The Role Of Trade Unions In South Africa – In South Africa, trade unions are pivotal in shaping workforce dynamics. With a rich history in the labor movement, understanding the role and influence of trade unions in the modern South African workplace is essential for both employers and employees. This article explores the functions, rights and impacts of trade unions in South Africa.
Unions are organizations formed to represent and protect the interests of workers in specific industries. They play a critical role in negotiating wages, benefits and working conditions with employers.
The Role Of Trade Unions In South Africa
In South Africa, the Labor Relations Act (“LRA”) provides the legal basis for the operation of trade unions. It outlines trade union rights and establishes guidelines for trade union activity.
Unit 2: Participants In South Africa’s Labour Relation System
While unions are crucial, they face challenges such as adapting to changing labor markets, ensuring membership representation in different industries and addressing perceptions of union activity.
Trade unions play a vital role in the South African workplace, contributing significantly to the protection and advancement of workers’ rights and interests. Understanding their functions, rights and impact is crucial for all actors in the labor market. As the workforce continues to evolve, the role of unions remains more relevant than ever, ensuring fair and equitable labor practices.
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Pdf] South African Trade Unions: An Overview For 1995 To 2005
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU or Cosatu) is a trade union federation in South Africa. It was founded in 1985 and is the largest of the three main trade union federations in the country, with 21 affiliated unions.
On 30 November 1985, 33 trade unions met at the University of Natal to discuss the formation of a trade union federation.
This followed four years of unity talks between competing unions and federations that opposed apartheid and were “committed to a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa”. COSATU was officially established on December 1, 1985.
And some independent unions, especially the National Union of Miners. Elijah Barayi was the first president of the organization and Jay Naidoo the first general secretary.
The Role Of The Union Representative, Document, Labour Law, South Africa, Pdf, Download
Several resolutions were passed in this first meeting that define the purpose of the federation and the functioning of the federation, namely:
On 5 and 6 May 1987, a strike as part of COSATU’s Living Wage Campaign was held to coincide with the 1987 general election. More than 2.5 million workers participated in the strike. On May 7, 1987, in the early hours of the morning, two bombs exploded near the support columns at the base of the headquarters of the federation, Casa COSATU. The resulting damage caused the building to be declared unsafe.
At the second national congress held from July 14 to 18, 1987, the Freedom Charter was adopted by the federation after the resolution was proposed by the National Union of Mineworkers.
At the third congress held from 12 to 16 July 1989, a resolution was adopted calling on COSATU members to join a campaign of “sustained action” against apartheid, in the week before of the 1989 South African general election.
People Are Dying’: South Africa Workers Protest Economic Woes
On July 26, 1989, COSATU, the United Democratic Front and the Mass Democratic Movement, instigated the National Challenge Campaign, in which the facilities reserved for whites were invaded, and the organization that was was banned by the State it was declared “not banned”.
The COSATU congress decided in 2012 to affiliate with the World Trade Union Federation of the class struggle, bringing its membership to the International Confederation of Trade Unions.
During the 2016 congress that was held in Durban, Michael Mzwandile Makwayiba, president of COSATU affiliate NEHAWU Michael Mzwandile Makwayiba was elected President of the World Federation of Trade Unions.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), announced that the union had been expelled from COSATU after a vote at a special ctral executive committee had been convened resulting in a vote 33-24 in favor of the expulsion.
National Union Of Mineworkers (south Africa)
On November 6, 2014, a legal request urged by NUMSA to prevt the special ctral executive committee to be convened was postponed by the South Gautg High Court, thus allowing the meeting.
On 10 November 2014, 7 unions announced that they were voluntarily suspending their participation in COSATU’s decision-making bodies due to the expulsion of NUMSA and called for a special national congress to be convened.
COSATU is part of an alliance with the ANC and the South African Communist Party, called the “Tripartite Alliance”. COSATU’s role in the alliance has been the subject of debate, as the organization has been critical of some of the policies of the ANC government. While some affiliates have argued for greater independence from the ruling political party, others have argued that the arrangement gives COSATU political influence favorable to its members.
South Africa has one of the highest incidences of HIV/AIDS in the world, with a 2005 estimate of 5.5 million people living with HIV – 12.4% of the population.
The National Council Of Trade Unions (nactu)
The trade union movement has taken a role in the fight against this pandemic. COSATU is a key partner in the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), a registered charity and political force that works to educate and promote knowledge about HIV/AIDS, and to prevent new infections, and to push for greater access to antiretrovirals. In 1998, COSATU adopted a resolution campaigning for treatment. “It was clear to the labor movement at that time that its lowest members were dying because they could not afford medicine,” says Theodora Steel, Campaigns Coordinator at COSATU. “We saw TAC as a natural ally in a campaign to deal with it. We passed a formal resolution in our congress to help and build TAC.
Despite COSATU’s formal alliance with the ANC party, the government is at odds with the government, which is calling for the roll-out of full public access to antiretroviral drugs.
The wheel in the logo represses the economy. The golden color of the wheel represents the wealth of the country. The figures pushing the wheel, consisting of two m and a woman carrying a child, represent the challenges that the workers face namely, racial and gder oppression and economic exploitation. These figures are black as they represent the struggle of the black majority against racial oppression. The figures hold a red flag representing the working class.
The slogan on the logo is “An injury to one is an injury to all” means the union’s vision of social solidarity that unites the working class.
Trade Unions In Transformation Interdisciplinary
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect evts rect or new information available. (May 2010)
In October 2004 and February 2005, COSATU delegations to Zimbabwe to assess conditions in that country ahead of Zimbabwe’s 2005 parliamentary elections. They were expelled from the country on both occasions.
In 2016, COSATU expressed support for the #ThisFlag protesters in Zimbabwe, stating that “the harshness of the Zanu-PF regime in its treatment of perceived enemies was similar to that of Operation Restore Order/Murambatsvina in 2005”.
In 2020, COSATU expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people on 15 May (Nakba Day) and linked the Palestinian right to land to COSATU’s struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
National Council Of Trade Unions
In 2021, the Palestinians protested against an Israeli court decision that declared the residents of Sheik Jarrah to be evicted from their homes in Jerusalem.
Israeli troops attacked Al-Aqsa during Ramadan, a holy month for many Palestinians. COSATU marched to the US Embassy in Sandton, Johannesburg, as a demonstration of support for the Palestinians, stating that the US government needs to recognize the sovereignty of Palestine, as well as serious violations of human rights against the Palestinians. workers It is made up of workers and managed by workers who negotiate with employers on behalf of all workers.
Represent Members in disciplinary hearings Provide education and training to members Improve worker productivity Improve working conditions
The role of government: Basic Conditions of Employment Act Labor Relations Act Employment Equity Act Health and Safety Act Bill of Rights
South Africa: Saftu Prepares For A Massive General Strike
The right to choose your job The right to a safe working environment The right to be paid fairly The right to work for a limited time per day The right to paid holidays The right to be treated fairly
Extract from the BCEA Maximum working hours Number of days worked per week Maximum ordinary hours per day Ordinary hours per week 1 – 5 9 45 more than 5 8
8 Meal Breaks Workers must have a 60-minute meal break after 5 hours of work. A written agreement can – reduce meal intervals to 30 minutes eliminate meal intervals for workers who work less than 6 hours a day.
13 Almost half of the world – more than three billion people – live on less than $2.50 a day.
Why Join A Union?
Def: Industrial Action Collective action by workers that disrupts the normal course of business and affects productivity.
Go-slows Strikes Workers go to work Workers do the necessary work. Workers meet legal requirements
