Trade Unions and Democracy in South Africa: Union Organizational Challenges and Solidarities in a Time of Transformation

Abstract

An open access repository of Middlesex University research http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk Buhlungu, Sakhela and Brookes, Michael and Wood, Geoffrey (2008) Trade unions and democracy in South Africa: union organisational challenges and solidarities in a time of transformation. Copyright and moral rights to this thesis/research project are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. The work is supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge. Any use of the thesis/research project for private study or research must be properly acknowledged with reference to the work's full bibliographic details.This thesis/research project may not be reproduced in any format or medium, or extensive quotations taken from it, or its content changed in any way, without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s).If you believe that any material held in the repository infringes copyright law, please contact the Repository Team at Middlesex University via the following email address:eprints@mdx.ac.ukThe item will be removed from the repository while any claim is being investigated.1 Trade Unions and Democracy in South Africa: Union Organizational Challenges and Solidarities in a Time of TransformationSakhela Buhlungu, Mick Brookes and Geoffrey Wood* AbstractBased on the findings of a nation wide survey of Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) members, this article explores the state of internal democracy within the federation's affiliates, and degree of rank and file support for its alliance with the ruling ANC. It is concluded that, pessimistic accounts of the decay of internal union democracy and the alleged unpopularity of the ANC in particular and the tripartite Alliance in general seem misplaced. However, a panglossian view of continued and consistent union success is similarly unjustified; unions face the challenges of declining employment in the formal sector, and managing complex accommodations with business and government. Yet, the manner in which unions have coped with these challenges reflects a persistent organizational vibrancy which is encouraging for the future.

Intercultural influences on managing African employees of Chinese firms in Africa: Chinese managers’ HRM practices

“…As an independent organization, the union can challenge Chinese firms in order to protect African employees. The importance of the unions is felt across the African continent, both in strong countries (Buhlungu et al, 2008) and in relatively fragile ones (Stirling, 2011). Our analysis confirms the overall prevalence of unions in African countries and shows that unions play a significant role in employment relations affecting the perceptions of Chinese managers and Chinese HRM practices in Africa.…”

“…Furthermore, Wood and Glaister (2008) described the high levels of union power and collective employee participation and involvement in South Africa. According to a nationwide survey of Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) members, trade unions enjoy mass support (Buhlungu, Brookes, & Wood, 2008). The survey demonstrated the diversity of African countries and the differences between various characteristics of trade unions.…”

Considerations for preparing a randomized population health intervention trial: lessons from a South African–Canadian partnership to improve the health of health workers

“…Therefore, our interdisciplinary, inter-agency collaboration among Canadian team members (that began in 2004) and with South African colleagues at the national level (beginning in 2006) reached out to the several South African healthcare unions involved and Free State DoH personnel (beginning in 2007). Trust was not instantaneous, with well-described North–South power dynamics ( 39 , 40 ), the legacy of racial politics ( 41 ), and questionable past ethical practices in research ( 42 ), interacting with existing tensions in labor–management power dynamics ( 43 ). Considering the importance of union support for our work, considerable effort and patience was necessary to address the multiple concerns raised by local unions.…”

The challenges and future of trade unionism in Algeria: a lost cause?

“…The scepticism extended to the UGTA for its strong ties with the government, and the feeling was shared by non-union members, which supported our first proposition concerning sceptical views about the UGTA. Buhlungu et al (2008) point out that any engagement between unions and political parties inevitably leads to compromises and may necessitate repression of those who contest such links.…”

“…Zack (1962) claims that industrial relations in African studies are an area of prime importance and much dynamism, but that they are at the same time further removed from the public eye than any other field. In the past, a number of researchers studied employment relations in Africa (see Buhlungu et al, 2008;Etukudo, 1995;Fashoyin and Matanmi, 1996;Goodman, 1969;Hagglund, 1994) and African countries, such as Mozambique (Dibben, 2010;Dibben and Nadin, 2011;Webster et al, 2006a;Webster et al, 2006b), Ghana (Gray, 1980), Kenya (Henley, 1978), Tanzania (Fischer, 2013) Swaziland (Simelane, 2008), Nigeria (Fajana, 2008), Zambia (Fashoyin, 2008), and Namibia (Klerck, 2008). In particular, a considerable body of literature has investigated employment relations and unions in South Africa (see Albertyn and Rycroft, 1995;Anstey, 1993;Buhlungu, 2009;Butcher and Rouse, 2001;Dibben et al, 2012;Hirschsohn, 1998Hirschsohn, , 2007Maller, 1994;Von Holdt, 2002;Von Holdt and Webster, 2008;Wood, 2002;Wood and Dibben, 2008;Wood and Glaister, 2008).…”