Unions, return to your socialist values

In the days of apartheid, unions fought for more than just wages, they wanted a new society.Now it seems they have abandoned their roots

- Donovan E Williams

Labour union federation Cosatu made famous the slogan “An injury to one is an injury to all.” The organisation was said to be more than just a federation of unions; their unions adopted the Freedom Charter and their demands were not limited to wages and conditions of service, but also what type of society they wanted South Africa to be.

But, in the post-1994 era, Cosatu hinged all workers' demands on their opposition to the government's macroeconomic strategy, the conservative Growth, Employment and Redistribution policy. Their growth in the private sector, even as types of work changed, was limited.

One of the problems facing trade unions is that businesses constantly come up with different ways to bypass them.

In your local supermarket chain that carry national franchises, the majority of cashiers, store packers and so forth are members of a trade union, probably the Cosatu-affiliated South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union.

But the motor bike delivery drivers are not unionised. They are not even employees of the company. They are categorised as independent contractors.

This phenomena began in the early 2000s with what became known as owner-driver schemes. Previously companies such as Coca-Cola and Dairy Belle owned the trucks and employed the drivers.

Owner-driver schemes were presented as an empowerment model. The driver would sign an agreement with the company to deliver their goods to various parts of the country and, based on that agreement, they would then receive a loan and purchase the delivery truck. It seemed like a great model and allowed employees to become entrepreneurs. Owner-driver schemes flourished and mining companies also began using similar models.