SAFTU
SAFTU (South African Federation of Trade Unions) is a South African trade union federation established in 2017. The federation was formed following a split from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), primarily over political differences regarding the relationship with the African National Congress and the government. SAFTU positions itself as an independent, socialist-oriented labour federation committed to worker control and militant trade unionism. The federation comprises several major unions, including the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), which was expelled from Cosatu in 2014 and became a founding affiliate of SAFTU. SAFTU's mandate centres on defending workers' rights, fighting retrenchments, opposing privatisation and advocating for a living wage. The federation has been vocal in its criticism of government economic policy, neoliberalism and what it describes as the commodification of public services. SAFTU operates alongside other major federations in South Africa, including Cosatu, the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) and the National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu), and has positioned itself as a more radical alternative within the labour movement. The federation organises mass strikes and protests on issues ranging from labour law amendments to the cost of living. Since its formation, SAFTU has sought to build a working-class movement independent of political party control, though it maintains that workers should have their own political voice.
SAFTU Updates
Labour unions urge workers to shun anti-migrant protests 
By: Reuters 17th June 2026 South Africa's biggest labour unions on Wednesday urged workers not to participate in anti-immigrant protests that have seized the country, and... →
Foundation condemns ‘reckless’ national shutdown calls, warns of xenophobic anarchy
By: Thabi Shomolekae 12th June 2026 The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF) has strongly condemned recent calls for a "national shutdown", labelling the movement as "reckless" and warning... →
SAFTU NEC discussion paper the SACP “conference of the left”: Testing political clarity against practice
11th May 2026 The South African Communist Party has invited SAFTU and other formations to participate in a “Conference of the Left,” now postponed to 29–31 May... →
Gauteng Health should force security company to pay workers
6th January 2026 The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng is disappointed that the Gauteng Health Department has failed to act against a security company that has... →
‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’ is corporate gaslighting – the real change must come from the fossil fuel industry
20th October 2025 “Reduce, reuse, recycle.” For more than 50 years, those three Rs have been the world’s go-to environmental mantra. →
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