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The Congress of South African Trade Unions wishes its affiliate the South African Democratic Workers Union a successful 09th National Congress. The 09th National Congress of SADTU is currently taking place in Nasrec Johannesburg. SADTU is joining a list of COSATU unions that are consolidating the federation’s founding principles of democracy and worker control.

The Federation acknowledges the honesty, integrity and collective leadership of the current SADTU leadership that has worked hard to build genuine unity and cohesion in the union despite some serious offensive from some rightwing organisations.

This congress is taking place at a time of a heightened offensive against the workers and working class in general at an international and national level. Sometimes the representatives of these offensive camouflages with left-wing rhetoric and yet their thinking and conduct expose their fundamental character as being right-wing. We are in an age where there is centralization and concentration of capital and wealth in the hands of a few and we hope the delegates on this congress will answer some of the most urgent questions facing the working class.

The health and safety of our members are deteriorating in many workplaces and the era of mechanisation, automation and digitisation is posing serious challenges to our job security and also our education system.

SADTU is well placed to answer these questions but we also expect the union to grapple with the scourge of women abuse and gender-based violence that has engulfed this country.

Women are not just abused and killed but they continue to be discriminated against both in society and in the workplace, the workplace environment is constantly characterised by gender and economic discrimination, women workers conditions are least protected, economic and maternity protection remains a matter of concern. When women drop out of the labour force to bearing and raising children, they typically suffer consequences in terms of career progression and retirement/social security benefits and loose out more on their year’s earnings.COSATU expects all its unions and members to prioritise the fight against patriarchy and women exploitation.

We wish all the delegates productive discussions and hope they will continue the union’s tradition of innovative and discerning analysis of issues facing the labour movement and our education system.

We wish SADTU a successful congress and productive session of a workers parliament.

Long Live SADTU! Long Live!

Issued by COSATU