This edition has commentaries, poetry and other content under the theme of collective bargaining from the entire spectrum of Numsa’s members.

Numsa, a pioneer in many respects, celebrated its 26th birthday on May 17 with a symbolic cake cutting ceremony. The 26 years of Numsa’s existence is highlighted by struggles for a living wage, people’s power and for Socialism.

Throughout those 26 years, Numsa members have made exemplary sacrifices and trade unionists who contributed to the building of a powerful, class-orientated, ideological, militant, red and internationalist metalworkers union, such as Vuyisile Mini, Jabulile Ndlovu, Sam Ntuli, Phineas Sibiya, Simon Ngubane, Florence Mnikathi, John Gomomo, Mbuyiselo Ngwenda, Mthuthuzeli Tom, Bimba Maqabashane, and Danny Olifant have left powerful legacies.

Numsa also played a decisive role during the apartheid years, ensuring our country achieved a negotiated political transition in the early ’90s.
Today, at 26 years old, Numsa is the fastest growing trade union affiliate of Cosatu amid serious ideological offensives and threats to our collective bargaining power from our class opponents as represented by the mouthpieces of white monopoly capital – the Democratic Alliance and Free Market Foundation.

We are currently standing at 320 000 members, and we have set ourselves a target of 400 000 by 2016.

Happy reading!