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News & Views by Terry Bell
Lessons SA unions should look to
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.
Posted in: Inside Labour Column
Bleak look at SA media freedom
November 24, 2014
Where in the world has a ventriloquist’s dummy been sued for defamation and won a gagging order in court? Why, in South Africa, of course. This is among the increasingly bizarre contradictions emerging in this once widely hailed “rainbow nation”.
Posted in: Commentary
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).
Posted in: Inside Labour Column
Bitter succession battle looms in Zambia
November 8, 2014
A wide-open and bitter Zambian presidential contest seems on the cards especially because, on his deathbed in a London hospital President Michael Sata nominated a backbench MP as his successor.
Posted in: Edited material
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.
Posted in: Inside Labour Column
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".
Posted in: Inside Labour Column
Who’s to blame for SA Post Office rot
October 26, 2014
The strike bound South African Post Office has been badly damaged. And not by greedy workers and belligerent unions, but by mismanagement, corruption and a total lack of planning and foresight. A near three-month strike is not a cause, but a symptom of the malaise.
Posted in: Inside Labour Column
Hopes of grassroots democratic change
October 9, 2014
The fact that the “Save Our Metro” campaign in South Africa's east coast Nelson Mandela Bay area was flagged in an official press notice of the country's largest union federation is important. It gives the campaign wider credibility and raises hopes of greater grassroots democracy.
Posted in: Commentary
Terry Bell Writes 
November 24, 2014
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