Forty years since it was established in 1982, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) continues to be the shield and the spear, the weaponry it has always used to fight capitalist barbarism.

This gigantic trade union will at the end of this year commemorate and celebrate its 40 years of existence, proudly knowing that it has secured milestone living wages for its 200,000 members in the mining, construction, energy and metal sectors. It did that because such living wages and better conditions of employment will never be delivered on a silver platter.

For this financial year alone, the union secured a five-year wage deal with the world's top platinum miner Amplats, a three-year wage agreement with gold producer Sibanye-Stillwater and a one-year wage agreement with energy producer Eskom. Apart from all these major wage agreements, the union also concluded wage agreements with Ergo Mining, Thungela Resources and other major stock exchange listed companies.

NUM was established on December 4 1982 in Klerksdorp, under the leadership of Cyril Ramaphosa as general secretary, James Motlatsi as president and Elijah Barayi as deputy president.

In 1985, at the time the union had become the fastest growing in the world with a membership of well above 300,000 black mineworkers, the NUM became a key stakeholder in the formation of Cosatu.

NUM played a critical role in the process that ended the apartheid regime with SA's first democratic elections in 1994. It is through the NUM's gallant fight that the mineworkers who for many years in the past were given only a helmet and a pair of boots on their retirement, today receive retirement benefits.

The NUM fought hard for black mineworkers to be allocated houses so that they could stay with their families, and also engaged mining companies through the Chamber of Mines to sell their housing stock to their employees at a discounted market price.

The union will continue to push for transformation in the workplace and ensure there is an improvement of workers' economic welfare in the sectors where it organises.

The union also campaigns for full compliance with the Constructions Charter and punitive measures must be undertaken where there is a failure to comply by companies.

The NUM will continue to campaign against outsourcing, casualisation and labour brokering characterising the construction sector. We are also worried about the lack of effective monitoring of health and safety compliance in the sector.

The NUM continues to mourn the loss of lives of workers in all sectors the union is organising. It continues to mourn the victims who lost their lives during the unfortunate Marikana tragedy in 2012.

On August 16 2012, 34 people, mostly striking miners, were shot and killed and 78 people were wounded at a hill near Lonmin's platinum mining operations at Marikana, near Rustenburg in the North West.

In the preceding week, 10 people, including mineworkers, two police officers and two security guards, were brutally killed in the strike-related violence.

The NUM’s call has always been that those victims must also be remembered. Those workers at Marikana in August 2012 were affected across trade union allegiance.

It is unfortunate that what happened in 2012 has been projected and used by every disgruntled individual who wants to launch their political relevancy at the expense of the victims.

Instead, the NUM would like to see the immediate implementation of the social labour plans that would directly address the issue of housing and local economic development in and around Marikana.

The NUM stands on the victories of the 1987 mineworkers’ strike involving over 300,000 workers who, for 21 days, stood toe-to-toe with the brutal private army of the Chamber of Mines.

The giant trade union is moving and anyone standing on its way shall perish.

“Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories!” – Amilcar Cabral.

• Chilwane is NUM's media officer.