SAFTU

  Brazilian workers, Indigenous Peoples, landless families and all those who have struggled for dignity and social justice must come out in their millions to defend the gains won through years of struggle. Lula da Silva’s first two terms showed that government action can improve the lives of working people. Between 2003 and 2010, Brazil’s minimum wage rose substantially in real terms and more than 15 million formal jobs were created. Bolsa Família extended income support to millions of poor families, helping reduce poverty. His governments also advanced the recognition of Indigenous territories and measures to support landless families. These achievements did not end inequality or complete the struggle for land and justice, but they changed lives and gave millions greater security and opportunity. Under Lula’s current government, Brazil has restored a policy of real increases to the minimum wage. It rose to R$1,518 in 2025, including a 2.5% increase above inflation, and to R$1,621 ...

  Photo: SABC The Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) continues to impose neoliberalism and austerity on a society already being torn apart by unemployment, poverty and inequality. These policies reinforce the same economic structure that has driven deindustrialisation, a bloodbath of job losses and persistently low growth. They shrink the public resources needed to meet social needs, while leaving the concentration of wealth and economic power largely untouched. The result is a deepening crisis for workers and poor communities. More people are pushed into unemployment and poverty while public services deteriorate and the cost of survival rises. This is not a path to inclusive growth. It is a continuation of policies that protect the interests of capital while workers and the poor carry the burden. The Minister forecasts economic growth of just 1.2% in 2026, rising to 1.6% in 2027 and around 2% by 2029. These figures confirm that the economy remains trapped in low growth. Y...

The South African Federation of Trade Unions strongly condemns the City of Ekurhuleni’s plan to procure up to 2,400 MW of electricity from independent power producers (IPPs). At a time when Eskom remains the backbone of South Africa’s electricity system, this is a reckless choice that risks further weakening our public utility and accelerating the privatisation of electricity. Ekurhuleni cannot claim to be strengthening electricity security while diverting a major portion of its demand and revenue away from Eskom. If municipalities and large customers are encouraged to leave the public utility, Eskom is left with a shrinking customer base, mounting costs and fewer resources to maintain and improve the system. Those costs will not simply disappear. They will be passed on to the public through higher tariffs and deteriorating services. The crisis at Eskom was not created by public ownership. It was caused by years of political interference, corruption, mismanagement and the failure to in...

  MEDIA STATEMENT  19 OCTOBER 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to lift the precautionary suspension of National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, allowing him to return to duty. This development comes at a critical time when South Africa urgently needs stable, effective and accountable leadership at the helm of the South African Police Service (SAPS). SAFTU hopes that General Masemola’s return will contribute towards restoring public trust and confidence in the police service at a time when communities are gripped by violent crime, organised criminal networks, corruption and the growing threat of criminal infiltration of state institutions. The withdrawal of criminal charges against General Masemola, following the National Director of Public Prosecutions’ conclusion that there were no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution, represents a significant developmen...

  MEDIA STATEMENT  19 OCTOBER 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to lift the precautionary suspension of National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, allowing him to return to duty. This development comes at a critical time when South Africa urgently needs stable, effective and accountable leadership at the helm of the South African Police Service (SAPS). SAFTU hopes that General Masemola’s return will contribute towards restoring public trust and confidence in the police service at a time when communities are gripped by violent crime, organised criminal networks, corruption and the growing threat of criminal infiltration of state institutions. The withdrawal of criminal charges against General Masemola, following the National Director of Public Prosecutions’ conclusion that there were no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution, represents a significant developmen...

 MEDIA STATEMENT  19 OCTOBER 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  The latest PwC report lays bare the priorities of South African capitalism. Median total remuneration for CEOs in the JSE Top 200 rose by 9% to R23,191,000 in 2026. The increase was driven by incentives: median short-term incentive outcomes rose by 42%, and long-term incentive outcomes by 67%. Median guaranteed pay rose by 6% to R8,814,000. These figures cover the year to 28 February 2026.  This is not simply a debate about a CEO’s salary. It is about a system that increasingly rewards executives through bonuses and incentives while denying workers whose labour creates the wealth an equivalent share when companies perform well. Workers are told there is no money for better wages, secure jobs or decent conditions. But when profits and share prices rise, executive incentive packages grow. Marx described the result as the accumulation of wealth at one pole and misery at the other. That remains a fitting descriptio...