SACP Statement on the 79th Anniversary of the World Federation of Trade Unions

Thursday, 3 October 2024

The South African Communist Party (SACP) joins the working-class across the world in celebrating the 79th anniversary of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

Since its founding in its First World Trade Union Congress in Paris from 3 to 8 October 1945, the WFTU rooted itself in revolutionary working-class internationalism and never abandoned these roots.

The WFTU continues to march along those lines in the era when working-class internationalism is demanded more than ever, with imperialism threatening the lives of the workers and poor, not least in Palestine, Lebanon, among others, with continued genocidal bombardments led by the imperialist-backed apartheid Israeli settler regime.

The SACP supports the International Day of Action as declared by the WFTU, and amplifies the call for class-oriented and militant trade unions all over the world to honour the WFTU’s 79th founding anniversary by organising mass and militant activities in the next five days and beyond under the slogan “We Demand Dignified Working and Living Conditions”, and champion the following demands:

Significant wage increases – while intensifying the struggle to end the system of economic exploitation and its consequent forms of domination and oppression.

Stable work with full rights

35 hours of work per week, seven hours of work per day

Health and safety in all workplaces

Public and universal systems of healthcare, education and comprehensive social security

Quality working and living environment

National strike action

In taking the above demands forward, the SACP will participate in the Section 77 nationwide strike action on 7 October 2024 led by the Congress of South African Trade Unions, Cosatu, aimed at defending and advancing the right of all work, under decent conditions, and the struggle of workers against economic exploitation. The SACP calls for unity of workers across union and federation affiliation in support of this action and other working-class demands within and beyond this action.

Red October Campaign 2024–2025

On Sunday, 6 October 2024, the SACP will launch the Red October Campaign 2024–2025 under the theme, “Tackle the cost-of-living crisis. Implement the NHI now”, underpinned by the theme “Together, let’s forge a popular left front and build a powerful, socialist movement of the workers and poor”.

The SACP invites the media to cover this event, which will take place from 10AM at eMalahleni Civic Centre, in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga Province. Solly Mapaila, the SACP General Secretary, will deliver the launching statement. 

Working-class protest action targeting the tabling of the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement

After the Cosatu-led action, the SACP will focus on the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement through protest action when it is tabled in Parliament. These are among the SACP’s public campaigns against neo-liberalism, including austerity, in our policy space.

These and other working-class campaigns are key in taking forward working-class struggle, which is both national and international. Through these and other campaigns, we seek to resolve the multiple crises of unemployment, poverty, inequality and social reproduction, overcome uneven development and empower the masses in economic terms.

Issued by the South African Communist Party,

Founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa.

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Dr Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, Central Committee Member

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