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COSATU:  Congress of South African Trade Unions^[ird]

^{Background Information and Affiliations:}

            COSATU, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, is historically aligned with the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP).^{[2 ird]}  Connections between the other labor federations and unions and a political party alliance can also be found.  Several of the current cabinet members honed their leadership skills on the committees of COSATU.  The National Office Bearers that were elected in 1999 are Willy Madisha as President, Joseph Nkosi for First Vice-President, Joyce Pekane as Second Vice-President, Zwelinzima Vavi as General Secretary, and Alinah Rantsolase as Treasurer.^{[3 ird]}  Both Madisha and Nkosi played integral roles in ANC chapters in the past, and SACP.  However their recent activities lie with the latter, meaning holding office and being active members of the organization. 

COSATU is also affiliated with the other two labor federations in South Africa under the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), an international umbrella confederation.  The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA), and the National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU) are the other two.    COSATU is the largest of the three federations, followed in size by FEDUSA, and the smallest being NACTU.

COSATU is a nonracial union that is affiliated with nineteen trade unions. Its presence is fairly strong in the mining, metals, food, retail, transport, paper, chemical, teaching and public sectors.^{[4 ird]}  The healthcare workers, mineworkers, and teachers dominate in the number of members in their respective unions; just because they are dominant, it does not mean others are not forgotten.  Recent actions have been taken on behalf of the Communication Workers Union, and the South African Municipal Workers Union.  The national strikes and protests have been to protest the privatization of their services by the government^{[5 ird]}, as well as to speak out about job losses for those who have found themselves unemployed.^{[6 ird]}

Alliances are important, and the federations and unions remain loyal to them, even thought their ideas may not be the same.  There are also times when though the majority of opinions are different, they agree, as did COSATU and FEDUSA on the issue of extending child support grants^{.[7 ird]}  All three federations also agreed that the formation of a new trade federation was a mistake. 

In the midst of changing times, a new labor federation called the Confederation of South African Workers’ Unions (CONSAWU) has emerged much to the disdain of the three established federations.^{[8 ird]}  They all share the idea that a “new player will polarize workers instead of unifying them, and that CONSAWU’s affiliates could have joined them.”^{[9 ird]}  They have more than 300,000 members and about 26 unions are affiliated with this new federation.  Teachers and public service workers dominate in membership.  Other than problems with acceptance from its peers, CONSAWU has to “secure representation from key statutory bodies like the National Economic Development and Labor Council (NEDLAC) and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA), as well as recognition from the government and business world.”^{[10 ird]}

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 Countries >  South Africa