Social Movement Trade Unionism: Case of the Congress of South African Trade Unions

Abstract

This paper discusses the utilisation of social movement trade unionism by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in seeking to influence the government to pursue policies that improve the lives of workers in South Africa. Social movement unionism involves trade union movement struggles characterised by shop-floor participatory processes, broader socio-political struggles and trade union alliances with community and political organisations. This perspective transcends economistic trade union struggles that are limited to the workplace. As a social movement union, COSATU played a critical role in contributing to social change by demanding the abolition of apartheid; rolling back of neoliberal economic policies in post-apartheid South Africa and, today, continues to be a key player in representing workers. However, COSATU social movement influence in the post-apartheid era has been affected by its adoption of alliance politics, utilisation of formal structures of incorporation such as the National Economic Development and Labour Council, intra-union conflicts and the reduction of its historical militant approach, among other challenges.