The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] wishes its federation, the Congress of South African Trade Unions [COSATU], a successful and productive 15th National Congress, which will be convened from 14th – 17th September 2026.
The Congress is convened under the theme: “Building a Militant, Revolutionary Labour Movement and Strengthening Anti-Imperialist Working-Class Unity to Defend Jobs and Advance Socialism.”
As NEHAWU, we expect this congress to be highly characterised by in-depth analysis on the state of our revolution and robust deliberations to strengthen the ability of COSATU to be a militant, fighting and a campaigning federation for workers’ demands in all sectors and in the struggles for the working class in general.
The congress takes place during a period of profound global uncertainty, where the international capitalist system continues to experience a protracted structural crisis characterised by economic stagnation, widening inequalities, ecological destruction and intensifying competition between imperialist powers for markets, resources and geopolitical influence, as well as continued escalation of imperialist wars and military aggression in different parts of the world, which continue to inflict untold suffering on millions of working people.
As NEHAWU, we expect the congress to make a comprehensive assessment of the current conjuncture and in particular the state of our National Democratic Revolution [NDR]. The NDR remains the strategic path through which the working class must continue advancing towards socialism. The congress provides the federation with an opportunity to keep the NDR in its proper revolutionary orientation, and as such must defend it from being undermined by the neoliberal macroeconomic policies, including the rolling austerity measures that have weakened the capacity of the state, developmental agenda, and entrenched monopoly capital.
The congress presents an opportunity for COSATU not to abandon its own class interests and radical transformatory perspective as the working class which are premised on the vision of the Freedom Charter as part of long-term struggle for socialism.
Equally, the congress takes place against the backdrop of a persistent socioeconomic crisis that continues to have a devastating impact on workers and the broader working class with high levels of unemployment, poverty, inequality and the rising cost of living, which continue to erode the living standards of working-class families. These conditions requires COSATU to intensify its socioeconomic campaigns in defence of workers and the broader working-class.
Since the 14th National Congress, there has been a vicious and relentless onslaught on collective bargaining by employers, with employers going out of their way to reverse the hard-won gains of workers. This 15th National Congress provides the federation with an opportunity to adopt a concrete and decisive programme to defend collective bargaining, rights of workers, protect workers against exploitative employers and strengthen workplace organisation.
Lastly, COSATU must emerge from this congress with a renewed capacity to organise, mobilise and campaign around a common political, organisational and socioeconomic programme that defends interests of workers and the broader working-class.
We wish our federation, COSATU, a successful and productive 15th National Congress.
END
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat.
Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968; Welcome Mnisi (1st Deputy General Secretary) at 082 455 2897; Baxolise Mali (2nd Deputy General Secretary) at 066 305 0591 or Lwazi Nkolonzi (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 081 558 2335 or email: lwazin@nehawu.org.za