Taking COSATU Today Forward, 10 December 2025 #Cosatu40 #HappyBirthdayDENOSA #HappyBirthdayNUM #HappyBirthdayCosatu
Norman Mampane
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COSATU TODAY Today, it’s International Human Rights Day #HappyBirthdaDENOSA #HappyBirthdaNUM #HappyBirthdayCOSATU! #Cosatu40 #VioletSeboniBrigade #Cosatu40thAnniversary #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
10 December 2025
“Build Working Class Unity for Economic Liberation towards Socialism”
Organize at every workplace and demand respect for labour rights Now!
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Contents
- Workers Parliament: Back to Basics!
- Western Cape Education on scam targeting teachers
- South Africa
- SACP condemns mass shooting in Saulsville, Tshwane
- International-Workers’ Solidarity!
- Investor webinar highlights mounting labour concerns at Next plc
Workers’ Parliament-Back2Basics
Western Cape Education on scam targeting teachers
10 Dec 2025
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has been alerted to a concerning scam targeting new, unemployed and substitute teachers. This fraudulent scheme misleads educators into believing they have been selected for permanent teaching posts and then solicits payment under false pretenses.
Several schools have recently reported incidents involving WhatsApp messages sent to young teachers. These messages typically claim to be from a district official or school principal, stating that a permanent post has become available at a particular school and that the recipient is the preferred candidate.
The message instructs the teacher to report to a school with specific documentation. Critically, it concludes with a request for a “once-off fee” of approximately R2 800 allegedly required for the “authorisation of an appointment letter” at district offices, accompanied by banking details.
Regrettably, some teachers have fallen victim to this scam, arriving at schools having paid the so-called “authorization fee,” only to discover that no such post exists. This deception has caused significant distress to the affected individuals and has the potential to damage the reputations of schools, principals, and district officials who are being impersonated.
We urge all affected individuals to report these incidents to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for investigation.
While these investigations are ongoing, we want to warn the broader public to be aware of this scam and to note the following:
Permanent teaching posts are advertised only through the WCED’s Directorate: Recruitment and Selection.
The WCED (including Head Office, District Offices, and Schools) will never request payment for job applications or appointments.
The online E-Recruitment System is the official platform for advertising and applying for posts.
Unemployed educators must register and apply via the E-Recruitment System.
Temporary appointments are managed directly by schools; applicants must verify the legitimacy of any advertised post.
No payment is required for any appointment within the WCED.
Suspicious activity must be reported immediately to the WCED and SAPS.
The WCED remains firmly committed to upholding the integrity of its recruitment processes and safeguarding the wellbeing of all educators.
We sincerely hope that no further individuals fall victim to this malicious scam, which not only undermines the reputation of our staff and institutions, but also shatters the aspirations of young professionals seeking meaningful employment opportunities in education.
Enquiries:
Director: Communication
Bronagh Hammond
E-mail: Bronagh...@westerncape.gov.za
Province Western Cape
SACP condemns mass shooting in Saulsville, Tshwane
Mbulelo Mandlana, SACP Head of Media, Communications and Information, 8 December 2025
The South African Communist Party is deeply shocked and outraged by the barbaric attack carried out by gunmen who stormed a tavern inside a hostel in Saulsville, Tshwane, on Saturday, 6 December 2025.
At least 25 people were shot, twelve of whom have tragically lost their lives, including a three-year-old child, and more than a dozen others injured.
The SACP conveys its heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all those who were killed in this horrific act. We also wish those who sustained injuries a full recovery.
We call upon the South African Police Service (SAPS) and all relevant law-enforcement agencies to intensify their investigations and swiftly apprehend the perpetrators of this atrocity.
We note and welcome the SAPS’s acknowledgement that illegal shebeens pose a serious and escalating crisis in South Africa, especially within working-class communities. We support ongoing operations aimed at shutting down illegal liquor outlets and restoring safety and order in affected neighbourhoods.
The SACP reiterates its call for working-class communities to organise at street level and strengthen cooperation with the police in the fight against crime and corruption, as well as the scourge of drugs and substance abuse.
Together, let us protect our communities. Together, let us fight and defeat crime.
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY,
FOUNDED IN 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA.
Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID
International-Solidarity
Investor webinar highlights mounting labour concerns at Next plc
10 December, 2025
A growing list of labour-related controversies at Next plc is drawing scrutiny from unions, workers and investors alike. Many of the concerns were highlighted during an investor webinar co-hosted by IndustriALL and ShareAction on 9 December, where speakers warned that the company’s practices are increasingly out of step with its workforce, several of its peers and even parts of its shareholder base.
Khaing Zar, president of the Industrial Workers’ Federation of Myanmar, delivered a stark account of the situation under the military regime and the risks tied to sourcing from the country.
“Myanmar is experiencing a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe with regional implications… Brands must be able to show they can prevent these violations, but that’s impossible, and therefore companies must leave the country.”
Her warning underscored concerns about Next’s continued sourcing from Myanmar even after workers and unions asked multinationals to withdraw. With the ILO invoking Article 33 in June—its highest sanctioning instrument—member constituents are expected to take measures to address grave rights violations, potentially including ending commercial relations. Beyond reputational damage, Next faces operational and legal risks linked to the potential for forced labour in garments from Myanmar, a danger identified by the US government in 2024.
The webinar also cast a light on escalating tensions in Sri Lanka. Anton Marcus, general secretary of the Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees Union (FTZGSEU), described the abrupt May closure of a factory run by its wholly owned subsidiary, Next Manufacturing Ltd (NML), in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone, where more than 1,400 workers lost their jobs via text message and were locked out of the factory. The facility had been the only one in Sri Lanka with a trade union and a collective bargaining agreement.
“Over 1,200 workers are in the street, suffering even more since the cyclone. The only way to justice would be for Next to reopen the factory,”
he said, noting that relations had previously been good.
These international disputes come at a time when Next — one of the UK’s largest retailers by market capitalization — is reporting its strongest financial performance ever, surpassing £1 billion (US$1.33 billion) in profits even as other retailers struggle. Yet critics argue that the company is prioritizing profits over people.
Next’s approach to wages has become a flashpoint in two key markets. In Cambodia, it remains the only ACT on Living Wages brand not to sign a binding agreement supporting collective bargaining as the route to living wages—effectively reversing earlier commitments under the programme. Meanwhile in the UK, the company has come under fire for refusing to pay a living wage to its 40,000 retail workers. A shareholder resolution filed in May asked Next to disclose how many employees and regular offsite contract workers earn below a living wage; it received 27 per cent support, unusually high for a labour-related proposal. Nonetheless, the company’s CEO dismissed concerns, claiming the largely female and young workforce were not breadwinners.
In his remarks to investors, IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie said the company’s shifting stance across multiple countries was becoming a serious concern.
“IndustriALL had a good relationship with Next for years, but it has taken an inexplicable turn for the worse. It’s not clear what happened, but this should be a red flag for its investors.”
IndustriALL has also published an investor brief providing detailed information on each case.
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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