Labour

The rebellion of the poor

Today, 1 May, South Africa celebrates Workers’ Day. In the third and last in a series of articles, Leonard Gentle argues that a new labour movement will have to be part of a broader social movement.

Leonard Gentle

Opinion | 1 May 2015

The crisis in Cosatu ,“ how should we respond?

Cosatu’s biggest union, Numsa with 340,000 members, has been expelled from the federation. Half of Cosatu’s affiliates have allied themselves with Numsa and are operating outside Cosatu’s fold. But does the crisis in Cosatu matter? Does it make any difference to class struggle in defending and promoting working class interests?

Martin Jansen

Opinion | 30 April 2015

Is COSATU at a crossroad? No, it’s just irrelevant

Tomorrow, May 1, South Africa celebrates Workers’ Day. In the second of three articles, Leonard Gentle analyses the recent history of the labour movement in South Africa.

Leonard Gentle

Opinion | 30 April 2015

May Day: a proud history

On Friday 1 May South Africa will celebrate Workers’ Day. In the first of three articles on the current state of the labour movement, Leonard Gentle explains the history of this holiday.

Leonard Gentle

Opinion | 29 April 2015

Ashton residents outraged after farm murder

Rosina Cloete claims that her husband, 50 year old Colin Cloete, was killed by an Ashton farmer while picking tomatoes and is determined to make sure justice is done.

Barbara Maregele

News | 28 April 2015

NUMSA plans revolutionary, working class party

Faced with what appeared to be a veritable swamp of ideology at a “socialist movement” conference in Boksburg last week, the National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) has embarked on the process of creating a “Marxist, Leninist, revolutionary working class” political party. However, Numsa also facilitated the Boksburg conference, where representatives from 11 political groups or parties and a number of trade unionists and individuals made up the approximately 150 attendees.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 27 April 2015

Some light amid the labour gloom

News on the labour front over the recent past — and the past week — has involved ongoing infighting, death threats, an assassination, and the petrol bombing of a union president’s house. Little wonder then that an important labour law development has gone largely unnoticed.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 20 April 2015

South Africa’s questionable silence about human rights violations in Swaziland

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), campaigning groups and labour supporting members of the European parliament this month launched protests about the continued harassment and jailing of trade unionists and democracy campaigners in Swaziland. ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow has noted that, in Swaziland, “Violations against the fundamental rights of workers have become systemic.”

Terry Bell

Opinion | 13 April 2015

Workers at Groote Schuur allege illegal pay deductions

A manager at cleaning company Pronto Kleen has been charged with fraud after allegedly inflating employees’ working hours and claiming the extra money for herself.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 8 April 2015