Trade Unions

/ 7 January 2025

SACP set to confirm independent 2026 election bid at tripartite alliance meeting

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for its alliance partners, the SACP and labour federation Cosatu, to unite to return the ANC to power

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By Mandisa Nyathi

Health

/ 24 January 2023

Community health workers are ditching unions

In South Africa, trade unions have a reputation for having workers’ back. But for many of the country’s community health workers, these organisations are no longer an ally.

By Nicole Ludolph

Business

/ 22 February 2022

Long wishlist for Godongwana ahead of Wednesday budget speech

Political parties and trade unions are asking the finance minister to address the growing national debt crisis and to extend the R350 grant

By Anathi Madubela

Opinion

/ 13 February 2022

South Africa must design an energy transition that creates jobs and growth

Appropriate policy, supported by a social compact by labour, business, communities and the government, can maximise the opportunities of the just transition

By Kenneth Creamer

The Green Guardian

/ 1 June 2021

Solidarity says court action against Cuban engineers’ project will continue

Trade union will continue its application against the water department’s decision to employ 25 Cuban engineers, valued at more than R18-million a year

By Eunice Masson

Editorial

/ 13 May 2021

Editorial: Collective bargaining headache

The state faces a dilemma: it made a three-year wage agreement with public servants in 2018, before the pandemic, but reneging on it now will undermine labour’s trust

By Editorial

Business

/ 8 May 2021

Covid kills a decade of employment growth in SA

The self-employed were nearly three times less likely to work during the hard lockdown, economists found

By Sarah Smit

Opinion

/ 1 May 2021

Workers’ Day marks huge job losses around the world, exacerbated by the pandemic

The activism of people such as Tlou Theophilus Cholo laid the foundation for improve work conditions in South Africa

By Shalate Davhana and Malesela Maubane

Africa

/ 22 March 2021

Zambia may burn after the August elections. Here’s how to prevent this

The public’s lack of trust in formal institutions means the election is a potential tinderbox. The people of Zambia need to challenge the status quo

By Sishuwa Sishuwa

National

/ 21 January 2021

Lala ngoxolo Mvelase Jackson Mthembu

In his announcement, President Cyril Ramaphosa called the late minister ‘a life-long champion of freedom and democracy’

By Sarah Smit

Opinion

/ 19 September 2020

Cosatu needs to get creative

With lockdown regulations in place, default industrial action methods need to be sidelined and new ways of protest considered

By Sinethemba Cele

Article

/ 19 March 2020

CCMA closes doors to Covid-19

The statutory body mandated to deal with workplace disputes released an urgent directive postponing all matters set down to be heard between March 18 and April 14

By Sarah Smit

Article

/ 14 February 2020

One strike and you’re out – registrar tells unions

A municipal workers’ union is the first to be sanctioned for not following the new rule when deciding whether to go on strike

By Sarah Smit

Article

/ 23 August 2019

Unions up the ante in talks

The platinum sector wage negotiations are seeing a mixed bag of demands and counter-offers

By Thando Maeko

Article

/ 3 May 2019

It’s mayday for unions as May Day turnout disappoints

At best the rally was a sad reminder of just how badly the battle for control of the governing party have decimated the ANC’s alliance partner.

By Paddy Harper

Article

/ 25 February 2019

Unembargoed: February 22 to 28

Eskom prepares for worker ‘sabotage’: expected lay-offs delayed until after elections, police and army on standby

By Mg Reporter

Article

/ 20 February 2019

Mboweni to deliver budget in the face of massive debt and blackouts

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is under pressure to bail out the state power utility Eskom — along with its $30-billion mountain of debt

By Michelle Gumede

Article

/ 18 October 2018

Freedom fighter and trade unionist Eric Mtshali dies

This remarkable veteran helped to build the trade union movement even while in exile

By Staff Reporter

Article

/ 28 September 2018

Cosatu must introspect and fix itself, fast

The labour federation is a victim of the impasse in the grand post-apartheid South African project

By Vukani Mde

Article

/ 3 August 2018

Thuma mina: Unions unmoved by president’s challenge

‘All the problems of unemployment and inequality are all getting worse since President Ramaphosa took over’

By Tebogo Tshwane

Article

/ 23 May 2018

Samwu’s term of office extension faces opposition from members

Members of the trade union intend to challenge the amendment of the union’s constitution to extend the term of office for leaders

By Amanda Khoza News24

Article

/ 14 May 2018

Bus services expected to resume tomorrow

The sticking point that delayed a settlement was the insistence by the unions that the agreed 9% pay rise be backdated to April 1

By Terry Bell

Article

/ 13 December 2017

Why changes to South Africa’s labour laws are an assault on workers’ rights

Two problems loom large in the implementation of the national minimum wage. One is compliance, the other redress.

By Staff Reporter

Article

/ 21 April 2017

In the name of union game

In defending its territory an established federation objects to the name of the new kid on the block

By Govan Whittles

Article

/ 3 October 2016

Humanitarian and union leader Phiroshaw Camay dies aged 69

He spent two decades working to strengthen civil society, after leading two trade unions.

By Ebrahim Harvey

Article

/ 12 March 2015

The IMF loves, but labour’s still lost

An unusual internal report links shrinking union power to growing inequality – but don’t be fooled.

By Roman Grynberg

Article

/ 30 December 2014

What I’ll be telling potential investors in 2015

South Africa’s markets can be both treacherous and rewarding – here are 10 vital considerations.

By Staff Reporter

Article

/ 13 November 2014

The downward spiral of SA unions

Unions had stopped growing at the same pace as the workforce long before Numsa’s exit from trade union federation Cosatu.

By Staff Reporter

Article

/ 5 October 2012

Blurring of boundaries exists in US unions too

There can’t be many other outsiders as qualified to hold forth on the labour movement in SA than Andy Stern, who was here on a flying visit this week.

By Staff Reporter

Article

/ 27 September 2012

Test of unions’ credibility

Many workers now believe violence is justified, indeed necessary. Some, notably in the transport union Satawu.

By Editorial

Article

/ 13 August 2012

Third person killed in union violence at Lonmin mine

A man at Lonmin’s Marikana mine in the North West has been killed – the third death resulting from union violence there.

By Sapa

No image available

Article

/ 9 March 2011

Unions present new draft equity Bill to Parliament

Trade union leaders on Wednesday petitioned Parliament to withdraw the controversial draft Employment Equity Amendment Bill and consider a new draft.

By Staff Reporter

Older posts

SACP set to confirm independent 2026 election bid at tripartite alliance meeting

Join the M&G Community

Community health workers are ditching unions

Solidarity says court action against Cuban engineers’ project will continue

Editorial: Collective bargaining headache

Covid kills a decade of employment growth in SA

Workers’ Day marks huge job losses around the world, exacerbated by the pandemic

Zambia may burn after the August elections. Here’s how to prevent this

Lala ngoxolo Mvelase Jackson Mthembu

Cosatu needs to get creative

CCMA closes doors to Covid-19

One strike and you’re out – registrar tells unions

Unions up the ante in talks

It’s mayday for unions as May Day turnout disappoints

Unembargoed: February 22 to 28

Mboweni to deliver budget in the face of massive debt and blackouts

Freedom fighter and trade unionist Eric Mtshali dies

Cosatu must introspect and fix itself, fast

Thuma mina: Unions unmoved by president’s challenge

Samwu’s term of office extension faces opposition from members

Bus services expected to resume tomorrow

Why changes to South Africa’s labour laws are an assault on workers’ rights

In the name of union game

Humanitarian and union leader Phiroshaw Camay dies aged 69

The IMF loves, but labour’s still lost

What I’ll be telling potential investors in 2015

The downward spiral of SA unions

Blurring of boundaries exists in US unions too

Test of unions’ credibility

Third person killed in union violence at Lonmin mine

Unions present new draft equity Bill to Parliament

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