National Council of Trade Unions

Last updated
NACTU
National Council of Trade Unions
Founded1986
Headquarters Johannesburg, South Africa
Location
Members
397,000
Key people
Narius Moloto, general secretary
Affiliations ITUC
Website www.nactu.org.za

The National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU) is a national trade union center in South Africa.

Contents

History

The federation was formed by the merger of the Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA) and the Azanian Confederation of Trade Unions (AZACTU) in 1986. [1] :488 In its early years, the federation was strongly influenced by the black consciousness movement, but was divided in its attitude to the African National Congress. [2]

In 1994, the federation affiliated to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the first post-apartheid South African union to do so, and it remains affiliated to its successor, the International Trade Union Confederation. [2] In 2006, the federation began negotiating a merger with the rival Federation of Unions of South Africa. They formed an umbrella organisation, the South African Confederation of Trade Unions, in 2007, but it achieved little, and the two federations remained independent. [3]

In 2001, the newly founded Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) affiliated to NACTU, soon becoming its largest member. AMCU argued that unions should remain independent of political parties, which caused tensions in 2014, when NACTU endorsed the Economic Freedom Fighters and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania. AMCU resigned in 2017, but the federation's total membership figure of 400,000 has not been updated. [2] Much of its membership is low paid, and it is particularly strong in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. [4]

Affiliates

Current affiliates

The NACTU has 20 affiliated unions.

UnionAbbreviationFoundedMembership (2011) [5]
Banking, Insurance, Finance and Allied Workers' UnionBIFAWU2009
Building, Construction and Allied Workers' Union BCAWU197547,000
Entertainment Catering Commercial and Allied' Workers Union Of South AfricaECCAWUSA1989
Federal Council of Retail and Allied Workers FEDCRAW19844,829
HOTELICCA HOTELICCA19786,098
Industrial, Commercial and Allied Workers' UnionICAWU3,213
Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union of South AfricaICU
Inqubela Phambili Trade UnionITU
Labour Equity General Workers' Union of South AfricaLEWUSA2002
Metal and Electrical Workers' Union of South Africa MEWUSA196117,180
Media Workers' Association of South AfricaMWASA19732,347
National Public Service Workers' UnionNUPSWU19987,142
National Security, Commercial and General Workers' UnionNASECGWU
National Services and Allied Workers' UnionNASAWU1993
National Union of Food, Beverage, Wine, Spirit and Allied Workers NUFBWSAW199310,214
Professional Educators' Union PEU191915,780
South African Chemical Workers' Union SACWU198016,055
South African Private Security Workers' UnionSAPSWU2002
Transport and Allied Workers' Union TAWU197213,085
Transport and Omnibus Workers' UnionTOWU19892,580

Former affiliates

UnionAbbreviationFoundedLeftReason not affiliatedMembership (1988) [6]
Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union AMCU20012018DisaffiliatedN/A
Black Allied Mining and Construction Workers' UnionBAMCWU1990Expelled4,119
Black Domestic Workers' UnionBDWU1985300
Black Electronic and Electrical Workers' UnionBEEWU1989Merged into MEWUSA520
Black Trade Union of Transnet Workers BLATU19811998Merged into SARWHU
Black University Workers' AssociationBUWA19721992Merged into MESHAWU
Brushes and Cleaners Workers' UnionBCWU19821993Merged into NASAWU3,000
Domestic Workers' Association of South AfricaDWASA19743,000
Engineering and Allied Workers' Union of South AfricaEAWUSA19631989Merged into MEWUSA3,000
Electrical and Allied Workers' Trade Union of South Africa EAWTUSA19871989Merged into MEWUSA15,000
Federated Mining UnionFMU3,100 [7]
Federation of Municipality, Health and Allied WorkersFEDMAWU1992Merged into MESHAWU
Food and Beverage Workers' Union FBAWU19791993Merged into NUFBWSAW17,000
Municipality, Education, State, Health And Allied Workers UnionMESHAWU1992N/A
Natal Liquor and Catering Workers' Union NLCWU1928Transferred to FEDUSA6,737
National Clothing and Textile Workers' Union of South AfricaNACTWUSA2001N/A
National Transport Movement NTM20122017Transferred to SAFTUN/A
National Union of Farm WorkersNUF418
National Union of Furniture and Allied Workers NUFAW1956Dissolved20,000
National Union of Wine, Spirits and Allied WorkersNUWASW19781993Merged into NUFBWSAW4,881
Parliamentary Staff UnionPSU
South African Laundry, Dry Cleaning and Dyeing Workers' UnionSALDCDWU19721993Merged into NASAWU500
South African Health and Allied Workers' UnionSAHAWU
Steel, Engineering and Allied Workers' UnionSEAWU19795,500
Textile Workers' UnionTWU19731990Expelled400
United African Motor and Allied Workers' UnionUAMAWU19801989Merged into MEWUSA8,000
Vukani Black Guards and Allied Workers' UnionVBGAWU19811993Merged into NASAWU2,000

General Secretaries

1986: Phiroshaw Camay
1989: Cunningham Ngcukana
2004: Mahlomola Skosana
2000s: Manene Samela
2010s to 2021: Narius Moloto

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Federation of Trade Unions</span> International trade union federation

The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) is an international federation of trade unions established in 1945. Founded in the immediate aftermath of World War Two, the organization built on the pre-war legacy of the International Federation of Trade Unions as a single structure for trade unions world-wide, following the World Trade Union Conference in London, United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federation of Dutch Trade Unions</span> Dutch national trade union centre

The Federation of Dutch Trade Unions is a national trade union centre in the Netherlands. The FNV is a significant player in the field of work and income. The trade union consists of a central federation, complemented by several sectoral unions representing specific professional groups and sectors. The FNV aims to safeguard the interests of employees, promote fair labor conditions, and protect workers' rights at the national level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congress of South African Trade Unions</span> South African trade union federation

The Congress of South African Trade Unions is a trade union federation in South Africa. It was founded in 1985 and is the largest of the country's three main trade union federations, with 21 affiliated trade unions.

Education International (EI) is a global union federation (GUF) of teachers' trade unions consisting of 383 member organizations in 178 countries and territories that represents over 32 million education teachers and education support personnel from pre-school through university. It is one of the world's largest sectoral global union federations.

Community is a British trade union which formed in 2004. The union represents workers in a diverse range of sectors, including iron and steel, justice and custodial, domestic appliance manufacturing, textiles and footwear, road transport, betting, the third sector, education and early years as well as the self-employed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian Labour Union</span> National trade union centre in Italy

The Italian Labour Union is a national trade union centre in Italy. It was founded in 1950 as a socialist, social democratic, republican, and laic split from the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL). It represents almost 2.2 million workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Union of Mineworkers (South Africa)</span> South African trade union

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is a mainly mining industry related trade union, an organisation of workers with common goals through organised labour, in South Africa. With a membership of 300,000 as of 2014, it is the largest affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federation of Unions of South Africa</span> Trade union in South Africa

The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) is the second largest national trade union center in South Africa.

Trade unions in South Africa has a history dating back to the 1880s. From the beginning unions could be viewed as a reflection of the racial disunity of the country, with the earliest unions being predominantly for white workers. Through the turbulent years of 1948–1991 trade unions played an important part in developing political and economic resistance, and eventually were one of the driving forces in realising the transition to an inclusive democratic government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federation of South African Trade Unions</span> Trade union federation in South Africa

The Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU) was a trade union federation in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghana Trades Union Congress</span> Train union federation in Ghana

The Ghana Trades Union Congress is a national centre that unites various workers' organizations in Ghana. The organization was established in 1945.

The South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) was a national trade union federation in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport and General Workers' Union (South Africa)</span> Trade union in South Africa

The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) was a trade union representing transport workers, and at times workers in other sectors, in South Africa.

The Trade Union Council of South Africa (TUCSA) was a national trade union federation in South Africa.

The Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA) was a national trade union federation in South Africa.

The Azanian Confederation of Trade Unions (AZACTU) was a national trade union federation in South Africa.

The Metal and Electrical Workers' Union of South Africa (MEWUSA) is a trade union representing workers in engineering and related trades in South Africa.

The South African Chemical Workers' Union (SACWU) is a trade union representing workers in the chemical industry in South Africa.

The Japanese Confederation of Labour was a national trade union federation in Japan.

References

  1. Pretorius, Fransjohan (2014). A History of South Africa: From the Distant Past to the Present Day. Hatsfield, Pretoria: Protea Book House. ISBN   978-1-86919-908-1.
  2. 1 2 3 Blackburn, Daniel (2021). Trade Unions of the World (PDF). ICTUR. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  3. "Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA)". South African History Online. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  4. Ludman, Barbara; Stober, Paul (2004). The Mail & Guardian A-Z of South African Politics: The Essential Handbook. Jacana Media. ISBN   1770090231.
  5. "COSATU's membership: All the facts". Politics Web. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  6. Kraak, Gerald (1993). Breaking the Chains. London: Pluto Press. ISBN   0745307051.
  7. Figure is for 1987.