Trade unions often complain that radio stations do not give them fair coverage, but now a new labour radio slot will ensure that they share their experiences and exchange views on air.
The Labour Community Radio Project (LCRP) is a weekly one-hour radio programme broadcast on community stations that talks about the challenges workers face in their daily lives, and ways to address them.
The programme will last for 27 weeks until October and will be broadcast on stations such as Bush Radio, Univen FM, TNG FM and Jozi FM.
It is produced by Workers’ World Radio Productions (WWRP), which was established in 1999 by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the Federation of Unions of South Africa and the National Council of Trade Unions, together with the National Community Radio
Forum, to provide media production facilities and services to the labour movement.
The aim of the project is to counter the negative portrayal of trade unions by the media, said Martin Jansen, director of WWRP.
“In [their] drive to encourage
foreign investment and economic growth, both business and the government have constantly called on trade unions and workers to moderate their demands and activities so as not to chase away potential foreign investors,” Jansen said.
This had been reflected constantly in the media, particularly between 1994 and 1999.
He said the radio project was unique because it specialised in labour news.
“We are not aware of any specialised labour slots on any radio
stations in South Africa,” he said.
“Also, it is being set up by labour for labour. It will therefore have a clear labour bias [as opposed to business and government] while at the same time not favouring any trade union, and remaining critical and objective.”
Cosatu deputy president Joe Nkosi said: “Why is it always that business people are the ones analysing our economy and not labour unions?”
The labour show is hosted by a team of two people, one drawn from the trade union movement and the other from the community radio
station.
It will be broadcast in five languages: Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu and Sesotho.