ZINGISWA Losi has been re-elected unopposed as COSATU president at the labour federation’s 14th national congress.
Other leaders elected include first Deputy President Mike Shingange, and second Deputy President Duncan Luvuno.
Freda Oosthuizen was elected Treasurer while Solly Phetoe was overwhelmingly elected General Secretary, and Gerald Thwala as his Deputy.
Losi was first elected in 2018.
During her closing address, Losi said the natioal congress has reaffirmed that COSATU remains ‘battle ready and ideologically clear’ as workers face the greatest challenges of this generation.
“We cannot normalise a 44% unemployment rate, rising levels of poverty and inequality. We will no longer tolerate municipal workers being sent home unpaid,” said Losi.
“No employer, be it government, SOEs or the private sector will be allowed to undermine collective bargaining without facing the wrath of workers, our Affiliates and COSATU. Let this warning be heard loud and clear.”
She added that government must return to the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) and honour the last leg of the 2018 public service wage agreement.
The government reneged on its agreed wage increase for 2020 when it froze salaries in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Government workers received no increase in 2020 and a small 1.5% bump in 2021.
The government initially offered 1.5% again in 2022, before unions negotiated it up to 3% in the latest round of talks.
“Workers will not forgive government until this cancerous tumour is removed from the history of collective bargaining,” said Losi.
“COSATU remains resolute in support of Affiliates, both public and private, in defence
of collective bargaining and the right to earn a living wage.”
Losi said COSATU will provide clear proposals on what must be done to rebuild Eskom.
She said will also oppose any move to privatise the beleaguered power utility Eskom as it struggles to generate power, avoid outages and repay nearly R400 billion of debt.
“COSATU will redouble its efforts to ensure the implementation of the Eskom Social Compact in full. Government must give the necessary support to Eskom to slash its debt burden, ramp up maintenance and invest in its own generation capacity,” said Losi.
“COSATU with NUM will continue to work relentlessly to defend Eskom as a publicly owned utility, to ensure reliable, sustainable and affordable energy and a Just Energy Transition that will leave no coal worker, no Eskom employee, no community behind.”
Losi’s bid for the presidency was earlier threatened with some confusion about which union she belongs to, with both Popcru and Satawu claiming her as their own.
POPCRU has since confirmed Losi is a registered member of the police union.
Losi joined the POPCRU despite never being a member of the police or a prison official.
Losi, who became the first woman to lead the trade union in 2018, cut her teeth in politics while she was still studying when she became a member of the Congress of South African Students.
She also served in the ANC Youth League structures in the Eastern Cape and in the South African Defence Force for three years.
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