The Congress of South African Trade Unions, COSATU, in the province of KwaZulu Natal held a robust ordinary meeting of the Provincial Executive Committee from 4 to 5 July 2024. The meeting was attended by the leadership of our affiliated unions, locals and gender structure, and was addressed by the COSATU President, comrade Zingiswa Losi.
The Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) received reports covering all aspects of COSATU work including political and ideological overview, organisational building and administration, socio-economic status, campaigns and international solidarity struggles.
The meeting dealt with the Government of National Unity and Government of Provincial Unity, the challenges facing workers in the public and private sectors, the unity of workers against exploitation and abuse by the neoliberal system which continues to place profit before the people. The PEC emphasised the need to build an extraordinarily strong labour movement of workers.
Assessment of the mid-term review focused on the first half of 2024. The PEC expressed its revolutionary appreciation for the support and confidence our members continue to give to COSATU and its unions. The successful events that COSATU KZN has hosted are evidence of this assertion.
On the recent elections, the PEC assessed the objective and subjective factors that influenced our elections, including the role of the market and the balance of forces. The tension between our country and the forces of the free-market system led by the West has intensified over time, and the talk of coalition in South Africa became more emphatic. A combination of domestic and international factors deepened sentiments against the ruling party of the ANC government. These included high levels of unemployment, inequality, privatisation of public assets, water crisis, corruption and so forth.
These were further exacerbated by what we referred to as self-inflicted challenges, including at a leadership and Alliance level. There is a need to address these challenges including improving coherence and coordination. This includes the frustration of the Alliance in KZN at not being consulted on the composition of the Provincial Government. The organisational renewal process must address all these challenges facing the movement.
The PEC was decisive on the steps to be taken to deal with these questions and agreed on the process to be followed. These will be dealt with through Alliance channels. The PEC urged President Losi to engage the top structures of the Alliance to urgently convene structures of the Mass Democratic Movement in the province.
The PEC also noted the difficulty the ANC in the province finds itself in. It is unfortunate that the people of KZN have not given any party an overwhelming majority to govern alone. However, the PEC remains concerned with the participation in government of the Democratic Alliance (DA) whose antagonistic stance against the workers is clear. This is beginning to have an impact as there are already signs that collective bargaining is being undermined in Provincial Departments such as Finance. The PEC took a decision that COSATU leadership will engage with government, starting with the Premier of the Province and the relevant MECs.
On the eThekwini Municipality, the PEC extensively engaged on the recent South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) strike arising from the categorisation dispute. The role played by the national and provincial leadership of COSATU and SAMWU, together with Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) under the leadership of the then Minister Thembi Nkadimeng was noted with appreciation. The PEC further appreciated the progress made towards resolving the issue in dispute and urged the current administration to continue with the important work of improving the lives of our eThekwini Municipality workers.
The arrival of Dr Mike Sutcliffe and Professor Cassius Lubisi to boost administration in eThekwini Municipality is welcomed. We further congratulate and welcome the new Mayor, comrade Cyril Xaba. We believe their involvement will help the city to go back to its glory days of quality service delivery and improved systems.
Whilst we welcome their intervention, COSATU will be keeping a close eye on the progress and the impact of the Section 154 intervention. We need to restore the dignity of our people. We are tired of leaders paying lip service to improving the quality of life of our people.
As a critical stakeholder, COSATU, a representative of the working class looks forward to engaging with the city leadership to assist in improved service delivery. The PEC further, took a decision to protest the billing system which has resulted in many people being perpetually in debt. This has impoverished many working-class people who live in poor communities.
Starting next week, COSATU working with all affiliated unions and locals will embark on a program of visiting various companies and workplaces in the province. The Department of Employment and Labour is being engaged to work in collaboration with the Federation. The listening campaign will ensure that companies comply with the National Minimum Wage, and the Occupational Health and Safety Acts. Workplace meetings will further be used to train workers on the Two-Pot System Pension Reforms, the Unemployment Insurance Fund and National Health Insurance. These engagements will also help in closing the social distance between leaders of our trade unions and workers.
High levels of exploitation in the vulnerable sectors such as farms, cleaning, security, retail, construction, mines were raised as one area needing urgent attention. These vulnerabilities are in the main caused by the fact that most of the workers are not unionised. Many workers get injured and even die at work without anyone noticing, workers continue to grow the economy working under very hazardous conditions and still die poor or go home to retire with nothing after so many years of arduous work.
The PEC emphasised that as COSATU we need to be honest and introspect. We need to do more to defend workers. The PEC resolved that the next half of 2024 must be the period of building a working Federation with highly active trade unions, always at the front to defend workers. We need to recruit workers to join COSATU unions, and name and shame leaders who are not doing justice in serving them.
We will decisively intervene in the unions that are facing challenges and work hard to build strong locals in all towns. Some workers have approached COSATU directly to intervene on their challenges. For this to happen the PEC was strong that part of the tasks of the leadership of COSATU is to hold leadership of our unions accountable and build the Federation’s ability to intervene directly to assist workers who are not getting proper service from their unions.
The PEC was concerned about the delay in cases of workers at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) as well as with the quality of awards by some Commissioners, which compromise the mandate of the CCMA to ensure social justice and protect jobs. The meeting decided that COSATU engage on this with the CCMA leadership.
The PEC committed itself to initiate a build-up mobilisation for Section 77 against the abuse of Section 189 by many companies.
To this end we call on all leaders and responsible departments to work with us to address challenges facing the workers, as this is the only way we can build an inclusive economy and a better life for all South Africans.
Issued by COSATU KZN
Provincial Secretary, Edwin Mkhize, 082 399 7756