Trade Unions

‘An injury to one is an injury to all’

In the midst of the turmoil of the repression and the State of Emergency, and after four years of unity talks, many trade unions came together to form a new trade union federation: the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu). On December 1 1985, Cosatu was launched under the slogan: “One Country, One Federation”. It joined together 33 unions representing 450 000 workers, and within three years membership had grown to 700 000 workers. 

Cosatu consolidated and strengthened the emergent black trade unions. It linked unions from different regions and different backgrounds together into large and united unions across industrial sectors.

Cosatu unions demanded a living wage for all and better working conditions for their members. But these demands rested on a core principle: that apartheid, and the politics of apartheid, underpinned the bad wages, working conditions, and terrible living conditions which made up their members’ lives.

Cosatu saw its natural ally in the UDF, and the broader struggle for democracy and against apartheid. Many of the unions that came together to form Cosatu were already UDF affiliates. Many of Cosatu’s members saw the union as their organisation on the shop-floor, and the UDF as their organisation on the streets.

The state did not ban Cosatu under the Emergency when it was formed in 1985. But its struggles as a federation led to repeated, and direct, confrontation with the state. These confrontations included the bloody strike for recognition of the railway workers’ union (SARHWU) in early 1987; the postal workers’ strike; and the national mine strike, when 350 000 miners downed tools for 21 long days; the OK Bazaars strike, the Mercedez Benz strike.

In February 1988, Cosatu was restricted from doing political work. This together with the effective banning of the UDF, gave rise to the Mass Democratic Movement (MDM). The MDM then spearheaded the resistance campaigns against apartheid.

Cosatu explains its political policy

“Cosatu believes in a democratic society free of racism, sexism and the exploitation of the working class. We believe in a society where workers have full control over their lives. We are determined to work with other democratic forces to do away with all forms of oppression and exploitation.

From our inception, we have always believed in the need for broad fronts to achieve our political and socio-economic struggles. Together with the UDF and its affiliates we were involved in struggles that brought about the current dispensation.

When political organisations were unbanned, the ANC, SACP and Cosatue agreed to work together as a Revolutionary Alliance (Tripartite Alliance, the Alliance). The Alliance is centered around short, medium to long terms goals of the National Democratic Revolution – the establishment of a democratic and non-racial South Africa, economic transformation and continued process of political and economic democratisation.

The 6th National Congress resolved that the Alliance remains the only vehicle capable of bringing about fundamental transformation in South Africa. Despite difficulties and challenges of the transition including certain differences over approaches to macro-economic policies, we are working out a transformation programme for the Alliance, based on the RDP. These independent organisations also have separate but complementary programmes. Cosatu and the SACP are also committed to the struggle for socialism.”

Source: Cosatu website, 2008

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