Trade unions in South Africa - Wikipedia Trade unions in South Africa Trade unions in South Africa National trade union organization ( s ) COSATU, FEDUSA, NACTU, CONSAWU National government agency ( ies ) Department of Labour Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration National Economic Development and Labour Council Primary trade union legislation Labour Relations Act Trade union membership 3.11 million Percentage of workforce 25.3 % By industry Agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing : 9.6 % Mining and quarrying : 78.5 % Manufacturing : 38.3 % Electricity, gas and water supply : 55.7 % Construction : 10.5 % Wholesale and retail trade : 23.7 % Transport, storage and communication : 48.2 % Financial, insurance, real estate and business service : 24.0 % Community, social and personal services : 56.9 % Private households with employed persons : 3.4 % International Labour Organization South Africa is a member of the ILO Convention ratification Freedom of Association 19 February 1996 Right to Organise 19 February 1996 Trade unions in South Africa have a history dating back to the 1880s. 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. Through the turbulent years of 1948 -- 1991 trade unions played an important part in developing political and economic resistance, and eventually were one of the driving forces in realising the transition to an inclusive democratic government. Today trade unions are still an important force in South Africa, with 3.11 million members representing 25.3 % of the formal work force. The Congress of South African Trade Unions ( COSATU ) is the largest of the three major trade union centres, with a membership of 1.8 million, and is part of the Tripartite alliance with the ruling African National Congress ( ANC ) and the South African Communist Party ( SACP ). Contents 1 Early history 2 1970 -- 1991 3 Trade unions today 3.1 Labour and HIV / AIDS 3.2 Labour Relations Act 3.3 Bargaining councils 3.4 Agency Shop Agreements 3.5 Closed Shop Agreements 4 References Early History Early trade unions were often for whites only, with organizations like the South African Confederation of Labour ( SACoL ) favouring employment policies based on racial discrimination. They also often did not fully accept women into the unions. Mary Fitzgerald is considered the first female South African trade unionist and who led many strikes and sit ins before 1911. The first trade union to organise black workers was the Industrial Workers of Africa ( IWA ), formed in September 1917 by the revolutionary syndicalist International Socialist League ( ISL ). The IWA merged into the Industrial and Commercial Workers ' Union of Africa ( ICU ), formed in 1919, in 1920. The ICU was initially a union for black and coloured dockworkers in Cape Town and formed by Clements Kadalie and Arthur F. Batty. It was the first nationally organized union for black workers who would eventually include rural farm workers, domestic and factory workers, dockworkers, teachers and retailers. By the 1920s it was said to be more popular than the ANC and eventually had branches in the Free State, Transvaal and Natal and in 1925 it moved its headquarters to Johannesburg. In 1924, the South African Trade Union Congress ( SATUC ) was formed with 30,000 members of black trade unions with Bill Andrews as its secretary. It would attract black trade unions from the dry - cleaning, furniture, sweets and automobile industries. By the 1930s the South African Trades and Labour Council ( SATLC ) had united much of the country. The SATLC maintained an explicitly non-racial stance, and accepted affiliation of black trade unions, as well as calling for full legal rights for black trade unionists. Some black unions joined SATLC, while in the 1940s others affiliated with the Council of Non-European Trade Unions, raising it to a peak of 119 unions and 158,000 members in 1945. In 1946, the CNETU with the African National Congress and the South African Communist Party pushed for the African Mine Workers ' Strike to become a General Strike. The strike was broken by the police brutality which was part of the rise of the National Party ( NP ) and their slogan of apartheid as all black trade unions were violently suppressed. 1970 -- 1991 By 1954 SATLC was disbanded, and with the formation of the Trade Council of South Africa ( TUCSA ) union membership included white, coloured, and Asians, with blacks in dependent organizations. Independent black unions were excluded from affiliation and 14 previous unions from SATLC founded the South African Congress of Trade Unions ( SACTU ). SACTU merged with the Council of Non-European Trade Unions and became the trade union arm of the ANC. The union grew to a membership of 53,000 by 1961, but was driven underground, and for a decade black unionism was again virtually silenced in South Africa. H In 1979 the Federation of South African Trade Unions ( FOSATU ) was formed, with the Council of Unions of South Africa ( CUSA ) being created in the following year. What was to become one of the largest unions in South Africa, the National Union of Mineworkers ( NUM ) was created in 1982, and was deeply involved in the political conflict against the ruling National Party. The union embraced four `` pillars '' of action - armed struggle, mass mobilisation ( ungovernability ), international solidarity, and underground operation. The Congress of South African Trade Unions ( COSATU ) was formed in 1985, and FOSATU merged into it in the same year ( more formally known in the teaching industry ). The largest strike up to that date in South Africa 's history took place on 1 May 1986, when 1.5 million black workers `` stayed away '' in a demand for recognition of an official May Day holiday. In the following June up to 200 trade union officials, including Elijah Barayi and Jay Naidoo of the COSATU, and Phiroshaw Camay, the general secretary of the CUSA, were reported to be arrested under a renewed state of emergency. Also in 1986, CUSA joined with the Azanian Confederation of Trade Unions ( AZACTU ) to form the National Council of Trade Unions ( NACTU ), and Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi created the United Workers ' Union of South Africa ( UWUSA ), particularly to oppose disinvestment in South Africa. The UWUSA eventually faded from view, but not before revelations in July 1991 that it had collaborated with anti-union employers in a campaign against both COSATU and NACTU activists, and had received at least 1.5 million Rand from the security police. In 1988 a new Labour Relations Act placed restrictions on labour activities, including giving the Labour Court the power to ban lawful strikes and lock - outs. This was to be short - lived, and negotiations between COSATU, NACTU and the South African Committee on Labour Affairs ( SACCOLA ) eventually produced a 1991 amendment which effectively repealed the previous powers. In 1990 SACTU, which had continued underground activities from exile, dissolved and advised its members to join COSATU. COSATU, as a member of the Tripartite alliance with the ANC and SACP, provided material support in the form of strikes and both political and economic unrest, which eventually led to the displacement of the National Party, and the majority victory of the ANC in the 1994 political elections. Trade unions today Trade unions are recognized within the 1996 Constitution of South Africa, which provides for the right to join trade unions, and for unions to collectively bargain and strike. This has translated into the Labour Relations Act which established the working framework for both unions and employers. Three institutions have also been created to further the goals of reducing industrial relations conflict, and both eliminating unfair discrimination and redressing past discrimination in the workplace : the National Economic Development and Labour Council ( NEDLAC ), the Labour Court, and the Council for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration ( CCMA ). Acronyms ANC African National Congress CCMA Council for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration CONSAWU Confederation of South African Workers ' Unions COSATU Congress of South African Trade Unions FEDUSA Federation of Unions of South Africa FOSATU Federation of South African Trade Unions ICFTU International Confederation of Free Trade Unions ILO International Labour Organization NACTU National Council of Trade Unions NEDLAC National Economic Development and Labour Council NEHAWU National Education, Health and Allied Workers ' Union NP National Party NUM National Union of Mineworkers SACCOLA South African Committee on Labour Affairs SACP South African Communist Party SATLC South African Trades and Labour Council TAC Treatment Action Campaign UWUSA United Workers ' Union of South Africa WCL World Confederation of Labour With the creation of the Federation of Unions of South Africa ( FEDUSA ) from the merger of the Federation of South African Labour Unions ( FEDSAL ) and several smaller unions in 1997, the three main union organizations were established. COSATU, with a membership of 1.8 million, is followed by FEDUSA with 560,000 members and NACTU with almost 400,000 members including the powerful mineworkers union. All three are affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation. A fourth national trade union centre was formed in 2003. The Confederation of South African Workers ' Unions ( CONSAWU ) is affiliated with the World Confederation of Labour ( WCL ). The 2006 ICFTU Annual Survey of violations of trade union rights noted South Africa : `` Serious violations were reported during the year, including the death of two workers killed by their employer in a wage dispute, and a striking farm worker killed by security guards. Protest strikes and demonstrations met with violent repression, such as the use of rubber bullets, which in the case of striking truck drivers, led to injuries. '' Labour and HIV / AIDS South Africa has one of the largest incidence of HIV / AIDS in the world, with a 2005 estimate of 5.5 million people living with HIV -- 12.4 % of the population. The trade union movement has taken a role in combating this pandemic. COSATU is a key partner in the Treatment Action Campaign ( TAC ), a registered charity and political force working to educate and promote understanding about HIV / AIDS, and to prevent new infections, as well as push for greater access to antiretrovirals. COSATU passed a resolution in 1998 to campaign for treatment. `` It was clear to the labour movement at that time that its lowest paid members were dying because they could n't afford medicines, '' says Theodora Steel, Campaigns Coordinator at COSATU. `` We saw TAC as a natural ally in a campaign for treatment. We passed a formal resolution at our congress to assist and build TAC. '' Notwithstanding the formal alliance of COSATU with the ruling ANC party, it has been at odds with the government, calling for the roll - out of comprehensive public access to antiretroviral drugs. Labour Relations Act The Labour Relations Act was passed in 1995, and subsequently experienced major amendments in 1996, 1998 and 2002. Its stated purpose is to `` give effect to section 27 of the Constitution '' by regulating organisational rights of trade unions, promoting collective bargaining, regulating the right to strike and the recourse to lockouts, as well as providing mechanisms for dispute resolution and the establishment of Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court as superior courts, `` with exclusive jurisdiction to decide matters arising from the Act ''. The act also addresses employee participation in decision - making, and international law obligations in respect to labour relations. The Labour Relations Act does not apply to the South African National Defence Force, the National Intelligence Agency, or the South African Secret Service. Bargaining councils Bargaining councils are formed by registered trade unions and employers ' organisations. They deal with collective agreements, attempt to solve labour disputes, and make proposals on labour policies and laws. As well, they may administer pension funds, sick pay, unemployment and training schemes, and other such benefits for their members. The Amended Labour Relations Act also notes that these councils are to `` extend the services and functions of the bargaining council to workers in the informal sector and home workers. '' Agency Shop Agreements Agency Shop Agreements are struck by a majority trade union ( either one union, or a coalition of unions representing the majority of workers employed ) and an employer or employers ' organisation. This agreement requires employers to deduct a fee from the wages of non-union workers to `` ensure that non-union workers, who benefit from the union 's bargaining efforts, make a contribution towards those efforts ''. Permission from the employee is not required for deductions to be assessed. However, if the employee is a conscientious objector, that is refuses membership in a trade union on the grounds of conscience, she or he may request that their fees are paid to a fund administered by the Department of Labour. Closed Shop Agreements Closed shop agreements, which require all workers in the covered workplace to join unions, can be struck if 2 thirds of the workers have voted in favour of the agreement. Workers must join the union or face dismissal. In addition, `` if a union expels a member or refuses to allow a new worker to become a union member, and if this expulsion or refusal is in accordance with the union 's constitution or is for a fair reason, then the employer will have to dismiss the worker. This dismissal is not considered unfair. '' Conscientious objectors may not be dismissed for refusing to join the union. Restrictions on closed shops include the requirement that workers are not compelled to be trade union members before obtaining employment, and that dues collected from employees are only used to `` advance or protect the socio - economic interests of workers. '' References ^ Jump up to : `` Labour force survey '' ( PDF ). Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 2006 - 06 - 23. ^ Jump up to : ICTUR et al.,, ed. ( 2005 ). Trade Unions of the World ( 6th ed. ). London, UK : John Harper Publishing. ISBN 0 - 9543811 - 5 - 7. ^ Jump up to : LaNasa, Peter ( 12 June 2015 ). `` The Rise of Women 's Trade Unionism in South Africa ''. South African History Online. Retrieved 26 September 2016. Jump up ^ van der Walt, Lucien ( 2004 ). `` Bakunin 's heirs in South Africa : race and revolutionary syndicalism from the IWW to the International Socialist League, 1910 -- 21 ''. Politikon. Carfax Publishing. 31 ( 1 ) : 67 -- 89. doi : 10.1080 / 02589340410001690819. ^ Jump up to : Pretorius, Fransjohan ( 2014 ). A History of South Africa : From the Distant Past to the Present Day. Hatsfield, Pretoria : Protea Book House. ISBN 978 - 1 - 86919 - 908 - 1. Jump up ^ Lewis, Jon ( November 1984 ). Industrialisation and Trade Union Organization in South Africa 1924 - 1955 : The Rise and Fall of... ( ebook ). Cambridge University Press. p. 1. ISBN 0 - 521 - 26312 - 3. Retrieved 2006 - 07 - 11. Jump up ^ `` NUM History ''. National Union of Mineworkers. Retrieved 2006 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Labour relations ''. Constitution of South Africa. Retrieved 2006 - 07 - 11. Jump up ^ Butler, Anthony ( 2004 ). Contemporary South Africa. NY : Palgrave MacMillan. p. 61. ISBN 0 - 333 - 71519 - 5. Jump up ^ `` South Africa ''. Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights ( 2006 ). Retrieved 2006 - 07 - 12. Jump up ^ `` 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic ''. UNAIDS. Retrieved 2006 - 07 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Country profile - South Africa ''. ILOAIDS. Retrieved 2006 - 07 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Stepping back from the edge '' ( PDF ). UNAIDS. Retrieved 2006 - 07 - 11. Jump up ^ `` South African Union Boss Demands Government Supply Anti-AIDS Drugs ''. The Body.com. Retrieved 2006 - 07 - 11. Jump up ^ Labour Relations Amendment Act 42 of 1996 Jump up ^ Labour Relations Amendment Act 127 of 1998 Jump up ^ Labour Relations Amendment Act 12 of 2002 Jump up ^ `` Amended Labour Relations Act ''. Department of Labour. Archived from the original on 2006 - 02 - 22. Retrieved 2006 - 06 - 24. Jump up ^ `` 28. Powers and functions of bargaining council ''. Amended Labour Relations Act. Archived from the original on 2006 - 09 - 24. Retrieved 2006 - 06 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Basic Guide to Agency Shop Agreements ''. Department of Labour. Archived from the original on 2006 - 02 - 11. Retrieved 2006 - 06 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Basic Guide to Closed Shop Agreements ''. Department of Labour. Archived from the original on 2006 - 02 - 22. Retrieved 2006 - 06 - 24. Organized labour portal Trade unions in South Africa CONSAWU Solidarity COSATU CEPPWAWU CWU CWUSA DENOSA NEHAWU NUM PAWUSA POPCRU SACCAWU SACTWU SADNU SADTU SAFPU SAMA SAMWU SANDU SASAWU SASBO -- The Finance Union SATAWU FEDUSA HOSPERSA IMATU UASA NACTU AMCU SAFTU FAWU NUMSA SAPU NAPTOSA PSA Sikhula Sonke Political history of South Africa Defunct polities Kingdom of Mapungubwe ( c. 1075 -- c. 1220 ) Dutch Cape Colony ( 1652 -- 1806 ) Mthethwa Paramountcy ( c. 1780 -- 1817 ) Ndwandwe Kingdom ( c. 1780 -- 1819 ) Cape Colony ( 1795 -- 1910 ) Zulu Kingdom ( 1816 -- 97 ) Natalia Republic ( 1839 -- 43 ) Natal Colony ( 1843 -- 1910 ) Orange Free State ( 1854 -- 1902 ) South African Republic ( 1856 -- 1902 ) Griqualand East ( 1861 -- 79 ) Griqualand West ( 1870 -- 73 ) Goshen ( 1882 -- 83 ) Stellaland ( 1882 -- 85 ) Nieuwe Republiek ( 1884 -- 88 ) Upingtonia ( 1885 -- 87 ) Klein Vrystaat ( 1886 -- 91 ) Orange River Colony ( 1902 -- 10 ) Transvaal Colony ( 1902 -- 10 ) Union of South Africa ( 1910 -- 61 ) Transkei ( 1976 -- 94 ) Bophuthatswana ( 1977 -- 94 ) Venda ( 1979 -- 94 ) Ciskei ( 1981 -- 94 ) Events 1652 -- 1815 Dutch settlement French Huguenot settlement Khoikhoi -- Dutch Wars Xhosa Wars Battle of Muizenberg Battle of Blaauwberg Anglo - Dutch Treaty of 1814 1815 -- 1910 Mfecane 1820 Settlers Great Trek Boer Republics Transvaal Civil War Mineral Revolution Witwatersrand Gold Rush South African Wars South Africa Act 1909 1910 -- 1948 Maritz Rebellion Rand Rebellion Great Depression 1946 African Mine Workers ' Union strike Bantustans Apartheid era 1948 general election Apartheid legislation Pass laws Internal resistance Coloured - vote constitutional crisis Defiance Campaign Congress of the People Freedom Charter Women 's March 1956 1957 Alexandra bus boycott Sharpeville massacre 1960 republic referendum International isolation Academic boycott Disinvestment Sporting boycott Olympics Rugby union Rivonia Trial Tar Baby Option Durban Moment Border War Israeli alliance Israel -- South Africa Agreement Soweto Uprising Weapons of mass destruction Project Coast Constructive engagement Church Street bombing 1983 constitutional reform referendum Rubicon speech Dakar Conference Third Force CODESA 1992 apartheid referendum Saint James Church massacre Bophuthatswana crisis Shell House massacre Post-apartheid 1994 general election Government of National Unity Reconstruction and Development Programme Truth and Reconciliation Commission Arms Deal Floor crossing Soweto bombings African Renaissance Xenophobia Marikana massacre 2012 Western Cape farm workers ' strike Nkandlagate 2014 platinum strike # RhodesMustFall protests # FeesMustFall student protests Tshwane riots Langa Massacre Political culture African nationalism Afrikaner Calvinism Afrikaner nationalism Azania Baasskap Boerehaat Black Consciousness Movement Day of the Vow Greater South Africa Honorary whites Rooi gevaar Slavery Swart gevaar Uitlander Volkstaat Defunct organisations Civic and political organisations Afrikaner Bond Afrikaner Broederbond Afrikaner Party AITUP APO AVF BPC Black Sash CDA CTEG COD Congress Alliance COSG CP Dominion Party DP ( 1973 -- 1977 ) DP ( 1989 -- 2000 ) DPP ECC FA FD Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners GNP Het Volk HNP IDASA ID IP ISL Jeugkrag Johannesburg Reform Committee Labour Party ( 1910 -- 1958 ) Labour Party ( 1969 -- 1994 ) Liberal Party ( 1953 -- 1968 ) NA NCP NIC NLP NNP NP NPP NRP NUSAS PFP Progressive Party ( Cape Colony ) Progressive Party PRP Radio Freedom Reform Party SABP SADECO SAIC SASO SAYCO SAYRCO South African Party ( Cape Colony ) South African Party ( 1911 -- 1934 ) South African Party ( 1977 -- 1980 ) TNIP Torch Commando UFP United Party Unionist Party Volksparty Workers Party WOSA Trade unions and social movements APF BCM BLATU CNETU CTSWU FCWU FNETU FOSATU ICU IWW MUSA NEUM NURHS PAWE SAAPAWU SACTU SAIF SARHU SATUC Die Spoorbund UDF Umkosi Wezintaba Paramilitary and terrorist organisations APLA ARM BBB Boeremag Greyshirts MK Ossewabrandwag Orde van die Dood SANF Histories of political parties African National Congress Democratic Alliance Pan Africanist Congress of Azania Trade unions in Africa Sovereign states Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde ( Cabo Verde ) Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea - Bissau Ivory Coast ( Côte d'Ivoire ) Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe States with limited recognition Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland Dependencies and other territories Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / ( see also plazas de soberanía ) ( Spain ) Madeira ( Portugal ) Mayotte / Réunion ( France ) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha ( United Kingdom ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trade_unions_in_South_Africa&oldid=801014405 '' Categories : Trade unions in South Africa Politics of South Africa Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from May 2012 Use South African English from May 2012 All Wikipedia articles written in South African English Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 17 September 2017, at 04 : 12. 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Question: what are three largest trade unions in south africa
Answer: Congress of South African Trade Unions