WPGWU says no to registration
In October 1979 the Western Province General Workers Union (WPGWU) distributed a memorandum on their position around registration. This elicited …
Vol 28 No 6 Dec 2004
We won the war: But the battles continue
As we pass the first decade of democracy, the South African Labour Bulletin – one of the last remaining of …
Unity talks stop start
The unity talks between different union formations got underway after a decision was taken in 1981. These talks, which spanned …
Towards transforming SA industry: A ‘reconstruction accord’ between unions and the ANC
At a workshop in 1992, Numsa delegates discussed the idea of a reconstruction accord between the trade unions and the …
The struggle against apartheid
The 1980s saw a period of heightened political turmoil during which time the democratic trade union movement played a central …
The struggle from below: 1974-1983
The case for African unions formed the focus of the first edition of the Labour Bulletin published in April 1974. …
The unions and the UDF
Everything was contested and debated as was the case of the relationship between unions and mass-based organisations such as the …
The necessity of utopian thinking
The formation of the Labour Bulletin was the inspiration of assassinated academic Rick Turner. Eddie Webster provides a personal account …
The emerging new order
The unbanning of the political parties and the release of ANC president Nelson Mandela in 1990 changed the terrain dramatically. …
Role of unions in politics: The GWU on the UDF
Some controversy emerged after a number of unions indicated that they would support the UDF, but would not affiliate. The …