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News & Views by Terry Bell
Browsing All Posts filed under »Inside Labour Column«
Silver lining to global clouds of turmoil
As another year draws to a close, the advice usually attributed to the Italian revolutionary, Antonio Gramsci, constantly comes to mind: exercise pessimism of the intellect, but optimism of the will. Because while dark clouds continue to gather, silver linings of resistance are starting to show through and could drive those clouds away forever.
Global hope for worker rights
December 14, 2014
Through globalisation, capital began the race to the bottom in terms of human and worker rights, wages and conditions. But, courtesy of modern communications technology, unions are now fighting back on a global level, although there is a long way to go.
SA’s domestic workers continue to dream
December 7, 2014
After nearly 50 uears of organised batling, South Africa's domestic workers still find themselves disadvantaged, their latest minimum pay award being less than half the generally recognised living wage.
Who stands to lose most in SA union fracas
November 30, 2014
The smallest member of the ANC-led tripartite alliance, the SA Communist Party, looks likely to be the biggest loser in the ongoing and bitter fracas in South Africa's major union federation, Cosatu. That party’s “ten-year plan” looks close to being in tatters.
Lessons SA unions should look to
November 24, 2014
There is no need for South African unions to travel to Brazil or Bolivia for enlightenment. There are basic facts about the nature of unions to consider — and several lessons to learn that are much closer to home.
Calamity looms on SA political/union front
November 17, 2014
It is no exaggeration to say that South Africa is in the midst of the most important political development since 1994, triggered by the decision of the Cosatu union federationto expel its largest affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa).
Answer to union turmoil is democracy
November 2, 2014
Many of my fellow journalists have recently misled the public about the situation regarding South Africa's National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) and the Cosatu federation. Part of the blame lies with the confusing utterances by some members of the Cosatu executive who seem unaware of the clauses of their own constitution.
Of social class and door mats
October 26, 2014
South African free marketeer Ann Bernstein and the Centre for Democracy and Enterprise (CDE) have ironically found themselves ideologically in bed with communist icons Frederick Engels and VI Lenin in arguing for certain workers being "middle class".
Terry Bell Writes 
December 21, 2014
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