Cosatu | Terry Bell Writes

Browsing All posts tagged under »Cosatu«

Early ANC election salvoes backfire

February 8, 2013

South Africa's governing ANC has loosed off the first major salvoes of the 2014 election campaign — and all of them have backfired, largely because of the confusing balancing act of trying to keep its trade union ally, Cosatu on board while pursuing policies the unions bitterly oppose.

The myth of a ‘Lula moment’

November 30, 2012

Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of South Africa's major trade union federation, Cosatu, has proposed a "Lula moment" to defuse the country's "ticking time bomb" of poverty and unemployment. But there is a growing band of doubters who see this belief that Brazil's former president has — or had — a cure-all recipe for poverty, unemployment and economic growth as a myth.

Trade unions and the need for transformation

November 8, 2012

It can be argued today that trade unions are more necessary than ever; that the organisations that played major roles in improving the political and economic lot of people around the world, have a huge task ahead of them. Yet much of the labour movement internationally is in a state of flux or stagnation and, in South Africa, there are signs of considerable disarray.

A Cold War shadow looms in South Africa

November 6, 2012

In the face of the ongoing global economic crisis, with massive unemployment and a wage and welfare gap perhaps second to none anywhere, South Africa is now confronting the shadow of the Cold War. And it looms large in the background, despite most of the current media focus on the recent strike wave and the impending elective conference of the governing African National Congress.

Cold War echoes & trade union reform

September 28, 2012

Both the Cold War and the bitter battles between communists and social democrats in Germany of the Thirties found an echo at the 11th Cosatu national congress in Midrand last week. These came in speeches and in often angry comments from delegates in debates about international affiliation.

What about the workers?

September 24, 2012

There was considerable, unintended, irony in the statement by Cosatu president S'dumo Dlamini when he thanked the waiters and kitchen staff who had served the delegates at the federation's 11th national conference last week.

Cosatu goes forward united in tactical diversity

September 21, 2012

The media came to the 11th national congress of South Africa's major trade union federation, Cosatu, expecting metaphoric blood on the floor. It never happened because, for all the often bitter divisions, all factions seems united in believing that the governing, ANC-led alliance is the only true was forward.

Cosatu congress will go for unity at all costs

September 18, 2012

Amid unprecedented media interest, Cosatu’s eleventh national congress got underway in Midrand on Monday. Many of the more than 300 journalists, photographers and members of camera crews accredited to attend the event are clearly expecting drama. They are likely to be disappointed. Unity at all costs is likely to paper ove all differences.