Workers’ movement marks key anniversaries

Two of South Africa’s most influential labour organisations, the National Union of Mineworkers and the Congress of South African Trade Unions, will mark significant anniversaries this week, reflecting on their roles in shaping labour rights, political movements and democratic reforms over four decades.

The NUM will commemorate its 43rd anniversary on Thursday at Great Noligwa Moab Khotsong in Motlosana, while COSATU will celebrate its 40th anniversary on Saturday at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto.

The NUM was founded on December 4 1982 in Klerksdorp and became the country’s first major trade union representing black mineworkers at a time when the apartheid labour regime denied them basic protections and organisational rights. Under founding general secretary Cyril Ramaphosa and fellow leaders James Motlatsi and Elijah Barayi, the union grew rapidly in membership and influence.

In 1983, it secured formal recognition from the Chamber of Mines, a development that shifted the balance of workplace power in the mining sector. By the mid 1980s, the NUM had become one of the fastest growing unions in the world and played a central role in establishing COSATU in 1985. Over time, it expanded its scope beyond mining to include workers in the energy, construction and metal industries.

COSATU, launched on December 1 1985, emerged as a unifying federation bringing together previously fragmented unions under the principle of one industry one union. Its founding leaders included Elijah Barayi as president, John Gomomo, Alec Erwin and Cyril Ramaphosa, who helped anchor the federation in the broader liberation struggle.

During the late apartheid period, COSATU mobilised mass worker action against unjust labour laws, campaigned for the release of political prisoners and advanced the living wage demand across the country’s workplaces. Its stance in the national stay aways of the late 1980s made it a central force in the anti apartheid movement.

In the democratic era, COSATU has shaped significant labour reforms, including the introduction of the national minimum wage, improved protections for domestic and farmworkers, and strengthened collective bargaining systems. Through the tripartite alliance with the ANC and the SACP, the federation has maintained its position as a leading voice for organised labour and the working class.

As the anniversaries approach, the ANC National Executive Committee has formally extended its congratulations to COSATU, praising its contribution to labour justice and democratic transformation.

In a statement issued this week, the ANC said COSATU’s forty year record reflected “unwavering service to the working class, the poor and the oppressed.” The party credited the federation with confronting a “brutal apartheid labour regime” and restoring dignity to workers through its battles against unsafe conditions and discriminatory laws.

The ANC also highlighted the historic partnership between the organisations, noting that the alliance had played a decisive role in defeating apartheid and shaping key labour protections in post 1994 South Africa.

“Through the revolutionary alliance, the ANC and COSATU have fought side by side to defeat apartheid and build democracy,” ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said. She added that COSATU’s founding leadership had laid the foundations for a progressive labour movement that continues to influence policy and workplace rights.

The upcoming celebrations will focus on the achievements, struggles and future priorities of the labour movement. Both NUM and COSATU have urged workers across all sectors to attend the commemorative events, which are expected to draw thousands of members and leaders from across the country.

NUM general secretary Mpho Phakedi and spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu said the gatherings would pay tribute to the workers who built the organisations over decades and reaffirm commitments to defending labour rights in the current economic climate.

The ANC statement concluded by reaffirming the party’s commitment to strengthening the alliance and protecting the gains won by workers over four decades. “The red banner of workers’ solidarity continues to fly high within our Alliance,” Bhengu said. “The freedom we enjoy today was won through unity, discipline and struggle.”