Countries >  South Africa
| organizations | people | events | sources | search  |

COSATU:  Congress of South African Trade Unions^[ird]

            COSATU, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, is historically aligned with the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP).^[2]  Connections between the other labor federations and unions and a political party alliance can also be found.  Several of the current cabinet members honed their leadership skills on the committees of COSATU.  The National Office Bearers that were elected in 1999 are Willy Madisha^eh as President, Joseph Nkosi for First Vice-President, Joyce Pekane as Second Vice-President, Zwelinzima Vavi^eh as General Secretary, and Alinah Rantsolase as Treasurer.^[3]  Both Madisha and Nkosi played integral roles in ANC chapters in the past, and SACP.  Recently, Madisha and Nkosi have been more active when it comes to the South African Communist Party; they both hold offices within this organization.

COSATU is a nonracial union that is affiliated with nineteen trade unions. Its presence is fairly strong in the mining, metals, food, retail, transport, paper, chemical, teaching and public sectors.^[4]  The healthcare workers, mineworkers, and teachers dominate in the number of members in their respective unions; just because they are dominant, it does not mean others are not forgotten.  Recent actions have been taken on behalf of the Communication Workers Union, and the South African Municipal Workers Union.  The national strikes and protests have been to protest the privatization of their services by the government^[5], as well as to speak out about job losses for those who have found themselves unemployed.^[6]

COSATU is also affiliated with the other two labor federations in South Africa under the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), an international umbrella confederation.  The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA), and the National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU) are the other two.    COSATU is the largest of the three federations, followed in size by FEDUSA, and the smallest being NACTU.  Though they are three separate unions, they share similar goals and ambitions, and are not opposed to working together.  There were talks to merge and become one union.  This would be similar to the merger of the two labor unions in the United States, the American Federation of Laborers (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) that formed the AFL-CIO in 1955.  The one thing that is stopping them from doing this is the affiliation that COSATU has with the ANC and the SACP.  “The moment Vavi (the General Secretary of COSATU) announces the end of the alliance is the moment we will call them for a meeting.”^[7]  The idea is that a unified labor front would be more effective than a divided one.  Zwelenzima Vavi believes by dividing the workers into the three unions, it leaves them vulnerable to the attack of government decisions.  The merger would create a new federation; all policies would be reevaluated and approved by the group as a whole.  A break with the ANC and SACP could be beneficial if COSATU is willing to do so, but a merger of the trade unions could prove to be a bad idea.  Breaks, rather than alliances, are the engine for change, but the merger could also rob the labor unions of their points of leverage, therefore rendering them ineffective in bringing about social change.  On the other hand, the alliance could be acting as a safeguard against radical government action in the labor market, and without it the ANC could reek havoc on workers, and the merger of the labor unions could produce a strong opposing front.

Alliances are important, and the federations and unions remain loyal to them, even thought their ideas may not be the same.  There are some problems within COSATU because the members’ loyalties are changing.  Recently, COSATU has not been in agreement with the actions of the ANC, but there are some older members of the labor union that do agree with the ANC, and are planning to stay loyal to their alliance.  Their disagreement with the actions of COSATU as a whole causes a rift in the union.  Where the main ideas are not the same, unity is not present.  There are also times when though the majority of opinions are different, they agree, as did COSATU and FEDUSA on the issue of extending child support grants.^[8]  All three federations also agreed that the formation of a new trade federation was a mistake. 

    In the midst of changing times, a new labor federation called the Confederation of South African Workers’ Unions (CONSAWU) has emerged much to the disdain of the three established federations.^[9]  They all share the idea that a “new player will polarize workers instead of unifying them, and that CONSAWU’s affiliates could have joined them.”^[10]  They have more than 300,000 members and about 26 unions are affiliated with this new federation.  Teachers and public service workers dominate in membership.  Other than problems with acceptance from its peers, CONSAWU has to “secure representation from key statutory bodies like the National Economic Development and Labor Council (NEDLAC) and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA), as well as recognition from the government and business world.”^[11] 

    CONSAWU is mainly concerned with programs for eradicating poverty, exploitation and discrimination; securing social and economic justice for all workers; and building a united workforce regardless of race, creed or gender.  They are also opposed to the idea of one trade union.  This idea could possibly be the reason the union was formed.  If the merger between COSATU, FEDUSA, and NACTU had happened, there would only be one trade union.  With CONSAWU walking onto the block, and becoming a recognized trade union, there would at least be two.

| organizations | people | events | sources | search  |
 Countries >  South Africa