Human Resource Management

Trade unions role in politics

Trade unions play a vital role in any state or territory. They uphold and understand citizen beliefs and needs and ensure that these are met, in South Africa trade unions were the forefront runners involved mainly in political issues regarding the transition between an apartheid South Africa and a democratic South Africa. In a democratic society, trade unions create the most vital links between government and the governed society.

In recent years the role of trade unions have changed dramatically , as political and economic changes take place throughout the world, thus trade unions were forced to re-evaluate their standing and the ways in which they operated. Some of the changes which have taken place are the manner in which we work, moving away from traditional working patterns and towards part-time, free-lance or short term contractual jobs; creating growing insecurities for the working class people through the constant threat of redundancy (revisionguru.co.uk, 2013).

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) played an important role in the most crucial political time in South Africa, the apartheid years, COSATU began 1 December 1985, it formed at the most crucial time of South Africa struggle against apartheid (sahistory.org.za, 2013).

Some of the political highlights during the apartheid era stood after the Sharpville Massacre in 1960 when the ANC and SACP joined hands to form uMkhonto we Sizwe in 1961, “and most of Sactu’s leaders, who were also members of the ANC, joined the underground military organization” (sahistory.org.za, 2013). In August and September of 1984, seven unions known more commonly as the Magnificent Seven, collaborated with the United democratic Front to rise up in protest against the elections for the Tricameral Parliament. Struggle broke out in the Vaal Triangle on 3 September 1984, this struggle became “the most sustained challenge to apartheid governance in the history of the country”...