The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s case in defence of workers’ inalienable right to strike. 

This case brought by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) at the instigation of the trade union movement, in particular COSATU, and with the support of the South African and other progressive governments, seeks to affirm workers’ rights to withhold their labour and to strike as part of collective bargaining and to improve their working and living conditions.

The ILO affirmed this right in its Convention 87 on the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise.  This is a fundamental call that has guided workers’ struggles against the most exploitative employers and oppressive regimes across the world over many decades.

Today South African workers’ right to strike is affirmed in our progressive Constitution and Labour Relations Act.  This was a hard-won victory achieved through years of campaigns by COSATU and its predecessors.  Whilst we appreciate this right, we are painfully aware that workers eSwatini, in Zimbabwe, Myanmar and many other nations have all too often been denied such elementary labour and human rights.  We have seen with the rise in extreme right-wing governments across the world, including in industrialised economies, attempts to roll back such rights and thus we cannot take them for granted.

The case before the ICJ brought by the ILO seeks to affirm this fundamental right of all workers and to place further pressure on those recalcitrant governments who to this day seek to undermine and deny this right to their citizens.

COSATU applauds the support given by the South African government led by the African National Congress, to this historic case, including through the delegation led by the Minister for Employment and Labour, Ms. N. Meth.

The Federation is confident that we will win this case and that it will provide an invaluable boost to the global labour movement and millions of workers across the world.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)

Mobile: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za