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National Congress of Trade Unions (NACTU)

OVERVIEW

    The National Congress of Trade Unions (NACTU) is South Africa’s second largest trade union federation, after COSATU.  Formed in 1986, today it has nearly 500,000 members.  Its general-secretary is Cunningham Ngcukana, and Joseph Maqhekeni has been NACTU’s president since 2001. 

    NACTU is primarily focused on black empowerment.  Unlike COSATU, which subscribes to a multiracial ideology and is closely tied to the African National Congress (ANC), NACTU “promotes black identity and endorses black exclusiveness”[1kbw] and has been linked with the Black Consciousness Movement and the Pan-Africanist Congress[2kbw].

    NACTU is very active in pursuing legislative means to achieve its goals, but it is willing to resort to extra-parliamentary means when legislation fails.  The main forum in which NACTU works with government, business, and NGO interests to formulate social and economic policy is the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC).  NACTU, COSATU, and the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) represent labor interests within NEDLAC, and they often work together outside of NEDLAC as well.

NEDLAC

    The National Economic Development and Labour Council Act of 1994 established NEDLAC as a body in which government, business, labor, and community participate in economic and social policy decision-making[3kbw].  Funded by the Labour Department, NEDLAC focuses on promoting “the goals of economic growth, participation in economic decision-making and social equity”[4kbw]. Issues are first discussed within the Labour Market Chamber, the Trade and Industry Chamber, the Development Chamber and the Public Finance and Monetary Policy Chamber, and then referred to the Executive Council for final decision-making[5kbw]. NEDLAC has recently faced setbacks such as President Mbeki’s rejection of its draft agreement on the prevention and treatment of HIV/Aids[6kbw].

POLITICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATIONS

    NACTU is involved in an ongoing process of negotiating alliances with other labor federations as well as political groups and movements.  Its traditional ties to the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) have been challenged by the need to create non-political alliances with other labor organizations.  In 1988 a group of Africanists took control of NACTU, establishing ties between the federation and the PAC[7kbw].  This association led to targeting of NACTU by the De Klerk regime[8kbw].

    In the post-apartheid era, however, the threat of neoliberalism has pushed NACTU to move toward cross-political alliances with other labor federations.  Despite political differences, NACTU has supported many of COSATU’s campaigns.  The struggle against privatization even led to talk of forming a new, single federation in 2001.  Cunningham Ngcukana, general-secretary of NACTU, denied ideological differences with COSATU, saying that “the issues that bind us together are stronger than the issues which divide us"[9kbw].  Ngcukana recently expressed unhappiness about the formation of a new labor federation in South Africa, stressing the need for “worker unity”[10kbw].

    Cooperation with COSATU and FEDUSA within NEDLAC and in more militant activities is still limited by political affiliation, however.  NACTU accused COSATU of allowing African National Congress politicians to hijack the May Day rally the two federations collaborated in planning in 2001[11kbw].  And the main obstacle to unifying into one federation was the  "question of Cosatu's alliance with the ANC", according to Ngcukana[12kbw].

ISSUES AND EFFECTIVENESS

Labor Laws

    The main site of success for organized labor in South Africa has been the realm of labor laws.  Advocates of neoliberalism see South Africa’s “obscene panoply of labour laws” as a detriment to growth and development[13kbw].  A government sympathetic to workers’ needs and willing to intervene in the economy has enabled a great deal of protective legislation for workers[14kbw]. Last year, NACTU worked within NEDLAC to pass an accord holding employers accountable for workplace safety and occupational hazard[15kbw]. 

Unemployment and Job Creation

    By far the main issue facing workers and the country in general is the lack of economic growth, rising unemployment, and poverty.  In 2002, the estimated official employment rate was 29 percent[16kbw].  Labor federations are by and large engaged in a struggle to create alternatives to privatization that will facilitate economic growth, job creation, and poverty alleviation.  The October 1998 Presidential Jobs Summit "resolved that government, organised business and labour would each create funds in a national effort to create jobs, but the economic impact has not been terribly significant"[17kbw]. NACTU has been active in opposing privatization within NEDLAC, and outside of it, arguing that privatization will neither promote foreign direct investment nor create jobs[18kbw].  Instead, NACTU sees job creation and poverty alleviation as a responsibility of businesses[19kbw].  While job creation remains a central issue, the anti-privatization pressure has been effective, as evidenced by President Mbkeki’s sound denial of government-led privatization[20kbw]. 

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 Countries >  South Africa