This article deliberates the current state of trade unionism in south africa. Maree, j 1993 trade unions and corporatism in south africa, in transformation 21 sached. Pdf a dominant feature of the south african labour relations act lra. Although instrumental in the formation in 1999 of the oppositional movement for democratic change mdc, the zimbabwean congress of trade unions zctu is not part of it. South africa, uganda ghana, south africa friedrichebertstiftung international trade union cooperation brie.
However, trade unionism in south africa is fragmented. This is what inspired the researcher to conduct a study in order to examine the role and challenges of trade unions in postapartheid south. Congress of south african trade unions cosatu are instructive in this regard. As in many other parts of africa, the first unions emerged from welfare organizations such as burial societies. In particular, it established the congress of noneuropean trade unions cnetu which claimed a membership of 158,000 workers in 119 affiliated trade unions by 1945. The development of trade union theory and mainstream economic. In a number of transitional economies, such as brazil, south africa and south korea, trade unions played a key role in the process leading to democratisation wood, 2002. The congress came into existenc 195e i inn, order to provide.
Because south africa developed a much higher level of productive forces than occurred elsewhere on the continent, the creation of a massive african proletariat has. Trade unions have created positive effect on members wages, even though it seems that this increase has resulted in part from changes in the composition of union membership. Article trade unions and corporatism in south africa johann maree introduction there is a remarkably strong corporatist current flowing in south africa the. Through the turbulent years of 19481991 trade unions played an important part in developing political and economic resistance, and eventually were one of the. The university of the witwatersrand the role of trade. Most of the african unions in south africa belong to it. Pdf minority trade unions and the amendments tot eh lra. Cosatu congress of south african trade unions cotu congress of trade unions kenya cpp convention peoples party csawuz civil servants and allied workers union of zambia. The communist party of south africa cpsa played an important role in building the trade union movement in the 1940s. Hepple has waged many a doughty battle on behalf of workers and voteless nonwhites. In this article i shall deal with the south african congress of.
The evolution of trade union in nigeria can be tied to. Trade unions played an important role in south africas transition from apartheid in 1994 and keep on a very public role in the south african economy. It has a membership of fiftyone affiliated unions and represents. The roles played by the national union of namibian workers nunw and the. The impact of the labour relations act on minority trade. Sa already has four union federations fedusa fin24. Factors influencing the future existence of trade unions in. How do you negotiate with a voice phoning from a call box. The rise of insurgent trade unionism in south africa. Trade unions, the growth of which may help the reader to understand the true position of the labour.
Federation of south african trade unions fosatu formed. Trade unions, immigration and immigrants in europe revisited. It merged with the cape federation of labour unions in 1930, forming. The wiehahn reforms deracialise south africas statutory system of collective bargaining and dispute resolution, and introduce an industrial court to adjudicate unfair labour practice claims. As a result, the labour market was characterized by a strong racial division of labour that would persist for decades to come. Sep 02, 2014 david perfect describes the history of trade unionism in the gambia.
They were now effectively forced to work for very low wages and on the employers terms. Firstly, it considers the outcomes of research that was conducted in 2011. South african unions are therefore often in the public eye and are seen by many as creating unnecessary rigidity in the labour market. To fully comprehend the importance of trade unions and the role they have played in the transition of south africa, an overview will be given. The labour federation is a victim of the impasse in the grand postapartheid south. Trade unions in many african countries played a muscular and seminal role in the late 1980s and early 1990s in mobilizing the mass protests and strikes that led to the overthrow of old authoritarian regimes and ushered in democratic transitions. Both were established through the initiative of trade unions and both are relatively. An organization of workers in the same skilled occupation or related skilled occupations who act together to secure for all members favorable wages, hours, and other working conditions trade unions in the united states were first organized in the early nineteenth century. Patrice lumumba, the late lawfully elected premier of the congolese people. A critical assessment of trade union strategy the case of the cwiu, 19871999. Current labour market challenges facing trade unions 16 1. S 18 of the lra permits employers and majority trade unions to conclude.
The close links between liberation and labour movements in parts of southern africa are still visible today particularly in those countries that attained their independence in recent years, like namibia and south africa. I, marie uys, hereby declare that factors influencing the future of trade unions as organisations in south africa is my own work and that the observations, views and opinions expressed in this study are those of the author and the relevant literature references as shown in the references. South africa is often cited as a perfect example for the importance of trade unions in political transformation processes. Thus, the wellknown rossdunlop debate reflects the two streams of economic thought towards the nature and role of trade unions. The south african trade union movement represents a source of inspiration to organized labour worldwide, but has faced many challenges over the years. The evolution of trade union in nigeria can be tied to four major factors, namely. The majority of workers of south africa hold the view. An empirical study was conducted with a purposive, voluntary nonprobability. From the beginning unions could be viewed as a reflection of the racial disunity of the. Trade unions and particularly their engagement in political unionism have been absent from the development literature in recent decades.
Registered trade unions in south africa for 31 may 2017 information provided by the department of labour. In south africa the central pillar of collective bargaining has historically been. The endogeneity of the market structure and the trade unionism of the labor market interact and jointly determine the equilibrium unemployment, firm size, number of firms, economic growth, and. Over half of saftus members come from the national union of metalworkers of south africa numsa. Congress of south africa trade unions archives the mail.
Article pdf available january 2011 with 29,853 reads how we measure reads. To participate in the system, african trade unions have to register in terms of the. The history of freedom of association and trade unionism in south africa before the new constitutional legal order will be divided into three periods, namely the period from the dutch settlement in 1652 to the formation of the union of south. Trade unions in south africa have a history dating back to the 1880s. The role of women in the south african trade union movement.
Saftu consists of twentyfour affiliated trade unions, which represent around seven hundred thousand members, making it the second largest labor group in south africa, behind the congress of south african trade unions cosatu. David perfect describes the history of trade unionism in the gambia. A strike is a social phenomenon of enormous complexity which, in its totality, is never susceptible to complete description, let alone complete explanation. Trywell kalusopa kwabena nyarko otoo hilma shindondolamote. The development of trade union theory and mainstream. In fact, cosatu congress of south african trade unions which was founded in 1985 today, with 1,7 million members not only the largest of the three federations in south africa, but undoubtedly also. The role and challenges of trade unions in postapartheid. The country is located in latitude 40n and 140n and longitude 20e and 150e. Ways in which south african trade unions have intervened in the labour market 22 chapter two. Despite the weakness of the movement, the first recognized trade union in british colonial africa was formed in bathurst now banjul in 1933. The congress of south african trade unions cosatu is the largest of the three major trade union centres, with a membership of 1. The study begins with a historical overview of trade unionism in south africa.
However, recently there has been a renewed interest in the role of trade unions and particularly in their political role as trade union movements in argentina, venezuela and brazil have effectuated regime. In south africa, this is particularly interesting, given its political and economic history, and relatively recent democratization. The state of collective bargaining in south africa an. The post war history of trade union literature demonstrates that dunlops ideas eventually prevailed. Fedusa general secretary dennis george said that, while fedusa respected the constitutional. Sabinet factors that have an impact on the future of trade. Below is an excerpt from luke sinwell and siphiwe mbathas new book, the spirit of marikana.
At around 7pm on the eve of the marikana massacre, about 10 to 20 workers held an ad hoc emergency meeting in the dark below the mountain where the. The core foundation of collective bargaining legislation in south africa was the industrial. The complexity of the meaning and implications of strikes often comes to the fore when offensive strikes strikes where workers demand more than what they have in terms of wages and working conditions force the attention of the. The challenges facing the south african labour movement. They are many trade unions or federations of trade unions. Possible trade union responses to labour market challenges 20 1. The evolution of trade union in nigeria can be tied to four. During the i920s and i930s they had considerable success. Lastly, it gives an exposition of some of the challenges faced by trade unions in postapartheid south africa.
Johann maree emeritus professor of sociology university of cape town johann. Trade unions in south africa by southhow february 22, 2016, 9. Black workers ended up doing the hard manual labour while white. All the affiliated unions were registered under the industrial conciliation act 1924 and represented white workers. Show less trade union revitalisation trends and prospects in 34 countries edited by craig phelan. It then attempts to establish how trade unions have made use of the institution of collective bargaining, the. Nov 08, 2012 only the most bigoted and constitutionally blinkered business people tend to support the elimination of trade unions. The rise of insurgent trade unionism in south africa pluto press, which details this experience. Is south african trade unionism at a turning point. Trade unions in an emerging economy the case of south africa. Trade unions and the need for transformation terry bell. Master of arts, university of the witwatersrand, johannesburg. Yet much of the labour movement internationally is in a state of flux or stagnation and.
She is divided into two vast unequal regions by a rough letter y derived from the confluences of. Sabinet factors that have an impact on the future of. A return to the almost underground unionism of 40 years ago is the last thing business wants. The south african congress of trade unions, representing 53,000 workers of all races in the union of south africa, wishes to convey its deep regret at the brutal murder of mr.
Activities of the ilo endorsed the interest for the labour movement in africa to hold a high. The congress of south african trade unions is a political force that should fill the gap to the left of the anc, writes frank meintjies. It can be argued today that trade unions are more necessary than ever. In south africa trade unions played a very important role to dismantle apartheid. He has made a deep study of the industrial laws of the country and the history of the trade union movement. Factors influencing the future existence of trade unions. South african trade unions in recent years have been particularly vocal in their demands for unionised workers and indeed in their opinions on economic issues in south africa. Background of trade union in nigeria the evolution of trade union in nigeria can be tied to four major factors, namely. The university of the witwatersrand the role of trade unions. The south african trades union council was established in 1925 as a result of a special congress after the collapse of the south african industrial federation called by the minister of labour, colonel cresswell. Budeli m workers rights to freedom of association and trade unionism in south africa. Cape town south africa already has four trade unions, the federation of unions of south africa fedusa said on tuesday as nineplus unions gear up to form a new independent labour federation. This remarkable veteran helped to build the trade union movement even while in exile. However, since 1994 a series of questions that relate to their role in democratic south africa have remained unanswered.
In some other countries the unions intermittent strike movements and protests were critical in creating, over time, political space. Trade unions and the need for transformation terry bell writes. Saha south african history archive the demand for trade. It then attempts to establish how trade unions have made use of the institution of collective bargaining, the importance of organisational rights to the trade union movement, the effectiveness of industrial. A study may be conducted on the political involvement of each trade union or federation of trade unions in south. In one ghana the trade union movement played a significant role in contributing to the consolidation of democracy. Trade union services and benefits in africa edited by. The objective of the study was to reflect on the viewpoints of south african trade union leaders on factors influencing the future of trade unions as organisations.
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