{"id":349,"date":"2012-10-07T21:05:08","date_gmt":"2012-10-07T21:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/2012\/10\/07\/a-union-key-to-a-really-democratic-future-terry-bell-2012\/"},"modified":"2012-10-07T21:05:08","modified_gmt":"2012-10-07T21:05:08","slug":"a-union-key-to-a-really-democratic-future-terry-bell-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/2012\/10\/07\/a-union-key-to-a-really-democratic-future-terry-bell-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"A Union Key to a Really Democratic Future – Terry Bell (2012)"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nA UNION KEY TO A REALLY DEMOCRATIC FUTURE
\nThe bloodbath at Lonmin\u2019s Marikana mine served to alert more of the public to
\naspects of feuding and tension that have been ongoing for years and not only at
\nLonmin and in the mining industry generally. In particular it has highlighted the
\nstresses, strains and battles for power and position within the trade union movement
\nand opened up a number of debates about the way forward.
\nTrade unions comprise perhaps one of the most important groups if South Africa is to
\nemerge from the present economic and social crisis as a truly democratic and united
\nentity. Another crucial entity is the religious communities. Together with the unions,
\nthey make up the largest networks of community organisation in the country and both
\nare in the Marikana spotlight.
\nThrough such bodies, organised and united, and within the framework of the Bill of
\nRights, democratic control could be extended and strengthened. The tradition of
\nunions is after all \u2014 however much distorted over time \u2014 intensely democratic. And
\nequal rights and egalitarianism tend to be preached by all religions.
\nBut both of these mass organisations need to divorce the sectarian interests they
\nharbour in order to best serve the best interests of the majority. This may require
\nsome intense introspection and open and transparent debate that is still, by and large,
\nlacking.
\nThe Anglican bishops or Pretoria and Natal, Jo Seoka and Rubin Phillip have pointed
\nout that to see the tragedy at Lonmin in isolation from the other, almost daily,
\nupheavals around the country would be a mistake; they all stem from similar causes.
\nAll unions need to join this chorus because the desperate poverty among many
\nminers and their families is the same desperate poverty that afflicts millions, mainly
\nin the rural areas and squatter camps of South Africa.
\nUnfortunately, that most laudable principle of labour, worker unity, is all too often
\nbeing touted by sectarians claiming to providing the only true way forward. They
\nundermine democratic systems and usually defy another principle of labour: never
\nlie to the workers.
\nHowever, the reason that this is happening should not be surprising: many trade
\nunions today are big businesses and function accordingly. Investment companies
\nplay a part in this, but are not the sole reason.
\nWithin government-allied Cosatu, union positions are also seen as stepping stones to
\npolitical positions and power. As the federation\u2019s general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi
\nnoted this week: \u201cUnion leaders are cultivating the possibility of attaining the
\nhighest office and not cultivating the workplace.\u201d
\nSo, much like government ministers, mine managers and captains of industry, such
\nunion leaders have an interest in not admitting responsibility for any avarice,
\narrogance, neglect or stupidity. They are in the business of burnishing their images,
\nproclaiming the most laudable of motives while often using the most highly dubious
\nof methods.
\nThey wish to protect their positions and do so by often fudging their earnings and
\nbenefits while professing dedication to the workers and the working class. However,
\nthis is a fairly recent development within modern South African unionism.
\nTwenty-five years ago, there existed a strong rank and file demand that union leaders
\nearn no more than the highest paid union member. Pay increases to the executive
\nwere also to be linked to those of the workers. In several cases, this was applied in
\npractice at a time when wages were low and union memberships were still growing.
\nToday, South Africa boasts one of the highest rates of unionism anywhere and, as a
\nrule, trade union subscriptions amount to 1 per cent of a member\u2019s wage. So, if an
\naverage wage is R4 000 a month, each member contributes R40.
\nThe biggest union in the country, is the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) with
\na claimed 300 000 membership. If the R40 contribution applied, this would mean a
\nsubscription income of R12 million every month or R144 million a year.
\nUnions that recruit more highly skilled workers \u2014 the National Union of
\nMetalworkers is a good example \u2014 enjoy a higher per capita income, with average
\nwages for the claimed 216 652 members in excess of R6 000 a month. At a
\nconservative estimate of R60 a month for subscriptions, this gives a monthly income
\nof just short of R13 million.
\nAgainst this background, the incomes of union officials are also often not made
\nreadily available to members. NUM, for example, has instituted an internal inquiry
\nto try to discover who leaked information about the recent R44 000 a month pay rise
\nto general secretary Frans Baleni.
\nThe level of subscription income, often bolstered by funding from investment
\ncompanies which, say critics, exploit other workers in the name of workers, allows
\nfor often handsome pay packages for trade union leaders. In some cases, this also
\nfilters down \u2014 an example of the trickle down theory of liberal economics \u2014 to shop
\nstewards and hand-picked acolytes.
\nThe chosen few among the lower ranks tend to aspire to the higher echelons and are
\nusually the delegates to various conferences and workshops. Gone are the days of
\nmeetings in community halls with tea and sandwiches for sustenance; conference
\ncentres and three and four-star hotels are the venues, accompanied by gifts that go
\nwell beyond the traditional T-shirts.
\nIn this environment it is scarcely surprising that members of some established unions
\nturn to other unions that promise a return to democratic norms or offer better service.
\nIncreasingly, however, many workers express disillusionment with all unions.
\nThis general disillusionment seems to be a strong current among strikers at Lonmin
\nand one that various political groupings \u2014 along with the demagogic Julius Malema
\n\u2014 are attempting to capitalise on. Like street corner evangelists of earlier days, they
\npromise pie in the sky by and by, in the hope of winning the power of labour to their
\ncause.
\nAs a result, some union leaders have realised that this is the time to work toward
\nestablishing unity and not to indulge in sectarian feuding. But that will require a
\nmajor shake-up throughout the movement.
\nTerry Bell
\nwriting, editing, broadcasting
\nspecialising in:
\npolitical\/economic analysis and labour
\nP.O Box 373, Muizenberg 7950
\nSouth Africa
\nTel: +27 +(0)21 788 9699 \u2022 Fax: +27 +(0)21 788 9711
\nSkype: belnews
\nBlog: terrybellwrites.wordpress.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[61],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=349"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/global-labour.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}