Taking COSATU Today Forward Special Bulletin, 23 July 2026 #GreenIndustrialisation
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY COSATU Call Center Contacts: 010 002 2590 #Cosatu Green Industrialisation National Policy Workshop is underway in Johannesburg…#GreenRevolution #GreenJobs #NationaActionAgainstCostOfLiving Campaign continues… #ClassWar #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
23 July 2026
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- Employment and Labour hosts employment equity workshops/roadshows
- South Africa
- COSATU supports strike by workers at Parktonian Hotel
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- WFTU Statement on the 26th of July 2026 On the 73rd Anniversary of the Attack on the Moncada Barracks
- Privatisation threatens young children’s rights: Unions and partners call for urgent public investment in early childhood education
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics #ClassWar
Employment
and Labour hosts employment equity workshops/roadshows
21
Jul 2026
Key labour relations amendments and employment laws amendments on target for promulgation in 2028
The key and broad Labour Relations Amendment Bill and Employment Laws Amendment Bills that were unveiled for public comment in the beginning of the year can be expected to be promulgated in 2028, so said Department of Employment and Labour Director: Collective
Bargaining, Stephen Rathai.
He said following the public comments eliciting process that closed in February the Department was engaged in the refinement of inputs. He said depending on the scale and extent of inputs the bills could still be resent back to Nedlac, the tripartite negotiating
organisation for finalisation.
Rathai is expecting the bills to be sent to Nedlac after July 2026. He was speaking during the start of employment equity (EE) workshops/roadshows that started today (21 July 2026) in Kimberley, Northern Cape at Horseshoe Inn. He was presenting on the on labour
law amendments – and their bearing on equity in the labour market.
The 2026 workshops will focus on:
Presentation on 2025 Provincial EE status (26th CEE Annual Report) and presentation on the Draft Amended Code of Good Practice on the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the EE Plan;
Presentation on practical demonstration of how to utilise the EE System online facilities to capture EE Reports and request EE Certificate of Compliance;
Presentation on sharing of all types of unfair discrimination cases by the CCMA; and
Presentation on labour law amendments – Labour Relations Act (LRA), Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), Employment Equity Act (EEA), National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA)
This year’s EE workshops/roadshows are held under the theme: “Bridging the Equity Gap Through Diversity & Inclusion”.
The Nedlac Labour Law Reform negotiation process took three years to complete. The reform process involved amending the Labour Relations Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, National Minimum Wage Act, and Employment Equity Act.
Rathai said once the consolidation of comments is finalised the bills will be sent back to Nedlac for finalisation before these are sent to State Law Advisers for assessment. He said once the bills have been subjected to Constitutional tests these will be sent
to the two houses of Parliament and the legislatures may also want to conduct their own public engagements.
Meanwhile, the EE national workshops will end in September 2026.
The EE workshops are targeted at Employers or Heads of organisations, employees and trade unions, Assigned Senior EE Managers, Consultative EE forum members, Human Resource Managers and Practitioners, Academics, Civil society, and interested stakeholders.
NB: All the workshops will be held from 09:00 to 16:00 and members of the media are invited.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Teboho Thejane
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 082 697 0694
E-mail: teboho....@labour.gov.za
Issued by Department of Employment and Labour
South Africa #ClassSolidarity
COSATU supports strike by workers at Parktonian Hotel
Zanele Sabela, COSATU Spokesperson, 23 July 2026
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) stands in solidarity with striking workers at Parktonian Hotel in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
COSATU was set to have a workshop at the hotel today but moved it to another venue to show solidarity with the workers.
The Federation adds its voice to that of its mighty affiliate, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU), which has already expressed support for the workers’ demands.
COSATU concurs with its affiliate that workers have a right to withdraw their labour to advance improved working conditions. Parktonian Hotel should not delude itself into thinking it can discontinue workers’ provident fund contributions, not pay funeral insurance contributions, not pay backdated salary adjustment due from February this year, delay salary payments, as well as unilaterally alter the salary structure from monthly to an hourly rate system and implement short-time work without properly consulting workers.
The Federation urges hotel management to negotiate meaningfully with workers, recover their original benefits to ensure the business does not lose any more clients.
COSATU commits to providing support in every way possible to ensure workers are not shortchanged.
Issued by COSATU
Internationalism-Solidarity
WFTU Statement on the 26th of July 2026 On the 73rd Anniversary of the Attack on the Moncada Barracks
23 July 2026
The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) salutes the heroic Cuban people on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the attack on the Moncada Barracks.
The 26th of July remains a historic milestone in the struggle of the peoples against exploitation and imperialist domination. The heroic action led by Fidel Castro and his comrades in Santiago de Cuba marked the beginning of the revolutionary process that culminated in the triumph of the Cuban Revolution and inspired generations of workers and peoples throughout the world. The ideals of sovereignty, social justice, internationalism and workers' dignity that emerged from Moncada continue to illuminate the struggles of the international working class today.
This year's anniversary takes place under conditions of intensified imperialist aggression against Cuba. The criminal economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States continues to suffocate the Cuban economy and deliberately creates enormous difficulties for the Cuban people. The continued inclusion of Cuba on the arbitrary list of countries allegedly sponsoring terrorism further strengthens this unjust policy, restricting access to fuel, medicines, food, technology and essential resources, while attempting to isolate socialist Cuba internationally.
Despite these unprecedented pressures, the Cuban working class and people continue to defend with dignity the achievements of their Revolution. Their resistance once again demonstrates that no blockade, no sanctions and no imperialist intervention can break the determination of a people committed to their sovereign right to determine their own future.
The WFTU reiterates that Cuba is not alone!
The WFTU has already called upon its affiliates and friends to continue and intensify practical solidarity initiatives, including humanitarian assistance and material support for Cuban workers facing the serious consequences of the blockade. International solidarity must be expressed not only through declarations but through concrete actions that strengthen the resilience of the Cuban people in the face of imperialist aggression.
At the same time, the international class-oriented trade union movement stands firmly alongside Cuban workers. Inspired by the unanimous decisions of the WFTU Presidential Council, our affiliates throughout the world continue to strengthen the Global Campaign for Signature Collection, "Cuba is not alone! – FIRMO POR CUBA," expanding solidarity in every workplace, every sector, every university and every community.
The WFTU also renews its demand for the immediate and unconditional end of the criminal blockade against Cuba, the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and the return of Guantánamo to the Cuban people. These are indispensable conditions for respecting international law, national sovereignty and the right of every people to freely choose its own political and social system.
On this historic anniversary, the WFTU pays tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives for the Cuban Revolution and expresses its profound admiration for the enduring example of revolutionary Cuba. An example of solidarity, peace, social progress and internationalism that continues to inspire workers and peoples struggling against exploitation, war and imperialism across the globe.
The voice of the international class-oriented trade union movement will continue to be heard in every continent:
Hands off Cuba!
End the blockade now!
Cuba is not alone!
¡Viva el 26 de Julio!
______________________
Privatisation threatens young children’s rights: Unions and partners call for urgent public investment in early childhood education
22 July 2026
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 Standards and working conditions Early childhood education
Early childhood education (ECE) is increasingly recognised as a cornerstone of the right to education. Yet across the world, a widening gap between public commitments and public investment is allowing privatisation to prosper — often at the expense of children,
families, and education workers.
On July 1st, 2026, the webinar entitled “The privatisation of Early Childhood Care and Education: What is at stake?” gathered a global coalition of unions, civil society organisations, and education advocates for the launch of new publications. One is on Privatisation
of Early Childhood Care and Education: Trends, Challenges and Human Rights Implications, and the other one tackles Privatisation of Early Childhood Care and Education: Trends and Policy Implications in Argentina.
The reports examine the growing privatisation of ECE and the policies needed to strengthen free, quality public early childhood education for all. They highlight how market forces are deepening inequality — and why governments must act now. Their message is
clear: without strong public systems, ECE risks becoming a commodity rather than a universal right.
These publications were released and co-commissioned by the Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education, Education International, the Global Campaign for Education, the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights, the Right to Education Initiative, the
World Organization for Early Childhood Education (OMEP, Francophone acronym) and the Public Education and Human Rights Coalition. Education International contributed through data, editing and reviews.
A global trend driven by underinvestment
In her introduction remarks, Mercedes Mayol Lassalle, OMEP past president and professor of public policies for ECE at the University of Buenos Aires, emphasised: “What is at stake is the right of every young child to a fair start in life. Private provision
does not diminish public responsibility. On the contrary, it calls for stronger state governance, stronger regulations, and renewed public commitment to children's rights.”
She also focused the debate on rights: “The real question is: How can we ensure that every child enjoys the right to quality ECE regardless of who provides the service?”
Private provision in ECE is not an inevitable development, but rather the direct consequence of political choices; And the research underscores how privatisation entrenches inequality from the earliest years of life.
For Rajakumari Michaelsamy, Programme Manager for Early Childhood Care and Education at the Right to Education Initiative and author of Privatisation of Early Childhood Care and Education: Trends, Challenges and Human Rights Implications, “privatisation in
ECE is a growing global trend today. Private actors dominate both segments of ECE for children under three as well as the pre-primary education.”
She added that weak legal frameworks, low public spending, and the persistent framing of childcare as a private responsibility are key drivers of privatisation. ECE, she noted, receives only a small share of already limited education budgets, leaving the door
open for private providers to expand.
The consequences are far-reaching: “Reduced access, rising costs, and growing inequalities, particularly for children from marginalised communities,” Michaelsamy stated.
Drawing on her findings from the Argentinian case study, Privatisation of Early Childhood Care and Education: Trends and Policy Implications in Argentina, Carolina Semmoloni, former OMEP Youth Representative to UNESCO, and the Co-Director of the Early Childhood
Education and Care research initiative at the San Andrés Center for Applied Educational Research, noted how limited public provision brings families into the private market: “Access to early childhood care and education is often determined by family socioeconomic
status,” and leads to “reinforced existing social and economic inequalities.”
Insufficient infrastructure, and weak regulatory frameworks create conditions where private providers expand “by default and omission”, Semmoloni explained. For the youngest children in particular, access to quality education often depends on what families
can afford.
A systemic failure affecting education workers
At the same time, privatisation is reshaping the world of work in early childhood education.
As Education International ‘s Deputy General Secretary, Cassandra Hallett stressed, “when governments fail to guarantee the right to early childhood education through strong public systems, adequate public financing, and robust legal protections, privatisation
expands to fill that gap. Nowhere is this more evident than in early childhood education.”
And the impact on educators is undeniable. “The expansion of private provision often goes hand in hand with problematic working conditions, including lower wages, precarious employment, limited professional development opportunities, inadequate qualifications,
weak labour protections, and restricted access to collective bargaining.”
She went on saying that quality education depends on decent work. “There can be no quality ECE without qualified, supported and respected teachers and education support personnel. There can be no quality ECE without decent work.”
With women making up the vast majority of the ECE workforce, these trends also reinforce gender inequality — both in paid employment and unpaid care.
Hallett continued: “The report also highlights the gendered dimensions of ECE privatization. Women make up over 90% of the ECE workforce. When services are privatised and under-regulated, it is often women workers who face low pay, precarious employment, and
inadequate professional recognition. At the same time, when affordable, publicly funded early childhood education is unavailable, it is women who shoulder a disproportionate share of unpaid care responsibilities, often limiting their opportunities for paid
employment, education, and participation in public life. Advancing gender equality therefore requires both reducing the burden of unpaid care work and ensuring that paid care and education work is properly valued, recognized, and supported.”
She concluded:
“Early childhood education must be recognized as a universal human right. It must be publicly funded, publicly governed, and available to all without discrimination. It must also be delivered by qualified and respected professionals enjoying decent working
conditions and strong labour rights. It must remain a public good, not a commodity, and the reports help point us in that direction.”
Education International ‘s Deputy General Secretary, Cassandra Hallett
A call to reclaim ECE as a public good and fight inequalities
According to Anna Cristina D’Addio, Chief of Education Policy, GEM Report at UNESCO, the evidence shows clear trend across regions: “ECE is the most privatised level of education almost everywhere, and the youngest children are the most privatised within ECE.”
She also stressed how weak governance and underinvestment create “a regulatory and financing vacuum” in which private providers flourish, often without adequate oversight. In many systems, fragmented responsibilities between ministries further undermine accountability
and coherence.
She warned that this dynamic risks replacing public resources, rather than complementing them. When states fail to act, private actors step in.
The stark consequences of these types of policies can already be seen in places like Uganda. Angella Kasule Nabwowe, Executive Director of the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights, described a system where families bear the burden: “Privatisation is often
not a policy choice, but a consequence of insufficient public investment in ECE. Access continues to depend largely on a family's ability to pay.”
With the majority of children excluded from formal early education, and private providers largely unregulated, inequalities are deepening. Public provision remains minimal, particularly in rural areas, she noted.
While reversing privatisation may not be possible in the short term, strong regulation is non-negotiable. Colette Byrne, Researcher at the Early Childhood Research Centre linked to the Dublin City University, insisted that states cannot outsource responsibility:
“Even if services are outsourced, responsibility cannot be outsourced; the state remains the primary duty bearer.”
She called for robust accountability frameworks that go beyond financial indicators, asking instead who is excluded, whether quality is equitable, and whether labour conditions support children’s learning and wellbeing. Transparency must be enforced to ensure
that public funds serve the public good.
Go Public! Fund ECE
The publications and the webinar conclusions are in line with Education International’s Go Public! Fund Education campaign launched in 2023. This campaign is an urgent call for governments to invest in public education, a fundamental human right and public
good, and to invest more in teachers, the single most important factor in achieving quality education.
This is also supported by the UN Recommendations on the Teaching Profession. These recommendations provide policy advice for governments to ensure that every child’s right to a professionally trained, qualified, and well-supported teacher is fulfilled.
Some of them target specifically teachers in the ECE sector. This is the case for example of the Recommendation 36, calling for commensurate fairness between the salaries of teachers at different levels of education and for gender pay equity: “Teachers should
receive salaries and benefits at the same level as compared to other professions with similar educational requirements. Gender pay equity should be ensured, and there should be commensurate fairness between salaries at different levels of education, including
early childhood education and technical and vocational education and training.”
Learn more about EI's work on ECE here.
https://www.ei-ie.org/en/dossier/1368:early-childhood-education
______________________________
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