The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a rally at Dobsonville Stadium on Saturday, 6 December.
Launched at the height of apartheid on 1 December 1985, COSATU brought together 33 trade unions and federations under one banner with the rallying call of, “One union, one industry, one country, one federation.”
The Federation quickly became a force for liberation as it mobilised millions through national stay-aways, strikes and community campaigns such as the rent boycotts of the 1980s. In 1990, through its Workers’ Charter, COSATU ensured that workers’ demands were fed into the deliberations about a new constitution for South Africa. In the democratic era, the Federation has played a decisive role in shaping our progressive labours laws, strengthening collective bargaining, fighting for gender equality and championing causes such as access to HIV/Aids treatment and the implementation of the National Minimum Wage.
In 2019, COSATU worked closely with government and Edcon to drive a R3 billion package to save Edgars and the 140 000 direct and indirect jobs linked to it.
During COVID-19, we worked with government and business at Nedlac to put in place one of the world’s comprehensive health and safety plans as well as economic and social relief packages, saving the lives and livelihoods of millions.
Our affiliates have spent a great deal of time working with industry through master plans and other interventions as well as the Proudly SA campaign, to support locally produced goods and thus local jobs, businesses and value chains.
In 2020 COSATU initiated the Eskom Debt Relief Package that has enabled our most critical economic asset to focus on maintenance as the fastest path to ending the loadshedding disaster that threatened millions of jobs.
Now as it marks 40 years of existence, the Federation continues to improve the lives of the working class on the shopfloor and beyond. Leading up to its anniversary celebration, COSATU will host its 2nd annual Charity Golf Challenge on 4 December at the Country Club Johannesburg in Woodmead. In the spirit of Ubuntu and collective action, President Cyril Ramaphosa will join COSATU, government and business leaders at the event and tee off. This initiative aims not only to raise funds for COSATU’s activities but to donate school shoes and dignity packs to underprivileged learners so they can stay in school.
Following last year’s Charity Golf Challenge, 440 learners received donations – 200 were from Mochware Primary School in the North West and the remainder were from Sandringham High School in Johannesburg.
The tabling of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament in November reaffirmed government’s ill-considered commitment to continuing along the path of failed neoliberal austerity that has seen the economy stagnate at 1% growth rate since 2008, resulting in a staggering unemployment rate of 42.4%, entrenched poverty and inequality.
Whilst the CEC welcomed recent positive developments including South Africa’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force’ grey list, the credit rating upgrade by S&P, the addition of 248 000 new jobs in the third quarter, and a rise in the projected growth rate to 1.8% in the next three years, COSATU remains concerned that government is overly focused on cutting expenditure, debt and the deficit. This fixation, however, will not deliver the 3% economic growth needed for job creation.
COSATU will continue its opposition to government’s neoliberal trajectory to ensure it hires more teachers, nurses, doctors, police and provides the resources they need to do their jobs properly. While we acknowledge the progress at Eskom and the work underway at Transnet and Metro Rail, COSATU believes much more needs to be done to arrest the collapse of municipal and public services.
The Federation noted the lowering of the inflation target to 3%. While acknowledging that inflation impacts workers the most as their wages fail to keep pace with the rising cost of living, COSATU is worried that the cuts in the repo rate we have enjoyed in recent times will become rare and deny hugely indebted South Africans much needed relief. The Federation feels strongly that the core drivers of inflation including the international price of oil and its impact on fuel price along with Eskom’s dependence on double-digit tariff hikes must be addressed.
The CEC resolved to hold employers who default on paying workers’ pension contributions to account and take them to court where necessary. The number of defaulting employers has more than doubled from 7 700 last year to 15 500 this year according to the Financial Sector Conduct Authority. This is nothing less than a criminal offence and must be treated as such. COSATU is engaging with the Department of Employment and Labour to mobilise Labour Inspectors to include pension fund payment compliance. The CEC also resolved to convene a Retirement Conference in the first quarter of 2026 as part of our campaign for comprehensive social security.
COSATU guided and assisted the South African Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union (SADSAWU) and South African Taxi Drivers Workers Union (SATDWU) through the very difficult registration process with the Registrar of Labour Relations. These unions represent vulnerable workers and are set to improve the lives of millions as they fight to advance and defend their rights. This is a major milestone towards protecting these workers.
COSATU congratulates its founding Affiliates the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU) and the NUM as they celebrate their 50th and 43rd anniversaries respectively. The Federation salutes these giant trade unions who were critical to its formation in 1985 and is proud of how they have led the struggles to improve the working conditions and lives of millions of mining, construction, electricity, retail, hospitality, catering and other exploited workers.
Issued by COSATU
Zanele Sabela (COSATU Spokesperson)
079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639
zaneles@cosatu.org.za