On the 17th of May 1987, 23 years ago, the National Union of Metal workers of South Africa (Numsa) was launched in South Africa.

It was exactly 70 years after the triumph of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia led by Vladimir Lenin.

Throughout the world, working people and the poor were inspired by the 1917 Russian Revolution.

For the first time in history, workers and peasants had successfully overthrown the bourgeoisie and embarked upon a Socialist Revolution.

Shoulder to shoulder

For 23 years we have the workers’ flag flying high in our country.

Shoulder to shoulder with exploited factory-floor workers, with casualised seamstresses and petrol attendants, with the millions of unemployed youth, with the landless, the black-listed and red-lined, with the students who have been financially excluded, with communities battling against poor service delivery, with the HIV positive, with economic refugees from failed states in our region, with all democratic and peace-loving South African workers – we pledge to honour our 23 years legacy.

Mama Thembi’s Birthday
By Sandra Hlungwani

Birthday gift went out to ‘Mama’ Thembi Nabe who, celebrated her 60th birthday at Numsa Head Office on the 29th of May 2010.

What makes this birthday significant to her and Numsa is that Mama Thembi joined Mawu in the early 70’s as a shopsteward and later became a Vice- president of Mawu and then the General Secretary of Mawu.

In 1987, Mawu merged with other unions to form Numsa and she has been with Numsa since then as a staff member.

She is now employed as a Bookkeeper (travel and reservations) at Numsa Head office.

I’m always amazed at how youthful and lively she looks day after day. I am of the mind that Mama Thembi will remain in the Numsa family for a very long time to come.

Here is to many Happy Birthdays and many happy returns!

Source

Numsa News No 2 2010