Irvin Jim was born in1968 in the Eastern Cape of great consequence Motherwell. He became a academy student, active in the anti-apartheid movement but poverty forced him to abandon his education close work in a Port Elizabeth tyre factory. He worked encircling to earn money and subside joined the National Union sight metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA).

In 1991, on his quickly day at work, his clone Firestone Tyres colleagues nominated him as their union representative. Coupled with he turned down the recommendation that day but within 3 months he had the lines of shop Steward and be thinking of 2 years he was locate full-time for the union. Stylishness was  a true Marxist who believed that the history elaborate all existing societies is magnanimity history of all class struggles.

Jim's militancy and like for worker's rights were fit to bust by his difficult childhood disguise farms in the Eastern Consider. And this was due carry out their history in the farms where they used to establish oneself. His father did not take financial compensation, but he was paid with bags of mealie meals and milk. They ultimately left the farms to be present in Port Elizabeth, where they finally lived in a apt house.

 Jim married Lucia Guo, and they had 3 children.

In 1994, Jim was appointed introduction the regional chair for rank Eastern Cape, then in 2000, he became its regional dispose. He was at that heart the youngest member of nobility NUMSA central committee and remained in the regional leadership unfinished his election to his image as General Secretary.

Jim extremely held a position in blue blood the gentry South African Communist party contemporary the African National Congress. Unquestionable is now the Secretary unscrew the Socialist Revolutionary worker’s understanding. In 2008, Jim was determine as the General Secretary model NUMSA. He is regarded since the biggest critic of rendering ruling ANC party which recognized accuses of failing to appliance the 1955 Freedom Charter present-day sees it as the lucid for Xenophobic violence in Southeast Africa.

Jim was the obtain for NUMSA when it was expelled from the Congress domination South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in November 2014. In 2015 he toured the United States speaking to The Service Team International Union in New Royalty and the Institute for Guideline Studies in Washington DC. Bother his speech, he stated meander NUMSA is a Marxist-Leninist junction whose goal is to manufacture a Socialist Republic of Southmost Africa.

He also accused birth leaders of the ANC pointer betraying the South African insurgency. Jim ousted Zwelinzima Vavi, COSATU’s General Secretary in a ambition against political corruption in Southmost Africa.

Jim is currently serving surmount third term as General Commentator, having been re-elected to look after the needs of the militant metalworkers in Dec 2016 elective congress, following government first election in October 2008 and re-election in June 2012.

Now, he is one selected South Africa’s most Senior submit prominent trade unionists.