Cosatu’s Mike Shingange: The man who cares about your job
Newly elected Cosatu president wants to curb relentless employment bloodbath
Mike Shingange, recently elected as the president of Cosatu, is a man whose life has been irrevocably shaped by the cause of workers. Born in Mafarana village, Tzaneen, Limpopo, Shingange worked on sugar cane farms during his school holidays to help his family. These early experiences instilled in him a deep sense of labor activism.
He joined the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) in 1995 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming an activist shop steward and later leading various hospital branches. His dedication was recognized when he was elected as Nehawu’s national president in 2021, a position he held concurrently with his role as Cosatu’s first deputy president.
Shingange’s rise to the presidency of the largest South African trade union federation is marked by his unwavering commitment to the workers’ cause. As president, he has pledged to immediately implement Cosatu’s congress resolutions, engage directly with industry leaders and bargaining councils, and focus on halting job losses, especially in the motor industry.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
