30th Anniversary Bulletin

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2 Table of Contents Editorial Comment General Secretary, Comrade. Zola Saphetha 3 What about NEHAWU - Historical Perspective by Former NOBs 6 11th National Congress Message by Newly Elected NOBs 16 Concluding Remarks of the NOBs by President, Comrade. Mzwandile Makwayiba 21 2

3 Editorial Comment General Secretary, Comrade Zola Saphetha General Secretary, Comrade Zola Saphetha Please kindly receive our profound revolutionary greetings on behalf of members of a union born in the belly of the beast, the red, transformative, militant, fighting and gallant union of Bheki Mkhize and Yure Mdyogolo, the founding President and General Secretary. A giant union of public service workers union existing in five sectors such as State Administration, Public and Private Health, Social Welfare, Parastatals and Education in South Africa was born out of the merger of three unions in 1987 after serious and robust discussion underground operations in the trenches of Lusaka. This union upon its formation was regarded as a project of the Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU) but to date it is a biggest, militant and radical affiliate of the federation, COSATU, we owe it to our forbearers to keep it stronger, bigger and intact, and more importantly with its tradition and culture. Indeed, the national office bearers in their first strategic meeting recognized that our 11th national congress held from the 26th -29th June 2017 coincided with the 30th Anniversary of the founding of our union which the milestones and hard-won gains registered in history of this revolutionary public sector union to better the working conditions of its members and workers in general in the transformation of the public sector as a workplace were acknowledged. The national office bearers therefore argued that such gains of workers must not only be acknowledged but be celebrated throughout the national union by its members, structures and leadership across the nation. It is true that, in our 30 years of our existence, the union has grown from strength to strength right from the beginning in the transformation of the apartheid state into the democratic state bornout of the democratic breakthrough from The union throughout the struggle of resistance and the epoch of transition has been seized in bitter battles against neoliberal measures such as privatisation, outsourcing, agencification, etc. In recognition of the above realities, the national office bearers as part of celebrating the 30th anniversary, decided to decentralize the birthday celebrations of our national union by taking to provinces where members, shop stewards and leaders including all alliance components and structures of the mass democratic movement jointly celebrates the existence of our gallant, militant and 30 fighting years. Amongst the achievements to be remembered but not limited to, is the placing of the National Health Insurance (NHI) on the national agenda of the Republic of South Africa, Rights of workers as enshrined in the Labour Relations Act as amended, the successful hosting of the 17th Trade Union Congress of the World Federation of Trade Union, a 92 million member and class oriented federation of trade union existing in all six Continent of the World held at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Durban, 2016 for the first time on the African Continent. At this 17th Congress, our President Cde. Mzwandile Micheal Makwayiba, Undlovu was elected as the 11th President of WFTU since its establishment in Indeed, this is a union that is proud of its history and confident of its future. At this point, we salute the rank-and-file as well as the leadership and officials of this giant union for their contributions made in different ways throughout our 30 years of existence. In this regard, we are confident and certain that wherever Bheki Mkhize and Yure Mdyogolo are, indeed, are proud of their union, NEHAWU which both have presided-over from its inception as first the President and General Secretary respectively. 3

4 At the centre of our celebrations, we placed the political and organisational role played by our union in the broader liberation struggles and the transformation of the workplace in favour of our members and workers in general. In pursuit of these celebrations, the national office bearers adopted a programme of action called NOB programme underpinned by four pillars, namely: Building unity and cohesion across structures of the national union Reporting back to members about the outcomes of the 11th congress Preparing members for the next round of a potential stiff collective bargaining process Improving service to members This NOB programme is derived from the resolution Going-Back-to-Basics which places the visibility of the leadership to members through listening campaign focusing on member s demands and grievances and also as a response to social distance syndrome - as integral part of closing ranks and defending the base. This means that whatever the union does, must be about members as members come first everything and anything is about members members first and the rest shall follow. Linked to the celebrations is the implementation of our 11th congress resolution in support of the succession of Cde. Jacob Zuma by Cde. Cyril Ramaphosa at the ANC Conference scheduled to take place at the end of this year, December in Gauteng. In this regard, the union intertwined the 30th anniversary celebrations with #CR17#Siyavuma Campaign for a progressive leadership to emerge at this December 2017 ANC Conference on the basis of a programme for a more radical second phase of our transition, which at helm talks about economic transformation favourable to working people and the working class as a whole. At this point, we consciously call upon all members and structures of the union to do everything in their power to make sure that our resolution on Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa finds expression in the ANC structures especially during this period of branch nominations for the forthcoming ANC Conference. We further call on all our shop stewards and office bearers to double their efforts in ensuring Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa emerges as the President of the ANC with his proposed leadership collective. We therefore gladly produced this bulletin to reflect the proceedings of our 30th anniversary celebrations as held across provinces with pictures of each including sharing the historical milestones of the national union in reaching 30 years and also the message of the 11th national congress to members. It is important to note that former national office bearers we part of these historic celebrations of our 30 years of existence and they presented a correct historical perspective of our union while the newly elected national office bearers were communicating the message of the 11th national congress. More important to note is the attendance of founding members of our union who are no longer and still members of the national union, who shared their stories with the national office bearers and also expressed their keen interests in the work of the union. Forward to the strengthening of workplace organisation Forward! Forward to the deepening of class consciousness Forward! Forward to the advancement of internationalism Forward! Forward to Socialism Forward! Aluta Continua! Amandla! Matla! All Power! 4

5 Gauteng Provincial 30th Anniversary Celebration

6 What about NEHAWU? Here is the Historical Perspective of NEHAWU as presented by former National Office Bearers The Founding of NEHAWU The formation of NEHAWU in 1987 was part of a larger context of political developments in the country ushered in by the 1973 Durban strike, which marked the defiant re-emergence of the trade union movement in the 1970s, inspired the 1976 students resistance, the formation of a federation FOSATU in 1979 and ultimately the consolidation of the emergent trade unions located in the congress traditions with the formation of COSATU in in the middle of the state of emergency. This resurgence of the illegal trade union movement after the Durban strikes forced the Apartheid regime to make concessions through the 1977 Wiehahn Commission, which led to amendments to the Apartheid labour laws for the recognition of black workers as employees, the formal regulation of trade unions, the unfair labour practise and the industrial court. But this was only applicable in the private sector and not the public sector. From its founding COSATU proclaimed the principle of One industry, One federation! Thus, NEHAWU was formed out of the merger of three main unions: the South African Allied Workers Union (Saawu), Health and Allied Workers Union (Hawu) and General and Allied Workers Union (Gawu) in pursuit of this objective. However, the unity talks between HAWU, GAWU and SAAWU go back as far as Established with over members who mainly worked in old-age homes, churches, universities, clinics and public hospitals; with its growing presence in health and education, the formation of NEHAWU raised the possibility of the emergence of a giant public sector union in the belly of the Apartheid state. Hence, workers located in industries that were organized by SAAWU, HAWU and GAWU had to join other relevant COSATU unions, whilst NEHAWU was geared to establish itself in the public service and its current other sectors. Whilst sharing the commitment to the Freedom Charter as part of the broader COSATU family, more than other unions NEHAWU was rooted in the traditions of the political or community trade unionism that were championed by its predecessors, also known as United Democratic Front unions linking the workplace struggle with the wider political struggle. The leadership and members of NEHAWU continued with this tradition of activism in community and political struggles that shaped this union over the past 3 decades. For instance, the founding President of NEHAWU, Cde Bheki Mkhize was an active member of Soweto Youth Congress and was involved in the civic association. Whilst the founding General Secretary, Cde Yure Mdyogolo joined the ANC in 1980 and was an underground cadre of SACTU, and he helped in the establishment of youth organizations and served as the Secretary of UDF in the East London Area. NEHAWU s predecessors were also unions that were distinguished by the fact that they refused to register themselves with the enemy state, at the Department of Manpower, for recognition when others that were affiliated to FOSATU did. The founding principles of NEHAWU were: Non-racialism Worker control Solidarity with COSATU affiliates International working class solidarity Involvement in the political struggle One industry, one union 6

7 Building NEHAWU in the belly of the Apartheid State The immediate period after the launch of NEHAWU was a difficult one as it was clear that the main tasks were to establish the union across the country and to fight for recognition in the midst of an ever more violently repressive and dying Apartheid regime. The union faced numerous challenges it had no regional structures such as we have now, administratively it was seriously weak whereby subscriptions were collected by hand as it had no access, it was not recognized and it had to constantly move offices in the face of police raids and harassment. Black workers in most public institutions were regarded as temporary workers even if they have been working for twenty years and they were subjected to apartheid wage. A black worker could not even be treated in a white hospital where he or she worked. A year after the NEHAWU s formation, the Apartheid regime tried to stem the tide of the strengthening COSATU by introducing the 1988 Amendments to the LRA, in an attempt to reverse the hard won 1979 gains. This saw COSATU rallying workers and organizing campaigns against this legislation, which helped to make COSATU unions to be more united and to grow strength in their sectors. In this regard, NEHAWU stepped up its struggle for recognition in the public sector as in the public sector there was no labour relations legislation that recognized black workers as employees. The union was faced with intransigent administrations in the Transvaal, Orange Free State, Natal and the Cape, as well as in the Bantustans. In the white four administrations, there were no trade unions allowed, there were only racial staff associations, the likes of the PSA that were merely consulted by the regime in an Advisory Council and representing their members through the advisory Liaison Committees and servicing members through providing services such as loan schemes. They provided no political leadership to their members, claiming to be nonpolitical when they were political in that they were part of the apartheid structures. Thus, the main demands of NEHAWU during this time were: No victimization, no harassment, real collective bargaining on wages, no restructuring without consultation and recognition of the union. It was unfortunate that during this time, in November 1988, the first General Secretary of NEHAWU, Cde Yure Mdyogolo died mysteriously, plunging from the fifth floor of a building where he lived in Johannesburg. But of course, we know that the Apartheid security forces have assassinated other leaders in a similar way and they wanted him dead too. It was befitting his sterling contribution that for the first time in decades of Apartheid repression, the flags of the ANC and SACP were proudly hoisted high in his funeral. A Baptism with Fire Nonetheless, from the late 1988 onwards NEHAWU s membership began to grow, especially in the health sector and the union began to make early inroads in securing recognition at the University of the Free State, Wits University and the Bantustan, KaNgwane. Organizing in the private hospitals and clinics became easier because these workers were covered by the LRA. This is despite the fact that it was still faced with serious administrative challenges whereby organisers would go without pay for months as out of members, only where paying subscriptions to the union, in the absence of deductions at the workplace. However, on the 1st May 1990, an unprecedented strike broke in the Apartheid public sector, what the then General Secretary, Sisa Njikelana, describes as ten days that shook the public sector. The strike actually began at the Baragwanath Hospital where on the 7

8 Free State Provincial 30th Anniversary Celebration

9 30th April 1990 workers were told that their demands cannot be addressed in the institution but in Pretoria. From there, the strike spread like wild fire to other hospitals. The demands were: 1. Recognition of the union 2. Centralized bargaining in the public service 3. Public servants to be covered by the Labour relations Act 4. A living wage 5. Desegregation of health services 6. An end to racist employment practices in the health services 7. Six months maternity leave 8. Permanent posts 9. No unilateral restructuring More than workers, mostly general assistants, from 18 hospitals, went on strike. Furthermore, over public sector workers (90% of the workforce) went on strike in QwaQwa mainly rallying around the demand of equal work for equal pay as the homeland public sector workers were earning much less than their counterparts in the Orange Free State. This strike took place against the background of the ANC s negotiation with the Apartheid regime - the Groote Schuur Minute and thus fed from and fueled the broader political tension in the country. The NEHAWU leadership had to go to Cape Town, forcing recognition from the regime which was represented by the health minister, Rina Venter. They also had to meet with the ANC concerned leadership. The calling of the strike off was difficult for the union and workers as whilst the agreement registered a major historic breakthrough for the union, this was partially, as it only gave the union recognition only in Transvaal hospitals and the Transvaal Provincial Administration. The QwaQwa strike lasted 32 days. But when all is said and done, the concrete fact was that nationally the regime had de facto recognized NEHAWU and conceded to a historic demand of recognizing genuine trade unionism within the Apartheid state, which became a bridgehead for further advances. Indeed, further recognitions were secured in QwaQwa, Transkei, Orange Free State and the Cape Province. There were other gains, including the right of women workers to keep their posts if they fall pregnant and the right to arbitration in cases where a labour dispute cannot be resolved by the union and the TPA. The agreement states that the parties agree to establish acceptable channels of negotiation between them and to negotiate within these channels salary, safety, security, job creation and training for 1990 and ensuing years. The TPA also agreed to eliminate any discrimination that still exists in payment of wages and other conditions of employment. That workers will not be required to work more than 40 hours a week and NEHAWU won the right to be consulted in cases where it was possible that hospitals would be privatized. Subsequently, the Public Service Labour Relations Act was passed in 1993 and public servants were allowed to legally organize. In March 1992, with all the organizational gains it made, NEHAWU emerged from its 3rd National Congress with a new spirit of confidence and the union had been restructured to suite the conditions and a new younger leadership was elected, led by Cde Bheki Phakathi as President and Cde Phillip Dexter as General Secretary. The congress set out to build on the gains that the union made and placed the following issues at the centre: recognition, a living wage, centralized bargaining, six months maternity leave, democratization of the workplace and transformation. As a result of the strikes in QwaQwa, Ciskei and the Witwatersrand there were huge increases in membership and the need to better serve its members outside major urban centres lead to the union establishing regional structures. 9

10 A successful third Congress was followed by the 1992 national strike, which had started for five days at the Baragwaneth Hospital. After the police arrested about 300 of the striking workers, workers in over 32 hospitals in the Transvaal joined the strike, who were followed by other workers in hospitals in the Orange Free State, Natal and the Cape. In this strike workers placed at the centre the demands from the congress. This strike was met with a draconian response from the regime, dismissing about workers, which forced a retreat as the factor of scabs fueled violence - the TPA hired Inkatha scabs and the union had to save jobs and NEHAWU itself. This was taking place against the background of the rising tension in the country because of the deadlock at CODESA, hence the regime and Inkatha unleashed violence and many of our members were killed. The Apartheid regime spread the propaganda that the strike was an ANC ploy to weaken the government. The union reinstated many of these workers by dividing the provincial authorities and this worked when the Cape Provincial Administration took back all strikers, which weakened other provincial administrations. The strike ended in September 1992 in the Transvaal after a month of intense negotiations, whilst in the OFS the first agreement was only signed in August Although the union won full recognition, only of the workers who were fired got their jobs back. The rest had to go through arbitration. However, many of the workers who lost their jobs in different provinces got reinstated when the new democratic government was established. But the outcome of this strike deepened the organizational achievements of NEHAWU in the public sector. For the first time a public sector union had a recognition agreement with the government (agreeing to bargain with NEHAWU over wages in future) and this set a precedent for all public sector unions. In the meantime, NEHAWU emerged as a coherent national union out of this strike, as workers in Bantustans were drawn into the union. In 1993 thousands of workers in the Bantustans that were organized their structures followed in joining NEHAWU, such as: the Kwadebele Public Servants Union (Kwapsu), the Northern Transvaal Public Servants Union (Notrapsu) and the Democratic Union of Public Servants (Ducs) in the Transkei. This was in line with a 1992 COSATU directive that all homeland public service unions should merge under NEHAWU and the union won recognition agreements with the Bantustan governments. Thus, the 1992 congress goal to establish a truly national union was achieved, as by the end of 1993, workers at all universities agreed to transfer from the TGWU to NEHAWU. The first phase of the Democratic Transition After a decade of its founding, the union had some experience and steeled by the turbulent formative years, being able to withstand a transition as some of its leaders became members of parliament in NEHAWU s membership had now become 20 times bigger than at its birth, and it was now recognized throughout the country, in both the public and private sector. A single law regulating labour relations in both the public and the private had been introduced in NEHAWU now had to adapt and respond to a changing public sector, in the midst of GEAR, integration and restructuring that were taking place in the state, a development that made the union to begin to strengthen its national capacities with a view to effectively deal with organizing in large sectors, bargaining with a democratic state and to influence policy and legislation through the Parliamentary Office. With the adoption of GEAR in 1996 and ANC winning two-third majority in the 1999 election, the implementation of austerity measures in a big way was only a matter of time. The 1999 wage dispute took place against this background, where it was clear that the government was determine to reduce the public service wage bill according to the dictates and targets of GEAR, including cutting allocations, downsizing personnel and privatization. Yet within the union it was clear that we could not go on strike, as our members were not prepared to for it. 10

11 Kwa-Zulu Natal Provincial 30th Anniversary Celebration

12 Minister Fraser-Moleketi, who replaced Zola Skweyiya (who was cooperative in the process of transformation), had already said earlier that there would be the downsizing of at least fifty thousand public servants by the end of that year. The dispute was clearly between a living wage and austerity as the gap between the parties was very wide and remained so despite numerous engagement meetings from January until August when government unilaterally implemented its offer of 6.3 percent. Nonetheless, as the dispute came to a head, we were able to bring out hundred thousands of workers to the streets culminating in a one-day strike on August 25, in which six hundred thousand public workers downed tools nationwide. But it is important to note that the 1999 round of negotiations produced the first ever strike of public service workers under the LRA and only 1.2% separated the workers demands from the government s offer, 7.5% as opposed to 6.3%. The 2007 Strike The unprecedented month-long public service strike of 2007 took place against a backdrop of a historical political moment in the ANC leading to the Polokwane watershed and the flux of the balance of class forces in the society at large which have seen the rise in the confidence of the working class in work-places and communities. The ever confident 1996 Class Project was beginning to run into a crisis of legitimacy in the movement because of nearly ten years of Neoliberal policies that were failing to deliver jobs and a better life for the masses of our people. Yet the 1996 Class Project was still convinced that it could still impose a settlement in the public service wage negotiations, as it did in Little did it know that it was up against an increasingly angry and militant workforce, at the head of which was NEHAWU, a more confident union in the year of its 20th anniversary. But the government arrogantly and with an iron-fist proclaimed that in 2007 there would not be a wage increase of more than 5% - in line with the stated policy target of keeping the CPIX inflation between 3 and 6% and the public service wage bill of less than 33% of the budget. In truth this famous strike was the culmination of our conscious and strategic thinking inspired by the mandate of our 7th Congress in Under the clarion call of Build the union, build working class power, our members resolved to fight-back in order to reverse the blows inflicted by the employer in the past - to this end they understood the imperative of setting NEHAWU on a new footing of a fighting and transformative union. Our Collective Bargaining Conference set clear targets for our members, understood the dialectical connection between our Service Delivery Campaign and the overall wage demands as well as the mutually reinforcing links between campaigning, servicing members and mobilizing to take the fight-back to the employer, to the 1996 class project and to Neoliberalism. This strike pushed the Treasury s envelope on the compensation of the government employees from the total package worth R9 billion to R14.5 billion rands which was nearly double its size. The strike lasted for 28 days and caused the loss of an estimated 14.4 million workdays, and importantly even though there was still room to push for more, the reality was that the strike had already passed its peak as other unions and workers were starting to retreat - and therefore trying to sustain a declining strike was going to lead to an unforgiveable defeat. Better to consolidate the gains and return to work in unity to fight in the next round. 12

13 Limpopo Provincial 30th Anniversary Celebration

14 The 2010 Dispute When the 2010 dispute arouse, the lessons from the 2007 were looming large in the union and amongst members. The country was already in the favour of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which allowed the employer to exploit public sympathy. The union was in its congress year and many workers were still reeling from the memories of the tough times of the 2007 strikes. Nonetheless, our 9th national congress that took place in that year was a huge success despite the fact that it took place in the midst of a very difficult and bitter public service dispute. The atmosphere in the run up to and at our national congress was very tense and at times threatening the unity and cohesion of the union. Despite these extraordinary circumstances we concluded our hugely successful national congress on a high note as captured in our national congress declaration as follows we emerge from this congress convinced that our union has indeed come of age, hence we are proud of our history and confident of our future. In this regard, both in terms of the work-place and socio-political terrains of our struggle, we proclaim that we are ready to advance union organization and working class power for socialism. The Future: Second More Radical Phase Beyond this period up to the present, the overriding preoccupation and pressing task was dealing with the unfolding instability within COSATU, which really threatened its survival leading to its 11th Congress in Organizationally COSATU and its affiliates were by and large paralyzed and yet as NEHAWU we continued to produce some gains for members even though more could still be achieved. In the event, COSATU successfully defended its constitution and integrity as an organization and since its 12th Congress it has been making its way back to the national stage. The spirit of unity and determination that characterized this year s 2017 Central Committee confirms this. Similarly, NEHAWU continued to be a torch-bearer, making decisive interventions such the first call within the Alliance for the resignation of President Zuma. In this regard, it can be said that the union provided leadership, including in identifying the suitable candidate for the transition leading to the 2019 elections in Cyril Ramaphosa and in winning the gains for members in different sectors, especially this year in higher education institutions, embarking on successful strikes in the Department of Social Development and NHLS. The union of Bheki Mkhize and Yure Mdyogolo convened its 11th Congress on its 30th anniversary as a giant public sector union, representing members under the banner Strengthen workplace organization, deepen class consciousness and advance internationalism. The challenge from here onwards then is whether NEHAWU is up to the tasks of this battle cry which speaks to the international challenges in the face of the crisis of global capitalism, including strengthening WFTU in the continent, deepening class consciousness in the midst of ideological degeneration in the broader movement and strengthening workplace organization in the midst of declining union densities and fragmentation of the labour movement. 14

15 Mpumalanga Provincial 30th Anniversary Celebration

16 11th National Congress Message communicated by the newly elected National Office Bearers Remarks The union of Bheki Mkhize and Yure Mdyogolo convened its 11th Congress on its 30th anniversary as a giant public sector union, representing members under the theme Strengthen Workplace Organisation, Deepen Class Consciousness and Advance Internationalism. The challenge from here onwards then is whether NEHAWU is up to the tasks of this battle cry which speaks to the international challenges in the face of the crisis of global capitalism, including strengthening WFTU in the continent, deepening class consciousness in the midst of ideological degeneration in the broader movement and strengthening workplace organisation in the midst of declining union densities and fragmentation of the labour movement. We pay tribute to all the gallant founders and all generations of leaders and members that came before us; and we pledge to sustain their spirit and hard work in building and defending NEHAWU and advancing the interests of members and the broader working class. Thus we emerge from this congress as a maturing and biggest affiliate of our federation COSATU and a leading affiliate of WFTU on our continent, with confidence and determination to strengthen, deepen and advance our work on all that we have achieved on the key pillars of our programme of action since our last congress. International Relations and Solidarity Comrades, regarding our international working class solidarity, on our analysis of the world, on the campaigns and programs of the union, the 11th national congress reported considerable progress. But we said this can never be sufficient and it is necessary to advance this work in the next 4 years. We agreed therefore that the main feature of the current world environment remains the deep crisis of the capitalist system. This crisis affects just about everything. It is a crisis in which for over long periods of time, the economies of many capitalist countries do not realise any growth. It is a crisis that brings about more inequalities, unemployment and poverty. We have to work longer hours, with lesser incomes. Our wages are no longer enough to sustain our families. The education of our children is subordinated to money and healthcare is expensive and increasingly beyond our reach. It is also a crisis in which the environment is being progressively destroyed. As part of the crisis the reasons to create more wars in the world are manufactured and what follows is misleading priorities in which expenditure is channelled away from social priorities and from meeting people s needs into buying arms in order to fight these wars. The capitalist crisis also leads to unwarranted deaths of millions of people due to starvation. There are runaway epidemics some of which can be easily cured, which are killing our people. In Africa on average women die 11 years younger than in other continents. For all the above, it is the capitalist system, the monopolies and the crisis in this system that is responsible. In this regard the national congress agreed that we should prioritise the following: 1. We have to continue the class struggle, the resistance, the militant fight against the capitalist system and we should support all struggles against social oppression, colonialism and imperialism worldwide. 2. Congress said we need to campaign against the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the World Bank. These institutions are responsible 16

17 instruments for the deepening of poverty, inequality and for under-developing Africa and other continents. 3. Congress also agreed that since this year 2017 marks 100 years since the Great October Russian Socialist revolution, we should celebrate this centenary with events, campaigns, ideological programs and mass activities of working people. We should coordinate ongoing discussion forums and lectures on the contribution of the Soviet Union in our national liberation struggles and in showing humanity that, through socialism, society can meet the basic needs of our people. Working with the SACP, COSATU, the WFTU, our provinces and regions should take leadership in these events. 4. We also said we should continue supporting the struggles of our counterparts in other countries: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) especially those of the people of Palestine and their fight against Israeli apartheid; to support the people of Swaziland against the dictator King Mswati; To support the Saharawis, whose country is colonised by Morocco. We specifically condemned the readmission of Morocco into the African Union; To support the people of Cuba, Venezuela and Brazil, whose countries are being destroyed by imperialism led by the United States. The US seeks to reverse the gains made by struggles against imperialism in these countries; to support the people of the Basque country, Kurdistan, Cyprus for their right to selfdetermination; We also said the DRC must be closer to our comrades in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and we should have stronger relations with other trade unions in Africa. 5. Congress also instructed us to disaffiliate from ITUC with immediate effect. We believe that ITUC is a class-collaborating, divisive, labour instrument of international monopolies supported by imperialist powers and that COSATU must disaffiliate from ITUC and remain with WFTU only. 6. The union shall take on the responsibility of strengthening our work with other African affiliates of WFTU, including the NUM, POPCRU, CEPPWAWU and the Africa Office. We should build the WFTU and the sectoral Trade Union International of Public and Allied Employees (TUI-PAE) on the African continent. We shall support COSATU as it carries out the mandate to affiliate to WFTU and work tirelessly to encourage other COSATU affiliates to join WFTU TUIs. 7. In taking forward our resolutions, all WFTU trade unions in Africa met in Nigeria and developed a plan of action we call the Nigeria Platform to take forward the work of the WFTU in Africa. 8. We are asking you comrades, to get these documents, read and understand them, especially the resolutions of congress and the declaration and ensure that we implement all those decisions. The national office shall issue out pamphlets to guide you in this work. Ideological and Political Work Congress analysed the state of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) and reiterated our deep concern that the ANC is currently dangerously divided and organisational paralysed and thus risking the derailment of our revolution. This is taking place at the time when the balance of class forces are decisively in favour of monopoly capital and the reactionary political forces led by the DA are 17

18 North West Provincial 30th Anniversary Celebration

19 increasingly making inroads on the ANC s mass base and political power. Whilst we maintain that the Alliance remains strategically relevant, we welcome the fact that the SACP is now calling for the reconfiguration of the Alliance. As we have learned over the years in the implementation of the COSATU 2015 Plan, ultimately the reconfiguration of the Alliance is a function of, and is determined by the balance of forces on the ground. Corruption and corporate state capture are indeed part of a counter-revolution. Thus, congress undertakes that NEHAWU shall actively support the SACP initiative of building the broadest possible patriotic and popular front to defend, advance and deepen our democracy and national sovereignty, to fight corporate state capture, corruption, rent-seeking and all forms of manipulation of our national wealth and public resources by sections of individuals and elitist groupings - regardless of whether they are black or white. We know that ultimately the struggle for socialism involves the revolutionary seizure of power by the proletariat led by the vanguard party, the SACP. And this is the real content of the question of the party and state power rather a narrow parliamentary road to socialism. Hence, the perspective of the SACP to establish democratic working class power and hegemony over the state and all other key centres of power in society in general is correct. This includes contesting in multiparty elections, which as part of the organised working class in COSATU, SACP and SANCO we shall continue to debate and consider its implications. Socio-Economic Priorities The current recessionary state of the economy is aggravating the already crisis levels of unemployment, poverty and inequalities. In this regard, we shall be in the forefront in support of COSATU s call for the Jobs Summit, which amongst others must also discuss the macroeconomic policies, industrialisation and comprehensive social security. Congress appreciates that our federation COSATU is steadily regaining its strengths and impact in society, as, amongst others, illustrated by successful Section 77 mass actions and May Day activities. Thus, we undertake to continue to support efforts to address challenges faced by some of the affiliates, the Listening Campaign and the Section 77 notice which amongst others must put forward our demands such as safe and reliable integrated public transport system, the implementation of the NHI, safe and productive investment of workers retirement savings by the Public Investment Cooperation, Fees-free post-schooling system, the absorption of CHWs into the public service and an end to e-tolls, outsourcing, casualization, etc. As we move towards the new round of collective bargaining in the public service, we shall mobilise our members in mass actions in support of our demands which must not only deal with the demand for wage increase but also the implementation of the outstanding issues in the current agreement, an end to austerity regarding vacancies, an end to the outsourcing of administration at GEMS and other issues related to the benefits of GEMS members and its governance. We shall work with the COSATU public sector union to campaign for the investment of our retirement savings managed by the PIC into the public service housing scheme rather than in speculative projects in which it is currently involved Organisational Priorities Congress has placed a monumental challenge to the national union to strengthen workplace organisation. This requires a strong national union in the overall. Therefore, as we roll-out dedicated activities to strengthen workplace organisation, we shall simultaneous retrace our footsteps to rebuild our branches where there have been reversals, whilst consolidating and improving on our 19

20 Northern Cape Provincial 30th Anniversary Celebration

21 work to achieve strong workplace organisation in the overall. As part of this, we shall ensure that all our 1813 branches have fully constituted leadership structures, regular meetings take place including monthly general meetings with members, and our regions must carry out their mandate of visiting branches to listen to members and to support branches in taking up demands and driving campaigns to transform the workplace and improve conditions of work. At the same time, as part of growing the union, we shall break new ground in every region in establishing and building new branches. Our regions, as engines of service delivery to members, must play a key role in supporting and strengthening our branches, must work with provincial structures in convening regular town-based meetings to report back and to mobilize for our campaigns. We have made enormous strides in building a reliable and up to date membership system. Whilst our membership has effectively grown over the years, in the overall the rate of growth per branch, sector, region and province still falls short of the requirement of the 10th National Congress mandate for the 50%+1 target in all workplaces and sectors. This means that we must accelerate our recruitment campaign, improve service to retain members and broaden our recruitment strategy beyond the identified priority regions and sectors. A sustained growth of membership also depends on the overall organisational programme and the implementation of key priorities thereto, including: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Reviving and operationalising seamless machinery across all spheres of our departments, units and executive structures. Improving the quality of our bargaining strategies, the accountability and capacity of our bargaining forums. Reviving and strengthening coordination and operation of our provincial organizers forums which must be accompanied by a suitable programme of organizing and ideological training. Addressing our large case-load, strengthening our Legal Department and the review of the Paralegal Strategy. Strengthening our basic shop-stewards training programme, which must also be accompanied by ideological training. Concluding Remarks of the National Office Bearers about 30th Anniversary Celebrations presented by the President, Comrade Mzwandile Makwayiba This year, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the founding of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU), which was formed in 1987 on the 27th 28th June at Ipelegeng Centre in Soweto by three unions, one from KZN, Gauteng Formerly Transvaal and Eastern Cape {East London in the main}, which were namely SAWU, GAWU and HAWU. President, Cde Mzwandile Makwayiba From its very founding, the union had committed itself to organise and unite workers on the basis of a democratic member control of the union, improving their wages and raise their standard of living and protect themselves from insecurities of life. The founders of NEHAWU also understood very early that, at the time when apartheid state repression was its height, organising workers will be a difficult challenge, sacrifice and risk to their lives. They understood that apartheid oppression and super-exploitative conditions affecting the workers 21

22 Eastern Cape Provincial 30th Anniversary Celebration

23 they seek to represent, a further commitment was required - to fight for united, democratic South Africa, free from oppression and economic exploitation. They understood the political and economic conditions in which their new trade union will operate and the economic foundation upon which apartheid rule rested. The union was also founded on the principles of unity and solidarity of all workers, hence the rallying call of An injury to one is an injury to all. The fore-bearers understood that they cannot take forward these commitments and principles alone, they would need to co-ordinate, affiliate and formulate relations with other workers in South Africa around the world, to realise these ideals. The founding of NEHAWU was itself a product of merger between three main unions South African Allied Workers Union (SAWU), Health and Allied Workers Union (HAWU) and General and Allied Workers Union (GAWU). These unions had a concrete experience of connecting trade union struggle with community struggle that reflected the broad-front struggles under the banner of the United Democratic Front (UDF). It is therefore no accident that NEHAWU has been one of the leading militant and progressive trade unions in South Africa, and part and parcel of the forces for national liberation and socialism in South Africa. The 30th anniversary of NEHAWU draws from this proud history of our existence: It has been: 30 years of a growing and strong union 30 years of a campaigning union. 30 years of strengthening and advancing collective bargaining 30 years in the struggle for public sector transformation. 30 years of international solidarity of workers and peoples of the world. Going into the future, we seek to build on these proud achievements of the last 30 years, with our theme strengthen workplace organisation, deepen class consciousness and advance internationalism that captures the spirit of those commitments set out by the founders of giant union. In overall, all provincial celebrations were successful and well attended by members of the national union as well as the alliance partners and structures of mass democratic movement including former members and leaders of this gallant union of Bheki Mkhize and Yure Mdyogolo. We wish NEHAWU another 30 years more being united, bigger, stronger and intact as it is now. May all members, shop stewards, office bearers and officials of the national union draw strength and confidence from the spirit of these celebrations to do more, better and faster in improving service members and bettering the working conditions of our members. Long live NEHAWU! Khula NEHAWU Khula! More years to NEHAWU More years! Issued by NEHAWU Communications Department 56 Marshall Street, Marshall Town P.O. Box 10812, Johannesburg, 2000 Tel: Fax: Tel: info@nehawu.org.za Website:- Add your union as a friend on facebook follow your union on instagram follow your union on twitter 23

24 Western Cape Provincial 30th Anniversary Celebration

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