2.4 Solidarity amongst COSATU affiliates
This Ninth National Congress notes:

1. Workers continue to wage heroic struggles in defence of their living standards, mainly in the form of strikes.
2. Our strikes are often isolated since there is very little active solidarity from workers in other sectors of the economy. Solidarity in COSATU is too often defined in general terms instead of ensuring practical internal solidarity.
3. Different approaches by individual COSATU affiliates towards collective bargaining gives employers leeway to defeat or frustrate them, weakens solidarity from other affiliates, and makes it difficult to measure affiliates’ successes and failures.
4. The current ongoing strikes in different sector led by COSATU unions.
5. Aggression by bosses including the employment of scab labour with the aim of undermining the workers strikes.

Believing:

1. The current strikes require urgent co-ordination and solidarity.
2. The importance of rebuilding the foundation of worker solidarity.
3. The need for political intervention.

Therefore this Ninth National Congress resolves:

1. COSATU Congress should resolve on common collective bargaining guidelines and a single forum for COSATU affiliates.
2. Affiliates must provide regular reports on strikes and other collective disputes to the Federation through joint mandating committees.
3. To mandate the CEC:

a. To ensure that a comprehensive capacity building programme on strike organisation is developed for all organisers and negotiators.
b. To facilitate regular sharing of information on strike tactics amongst affiliates.
c. To redefine the role of the Organising Unit to ensure that it gives strikes the necessary focus and attention.
d. To establish a campaigns forum or structure that will constantly monitor and develop strikes and solidarity organisation, as well as related solidarity action across affiliates instead of each affiliate or even the company on strike left on its own and merely receiving moral message of support without concrete action.
e. To consider establishing solidarity funds both at affiliates and Federation level. The CEC should develop a policy on the utilisation of the fund. Strike funds should aim to help workers during strikes due to lost wages.

4. COSATU to assist its affiliates in cases of need for sustenance of their industrial actions over a long period of time.
5. To review labour law provision on secondary/solidarity strike.
6. COSATU should immediately organise a well-coordinated programme of mass pickets in support of the current strikes.
7. COSATU should work towards a day of action in solidarity with the strikes.
8. COSATU should target companies that undermine strikes including calling on government not to grant tenders to such companies.