As South Africa faces deepening economic struggles, exacerbated by job losses, rolling blackouts, and the turbulent transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) says it remains resolute in its commitment to the working class.
The union's general-secretary, Irvin Jim, emphasises that 2024 was a year marked by devastating job losses, including 700 retrenchments at Toyota and 700 others in its value chain, amid broader de-industrialisation and rising unemployment.
The economic crisis is compounded by the country's ongoing political turmoil, with the ANC's failure to advance a revolutionary vision, leading to a precarious alliance with the DA and the continued implementation of failed neo-liberal policies, he said.
Jim underscores that Numsa has been ideologically consistent, warning of the consequences of these policies.
“Numsa continues to be ideologically correct because we are on record for consistently warning the governing party that these neo-liberal policies would fail to improve the lives of the majority of people.”
However, despite being proven right, the suffering of the masses remains, and Numsa's focus is now on practical, united action to reverse the course of South Africa’s economic and political decline.
Numsa's vision for 2025 is rooted in a clear and unwavering commitment to the working class and the need for a revolutionary political agenda.
The union calls for unity across all sectors of the working class, both organised and unorganised, as a means to tackle the nation’s crises.
This includes forging alliances with other trade unions such as Saftu, Cosatu, and Nactu, and engaging with political parties that represent the working class, such as the MK Party, EFF, SACP, UDM, and PAC, alongside a continuing partnership with the ANC, despite its dwindling support.
At the heart of Numsa’s vision is the push for a South Africa where economic policies prioritise industrialisation and manufacturing, leveraging the country’s rich mineral resources to drive technological development and ensure a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Jim stresses that Numsa believes a united, organised working class, acting in its own interests, cannot be defeated.
“With an organised united working class which is acting in its own interests, we cannot be defeated,” he said.
The union's agenda also focuses on political engagement, recognising that changes in the base of society must be reflected in the superstructure.
Jim calls for a political transformation that is deeply rooted in the National Democratic Revolution, aiming to break new ground in improving the lives of all South Africans, especially women and children.
“It is about time, as decent human beings, that we break new ground in changing the lives of our people,” he declared.
Numsa said it also stands firm in its global solidarity, advocating for an end to wars and promoting peace, with specific attention to conflicts in Sudan, Congo, Ukraine, Palestine, and Lebanon.
IOL Politics