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The
South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) was established at an
historic Founding Congress in May of the year 2000. The Founding Congress was the culmination of a long process of building the
unity of transport, security and cleaning workers under the banner of the Congress of South African Trade Unions. This was in
line with the principle 'One Industry, One Union' and a founding resolution of COSATU. It brings together 134 000 workers into COSATU's
seventh largest affiliate.
SATAWU is the union for all workers in the transport, cleaning and security
sectors. This includes rail and road passenger and freight, maritime and aviation, contract cleaning, contract security, car hire,
toll roads. We organise both in the public and private sector. In the public sector, we negotiate with key ministries like
Public Enterprises and Transport to restructure publicly owned state enterprises in the interests of our members and the
working class.
SATAWU has a unitary national structure with regional offices in all nine
provinces and numerous locals in small towns across the country. The SATAWU Head Office is situated in Johannesburg. SATAWU is affiliated to COSATU , International Transport Workers Federation
(ITF) and to the United Network International (UNI). This web-site aims to
improve the communication of the union to its structures. We will use it to
explain union policy and activities to our members and shop stewards, to the
broad local and international labour movement and to the general public.
We hope to use this web-site to inform and educate about the vision of
SATAWU and its campaigns. It will be a weapon in the struggle for better
conditions of employment for our members, for the creation of quality jobs, for
a living wage, for centralised bargaining and for worker education and training.
It will, we hope, contribute towards democratic trade unionism, worker
struggles and social transformation in South Africa, Africa and the world.
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Signs of our times
The events of our
present times
Signs of our jubilant
times
The imminent return of
our Heroes
Dramatic events
reached their symbolic climax
Wild excitement of our
Masses
The apartheid pillars
began to crumble
New hope began to
appear in Horizon
Our masses appeared
with Natural excitement
Their aspirations had
been fulfilled
Tensions and conflict
engulfed Zille’s of the day
Doubts and confusion
undressed Shilowa’s and Lekota’s of our times
Bantus’ and Gatsha’s
started to fumble like a lost ant in desert of no where
All cried fouls and
undoubtful of their existence
These are signs of our
times
Things happened in our
midst
The Black, Green and
Gold mamba raised its head in 1994.
It raised like a
wildness thunder
In persuasion of our
commitment to free our masses
Faced the challenges
of releasing our masses from the chains of Bondage
Never forget our new
Hope
Like that of exiles in
land of Foreigners
Born out of years of
perseverance
Born out of years of
suffering and captivity Our sufferings brought happiness
Our masses knew
loneliness and desolation
Griped by feelings of
abandonment and emptiness
In prison and unable
to voice their anger
Worn out with grief
and anger
The Black Mamba rose
and became a beacon of our Hope for our masses
Reading the signs of
our times
The heroic ability of
our Masses
Won us credibility and
confidence
Going through the
bitter valley of our Masses
Present opportunity to
bear Witness
Endurance won our
lives
Black present a
unifying force to seize the moment
Green is the
inspiration and reunifying force beyond all doubts
Gold is a tested
progressive platform for radical change in our Country
The chosen cadres in
the furnace of Humiliation
Suffering strengthened
our commitment
Reputation
purified our Souls
Long queues fulfilled
our fantasy
Overwhelming win is
the ultimate end of our journey.
Elections are the
signs of our times
A challenge to fast
track implementation of change
Raise long lain to
determine our future
Sight of Freedom looms
on the Horizon
Victorious and
Spiritual life is to be born in the Election battle lines
End result will bound
our tongues to wag
Like an African
Elephant in the Kalahari desert
Roar like an African
Lion in the mountains of Kilimanjaro
In the land of Qamata,
Unkulunkulu and Le Badimo
Freedom or Death !
Victory is certain
For these are the
signs of our times
Written by Nelson Lamityi
In salute of the
toiling masses of our times
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