However, trade unionism in south africa is fragmented. From the beginning unions could be viewed as a reflection of the racial disunity of the country, with the earliest unions being predominantly for white workers. Trade unions, however, stood out among the other institutions, showing a far more significant fall in confidence. Origins of the trade union movement saha south african. The afrikaans word apartheid apartness is much in evidence after 1948 as a central plank of south african government policy, but it is only another word for the segregation of the races already promoted by hertzog and accepted by smuts. The first tradition was from shop floor unions, they developed a. Over the years, trade unions have been involved in politics and other societal activities. Trade unions and the law in south africa lexisnexis sa. The communist party of south africa cpsa played an important role in building the trade union movement in the 1940s.
Trade union services and benefits in africa edited by. The first is the relationship of the tuc to the divided south african trade union. The flag of republic of south africa was adopted on 27 april 1994. The role of women in the south african trade union movement. The federation south african federation of trade unions. In south africa, trade unions for many years not only fought for.
Timeline of the labour and trade union movement in south. South africa in the 1970s south african history online. Moreover, unionisation has been on the decline since the end of the 1970s, again apart from south africa. The challenges facing the south african labour movement mobilization of diverse constituencies in a changing context geoffrey wood pauline dibben there is a growing body of literature on the role and impact of unions in the developing world, and on their ability to mobilize members against a background of neoliberal reforms. Origins of the trade union movement early mineworkers struggles trade unions in the 1930s and 1940s the call for a nonracial union tightening. Factors influencing the future existence of trade unions. It has resulted in changes in employment practices and has inspired the belief that unionism and wider political trends are indivisible. It was founded on 1 april 1997 and has a membership of 556,000 490 the union represents workers in aviation, health, catering, automobile industry, hospitality, municipalities, education, medical services and banking 490 the fedusa is affiliated with the international trade. Cosatu congress of south african trade unions cotu congress of trade unions kenya. 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 demand for trade unions in the 1930s and 1940s saha. As a result, the labour market was characterized by a strong racial division of labour that would persist for decades to come. Trade union policies and practices 199 developments during the 1980s. Bata shoe workers in kwazulu, members of nutw, strike. Between 1981 and 1985 a number of south african unions and federations negotiated to establish this national labor organization. Organizations which were referred to as advice centres grew and these centres evolved into trade unions, which led to a series of strikes in 1973 in durban. The durban strikes and the resurgence of the trade union. Trade unions in south africa have a history dating back to the 1880s. In 1652 a permanent european settlement was established in cape town in the far south west of the country. The south african government enforces every black man to carry this document, before he is allowed to move around the country and work.
Ways in which south african trade unions have intervened in the labour market 22 chapter two. Current labour market challenges facing trade unions 16 1. Sakhela buhlungu is a professor of sociology at the university of pretoria and a former professor and codirector of the sociology of work unit at the university of johannesburg. Key issuessuch as internal union and parliamentary democracy, black empowerment, and the. It replaced the flag that had been used since 1928, and was chosen to represent multiculturalism and ethnic diversity in the countrys new, postapartheid democratic society. From the beginning unions could be viewed as a reflection of the racial disunity of the. The aim of the federation of south african trade unions fosatu was to be a national umbrella organisation that could coordinate the movements of black trade unions. African workers in trade unions, 19701984 johannesburg. South africa trade unions flags, maps, economy, history, climate.
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. During the 1970s, however, the government recognized the need to exert. 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 history of the south african congress of trade unions london, lawrence and. South african labour, or labour in southern africa. He is the author of trade unions and party politics. 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. Trade unions played an important role in south africas transition from apartheid in 1994 and continue to play a very public role in the south african economy. India severs trade relationships with the union of south africa, in protest against its discriminatory treatment of people with an asian origin 1944.
The role and challenges of trade unions in postapartheid. This reflects the failure of the industrialisation african trade unions during the colonial time and after independence in the founding phase after 1945, the settingup. One result of this flurry of union activity was the creation of the congress of south african trade unions cosatu in 1985. Raman press, johannesburg, selected articles on reserve maree, j. My assumption was based on the fact that some of the questions you asked on brainly were mostly centered on south africa. Malehoko tshoaedi is a senior lecturer in the department of sociology at the university of south africa and the author of trade unions and. The workers summit and its call for concrete steps to be taken towards the launch of a new, militant, independent trade union federation, laid the basis for a massive growth in popularity of the moves towards workers unity. Read the text above and answer the following questions. The chapter first provides a historical overview of the south african trade union movement before and after the apartheid, followed by a brief discussion of the labor market legislation and institutions formed since 1994. It was not originally planned as a colony but as a refreshment station. The university of the witwatersrand the role of trade. South african trade unions and employers organisations the tripartite relationship 193 south african trade unions 196 the trade union movement at the beginning of the 1980s 196 the overall position 196.
Women are allowed to become full members of the anc 1943. Indeed, by 1987 the african labour movement, the form of in the congress of south african trade unions cosatu, was the single most powerful organised formation in the antiapartheid struggle in south africa3. There is a detailed evaluation of the impact of trade unions and wage legislation on labor market outcomes in south africa. Formation of cosatu congress of south african trade unions 21 feb 1985.
Possible trade union responses to labour market challenges 20 1. Congress of south african trade unions cosatu are instructive in this regard. In south africa trade unions played a very important role to dismantle apartheid. The rebirth of organisation and struggle in the 1970s. Labour relations and labour policies changed significantly from that which prevailed under the previous government. The history of trade unions and its impact on todays. I assumed you mean the historical development of trade unions since 1970 in south africa. Africa, we can say that part of our history points to the importance played by organisations of workers in the fall of apartheid. They are many trade unions or federations of trade unions. Timeline of the labour and trade union movement in south africa 1960 1979. The building of the democratic tradition in south africas trade unions after 1973. This is what inspired the researcher to conduct a study in order to examine the role and challenges of trade unions in postapartheid south.
The federation of south african trade unions south. Congress of trade unions to publish this trade union guide for south african workers, written by mr. The impact of the labour relations act on minority trade. Trade unions are found to have had an increasingly positive effect on members wages, although it appears that. Third, most unions were traditionally founded, at least in industrialized countries, on what is commonly termed the future of unions. The challenges facing the south african labour movement. Natal thread strike first ever legal strike in south africa since the wiehahn reforms, by 300 nutw workers. Cliffe dekker hofmeyr minority trade unions are bound by. The core foundation of collective bargaining legislation in south africa was the industrial.
The south african congress of trade unions sactu, formed in the early 1950s. The building of the democratic tradition in south africas trade. South africa with an integrated black labour market extending through. Trade unions vs big businessis it a question of semantics.
South african federation of trade unions saftu launch. However, since 1994 a series of questions that relate to their role in democratic south africa have remained unanswered. The trade union advisory coordinating committee was formed later in 1973, and got a huge injection of members following the strike wave early in the year. The years from 1973 to 1985 saw a surge of unionism unprecedented in south african history. A study may be conducted on the political involvement of each trade union or federation of trade unions in south. The difference in the postwar years, under successive national party prime ministers malan 194854, strijdom 195458, verwoerd 195866, vorster 196678. The trades union congress and apartheid, 19481970 jstor.
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. Other articles where national council of trade unions is discussed. Trade unions in an emerging economy the case of south africa. Hepple has waged many a doughty battle on behalf of workers and voteless nonwhites. Maree, j 1993 trade unions and corporatism in south africa, in transformation 21. Objectives industry in africa has declined as a share of both global production and trade since the 1980s, and domestic private investment has remained at about 11 percent of gdp since 1990. The advent of the new political dispensation in 1994 heralded the coming of a new labour dispensation. The federation of unions of south africa fedusa is the second largest national trade union center in south africa.
The early 1980s saw a wave of labor organization in south africa. Sadwu, the south african domestic workers union is formed and begins more progressive efforts to unionize domestic workers and organise against apartheid. Google scholar, the scholarly tradition of labour history emerged in the 1970s in british and south african. Black south african workers are seen as they line up at a pass office in johannesburg, south africa, on april 8, 1960, to apply for new internal passbooks. In 2011 43% of south africans indicated that they trusted trade unions, falling to 29% in 2012, with 40% reporting that they distrusted trade unions and 31% remaining neutral. The land acts, group areas act, and population registration act of 1950 are repealed.
181 706 62 212 513 38 728 1030 191 1497 1365 1521 1192 1435 1381 1025 1313 1006 739 549 1132 540 395 1503 703 657 576 1388 624 893 352 1316 765 932 401 1407