JOHANNESBURG - Delegates are gathering in Midrand, Johannesburg, for COSATU’s 15th National Congress, where the trade union federation is expected to elect a new leadership.
The congress will be held from 14 to 17 September. At least 1,800 delegates from various affiliated trade unions are expected to gather at the venue.
The conference comes at a challenging time for workers, with the rapid adoption of new technologies putting jobs and livelihoods under increasing pressure.
Several companies have announced retrenchments and restructuring, while households continue to grapple with a rising cost of living.
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Political strategy is also expected to dominate the conference, particularly the question of who COSATU will support ahead of this year’s local government elections.
The issue comes as tensions within the Tripartite Alliance continue to surface.
The SACP has announced that it will contest the local government elections independently, rather than relying on the traditional alliance arrangement.
COSATU has called for an Alliance Political Council meeting, bringing together the ANC, SACP and the federation to find a way forward on the elections without undermining the Tripartite Alliance.
But so far, the federation has been unable to get all three alliance partners around the same table.
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