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The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] would like to congratulate both the National Union of Mineworkers [NUM] and the South African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union [SACTWU] for convening successful congresses.

The NUM convened a Special Congress under the theme “The Power of Unity" to finalise the work of the National Congress held in 2018. The Congress also focused on issues pertaining to constitutional amendments and other policy matters. As NEHAWU, we are elated that our sister union is confronting head on the capitalist onslaught on the working class and is preparing to decisively deal with the ongoing threat to job security, the health and safety of workers which is being ignored by mining bosses who only focus on dividends rather than protecting workers.

NEHAWU will be studying the resolutions and outcomes of the Special National Congress and we will engage the NUM on joint programmes to be undertaken in defence of workers. We are looking forward to support the NUM on the unbundling of ESKOM and will play an active role in stopping any job cuts emanating from that venture.

The South African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] has just concluded a successful 14th National Congress under the theme “United together, let’s build SACTWU, our industry, our country, and our continent” which was characterised by robust debates on how to decisively deal with the current job bloodbath in the clothing sector. The clothing sector is losing jobs at an alarming rate because of the illicit flow of counterfeits goods into the country. Massive job losses in the footwear sector are also are huge cause for concern and NEHAWU calls on our government to pay special attention on the sector as 90% of our footwear comes from China and the country only produces a meagre 10%.
 
Emerging from the two parliament of workers should invigorate the labour movement to redouble efforts to defend workers and the working class. Workers need to be united more than ever as the capitalist class is finding new ways to maximise their profits while exploiting them for their labour power. When united workers stand a good chance of fighting all forms of exploitation, unsafe working conditions and slave wages. In this regard, as NEHAWU we say “Workers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains”
 
Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat