Congress of South African Trade Unions facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
COSATU

Founded	30 November 1985; 39 years ago (1985-11-30)
Headquarters	Cosatu House 110 Jorissen Street Johannesburg Gauteng
Location	South Africa
Members	2 193 965
Key people	Zingiswa Losi, President Bheki Ntshalintshali, General Secretary
Website	www.cosatu.org.za

A COSATU organised protest in Cape Town calling for an end to state capture and for the prosecution of those involved in the administration of President Jacob Zuma.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is a very important group of trade unions in South Africa. It was started in 1985. COSATU is the biggest group of trade unions in the country. It has 21 different trade unions that are part of it. These unions work together to help workers.

History of COSATU

How COSATU Started

On November 30, 1985, 33 different trade unions met at the University of Natal. They wanted to form a big group of unions. For four years, these unions had been talking about working together. They all stood against apartheid, which was a system of unfair rules in South Africa. They wanted a country where everyone was treated equally, no matter their race or gender.

COSATU officially began on December 1, 1985. Some of the unions that joined were from the Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU). The National Union of Mineworkers was also a key founding union. Elijah Barayi became COSATU's first president. Jay Naidoo was the first general secretary.

At their first meeting, COSATU made important decisions. They decided to:

• Have one union for each type of industry.
• Help women workers who were being treated unfairly.
• Ask for the end of the state of emergency.
• Demand that soldiers leave the townships.
• Ask for the release of all political prisoners.
• Keep asking other countries to put pressure on South Africa. This included asking them to stop investing money there.
• Demand the right for workers to go on strike and protest peacefully.
• Work to set a national minimum wage for all workers.
• Fight for workers' rights in all parts of the country.

In May 1987, COSATU held a big strike. This was part of their "Living Wage Campaign." More than 2.5 million workers took part. Soon after, bombs exploded near COSATU's main office. The building was badly damaged.

Fighting Against Apartheid

COSATU continued its fight against apartheid. At their second big meeting in July 1987, they officially supported the Freedom Charter. This was a plan for a fair and democratic South Africa. The National Union of Mineworkers suggested this idea.

In July 1989, at their third meeting, COSATU decided to take more action. They called on their members to protest against apartheid. This happened in the week before the 1989 General Election in South Africa.

On July 26, 1989, COSATU joined with other groups. These included the United Democratic Front. They started the National Defiance Campaign. During this campaign, people went into places that were only for white people. Groups that the government had banned also said they were "unbanned." This was a brave act of protest.

After Apartheid

After apartheid ended, COSATU kept working for workers' rights. In 2012, COSATU decided to join the World Federation of Trade Unions. This group focuses on helping workers around the world. However, COSATU also stayed part of the International Trade Union Confederation.

In 2016, a leader from a COSATU union was elected as the President of the World Federation of Trade Unions. His name was Michael Mzwandile Makwayiba.

COSATU's membership went down after 2012. But it still remained the largest group of trade unions in South Africa.

COSATU's Member Unions

Current Member Unions

COSATU has many different unions that are part of it. These unions represent workers from various jobs. Here are some of the unions that are currently part of COSATU:

Changes in Membership

Sometimes, unions join or leave COSATU. In 2014, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) was the largest union in COSATU. But they had some disagreements with COSATU's leaders. Because of these disagreements, NUMSA was no longer part of COSATU after a vote. This was a difficult time for workers.

Working with the Government

COSATU works closely with the ANC and the South African Communist Party. This group is called the "Tripartite Alliance". COSATU's role in this group is important. It means they can share workers' concerns directly with the government.

Sometimes, COSATU disagrees with some of the government's plans. Some unions in COSATU want to be more independent from the ruling party. Others believe that working with the government helps COSATU get better results for its members.

Helping with Social Issues

South Africa has faced big challenges, like the spread of HIV/AIDS. COSATU has played a key role in helping with this. They work with groups like the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). This group helps teach people about HIV/AIDS. They also work to prevent new infections. COSATU pushed for people to get important medicines called antiretrovirals.

In 1998, COSATU decided to campaign for better treatment. They saw that many of their members, especially those with lower pay, were dying because they could not afford medicine. COSATU saw TAC as a natural partner to fight for these treatments. Even though COSATU works with the government, they have sometimes disagreed on how to provide these medicines to everyone.

COSATU's Logo

The COSATU logo has special meanings:

• The wheel in the logo stands for the economy of the country.
• The gold color of the wheel shows the wealth of South Africa.
• The figures pushing the wheel are two men and a woman carrying a baby. They show the challenges workers face. This includes unfair treatment based on race or gender, and economic problems.
• These figures are black because they represent the struggle of the black majority against racial unfairness.
• The figures are holding a red flag. This flag stands for the working class.

The slogan on the logo is "An injury to one is an injury to all." This means that if one worker is hurt or treated unfairly, it affects all workers. It shows that the union wants all workers to stand together and support each other.

COSATU and Zimbabwe

COSATU has also shown support for people in other countries. In 2004 and 2005, COSATU sent groups to Zimbabwe. They wanted to see what conditions were like there. However, they were sent out of the country both times.

COSATU has organized protests and blocked borders. They did this to protest against the government in Harare, Zimbabwe. In 2016, COSATU supported protestors in Zimbabwe. They said that the government's harsh actions were similar to unfair actions taken in South Africa's past.

COSATU and Palestine

In 2020, COSATU showed its support for the Palestinian people. They linked the Palestinian people's right to their land to COSATU's own fight against apartheid in South Africa. In 2021, Palestinians protested against a court decision. This decision said that people in Sheikh Jarrah had to leave their homes in Jerusalem. Israeli troops also attacked Al-Aqsa during Ramadan, a holy month for many Palestinians.

COSATU marched to the US Embassy in Sandton, Johannesburg. This was to show their support for Palestinians. They said that the US government should recognize Palestine as a country. They also said that the unfair treatment of Palestinians should stop.

COSATU Leaders

Here are the main leaders of COSATU:

• President: Zingiswa Losi
• First Deputy-President: Mike Shingange
• Second Deputy-President: Louise Thipe
• Secretary General: Bheki Ntshalintshali
• Deputy General Secretary: Solly Phetoe
• Treasurer: Freda Oosthuysen

Here are the leaders for different parts of South Africa:

• Eastern Cape: Xolani Malamlela
• Free State: Monyatso Mahlatsi
• Gauteng: Dumisani Dakile
• KwaZulu-Natal: Edwin Mkhize
• Limpopo: Gerald Twala
• Mpumalanga: Thabo Mokoena
• North West: Job Dliso
• Northern Cape: Orapeleng Moraladi
• Western Cape: Malvern de Bruyn

See also

In Spanish: Congreso de Sindicatos Sudafricanos para niños

• Trade unions in South Africa
• 1973 Durban strikes
• 2007 South African public servants' strike
• Siphiwe Mvuyane
• John Gomomo