Between Marginalisation & Revitalisation? The State of Trade Unionism inSouth Africa

This article provides an overview of the structure and organisation of thecontemporary trade union movement in South Africa. It identifies seven broadtrends in the labour market and their impact on the labour movement. It thenexamines the variety of initiatives by unions to tackle the problems generatedby these trends. The article suggests that these initiatives are largely ad hocand uncoordinated. It concludes that there is a need to go beyond traditionalunion structures to explore imaginative ways of engagement with theunemployed, the new working poor, their own members, employers,government, the new social movements and labour movements in othercountries. However, it suggests that it is premature to pronounce themarginalisation of labour in post-apartheid South Africa. If well-coordinatedand prioritised, the revitalisation initiatives identified in the article open upthe opportunity for labour to contribute towards the emergence a new job-creating developmental path in South Africa.