took place on a day of profound historical significance when we celebrated the centenary birthday of Isithwalandwe/Seaparankwe, Dr. Tlou Theophilus Cholo, a stalwart of the liberation movement, a founding member of the South African Congress of
Trade Unions (SACTU), the predecessor to COSATU, and a former Commander of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the former military wing of the ANC.
This remarkable coincidence between history and the present moment symbolised the continuity of the struggle for freedom, justice and worker's emancipation.
In this conversation with the ANC President when he was conferred with the award, Ntate Cholo, an ever a loyal and disciplined cadre of the ANC reminded us that the struggle must continue and reminded us that the freedom means a living process requiring constant vigilance, unity and sacrifice. The meeting was the first formal bilateral engagement between the two historical allies in some time, and was therefore both significant and timely.
It reaffirmed the deep bond of comradeship and shared responsibility that the AN and COOSATU hold as partners in the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).
Both organisations reflected with honesty and revolutionary maturity on the challenges confronting the movement and the working class, agreeing that this renewed engagement marks an important step in strengthening and reivigorting the strategic alliance of the ANC, the South Afrcan Communist Party (SACP), COSATU and the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO). The alliance continues to bear the historic responsibility of transforming the state and fundamentally changing South Africa to the benefit of all its people.
The bilateral discussed:
- The State of the National Democratic Revolution, including the shifting balance of motive forces and the state oof the working class;
- The Reconfiguration of the Alliance to ensure that it remains a united, programmatic vehicle for transformation;
- The Role of the Labour Movement in defending worker’s rights, promoting industrial development, and ensuring the redistribution of wealth in line with the Freedom Charter; and
- Progress on education taken at previous bilateral and their impact on the transformation agenda.
The meeting received a briefing on the ANC Local Government Action Plan and ongoing preparation for the 2026 Local Government Elections.
Both organisations reaffirmed that local government is the heartbeat of the revolution in action, where the people directly experience the success or failures of policy implementation. The ANC emphasised the importance of restoring the integrity of councillors, improving governance, and delivering quality services that change people’s lives.
The meeting also received a presentation on the ANC’s 10-Point Economic Action Plan, which outlines urgent and practical measures to accelerate inclusive growth and job creation. The Plan focuses on restoring energy security, improving the efficiency of freight and logistics, rebuilding the mining and industrial base, and strengthening the capacity of the state to implement major infrastructure projects. It further emphasises support for SMME’s and township enterprises, labour activation initiatives, and balanced regional development that expands economic participation beyond the main centres.
Both organisations agreed on further engagements on the implementation of this plan and that it must be grounded in the values of the Freedom Charter, ensuring that the transformation of the economy directly benefits the working class and advances the struggle for shared prosperity.
Furthermore, the meeting received a report on preparations for the 40th Anniversary of COSATU, to be held on the 6 December 2025 at Dobsonville Stadium, Soweto.
This historic celebration will mark four decades of militant working-class struggle and service to the nation.
Both the ANC and COSATU agreed that this anniversary must serve as a moment of reflection and renewal, reaffirming the role of the working class as the leading motive force in the ongoing National Democratic Revolution.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to the unity and strategic coherence of the Alliance, and to the deepening of socio-economic transformation guided by the Freedom Charter.
Both organisations affirmed that the ANC-led Alliance remains the primary political instrument for the realisation of the people’s aspirations, and that renewal, discipline, and revolutionary morality must define its cadres in this phase of struggle.
ENDS//
Issued by the African National Congress
Mahlengi Bhengu
National Spokesperson
For Media Enquiries:
Mangaliso ‘Stalin’ Khonza
National Communication Manager
0636103681
Mothusi Shupinyane Ka Ndaba
National Media Liaison
0844980105
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COSATU Eastern Cape wishes the Class of 2025 Grade 12 learners well in their final examinations
Mkhawuleli Maleki, COSATU Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary, 21 October 2025
The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the Eastern Cape wishes all Grade 12 learners well in their final examinations. The federation recognises these exams as a step towards a brighter better and prosperous future.
Education is an enabling factor in opening better opportunities in life.
The future belongs to the youth. It is the youth that persevere in education that will grab that future. Perseverance is the mother of success. Napoleon Bonaparte made this remark about perseverance, “Victory belongs to the most persevering”.
The hard work done by learners and teachers alike must be translated into good results by learners who are participating in these exams. Diligent teachers have invested handsomely in extraordinary efforts and resources to yield better results in the upward trajectory witnessed in the last few years.
The efforts made by the provincial government in improving the state of the schools, considering the state-of-the-art schools across the province are very encouraging. The federation further appreciates the efforts of the Eastern Cape Department of Education in ensuring the good state of readiness for the examinations.
COSATU is once again calling for the alignment of Basic and Tertiary Education to the skills required by the Labour Market to avoid the mismatch that leads to many graduates that are left unemployed.
2025 marks the 70th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter.
COSATU urges the Department of higher education to put a living meaning to one of the Freedom Charter clauses “The doors of learning and culture shall be opened to all” by eliminating challenges with NSFAS which in the past resulted in academic exclusion of most working-class students. Accessibility and affordability of education must be in line with the spirit of the Freedom Charter
COSATU wishes the best of luck to the Class of 2025!
Issued by COSATU Eastern Cape
International-Solidarity
Fire in Bangladesh’s garment factory claims 16 lives
20 October, 2025
Last week, Bangladesh witnessed two massive fire incidents in garment factories located in Dhaka and Chattogram, bringing the question of industrial safety, particularly building safety standards in readymade garment sector, back into the spotlight.
On 14 October, a deadly fire engulfed a garment factory and chemical warehouse in Dhaka’s Mirpur area, claiming lives of sixteen workers and injuring several others. It took almost 27 hours for the rescue effort to put out the fire. According to news reports, the victims could not escape from toxic fumes as the roof door was locked, indicating serious lapses in fire safety measures.
Since the Rana Plaza tragedy, in 2013, several steps have been implemented under the leadership of global and national trade unions to improve building safety standards in RMG industry in Bangladesh. This included the establishing of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh in 2013 to implement health and safety inspections and remediation monitoring, safety training and safety complaints handling functions.
According to the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, the affected establishments
are not covered by the inspections and remediation program implemented by the RMG Sustainability Council in
Bangladesh. RSC, which is a national tripartite body carrying forward the workplace safety programmes of the Accord in Bangladesh and is
closely monitoring the situation, has also confirmed that the factory involved in this incident does not fall under the purview of the RSC’s safety oversight programme.
Expressing condolences to the victims and their families, IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie says:
“The fire incident in Mirpur is a clear reminder of how workers’ safety remains at risk in Bangladesh’s RMG factories which fall outside of any regulatory, monitoring or inspection mechanisms. This underscores the importance of legally binding instruments, like the Accord and RSC, to ensure worker health and safety in the textile and garment industry. We need more garment brands to enter these agreements to strengthen safety standards and commit to protecting every worker.”
The second fire incident occurred on 16 October in a garment factory named Adams Caps and Textile Limited in Chattogram Export Processing Zone. According to media reports, no casualties have been reported so far. Fire Alarms went off when the fire broke out, allowing workers to safely leave the building.
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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