Every employeeworker is entitled to fair labour practices in south africa. Trade unions in south africa by southhow february 22, 2016, 9. Trade unions cosatu has played a signi cant role in shaping the political. Working papers can be downloaded in pdf adobe acrobat format from. Especially when it comes to fair and unfair labour practices.
The core foundation of collective bargaining legislation in south africa was the industrial. As it is, trade unions in south africa are the strongest and most stable compared to other african countries. After the second world war, in 1948, the national party won the elections in south africa, marking. The report begins by explaining what trade unions are, why workers join trade unions and the benefits of trade unions to employers, employees and the society. Analysis of the role of trade unions in the struggle for democracy in africa can be located within the discourse of social relations between citizens and states. 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.
This book is a direct outcome of the regional workshop on poverty alleviation through social. Key issuessuch as internal union and parliamentary democracy, black empowerment, and the. In south africa, cosatu is in a strategic political alliance with the african national congress anc and the south african communist party sacp. The case of south africa presents south africa as a case study from a more sociological perspective. Trade union services and benefits in africa edited by. This fourth edition makes it clear that all who are interested in the sustainability of south africa and africa must put human resource management hrm at the very core of the management of organisations generally.
Trade unions and the struggle for democracy in africa. The first modern humans are believed to have inhabited south africa more than 100,000 years ago. South africa is one of the unionised countries in the world and the involvement of trade unions in resolving disputes including grievances and disciplinary matters is crucial. 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. Moreover, there is the inherent weakness of the trade unions and in some cases employers organizations, which is worse oftentimes by unfavourable public policy. Industrialisation and trade union organization in south. Pdf legislation and employment relations in south africa. However, the various definitions of a trade union exhibit two important features, i. South africa accepts that strong trade unions are necessary for effective collective bargaining, which is an important way of regulating industrial relations and of determining workers wages and benefits. The african union commission and new zealand ministry of foreign affairs and trade shall not be under. A pdf version of this book is available on the au website.
Trade union representation is now an accepted facet of industrial practice. South africa, uganda ghana, south africa friedrichebertstiftung international trade union cooperation brie. This is what inspired the researcher to conduct a study in order to examine the role and challenges of trade unions in postapartheid south. As a result, the labour market was characterized by a strong racial division of labour that would persist for decades to come. Pdf the socioeconomic system underpinning apartheid in south africa was based. However, since 1994 a series of questions that relate to their role in democratic south africa have remained unanswered. A pdf version of this book is available on the websites above. This paper provides a historical overview of the south african trade union movement, followed by a brief discussion of the labour market legislation and institutions formed since 1994. Congress of trade unions to publish this trade union guide for south african workers, written by mr. Trade unions negotiate with employers on behalf of union members to agree wages, work rules, complaint procedures, rules governing hiring, firing and promotion of workers.
Political organizations and trade unions 66 christianity and african popular religion 67 the impact of world war ii 68 independence and decolonization in southern africa 70 chapter 4. National textile bargaining council is registered, a significant step forward in the union s long campaign for centralised bargaining in the textile industry juloct 2002. The content is aligned to outcomes that are geared towards analytical and critical thinking about the theory and practice of hrm in south africa. In south africa trade unions were stared towards the dusk of 19th century but the early trade unions were formed for racially white workers. Labour settlement of disputes act to the statute book. This chapter focuses on the role of trade unions in south africa s economy. Black workers ended up doing the hard manual labour while white workers.
Thus, several employers whose origin was from south africa in these countries adopted the antilabour posture. In todays world, we need to arm ourselves with as much information regarding our rights. Trade unions are associations of workers formed to represent their interests and improve their pay and working conditions. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Ways in which south african trade unions have intervened in the labour market 22 chapter two. List of trade unions in south africa and their major role. But it is also unique in the extent to which urbanization, industrialization, and rural transformation have been molded by. This helps to explain the responses the trade union movement employs. 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. As an organized movement, trade unionism also called organized labour originated in the 19th century in great. The historical legacy of south african trade unions as centralised.
A labour law perspective by makwena ernest manamela submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of doctor of laws at the university of south africa supervisor. 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. Current labour market challenges facing trade unions 16 1. Angola 72 early angola 72 the kongo kingdom and the coming of the portuguese 73 colonial transition 1820s1910 73 lunda empire 74. Thanks to continuous struggle for rights of black workers which was also part of the anti apartheid movement, union registration and membership rights were established for. A trade union is a group of working people who have joined together to achieve better pay and working conditions and a safer working environment. Although south africa became a union with its own white people government in 1910, the country was still regarded as a colony of britain till 1961. For the purposes of this article, secondary sources, including books, chapters. Team puma, a textile factory in the western cape legally strike over wages and the unilateral introduction of a new shift system. General functions, objectives and organizations of trade unions members and member participation origin and growth of trade unionism the nationalist government and the industrial conciliation act legislation of black labour and black trade unions south african trade unionism since 1950. Africa south placing wage fixation entirely in the hands of the state. Possible trade union responses to labour market challenges 20 1. 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. In south africa trade unions played a very important role to dismantle apartheid.
Industrialisation and trade union organization in south africa, 19241955. Trade unions in an emerging economy the case of south africa. Trade unions in south africa roles and responsibilities. The section on workplace forums is updated in the paper. History of southern africa south african history online. Trade unions are found to have had an increasingly positive effect on members wages, although it appears that. Treating trade unions as civil society organizations allows consideration of the different alliances they forge within and outside the workplace in collective bargaining and political.
The present paper, entitled industrial relations in southern africa. The challenges facing the south african labour movement. Created in a particular time in south africas tumultuous political and social. Thereafter, a detailed evaluation of the impact of trade unions, legislation, and institutions on labour market outcomes in south africa is provided, and it is found that despite a long history, trade union.
Pdf rethinking the labour movement in the new south africa. South africa is often cited as a perfect example for the importance of trade unions in political transformation processes. Fedusa federation of trade unions of south africa fes friedrich albert stiftung. The university of the witwatersrand the role of trade.
Network alrn is indebted to all the workers, trade unions, and researchers who contributed to the production of this book. Carefully analyzing the changes that characterize workers political orientations, this study considers the results of a survey of the political attitudes of members of the congress of south african trade unions cosatu undertaken prior to south africa s third democratic general election in 2004. Though there is a diversity of opinions in regard to the role of trade unions in the working class movement. This chapter focuses on the role of trade unions in south africas economy. Bjrn beckman is a professor of political science at stockholm university in sweden. South africa was long infamous for its entrenched system of racial discrimination. He coauthored union power in the nigerian textile industry with gunilla andrae nordic africa institute,uppsala 1998, crd, kano 1999 and coedited labour regimes and liberalization. It was a trade union federation that was unique, unlike anything that had existed before. Africa, we can say that part of our history points to the importance played by organisations of workers in the fall of apartheid.
The rise and fall of the south african trades and labour council african studies. After the discovery of hominins at taung and australopithecine fossils in limestone caves at sterkfontein, swartkrans, and kromdraai these areas were collectively. Book barchiesibramble rethinking the labour movement in the new sa 2003. Pdf since its formation in 1985, the congress of south african trade. With over 100 registered trade unions, it is not surprising that over 3. Trade unions and particularly their engagement in political unionism have been absent from the development literature in recent decades. Trade union, also called labour union, association of workers in a particular trade, industry, or company created for the purpose of securing improvements in pay, benefits, working conditions, or social and political status through collective bargaining historical development. Trade union policies and practices 199 developments during the 1980s. A stud oyf african trade unionism in the union of south africa is as difficult as it is urgent. First, the historical development of trade unions in south africa, and their strong political orientation during this development is documented.
Political organizations and trade unions 66 christianity and african popular religion 67. The role and challenges of trade unions in postapartheid. Trade unions played an important role in south africa s transition from apartheid in 1994 and continue to play a very public role in the south african economy. Trade unions in an emerging economy the case of south. A pervasive system of migrant labor played a fundamental part in shaping the past and present of south africa s economy and society and has left indelible marks on the wider region. He has written extensively on african trade unions, state and civil society, especially on nigerian union politics. When political organizations were unbanned in the early 1990s, the anc, sacp, and cosatu agreed to work together as an alliance formally known as the tripartite alliance.
Following a historical overview of the south african trade union movement before. The paper by jan theron, shane godfrey and margareet visser. This paper which was given to the conference of the legal studies association in glasgow in 1997 was subsequently developed and published as a short book by the institute of employment rights. This report is based on trade unions and collective bargaining. Following a historical overview of the south african trade union movement before and after the end of apartheid, it considers the labour market legislation and institutions formed since 1994. Globalization, the impact of trade liberalization, and labour law. Workers at the kimberley diamond mines 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. Sesli strike for higher wages and trade union rights 26 jan 2003.
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