The Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU) was a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

federation in South Africa.

History

The federation was formed at a congress over the weekend of 14–15 April 1979 in

Hammanskraal Hammanskraal is a functional, trans-provincial region anchored in northern Gauteng Province, South Africa. The region consists of multiple, residential, industrial and commercial areas in a decentralized settlement pattern. History The historica ...

and officially launched five days later on 20 April. Its roots lay in the unions which had emerged from the spontaneous 1973 strike wave by black workers in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

and

Pinetown Pinetown is a large area that is part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, inland from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Pinetown is situated 16 km west of Durban at an elevation of 1,000 to 1,300 feet (305 to 395 m). History Pin ...

as part of the "

Durban Moment The Durban Moment refers to the period in the early 1970s when the South African city of Durban became the centre of a new vibrancy in the struggle against apartheid. The two central figures in this moment were Steve Biko and Richard Turner &ndas ...

", and which had since been part of the

Trade Union Advisory Co-ordinating Council The Trade Union Advisory Co-ordinating Council (TUACC) was a national trade union federation in South Africa. The General Factory Workers' Benefit Fund was established in 1972, as part of the Durban Moment. From 1973, it began launching trade unio ...

or the

Black Consultative Committee The Urban Training Project (UTP) was an initiative to encourage black workers in South Africa to form new trade unions. During the 1960s, the Trade Union Council of South Africa (TUCSA) had first permitted unions representing black workers to affi ...

. FOSATU's constitution enshrined the principles of

workers' control Workers' control is participation in the management of factories and other commercial enterprises by the people who work there. It has been variously advocated by anarchists, socialists, communists, social democrats, distributists and Christian ...

of their trade unions,

non-racialism Non-racialism, aracialism or antiracialism is a South African ideology rejecting racism and racialism while affirming liberal democratic ideals. History Non-racialism became the official state policy of South Africa after April 1994, and it is en ...

, worker independence from party politics, international worker solidarity and trade union unity. It strove to build a tight national federation to work towards an industrial workers' bloc firmly based in strong grassroots organisation on the factory floor. It became the first truly national non-racial trade union federation in South African history, building unity and avoiding the regionalism which had pervaded earlier attempts at such an organisation. Its success here has been attributed to the fostering of a national leadership layer of " organic intellectuals" through a strong focus on the political education of shop stewards, and tight integration of the national, provincial and local structures of the organisation. While the unions affiliated primarily organised black workers, their leadership, and that of FOSATU, was mixed, and included white activists in some prominent positions. As the

Government of South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a parliamentary republic with three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary, operating in a parliamentary system. Legislative authority is held by the Parliament of South Africa. Executive authority ...

legalised multi-racial unions in 1979, FOSATU's affiliates decided to register. However, despite applying for multi-racial status, the government issued six of the unions with certificates which only permitted the organisation of black workers. FOSATU successfully challenged this, and the number of non-black members gradually increased. FOSATU argued for its affiliates to become

industrial union Industrial unionism is a trade union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union, regardless of skill or trade, thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in ...

s, merging so that there was only one representing workers in each industry. This led to a number of mergers, most significantly in 1980 when several unions formed the new

National Automobile and Allied Workers' Union The National Automobile and Allied Workers' Union (NAAWU) was a trade union representing workers in the motor industry in South Africa. NAAWU was founded in 1980, with the merger of the National Union of Motor Assembly and Rubber Workers of Sout ...

. By 1983, the federation represented workers at 489 factories, and had a total of 285 agreements with employers. The federation initially opposed industrial councils, arguing that they moved unions away from plant-based negotiations, and often compelled affiliates to renounce the right to strike. From 1982, it permitted affiliates to join industrial councils, although in some cases they faced strong opposition from rival unions. The right to strike was important, and for example, in 1983, its affiliates took part in 124 work stoppages, more than one-third of the total number of strikes across the country. It also organised

consumer boycott A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. T ...

s where a major employer would not negotiate, such as at

Colgate-Palmolive Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American multinational consumer products company headquartered on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The company specializes in the production, distribution, and provision of household, health car ...

in 1981. As part of its commitment to trade union unity, FOSATU was prepared to disband its structures if wider unity could be attained. On 1 December 1985, following four years of unity talks between competing trade union federations, FOSATU upheld this pledge by dissolving into the newly formed

Congress of South African Trade Unions The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is a trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions ...

(COSATU).

Affiliates

Leadership

General Secretaries

:1979:

Alec Erwin Alexander Erwin (born 17 January 1948) is a South African politician who was Minister of Public Enterprises from 29 April 2004 to 25 September 2008. Early life and education Alexander Erwin was born on 17 January 1948 in Cape Town to Dennis and ...

:1983: Joe Foster

Presidents

:1979: John Mke :1982:

Chris Dlamini Christopher Ndodebandla Dlamini (born 10 October 1944 – 19 November 2009) was a South African trade union leader. Dlamini grew up in Benoni and Springs. He became aware of the African National Congress at an early age, and saw himself a ...

References