Deputy Minister Jomo Sibiya: Solidarity 13th Congress of South African Municipal Workers' Union

Programme Director
President and Leadership of SAMWU Leaders of organised labour
Alliance partners
Delegates to this historic Congress Comrades and Friends

It is a great honour to address this gathering of workers and leaders of the South African Municipal Workers' Union, an organisation that continues to play an important role in defending the rights and dignity of municipal workers across our country.

Allow me to convey revolutionary greetings from the Department of Employment and Labour and from government as a whole.

Congress gatherings such as this are not simply administrative events. They are democratic spaces of worker power, where workers collectively reflect on their struggles, renew their mandates and strengthen their organisation for the battles that still lie ahead.

SAMWU has historically been at the forefront of defending the interests of municipal workers who perform one of the most critical functions in our society, ensuring that basic services reach communities.

The work performed by municipal workers is not ordinary work. It is work that sustains human dignity and community life.

When water flows in our homes, when refuse is removed from our streets, when sanitation systems function, and when electricity powers our cities and towns, it is municipal workers who make this possible.

Yet we know that the workers who perform these essential services often do so under difficult conditions, sometimes facing resource constraints, governance challenges and pressures within the local government environment.

This is why strong and principled trade unions remain indispensable. The labour movement in South Africa has always been more than a defender of workplace rights. It has been a central pillar in the broader struggle for democracy, equality and social justice.

Today our country faces new challenges that require renewed unity and strategic leadership from the labour movement.

Unemployment remains one of the greatest threats to the dignity of our people, particularly our youth. Economic inequality continues to divide our society. At the same time, our municipalities must confront issues of governance, capacity and sustainability in order to deliver services effectively.

These realities call for renewed cooperation between government, organised labour and other social partners.

The Department of Employment and Labour remains committed to working with organised labour to strengthen labour protections, improve compliance with labour laws, expand employment opportunities and build a labour market that promotes fairness and dignity for all workers.

As you gather in this Congress to reflect on your journey and chart the path forward, we trust that your deliberations will strengthen the unity of workers and reinforce the important role that SAMWU continues to play in advancing the interests of municipal workers and the communities they serve.

On behalf of the Department of Employment and Labour, we wish the SAMWU 13th National Congress successful deliberations and strong outcomes that will strengthen the labour movement and contribute to building a more just and equitable South Africa.

I thank you.​

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