COSATU emerged from this conference full of confidence that the democratic trade union movement, with its Tripartite Alliance partners, has a major role to play in transforming South Africa and addressing the many serious challenges facing our country.

Delegates decisively rejected the notion that the unions represent a privileged 'elite', with different interest from the unemployed, the informal sector or the rural poor. They reaffirmed COSATU's right to speak for the whole of the working class, the vast majority of the population.

They rejected the ideology of capitalist neo-liberalism, which subordinates the interests of the people to the business sector's drive for profits, in a free-for-all market economy.

It reaffirmed the central importance of maintaining a strong, active, developmental state and resolved to resist any attempt to privatise, downsize or outsource the functions of the public sector.

Congress has confounded those who have tried to marginalise the trade union movement and confirmed that COSATU is a powerful army of the working people that will not be silenced.

As Congress came to a close, the delegates passed the following declaration: We, the 2174 Delegates at the 7th National Congress of COSATU, women and men representing nineteen affiliated unions, with a total membership of 1 806 158 workers, adopt the following declaration and commit ourselves to the Congress Programme of Action.

1. We are here more united, stronger, and more confident that the democratic trade union movement will play a central role in addressing the many challenges facing our country.

2. Our unity and strength is reflected in:

• The political cohesion and shared vision of delegates to this Congress, which emerges in the tradition of open and vigorous debate on issues affecting workers;
• The strong culture of worker control, which is translated into a deep tradition of internal democracy that has been demonstrated throughout this Congress;
• The continued growth of COSATU, despite the loss of members as a result of retrenchments, so that we remain one of the fastest-growing labour federations in the world; and
• The determination to mobilise workers and society more broadly behind a programme of social transformation, together with our Alliance and all democratic and patriotic forces.

3. We recognise the growing contestation over the direction of the NDR, based in deepening class contradictions. For this reason, we pledge to position the organised working class to protect and advance the National Democratic Revolution. We will ensure fulfilment of the NDR through the establishment of strong participatory democracy and the transformation of the economy. We make no bones about the fact that we want the NDR to work in the interests of the working class, the overwhelming majority of people in this country.

4. To that end, we have resolved to improve the working of the Alliance by strengthening its structures, developing a clear political programme, and defining its role in giving strategic guidance to government. Central to this is the urgent discussion and adoption of a detailed Alliance programme to implement the Freedom Charter, the RDP, and the 1999 Elections Manifesto. We have pledged to ensure that all COSATU members and shop stewards play an active role in the ANC and the SACP.

5. In that context, we recognise the central importance of maintaining a strong, active, developmental state. We will resist any attempt to downsize or outsource the functions of the public sector in the name of cutting spending or minimising the role of the state. For this reason, we will support the campaign for a moratorium in iGoli 2002, and the reinstatement of workers unfairly dismissed for campaigning against it.

6. We realise that the ANC is the only political party that can represent the interests of the majority of South Africans. For this reason, we will intensify our efforts to ensure an overwhelming victory in the upcoming municipal elections, based on a manifesto that will ensure progressive transformation of local government and protection for the rights of municipal workers.

7. We also turned our attention to the need to continually strengthen our organisation. We remain committed to the vision of one federation for all workers in our country, and to the campaign to organise the unorganised - including workers in the informal sector and other hard-to-reach industries, as well as supporting progressive organisations for the unemployed. We recognise that the basis for a successful recruitment drive is to maintain and improve the service we give our members. We have agreed to embark on a mass educational and information programme to develop cadres with the political, intellectual, organisational and technical skills to advance the struggles of the working class.

8. We have adopted a Gender Policy that sets targets for the election of women into leadership positions, from shop steward to national office bearer; and proposes measures to support women's leadership and ensure that women's issues are consistently included in negotiations.

9. Internationally, COSATU will continue to strive to ensure a united progressive movement and to defend workers' rights around the world. To that end, we will call together forums of both African and international progressive forces to develop a common platform, as well as working in international bodies and South-South initiatives such as SIGTUR. We here pledge our solidarity with all workers, especially on our continent, who confront dictatorships and limits on their human and labour rights. We will campaign for them as they campaigned for us in the dark years of apartheid.

10. We here pledge to support people with AIDS and to help educate our people to protect themselves. We call on pharmaceutical companies to provide affordable medication for all our people, and on employers to ensure that all workers have access to treatment and condoms. Government must develop truly inclusive structures and programmes to mobilise our people against the pandemic, and provide the resources needed for effective treatment for HIV and related diseases, such as T.B. and STDs, as well as free condoms for all our people. The press must stop sensationalising the issues and begin to develop constructive information campaigns.

11. Our communities still suffer criminal violence, with the Western Cape in particular under attack from taxi violence, the rape and killing of children and women, and bombings. We call on all our people to unite against the elements behind these attacks, and on the government to take decisive action to protect our people.

12. We also recognise the many environmental threats confronting our communities and workers. We need a strategy that will focus on the real environmental problems, such as pit toilets and the reliance on coal and charcoal for energy, and manage the implications for employment. In this context, we call on government to consult more carefully on the proposed ban on plastic bags; and to make South Africa a nuclear-free zone, ending its funding of the Pebble-Based Modular Reactor and ensuring that the nuclear waste from Koeberg is not dumped in other parts of Africa.

13. We have again demanded a strategy for economic development that will protect quality jobs and ensure that more are created in the short and medium term, and expand social support for the unemployed. We reiterate our rejection of the GEAR strategy, which has failed utterly in reaching its target for growth, redistribution and employment creation.

14. The excessively rapid opening up of the economy since 1994, in the absence of a coherent industrial strategy, has dampened economic growth. It has cost hundreds of thousands of jobs in key industries such as clothing, equipment production and dairy. In this context, the failure to transform the financial sector has contributed to sluggish and inappropriate investment and helped maintain vast inequalities in wealth.

15. Cuts in the budget and high interest have discouraged public and private investment. It has led to the breaking up and partial privatisation of key state enterprises, notably Transnet, Eskom and Telkom, undermining the development of economic and, in poor communities, of household infrastructure and public transport, and leading to massive job losses. It has fuelled the downsizing of public services, most recently in proposals for tertiary education that will effectively entrench the racial, gender and class divisions inherited from the past.

16. To replace the GEAR strategy, we must develop an economic programme based on the Freedom Charter, the RDP and the Social Equity document. As a start to this process, we have adopted a Framework for Job Creation, which we will use to engage the NEDLAC constituencies. We will support the process further by mobilising our members and communities around the Jobs and Poverty Campaign and through constructive participation in the process of sector summits.

17. Finally, we here pledge to defend the programme of labour market transformation, which is now under threat. To this end the entire membership of COSATU and all progressive forces will be mobilised to reject the draft amendments to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and LRA, which threaten to reverse many of organised workers' hard-won gains, to undermine the position of the most vulnerable workers, and to plunge our workplaces into unprecedented conflict.

We pledge to campaign to the last ounce of our energies against these proposed amendments; to campaign for the introduction of amendments to consolidate worker gains; and to demand the implementation of agreements reached in the Alliance and with government on amendment of the LRA and BCEA. We will mobilise massively to carry out our programme of mass action to achieve these objectives.

1. The Special National Congress held in August 1999 adopted a programme of action to fight against job losses and deepening poverty.

2. Over four million workers participated in the general strike on 10 May 2000. The campaign enjoyed wider support to include workers outside COSATU, the progressive civil society formations and communities

3. Through this programme, COSATU has managed to place unemployment, job losses and poverty firmly on the agenda of South Africa.

4. Among other achievements of the campaign is the fact that for the first time since COSATU submitted its section 77 notice there was discussion on COSATU core demands. The six-a-side recommitted to the processes outlined in the NFA. In this vein, it was used to halt planned retrenchment of 4 000 workers in Telkom. We cannot however, rest on our laurels - we must defend this gain!

5. Secondly, in Nedlac, the President's Working Group and the Millennium Labour Council there is broad commitment to engage in discussions around key priorities such as unemployment, inequality, investment and so forth. This commitment has to be translated into actual agreements on how we tackle the socio-economic challenges confronting South Africa.

6. We note the deadlock on trade policy in the clothing and textile job summit and government's vague commitment to engage in discussions on trade policies. Nonetheless, this commitment still has to be translated into actual discussions on trade policy, particularly government's trade reform programme. Congress reiterates the position that it is dangerous to substitute trade policy for industrial policy and that where trade liberalisation has resulted in RSA tariffs below WTO levels - that these tariffs should be raised to the minimum WTO levels.

7. The main demand of the campaign: to allow workers to negotiate and strike over company decisions to retrench has however not been met. Instead of satisfying the ANC's election manifesto commitment to workers and the nation, government has revealed proposals to amend labour laws that roll back gains won by labour over decades. Linked to this are attempts to roll back workers gains in the public sector.

8. The bosses, who previously have been keen to find an agreement with COSATU on the labour law amendments, have been stubborn and not as cooperative as before since the Minister of Labour revealed his pro-business labour law reform package.

9. Congress notes the protracted discussions on the pension fund surplus issue which has taken more than two years. During this process the BSA has opposed the legislation particularly to ensure that the surplus rest with its rightful owners - the workers. We further note the raiding of pension funds by employers through contributions holidays and their continuous attempts to rob workers by repatriating the surplus accumulated over 20 years. Congress reiterates the position that the surplus belongs to members and anyone attempting to repatriate this surplus is nothing else but a thief. We believe that the negotiations must be concluded as a matter of urgency and that legislation processes be expedited.

10. The forthcoming local government elections provides another opportunity to deepen democracy where we live and consolidate the gains scored over the last five years of democratic local government.

Way Forward

1. The 7th National Congress delegates acting on the mandate of its 1,8 million members is determined not to allow the government to push through the amendments to the labour law and reverse workers' gains.

2. We reiterate our commitment to develop a comprehensive campaign that looks at all elements in order to continue to exert pressure on our government and business to address the scourge of joblessness, poverty and inequalities.

3. We pledge to make the first the phase of our continuing campaign to report back to members in every workplace where we are organised on the partial success of the campaign and the need to redouble our actions in order to maximise benefits to workers.

4. This congress resolves to:

4.1 Submit a Section 77 notice to Nedlac covering the new demands arising from the proposed amendments.

4.2 Call on the CEC to develop a concrete campaign to build up towards the first quarter of next year.

4.3 Embark on a protracted and carefully planned campaign, and in this vein embark on a three-day general strike in March 2001. 4.4 In addition we will mobilise for one general strike per quarter of the year and other forms of protest action for as long as necessary to stop the labour law amendments.

4.5 Embark on a programme to brief working class communities and ensure their active participation to the campaign. 4.6 Organise and ensure that workers in particular the shop stewards and leaders put pressure on the relevant Ministers through series of pickets and sit ins in their offices.

5. Further Congress Resolve to

5.1 Support the Global Day of Action organised by the NGO movement on the 26 September 2000 calling for the restructuring of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. We call on our members where possible to participate in the planned protest.

5.2 Participate in the protest action against Red Lining and the need to restructure the financial sector on the 21 October 2000.

6 Nedlac must finalise its negotiations process on the pension surplus issue. BSA's intransigent attitude, which has delayed the negotiations must be condemned. We call on the government to accelerate the legislative process and as agreed table legislation during this session of parliament. The legislation must in the main correct the past transfers and mass retrenchments; and state unambiguously that the surplus belongs to members. If necessary COSATU must engage in action to achieve our demands.

7 COSATU will mobilise, canvass and support the ANC's local government election campaign. The EXCO must finalise a COSATU Programme for the local government elections. We call on the alliance to finalise the local government election manifesto to add impetus to the campaign for local government. Further we call on government to announce the date of election for local government elections.

8 Congress reiterates its commitment to the people's budget process and encourages all affiliates to participate in the Alternative Budget Initiative.

9 Jobs Summit must be convened in all the sectors as adopted by the Jobs Summit. By the end of March 2001 all jobs summits should have been convened. COSATU should oppose mass retrenchments in the public sector and private sector.