COSATU North West Post PEC statement – COSATU

The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West Province held its ordinary Provincial Executive Committee meeting on 30 to 31 July.

The PEC was held at the end of international Mandela Month which is celebrated throughout the world to acknowledge the commitment made by Nelson Mandela to public service in making a better life for all.

COSATU Deputy General Secretary, Gerald Twala, graced the PEC with his presence. His address touched on the following:

• The state of the Federation in the country and the challenges faced by the working class.
• The political situation facing the country post the election and the need for the working class to unite.
• The inability of the current policy trajectory to change the living conditions of the working class and the poor.
• The challenges the government of national unity (GNU) will bring to the Federation and its members.
• The need to unite the federation.
• The need to strengthen the Joint Mandating Committee (JMC) and unite all public sector unions.
• The welcoming of the signing of the NHI bill into law and many other progressive laws that President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed recently.

The PEC received a report from the Provincial Office Bearers which touched on the following:

• The ailing state of the locals which need to be revived.
• The need for unity amongst the affiliates of COSATU and the leadership of the Federation.
• The need for capacity building in all the locals.
• The functionality of the task teams and the commissions of the Federation.
• The continued challenge on the non-submission of reports by affiliates and locals.
• The need for continued support to all affiliates in the province when they have activities.
• The continuation of the recruitment program through Red Fridays.
• The need to revive Gender and the Young Workers structures.
• The case management challenges at the CCMA due to inadequate funding.
• The political situation in the province.
• The assessment of the elections and the outcomes.
• The current state of the local government and the inability of ward councillors to serve their constituencies.
• The ailing state of the provincial economy .

The PEC resolved to:

• Adopt a dedicated program towards the revival of the locals and that there must be a capacity building program in all the locals.
• All affiliates will without fail submit their program and reports within the timeframes determined by the POBs.
• Develop a program towards the strengthening of the Gender and the Young Workers structures
• Reconstitute the commission and to make sure that all the task team are properly coordinated to perform duties they are constituted for.
• Convene an urgent secretariat to do the following:
• Reconstituted the commission of the province
• Develop an implementation plan for the decisions of the PEC
• Convene an extended joint political and socio-economic commissions to do the following:
• Make a thorough assessment of the political situation in the country with specific focus on the province.
• Draft a strategy towards the 2026 local government elections.
• Make an assessment of the presidential Opening of Parliament Address, State of the Province Address and all the departments’ budget speeches and make a determination on how are they intending to improve the lives of the people of the North West province

For more information please feel free to contact Provincial Secretary of COSATU North West, Kopano Konopi, 082 339 5836