SA workers ‘losing faith’ in strife-torn trade unions
Poll shows erosion in trust in the wake of turmoil on mines, farms
PUBLIC trust in trade unions, especially among black and working class South Africans, has plummeted in the past year, a survey carried out by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has found.
The poll was conducted in the wake of labour turmoil last year in which workers abandoned traditional trade unions and embarked on wildcat strike action.
The survey, which is based on a representative sample derived from census information and is carried out annually, found that among the public in general, trust in trade unions dropped from 43% in 2011 to 29% in 2012.
Among black and working class South Africans, who have formed the backbone of the labour movement, there was a significant growth in distrust of unions. Thirty-five percent of black South Africans said they distrusted trade unions, compared with 21% the year before; while 53% of coloureds said they distrusted them, compared to 37% in 2011.
Among those who consider themselves to be part of the working class, distrust increased from 21% in 2011 to 37% in 2012, the survey found.
The HSRC survey findings indicate that events of last year on the mines and farms are a sign of a deeper malaise within the trade union movement, and point to a broader credibility crisis.
The author of the survey, HSRC PhD intern Steven Gordon, said the findings were “surprising” and should raise alarm in the trade union movement.
“Our analysis clearly shows that trust in unions has declined overall, also among those groups historically most supportive of the organised labour movement — full-time workers, the working and lower classes, and black and coloured South Africans. Given that working class consciousness was one of the central themes of the SA labour movement, the growth of active distrust among these groups should be a cause of deep concern for the labour movement,” he said.
Mr Gordon said the survey did not delve into reasons, or whether it was a temporary loss of faith or a more long-term decline.
“You would assume that trust would be so much higher, but now that we know that trust is not high we need to go about finding out why,” he said.
The HSRC findings resonate with those of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) itself, whose own survey of worker attitudes conducted by labour policy think-tank Naledi last year detected growing negative perceptions among organised workers. The Naledi survey found, for instance, that one in three members believed there was corruption in their unions and one in seven said they had actually experienced it.
Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said while he could not comment on the HSRC survey he had no doubt the union movement faced challenges. The collective bargaining conference last month had been held for this reason and had frankly identified the problems and a programme to tackle them, he said.
“Our own survey last year also revealed some very negative perceptions, for instance, about corruption in unions.
“This survey tells me one thing: improve. In our collective bargaining conference last month we used the phrase: ‘Pull up your socks,’” he said.
Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini said while Cosatu was aware it faced challenges, survey results were often used to attack the union movement.
Prof Steven Friedman, the
director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, said the survey reflected separate processes, involving union members on the one hand, and non-members on the other.
“Among those who are not in the movement there has been a strident assault on trade unionism over the last number of years. Among those who are part of the trade union movement there are clearly workers who feel trade unions are not representing them effectively.”
Prof Friedman said it was not a rejection of unions in principle, but a sense that existing unions were not as effective as they should be. Last year’s labour turmoil was reflective of this sentiment.
Most seriously affected by waning trust was the National Union of Mineworkers, which in the past year haemorrhaged members in the platinum and gold sectors.
Another example was this year’s Post Office strike, where workers who belonged to a union had chosen not to be represented by it and had appointed a lawyer instead.