Our
Founder

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) was established on December 4, 1982, with Cyril Ramaphosa as its inaugural General Secretary, James Motlatsi as its first President, and Elijah Barayi serving as Vice President.

The NUM is organized into 11 regions, each equipped with dedicated offices and staff to ensure that its services are accessible to members across various sectors nationwide. The inaugural congress was held in Klerksdorp, where only four regions were represented, and the union boasted a membership of 14,000. Since that time, the NUM has evolved into one of the most prominent labour unions in South Africa.

Currently, the NUM stands as the largest recognized collective bargaining agent for workers in the mining, construction, and electrical energy sectors. It is also the largest affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and holds international affiliation with the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM).