The National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) was born out of a merger of 7 unions in 1987. It organizes in metal, engineering, steel, auto parts,auto assembly, tire manufacturing and now in mining, construction, chemical andtransport. In order to survive apartheid repression the union relied heavily on strongshop floor organization and an extensive network of shop stewards in its organizedcompanies.

At the height of the state of emergency in the ’90’s during numerous trade union strikes in the metal industry and political upheavals in the townships, the union pioneered the first meetings bringing students and community organizations together with local shop stewards’ councils to plan joint political strikes.

NUMSA believes in non-racialism, democracy and worker control, unity of metalworkers and all workers in South Africa and internationally, organized andunited working class and a society without exploitation.

“You must be vigilant. How many times has a labour movement supported a liberation movement only to find itself betrayed on the day of liberation? There are many examples of this in Africa. If theANC does not deliver the goods, you must do to it what you did to theapartheid regime.”

Nelson Mandela, at a COSATU Special Congress in 1993

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1990 – Nelson Mandela released. First speeches affirm the Freedom Charter of 1955 which states “people will share in the country’s wealth... mineral wealth… banks andmonopoly industry shall be transferred to the ownership of the people.”

Early 1990s – political organizations unbanned. African National Congress (ANC), Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party(SACP) form an Alliance to lead a “national democratic revolution” for a democratic andnon-racial South Africa. A two-stage theory of building socialism prevails.

1994 – ANC wins resounding majority in first national elections and adopts a Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP) committed to “growth, development, reconstruction, redistribution and reconciliation”. There are huge expectations of what the ANC in powerwould bring to workers and the poor.

1996 – ANC adopts neo-liberal macro-economic policies through Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) with strong push for privatization and redistributive measures trustedto the market.

2000 - 2014 – turbulence within the Alliance as ANC government embraces neo-liberalism more strongly and becomes more openly corrupt. NUMSA regularly leads voices of dissent.

2008 - 2014 – South Africa dubbed “protest capital of the world” More than 2 million people involved in street actions since 2008 protesting everything from lack of housing andbasic services to police violence, unemployment and government corruption.

2012 – Marikana massacre – South African police open fire on striking platinum miners, killing 34 workers. ANC and trade union leaders react with more concern about shakinginvestor confidence than about workers living in hovels without a living wage.

2013 – Nkandla scandal highlights ANC corruption with President Jacob Zuma spending $20 m of state funds on a palatial residential compound.

2013 December 5 – Death of Nelson Mandela. President Jacob Zuma is booed during commemorations.

2013 December 16 - 20 – National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) Special Congress and call to break with the Alliance.

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NUMSA brought 170 stewards together for a week-long political school in late January to strategize on how to implement the Special Congressdecisions at regional level. Building a new united front against neo-liberal-ism was high on the list. There were constant reminders from NUMSAleaders that a united front could not be built from the top down. “It willemerge from common struggles in the trenches”. “NUMSA does not haveall the answers”.

The school culminated with a “Resistance Expo” on the Saturday. More than 100 community activists from 13 sectors – housing, immigration, LGBTI, health care, women and gender – converged on the school to share their strategies for resistance to neo-liberalism. The first steps in building a new united front have now been taken.

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IIssssuuee

1. Tri-partite Alliance(ANC/COSATU/SACP)

DDeecciissiioonn

a) Call on Congress of South African Trade Unions(COSATU) to break its Alliance with the AfricanNational Congress (ANC) and the South AfricanCommunist Party (SACP)

b) Establish a new united front that will coordinate struggles in the workplace and communities in a waysimilar to the United Democratic Front (UDF) of the1980’s. NUMSA members and shop stewards must beactive in all struggles against neo-liberal policies from.service delivery and housing to unemployment andpolice violence

c) Explore the establishment of a movement for socialismthrough research on previous and ongoing attempts tobuild socialism, and an international study on workingclass parties, mass and vanguard, in different countriessuch as Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia and Greece. Convenea conference on socialism once all the above is complete

2. ANCAdoption of neo-liberalpath and misappropria-tion of state funds

a) Call for resignation of President Jacob Zuma

3. COSATU Facing the challenges ofneo-liberalism

a) Continuously engage other COSATU affiliates to winthem to our view of building an independent, militantand campaigning COSATU

IIssssuuee

4. 2014 national elections

DDeecciissiioonn

a) NUMSA shall endorse no political party in the 2014 governmental elections

b) NUMSA members have the right to vote for the politicalparty of their choice

c) NUMSA shall not support the ANC or any other partyfinancially or in terms of releasing personnel

5. Positioning NUMSAas the spear and shieldof workers

a) Combat out-sourcing of “none-core functions” and labourbrokers by organizing along value chains

b) Broaden scope of operations to include related sectorsand all workers wanting an effective union

c) Adopt a Service Charter to defend members during thisperiod of intensified struggles