Federation of South African Trade Unions
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| Federation of South African Trade Unions | |
|---|---|
| Name | Federation of South African Trade Unions |
| Formed | 1959 |
| Dissolved | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Johannesburg |
| Location | South Africa |
Federation of South African Trade Unions formed in 1959 as a national trade union centre in South Africa and operated through the late 20th century interacting with organisations such as the African National Congress, Congress of South African Trade Unions, National Union of Mineworkers, United Democratic Front while engaging employers like Anglo American plc, De Beers, Sasol and institutions including Constitutional Court of South Africa, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, South African Reserve Bank.
History
Founded amid apartheid-era repression and labour turmoil, the federation emerged after splits from groups like Trade Union Council of South Africa, South African Congress of Trade Unions and drew leaders linked to figures such as Cyril Ramaphosa, Harry Schwarz, Oliver Tambo, Albert Luthuli and movements including Black Consciousness Movement, Pan Africanist Congress and United Party. The federation navigated major events including the Sharpeville Massacre, Soweto Uprising, State of Emergency (1985–1990), and legislative frameworks like the Industrial Conciliation Act and later the Labour Relations Act. Throughout the 1960s–1980s it interacted with international actors such as the International Labour Organization, Trades Union Congress (UK), AFL–CIO and monitored sanctions debates involving the United Nations General Assembly and United States Congress.
Organisation and Structure
The federation maintained a federal model with a central executive council, regional councils in provinces such as Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and local branches in mining towns like Johannesburg, Soweto, Kimberley and Rustenburg, coordinating through committees analogous to bodies in Amalgamated Engineering Union, Confederation of South African Workers' Unions and international federations like World Federation of Trade Unions. Leadership posts mirrored structures in organisations such as National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, South African Federation of Trade Unions and included roles comparable to those in International Trade Union Confederation and European Trade Union Confederation.
Membership and Affiliates
Affiliates included unions representing sectors from mining and metals linked to National Union of Mineworkers and Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union to manufacturing unions associated with United Metal, Mining and Allied Workers' Union, transport unions akin to South African Railways and Harbours Union, public service bodies similar to Public Servants Association, and municipal unions like South African Municipal Workers' Union. Membership drew shop stewards influenced by activists tied to Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Joe Slovo and organisations such as Black Sash and South African Council of Churches while maintaining contacts with employer federations like Federation of Unions of South Africa and Chamber of Mines.
Political Activities and Industrial Relations
The federation engaged in political lobbying, collective bargaining, and negotiating industrial agreements with corporations including South African Airways, Transnet, Eskom and conglomerates such as Rembrandt Group. It coordinated campaigns aligning with movements like Defiance Campaign (1952) and even interfaced with constitutional processes leading to the Interim Constitution of South Africa (1993) and the 1994 South African general election. Industrial relations tactics echoed strategies used by Transport and General Workers' Union (UK), Canadian Labour Congress and union confederations involved in the Anti-Apartheid Movement.
Major Campaigns and Strikes
The federation organized and supported major stoppages and actions mirroring strikes such as the 1956 Women's March protests, the dockworker stoppages akin to Durban strikes of 1973, and mineworker actions comparable to the 1973 strikes and later confrontations preceding events like the Marikana massacre. Campaigns included wage demands, anti-pass protests, solidarity with detainees under Treason Trial (1956–1961), and participation in consumer boycotts that paralleled international divestment efforts advocated by bodies like Amnesty International, Sierra Leone Labour Congress and Anti-Apartheid Movement (UK).
Relationships with Other Labour Bodies
Relations ranged from cooperation and fusion attempts with Congress of South African Trade Unions, negotiation and rivalry with Trade Union Council of South Africa, to dialogues with international federations such as International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and solidarity links to Canadian Auto Workers and Australian Council of Trade Unions. It also engaged with political parties including National Party (South Africa), Progressive Party (South Africa), Pan Africanist Congress of Azania and civic movements like Azapo and Mass Democratic Movement while navigating tensions with splinter groups resembling Democratic Labour Federation of South Africa.
Legacy and Impact on South African Labour Movement
The federation's legacy influenced post-apartheid labour law reform exemplified in the Labour Relations Act, 1995, contributed leadership to institutions like the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Federation of Trade Unions, and shaped labour relations in sectors represented by AngloGold Ashanti, MTN Group, Old Mutual and SABMiller. Its historical record intersects with biographies of activists such as Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe, Mangosuthu Buthelezi and scholarly works on South African labour by authors linked to University of the Witwatersrand, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and archives held at Robben Island Museum.