C4. Radical Labor

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, nurses and health care professionals at Santa Paula Hospital and Ventura County Medical Center will protest county leaders’ decision to reduce life-saving health care options in the Santa Clara River Valley.

RNs at two Prime Healthcare hospitals in Nevada and California and nurses and health care workers at a Prime facility in California gave notice that they will hold a sympathy strike for one day on September 15 in solidarity with striking nurses at Olympia Fields Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Nurses at another Chicago hospital and at a hospital in Lewiston, Maine, will hold informational pickets in solidarity with Olympia Fields RNs on the same day.

Nurses at Olympia Fields Hospital in Olympia Fields, Illinois, gave notice to Prime Healthcare today that they will hold a strike for one day on September 15 to protest the administration’s retaliation against nurses who speak up and fight for their patients.

In gross violation of national labor laws, Prime Healthcare over the past week has retaliated against registered nurses for speaking up and fighting for their patients at two of its Chicago-area hospitals, suspending six nurses at Olympia Fields Hospital in Olympia Fields, Ill. and one nurse at Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, Ill.

Nurses at West Anaheim Medical Center in Anaheim, Calif.; Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, N.V.; Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago, Ill.; and nurses and health care workers at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif. will hold one-day strikes starting Thursday morning, Sept. 3, to protest the administration’s refusal to address deep concerns about patient care and safe staffing

Here’s a quick update with breaking news: Prime Olympia Fields management is breaking the law — egregiously suspending nurses for organizing to protect our patients.

Nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital (WCH) in Watsonville, California, will hold a rally on Monday, Aug. 31, to protest the Watsonville Community Hospital Administration and Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board of Supervisor’s closure of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) services.

Nurses at Kaiser Permanente facilities across the state of California will hold informational pickets on Sept. 1 to protest the Kaiser management’s refusal to address RNs’ deep concerns about safe staffing and AI protections.

Hundreds of registered nurses – joined by patients and community allies – mobilized to demand hospitals and elected officials immediately cut ties with artificial intelligence giant Palantir. The nurses stopped traffic in an act of civil disobedience in eight cities: Palo Alto, Calif.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Chicago, Ill.; Washington, D.C.; Portland, Maine; Asheville, N.C.; Austin, Texas; and New Orleans, La.

The new rules shut more migrants out of basic financial and health supports. Here is who is affected, why it matters and why we need to speak up.

What are Ontario Works and ODSP?

In Ontario, financial support is available to some people who need help paying for basic needs.

Ontario Works (OW) supports people with little or no income. The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) supports low-income people who meet the program’s disability requirements.

These programs are already small and exclusionary. A single person on Ontario Works receives only $733 per month – nowhere near enough to pay rent, buy groceries and meet basic needs.

That amount has been frozen for eight years.

What did Ford change on August 13?

On August 13, 2026 the Ford government changed Ontario’s OW and ODSP regulations to explicitly exclude people based on their immigration status.

The new rules say that people are not eligible if they:

• do not have authorization to remain in Canada; or
• are only authorized to remain temporarily, including people on work and study permits,

unless they fall within specific exceptions, including having made a refugee claim or certain applications for permanent residence.

The same new exclusion was added to ODSP.

The government also removed an existing protection for some people with enforceable removal orders who cannot leave Canada for reasons completely beyond their control.

The new rules Immigration situationBefore August 13: what the regulations saidSince August 13: what the regulations sayRefugee claimantsCould qualify for ODSP and OW. No change – remain eligible if they meet the other OW/ODSP requirementsPeople who have applied for permanent residenceCould qualify for ODSP and OW. No change – remain eligible if they meet the other OW/ODSP requirements.Migrant workers, international students and other work permit holdersThe regulations did not explicitly say that everyone with temporary status was ineligible. They excluded people categorized as “visitors” and “tourists”.Now explicitly excluded.Undocumented people without an enforceable removal orderCould qualify for ODSP and OW. Now explicitly excluded. People with an enforceable removal order who cannot leave Canada for reasons completely beyond their controlCould qualify for ODSP and OW. Now explicitly excluded.People with an enforceable removal order who have made an H&C application for permanent residenceCould qualify for ODSP and OW. No change – remain eligible if they meet the other OW/ODSP requirements.

Before August 13, the regulations excluded “visitors” and “tourists,” but neither term was defined in the legislation or regulation. 

The Ford government has now removed those words and replaced them with much broader language explicitly covering temporary immigration status and lack of immigration status.

Were migrants receiving OW and ODSP?

Ontario had a longstanding unjust practice of caseworkers treating many people with work and study permits as “visitors.” As a result, many migrants were often denied OW or ODSP. Those who could, challenged those decisions at the Social Benefits Tribunal.

The regulations did not previously say that every person with temporary immigration status, or every person without immigration status, was automatically excluded, so hearings at the Tribunal were often successful. 

The Ministry describes this as a “clarification” of its longstanding policy. But what it has actually done is put a much broader immigration-status exclusion directly into Ontario law.

Who will this hurt?

These rules affect people who may have lived, worked and paid taxes in Ontario for years and then suddenly need help because of illness, unemployment, abuse or another crisis.

Patel: Patel is a 40-year-old man who came to Canada from Bangladesh after fleeing persecution because of his bisexuality. His immigration applications were denied, but he was afraid to return. He was later diagnosed with liver failure and cirrhosis. Because of his serious health condition, Canada cannot remove him. ODSP provides him with essential financial and medical support. Ford has now removed that protection. People in Patel’s situation can now be denied the basic financial and health supports they need to survive.

John: John is a 30-year-old seasonal agricultural worker from Jamaica who has been coming to Canada every year since 2020 to grow and harvest our food. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2024. He could not work while receiving chemotherapy and temporarily relied on Ontario Works.  Today, John is in remission and back at work. Under Ford’s new regulation, most workers in John’s immigration situation are now explicitly excluded from Ontario Works.

Vanessa: Vanessa is a mother from Jamaica who worked as a home support worker caring for elderly people. During the pandemic, she fled abuse from her ex-partner with her children and entered the shelter system. After losing her job, she temporarily relied on Ontario Works while looking for work and child care. Her family later became permanent residents and she returned to care work. Under the new regulations, migrant women on temporary status in similar situations can be explicitly denied basic financial support while trying to escape violence or survive a crisis.

Why is the Ford government doing this?

Meanwhile, Ontario’s Auditor General found that the Ford government spent a record $111.9 million on government advertising in 2024–25. Six of its ten largest advertising campaigns would not have passed Ontario’s former, stricter rules against partisan government advertising.

And while poor people and migrants struggle to pay rent and buy food, Premier Ford used taxpayer money to buy a $28.9 million dollar jet for his own private use. Members of Ford’s government have spent hundreds of thousands of public dollars on hotel rooms and fancy dinners. 

The government announced these changes after media attention around a Social Benefits Tribunal case involving a man who had lived and worked in Canada for decades before losing his home. He challenged the denial of social assistance and won. Ford responded by changing the regulations.

No one should be denied food, housing, medicine or the means to survive because of the immigration documents they have or do not have.

At a time when rent and food prices are soaring and decent jobs are harder to find, blaming migrants will not make anyone’s life more affordable.

Taking $733 a month away from someone with cancer, someone escaping violence or someone who has lost their job will not lower the rent, raise wages or fix health care.

These changes are another attempt to pit migrants and poor people against each other while those responsible for the affordability crisis escape responsibility.

We must reject divide-and-rule and speak up together.

I’m a migrant and I’m worried. Where can I get support?

Migrant Workers Alliance for Change is a group of current and former migrants. We come together to support each other and push back against unfair rules and laws like these.

If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, we offer free, confidential, in-person Migrant Support Clinics every second Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

You can share what is happening and work with other migrants to understand your options and find solutions.

Fill out our form to sign up.

Can’t come in person? Fill out the form anyway and we will get back to you.

The post Ford just changed who can get Ontario Works and ODSP. first appeared on Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.

The post Ford just changed who can get Ontario Works and ODSP. appeared first on Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.

On Thursday, Aug. 27, registered nurses – joined by patients and community allies  – will be mobilizing nationwide to demand hospitals and elected officials immediately cut ties with the artificial intelligence giant Palantir. The nurses belong to National Nurses United, which has opposed Palantir’s growth as a dangerous threat to democracy and human rights.

Registered nurses at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Stockton, Calif., will hold a rally and press conference on Wednesday, Aug. 26, to condemn proposed layoffs of critical support staff,

Nurses at West Anaheim Medical Center in Anaheim, Calif.; Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, N.V.; Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago, Ill.; and nurses and health care workers at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif. gave notice to their employer Prime Healthcare that they will hold one-day strikes from Sept. 3 to Sept. 4 to protest the administration’s refusal to address deep concerns about patient care and safe staffing.

Nurses at West Anaheim Medical Center in Anaheim, Calif.; Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, N.V.; Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago, Ill.; and nurses and health care workers at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif. gave notice to their employer Prime Healthcare that they will hold one-day strikes from Sept. 3 to Sept. 4 to protest the administration’s refusal to address deep concerns about patient care and safe staffing.

Registered nurses at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, Calif. will hold an informational picket on Monday, Aug. 24, to condemn the layoffs of critical support staff, which will jeopardize patient care.

Registered nurses with Contra Costa County Health Services voted 95 percent in favor of ratifying a new contract, winning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention.

NUMSA Press Statement

13 August 2026

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) rejects the comments made by Professor Anton Eberhard whom NUMSA regards through his conduct as nothing less than a hired “World Bank Inkabi” who has decided to unleash a series of attacks against the Eskom leadership, with a brazen focused attack targeting for liquidating the Eskom Board Chairperson Mr. Mteto Nyati.

The above message from his X account represents absolute levels of arrogance that we have observed over time.

We want to state publicly as NUMSA that we are dismayed and disgusted that Anton Eberhard can think he is entitled to fire the Eskom Board Chairperson through a post on X. This explains how he thinks his proximity to the Presidency and National Treasury entitles him to hire and fire Eskom board leadership.

NUMSA does not take light the fact that there seems to be a coordinated attack by the self-appointed Anton Eberhard to advance a capitalist right-wing, backward World Bank agenda to steal Eskom assets in broad daylight.

This is a joint collaborated effort by both the World Bank and President Cyril Ramaphosa. It is not a coincidence that both Anton Eberhard and Vincent Magwenya, the Presidential Spokesperson, have become partners in crime in attacking the Chairperson of Eskom, Mr. Mteto Nyati.

The mischievous and dishonest statement from the Presidential Spokesperson not only demonstrates how shallow and deceitful he is in trying to muzzle the Chairperson of Eskom, but also undermines the Chairperson’s attempts to exercise his fiduciary duties.

The Eskom board has been firmly mandated by the people of South Africa to run Eskom as a public utility that consistently acts in the public interest. This remote-controlled Spokesperson of the President attacks the Eskom Chairperson’s correct and well-articulated defence of public assets.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and the World Bank are attempting—in broad daylight and without any logical financial justification—to strip these assets from public ownership. They are throwing them like a javelin into the private hands of hyenas ready to feed their greed for maximisation of profits, stealing these assets under the guise of a so-called state-owned transmission system operator.

Our message to him and the Presidency is: Hands off our people’s assets and hands off our Eskom Board Chairperson Mteto Nyati!

Below is the attack unleashed by the Spokesperson in the Presidency, which NUMSA rejects with the contempt it deserves.

“It is unfortunate that Mr Nyati creates an impression as if there’s a process that’s underway without the inclusion of Eskom and at the detriment of Eskom,” Magwenya said. “All of Eskom’s concerns are well known and have been thoroughly discussed in government and with Eskom.”

This statement from Vincent Magwenya is a lie! It is nothing less than pulling the wool over the eyes of the public. The core argument of the Eskom Board Chairperson—which NUMSA fully supports—is a responsible and honest position: Eskom has received loans backed by its assets, and the value of those assets stands as security.

By speaking on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa and attempting to muzzle the Eskom Chairperson, Anton Eberhard and Magwenya are trying hard to conceal the recklessness of their decision. This is a fraudulent and illegal attempt to transfer Eskom assets into private hands for their own selfish ends.

NUMSA rejects this as we remain firm that Eskom must remain a public utility in the hands of the people to play its strategic role of continuously delivering a competitive electricity tariff to power the South African economy and our communities.

We reject their reckless attempt to loot Eskom’s assets and strip them away for no valid reason other than the selfish greed of satisfying private interests over the public good.

NUMSA is making a clarion call to everybody who cares and has a conscience to reject this tampering and attempt to move Eskom assets away from Eskom. These assets belong to Eskom and Eskom is the property of the people! They are not the private property of Eberhard, President Cyril Ramaphosa or the World Bank!

This dirty agenda and decision to steal and move Eskom assets has extremely serious consequences for Eskom’s financial future.

Firstly, it implies that Eskom may be forced to impair critical assets on its balance sheet.

Secondly, such impairments could trigger severe financial consequences for the utility, including potential credit and financing risks.

In essence, Eskom stands to lose cumulative revenue of approximately R342 billion over three years, based on the NERSA Multi-Year Price Determination for 2025-2028. In addition to this, the transfer of transmission assets would remove roughly R420 billion in regulated asset base from Eskom.

This will create enormous challenges for Eskom’s ability to meet its financial obligations and maintain long-term sustainability. On the segmentation report, transmission business generated almost R100bn in revenue for Eskom in the last financial year and made a profit of R27bn.

It is the duty and responsibility of the Eskom Board led by the Eskom Chairperson Mteto Nyati to defend Eskom assets and say NO to this open attempted coup to move Eskom assets to where they do not belong.

NUMSA will not stand on the sideline. We are calling on our members and the public at large to tell President Cyril Ramaphosa and the World Bank: Hands Off Eskom assets!

The consequences of such a decision will see the people of South Africa paying not less than R84 billion. NUMSA will do everything at our disposal to resist and fight back this open stealing of Eskom Assets.

We will deploy mass action which our members, Eskom and the public at large must lead. We will unleash legal action to protect Eskom assets from these desperate hyenas like Anton Eberhard.

Their attacks escalated last week and this week when Professor Anton Eberhard, completely unprovoked, called for the removal of the Eskom Board Chairperson. He was targeted simply for exercising his board fiduciary duty—a duty that essentially requires the accounting authority to exercise utmost care in ensuring the reasonable protection of Eskom’s assets.

This obligation is also explicitly reflected in the terms of reference for the Eskom Restructuring Task Team, which require the task team to:

“Ensure that, following the restructuring, Eskom is not worse off than its current financial position, and that the TSO is financially sustainable.”

Eskom’s vigilant leadership, led by Mteto Nyati and Dan Marokane, would have done an extensive study on the implications of transferring these transmission assets to the new transmission system operator.

This study indicates that this transfer of assets would have serious negative implications on Eskom’s financial sustainability. Furthermore, retaining these assets in the Eskom Group will further assist Eskom in seeking funding for future projects and for Eskom’s future sustainability which is an inherent duty of Eskom leadership as well as the board.

Such a task cannot be outsourced to Anton Eberhard and his cronies in furthering the aims of the World Bank, who do not want to see any success of assets that are owned and controlled by the public.

Under these circumstances, the suggestion by Anton Eberhard that Mr. Mteto is not assisting Eskom to align with the structural reforms is malicious and has no basis.

As NUMSA, we can no longer be fooled that he is advancing academic views from the University of Cape Town about the future of energy of our country.

We know these johnny-come-late individuals, such as the likes of Anton Eberhard, have become arrogant in their capitalist mission and agenda to liquidate Eskom. We have always known they have positioned themselves for their selfish interest of privatising our country’s energy provision.

Their sole interest is to hand over Eskom ownership and control to the private sector and its profit motive interest, against the peoples view that Eskom must remain a public utility and the electricity must be maintained as a public good.

NUMSA wants to remind the people of South Africa that individuals such as Professor Anton Eberhard have a dreadful, right-wing track record of consistently championing the privatisation of Eskom.

He participated in the 1998 and 2003 White Papers on Energy Policy and Renewable Energy, as well as the Electricity Regulation Act, which paved the way for the entry of Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

It is no secret that these very same pro-privatisation demagogues have been doing work for the World Bank. Therefore, we have every reason to believe that Anton Eberhard is nothing more than a rented lackey of the World Bank.

This individual has developed the guts to attack the Eskom leadership which has been doing extremely good work of moving Eskom away from loadshedding.

It was them who were the corner men of former Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter. It is their ideas that collapsed Eskom’s quality maintenance of power stations to be below the 75% energy availability factor, which is critical for the reliability of supply to keep the lights on.

Clearly their arrogance is driven by their proximity to the presidency of Cyril Ramaphosa and National Treasury through their DG. We reject this cheap capitalist manipulation with the contempt it deserves!

Their arguments and the agenda they continue to pursue represent nothing except to manipulate public opinion as if such a decision of breaking up Eskom into three separate entities has the interest of the people at heart.

In essence it is a proxy argument to represent the interest of the private sector in the form of Independent Transmission Projects.

NUMSA wants to be on record that the Eskom board under the leadership of Mr. Mteto has successfully turned around Eskom achieving impressive operational and financial performance.

Under his tenure of leadership, we have now achieved 453 days without loadshedding compared to the disastrous era of Andre De Ruyter, supported by Anton Eberhard who subjected the country to 329 days of loadshedding within a single financial year.

Eskom recorded an after-tax profit of R16 billion for the 2025 financial year—its first full-year profit in eight years—followed by an unaudited profit of R24.3 billion in the first six months of FY2026.

Against this incredible success, why would anyone call for the Eskom board Chairperson to go?

It goes without saying that individuals such as Anton Eberhard are desperate soldiers of fortune who are deeply hurt by what has been successfully achieved by Eskom over the past two financial years.

Their mission is nothing but to act as agent provocateurs who are working 24/7 to set systems that will ensure that the Eskom that has been successful under Mteto is destroyed and its ownership and control as a business is handed over to his capitalist class, the private sector.

As NUMSA, we are clear that we reject this desperate attempt by “World Bank Inkabi” Professor Anton Eberhard to call for Mr. Mteto to go.

NUMSA, as a union that is organising workers at Eskom remains in full support of the current Eskom board led by Mr Mteto Nyathi and executive led by Mr Dan Marokane.

Hands off Eskom Leadership, Hands off!!!

Issued by:

Irvin Jim
NUMSA General Secretary
073 157 6384

For more information, please contact:

Mbali Ngwenda
NUMSA Media & Communications
mbalin@numsa.org.za
078 458 0617

For more information:

NUMSA Head Office: 011 689 1700

NUMSA Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NumsaSocial

NUMSA Twitter account: @Numsa_Media

NUMSA Website: https://numsa.org.za/

PDF DOWNLOAD: NUMSA Press Statement in Defence of Eskom Board Chairperson – Mr. Mteto Nyati

NUMSA Press Statement

6 August 2026

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) is proud to announce that, after good-faith collective bargaining, we have concluded a new wage agreement with Wonderfontein Mine (Pty) Ltd for the period 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026. The agreement was signed on 5 August 2026 and covers all employees in the bargaining unit (Paterson grades B1 to C5).

A key economic gain for workers includes, an across-the-board wage increase. All covered employees will receive a 4.5% increase on their individual basic salary as of 31 December 2025. The increase is retroactive to 1 January 2026, and all back-pay will be paid no later than 25 August 2026. This directly improves the real incomes of our members – a recovery of value that capital has long extracted from their labour.

Another key gain is that there will be a substantial increase in all allowances. All major allowances have been raised by 4.5%, effective 1 January 2026:

• Transport allowance (within 50 km): R1,825.62 per month
• Transport allowance (outside 50 km): R2,313.63 per month
• Living-out allowance: R7,371.43 per month
• Employer medical aid contribution: R3,564.50 per month

These increases directly ease the burden of the costs of social reproduction – transport, housing, and healthcare – which are systematically inflated under the capitalist system.

Another key gain is new renumeration structure with additional allowances. From 1 August 2026, a revised salary structure introduces two new allowances for qualifying employees in Plant, Engineering, Marketing, and Logistics departments who work full continuous operations rosters:

• Hot-Seat Allowance: 2% of basic salary – compensation for the demanding shift-change handover system.
• FULCO Allowance: 13.5% of basic salary – a significant premium for workers committed to continuous operations.

What does this victory mean?

Collective bargaining remains the key tool to improve the conditions of workers in every workplace. Our strength is drawn from our collective unity and the power of our labour. As we say: united we stand, divided we fall.

Wonderfontein Mine, as a representative of capital, derives its profit solely from the surplus value created by the workers. Through collective bargaining – a vital form of class struggle – NUMSA compelled the company to concede a portion of that surplus value back to the workers in the form of higher wages, improved allowances, and a fairer remuneration structure.

NUMSA maintains that every wage agreement is merely a battle won in the broader struggle for working-class emancipation. We do not mistake a tactical gain for ultimate victory; instead, we leverage each breakthrough to strengthen our organisation and build collective working-class power for greater battles ahead.

While this agreement represents a significant step forward, it is not our final destination. Workers can never be truly free under capitalism, and total liberation requires dismantling the entire exploitative system.

NUMSA reaffirms its revolutionary commitment to organise, mobilise, and lead the working class—not only for better wages and working conditions, but for a socialist South Africa that is free of oppression and economic exploitation.

As this agreement runs through 31 December 2026, we have already begun preparations for the next round of negotiations. Every victory, no matter how incremental, serves as a crucial building block in our ongoing fight against capital.

Issued by:

Collen Mahlangu
NUMSA Mpumalanga Regional Secretary
083 253 7408

For more information, please contact:

Mbali Ngwenda
NUMSA Media & Communications
mbalin@numsa.org.za
078 458 0617

For more information:

NUMSA Head Office: 011 689 1700

NUMSA Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NumsaSocial

NUMSA Twitter account: @Numsa_Media

NUMSA Website: https://numsa.org.za/

PDF DOWNLOAD: Numsa Welcomes the 2026 Wage Agreement with Ndalamo Coal at Wonderfontein Mine as a Concrete Victory for the Working Class

NUMSA Press Statement

31 July 2026

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), representing over 300,000 metalworkers, stands shoulder-to-shoulder in solidarity with our comrades of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU)—specifically Warehouse Local 6 and Longshore Local 10—in their heroic battle against C&H Sugar Refinery in California.

NUMSA recognises this fight for what it is and we resolutely stand with our comrades in defence of the ILWU’s right to strike in order to win this battle. This is an attack by the world’s largest sugar refinery to force a poverty-wage contract onto its workforce. By stripping healthcare benefits, slashing overtime, and demolishing the seniority system, C&H Sugar has declared an open war on workers. In South Africa, we are all too familiar with greedy bosses who prioritise profit over human lives.

Capital knows no borders in its pursuit of profit, and neither does our international working-class solidarity.

C&H Sugar’s attempt to unload the vessel Tai Herald—carrying sugar extracted from Negros Island in the Philippines—is a profound outrage. In April this year, state armed forces slaughtered 19 people on Negros Island, including sugarcane workers. That sugar is drenched in the blood of our fallen Filipino comrades.

Since Local 6 took to the picket lines on 15 June, C&H Sugar has deployed every dirty tactic in the union-busting playbook. The company shamefully used scab labour to bypass Local 10’s picket lines at private industrial dock, Levin’s Terminal in Richmond.

Then they mobilised the police—the armed wing of the ruling class—to protect scab labour and attack comrades picketing at the C&H facility in Crockett. During the powerful Bay Area port shutdown on 21 July, police issued dispersal orders and arrested ten union members and supporters.

Yet, in shutting down the ports that day, ILWU demonstrated the collective power of organised labour. You showed the world that not a single wheel turns, not a single light shines, and not a single ton of cargo moves without the consent of the working class! It is us, the working class, who ultimately produce the wealth!

NUMSA condemns the police for acting as C&H Sugar’s private security force. History has repeatedly taught us—from the dark days of apartheid in South Africa, to the docks of California today—that the state apparatus will always unleash violence to protect capitalist profits.

Over the years NUMSA and ILWU have shared a special relationship built on internationalism and solidarity.

To President Mike Villeggiante, the leadership of ILWU Local 10, the courageous striking workers of Local 6, and every supporter on the picket line, we say:

Your fight is our fight! An injury to one is an injury to all!

Issued by:

Irvin Jim
NUMSA General Secretary
073 157 6384

For more information, please contact:

Mbali Ngwenda
NUMSA Media & Communications
mbalin@numsa.org.za
078 458 0617

For more information:

NUMSA Head Office: 011 689 1700

NUMSA Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NumsaSocial

NUMSA Twitter account: @Numsa_Media

NUMSA Website: https://numsa.org.za/

PDF DOWNLOAD: NUMSA Stands in Solidarity with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union—An Injury to One is an Injury to All!

NUMSA Press Statement

30 July 2026

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) welcomes the landmark judgment handed down on 27 July 2026 by Acting Judge Tyuthuza in the High Court of South Africa (Northern Cape Division, Kimberley). NUMSA has successfully halted the rushed, callous liquidation of Ekapa Minerals (Pty) Ltd and secured a court order placing the diamond mining company under supervision and business rescue. This judgment is a decisive victory for the working class over cold corporate indifference. Workers lives and livelihoods are not disposable and must come before corporate interests!

Before outlining the details of this judgment, NUMSA dips its red flag to half-mast in remembrance of the five workers who tragically lost their lives 890 meters underground at Ekapa mine following the catastrophic mudslide in February this year. This is a painful reminder of the human cost paid by workers in the mining sector. We extend our deepest solidarity to their grieving families.

On 3 March 2026, Ekapa announced it had applied for provisional liquidation on an ex-parte basis. As NUMSA we immediately rejected this rushed attempt to liquidate the company, condemning management for taking such a drastic decision without even consulting the Union or the government, and while the bodies of our fallen workers remained underground.

For months, over 1,000 workers at Ekapa were left stranded without salaries, while over 300 workers suffered unilateral layoffs. When NUMSA proposed that management opt for Business Rescue instead of liquidation to save jobs, the company flatly rejected our constructive proposal.

Rushed liquidations disproportionately serve shareholders and directors while leaving workers destitute. In March 2026, NUMSA initiated urgent legal proceedings to force the company into Business Rescue to defend job security and the livelihoods of the local community.

On 27 July 2026, the Kimberley High Court ruled on the following key issues in favour of NUMSA:

1. The High Court endorsed NUMSA’s application as inherently urgent, recognising that the protection of workers’ livelihoods and the rescue of distressed companies cannot wait.

2. The provisional liquidation order granted on 3 March 2026 has been officially suspended, putting an immediate stop to the forced destruction of the mine’s assets.

3. The High Court confirmed NUMSA’s right as a recognised trade union and majority representative of the workers to apply for Business Rescue.

4. The High Court rejected the arguments presented by the employer and liquidators, who claimed the mine had no future. The Court satisfied itself that the business rescue plan prepared by interim Business Rescue Practitioner (BRP) Mr. Marius Van Tonder demonstrates clear, viable prospects.

Crucially, the evidence proved that the mudslide was localised to specific underground levels (Level T890) and that other operational areas (including Wesselton, Surface Mining, and upper levels T580, T555, and T760) remain intact, fully functional, and commercially viable.

5. The court recognised that liquidation would cause catastrophic value destruction—including the automatic lapsing of the valuable mining right under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act.

Business Rescue preserves the mining right, unlocks a substantial receivables base (including over R400 million owed by group entities), and leverages post-commencement financing of R25 million to maintain operations as a going concern.

6. Under the proposed restructuring, approximately 500 direct jobs will be saved immediately on a scaled-down model, with independent creditors positioned to receive a significantly higher return (up to 100 cents in the Rand over 36 months) compared to a forced-sale liquidation.

To those who ask what happens if the BRP cannot ultimately “turn the ship around”: the Companies Act explicitly allows the BRP to terminate proceedings, at which point suspended liquidation takes effect.

However, as the High Court noted that plain logic and the evidence presented proved that the employer’s opposition failed to persuade the court against trying to save the mine. Law and constitutional values dictate a clear preference for saving viable businesses, preserving economic activity in the Kimberley region, and protecting workers lives and livelihoods over an unnecessary liquidation.

Following this landmark judgment, NUMSA calls for the liquidators and management of Ekapa to immediately co-operate with the appointed interim BRP, Mr. Marius Van Tonder.

NUMSA salutes its members at Ekapa for their resilience throughout this difficult period and commends our legal team, Lerato Lenyehelo Attorneys, for delivering this victory for the working class.

NUMSA remains committed to fighting for every single job and ensuring that workers lives and livelihood always come before corporate profit.

A feedback meeting for NUMSA members will take place on Friday 7 August at Galeshewe Hall to report back on the business rescue proceedings at Ekapa Mine.

A luta continua! The struggle continues!

Issued by:

Andile Zitho
NUMSA Northern Cape / Free State Regional Secretary
083 253 8561

For more information, please contact:

Mbali Ngwenda
NUMSA Media & Communications
mbalin@numsa.org.za
078 458 0617

For more information:

NUMSA Head Office: 011 689 1700

NUMSA Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NumsaSocial

NUMSA Twitter account: @Numsa_Media

NUMSA Website: https://numsa.org.za/

PDF DOWNLOAD: NUMSA Wins Kimberley High Court Battle to Save Jobs at Ekapa Mine: Liquidation Suspended and Business Rescue Granted

JUDGMENT DOWNLOAD: JUDGMENT- NUMSA v Ekapa Minerals (Pty) Ltd Others (2026-119276) 27 July 2026