Sechaba ka’Nkosi
With less than two weeks to go before the annual meeting of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), there is growing uncertainty within its membership about its future and the influence the federation still has in South African politics. In the rapidly changing political and economic climate, it is being reduced to a reactive rather than proactive partner in the processes.
The September Commission report on the future of the union movement admits to an extent that the federation has failed to react to the changing environment. But it does not recommend a clear way forward.
Even the latest copy of Cosatu’s newsletter The Shopsteward (dedicated to the congress and the commission) confirms this but argues that challenges for the congress are the alliance’s transformation programme and Cosatu’s abilities to influence policy formulation at various levels. In the newsletter, general secretary Sam Shilowa predicts this to mean that the vision and delegates’ ideas are likely to be tempered with a heavy dose of realism.
“In some cases, what we lack is not policies, but an implementation strategy,” charges Shilowa.
Labour consultant Gavin Brown contends that the inability to react strategically is exacerbated by the movement of experienced leadership to government and the private sector.
“What the September Commission tries to highlight is problems associated with this. But the question is: what happens next, what is the solution?”
This week, Cosatu appeared to have scored a moral victory when the African National Congress indicated it might be willing to re-open negotiations on the government’s growth, employment and redistribution (Gear) strategy.
However, the announcement was non-committal and the ANC offered no specifics. Instead, the statement said that the weekend alliance meeting agreed to reconcile macro- economic policies with the transformation process, while “recognising the constraints that we face. To that extent, any macro- economic policy is not cast in stone.”
Sources within Cosatu rank and file view this with suspicion. They say if this commitment is spelt out, it can pave the way for a transformation accord among the partners, and a subsequent electoral pact before the 1999 general elections.
Most importantly, such a move could neutralise the growing discontent within Cosatu over the government’s perceived shift to the right and the threats of a “progressive” left-wing opposition within or outside the alliance.
“A genuine commitment by the government is needed for the normalisation of relations in the alliance, and perhaps the proposed job summit. But at the moment, the offer sounds like a beautifully wrapped gift box with nothing inside,” says an official.
The congress is expected to draw nearly 2 400 worker delegates representing close to two million members, the biggest convention since Cosatu’s launch in 1995. These workers are expected to map out a strategy to propel the federation into the next millennium.
Asks Shilowa in the newsletter: “We have all seen the impact of the current macro- economic strategy in our day-to-day situation. Apart from rejecting it, what proposals are we placing on the table. How do we ensure their implementation … ?”
Director of Centre for Policy Studies Steven Friedman has the answer. He says it is up to Cosatu to accept that the government is unlikely to leave Gear and go back to the reconstruction and development programme.
“The federation’s ability to survive and grow will depend on its ability to change. The biggest danger is that the leadership and shop stewards might not accept this challenge.”