The Aggression of Trade Unions in SA

Tobie Nel
July 1, 2024

The employment landscape in South Africa, capital and labour, or shall we say ‘capital versus labour’ is often characterized by its inherent conflict of interest. Due to this reality it is no surprise that employees and employers so often display an adversarial approach to employment relations, often damaging the cohesion that is required in the workplace.

Having engaged with employers over so many years it is telling how employer’s feel that the trade union movement is crippling their business due to the impression that the union in the workplace does not only serve the interests of its members, but more empathetically its own. Of course a union should also be concerned with its own interests, as no organization, not even the employer, will survive if it does not also serves its own, but the question that is begging in the mind of many employers is ‘whether the trade union movement is not going to far with its aggression tactics?’

Having a trade union in the workplace can be expensive and very frustrating. The continues silly referrals to the CCMA or Bargaining Council on matters lacking merit, the often targeting and bullying of managers in the workplace, the list goes on!

So what is the context of trade unions in South Africa? What is the historical context that impact the movement in our country today?

The trade union movement in South Africa can be traced back to the early 20th century, when workers began organizing to protest against poor working conditions and low wages. South Africa’s trade union movement has a long and complex history, marked by periods of militancy and aggression. During the apartheid era, trade unions played a crucial role in the fight against oppression and exploitation, often using confrontational tactics to achieve their goals.

During the 1970s and 1980s trade unions became a major force in the country’s labor landscape. During this period, unions like the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) emerged as powerful voices for workers’ rights.

All was not well during the apartheid era, with the apartheid regime responding to the growing union movement with brutal force, imposing bans, arrests, and violence on union leaders and members. In response, trade unions adopted a militant approach, using strikes, boycotts, and other forms of protest to challenge the government and employers.

In recent years, trade union aggression has continued, with frequent strikes and protests disrupting key sectors like mining, manufacturing, and transportation. While some argue that this approach is necessary to protect workers’ rights, others contend that it harms the economy and undermines job security.

Certainly, the impact of the trade union movement is clearly visible for all to see, enhanced workers rights, minimum wages, basic conditions of employment. However, is the modern day reality of trade unions in South Africa still relevant?

It is evident that union membership in South Africa had been declining at an alarming rate. the slow death of democratic principles in trade unions, the manner in which leadership is elected, the phenomenon of self enrichment, an over emphasize on ‘self’ resulting in economic instability, job losses due to aggressive tactics and social unrest.

In a SAFTU discussion document titled “Why are established trade unions comfortable with the status quo?”, Zwelinzima Vavi explains that:
“The spectre of business trade unionism may be one of the reasons why workers in the private sector have also begun to lose trust in unions. If union leaders appear to be preoccupied with building up personal assets and forgetting about workers’ day-to-day concerns, then workers will withdraw their support. We know that unions that enjoyed stability from the inception are now engulfed in destructive factional wars that have defocused the leadership from top to bottom leading to the weakening of the commitment to serve workers.”

While trade unions remain an essential voice for workers’ rights, it is clear that a more collaborative approach is needed, encouraging employers and unions to engage in constructive dialogue to resolve disputes and address issues, as if not, the trade union movement may just be dying a slow death.