1    

Survey,  2012      

2    

I.  Aims  and  methodology  

1 Aims  of  the  survey  aims  to  provide  an  objective  analysis  of  the  perceptions  

of  union  members  and  potential  members  on  issues  facing  the  labour  movement.  The  questions  asked  in  the  survey  range  from  what  workers  want  from  their  employers  to  their  views  on  labour  unions  and  thoughts  on  the  broader  political  landscape.    

democracy  and  accountability,  solidarity,  gender  and  recruitment.  This  document  provides  an  initial  overview.  In  future,  we  hope  the  survey  will  provide  a  resource  for  more  in-­‐depth  research  in  specific  areas.    

The  survey  should  help  union  members,  shopstewards,  activists  and  leaders  to  enrich  their  views  on    hopes.  It  should  strengthen  internal  democracy  in  the  union  movement  and  identify  ways  to  improve  the  organisation  of  the  unorganised  and  to  serve  members  better.    

2 The  survey  

what  workers  want  from  their  employers  and  unions;  why  non-­‐members  do  not  belong  to  unions;  whether  workers  face  racial  or  gender  discrimination  or  harassment  at  work;  their  views  on  strike  action,  union  services  and  union  democracy;  and  their  political  commitments.  

The  survey  explores  the  views  and  opinions  of  workers.  It  did  not  ask  detailed  questions  on  working  conditions,  which  are  analysed  in  the   Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey.  It  asked  about  working  conditions  primarily  to  make  it  possible  to  understand  the  perceptions  of  different  groups  of  workers.  These  questions  also  help  explore  differences  in  working  conditions  by  affiliate.    

Like  any  survey,  the  sample  of  workers  interviewed  was  designed  to  reflect  the  views  and  conditions  of  the  broader  constituency  studied    in  this  case,  primarily  formal-­‐sector  workers.  To  that  end,  it  covered  3030  workers  in  37  urban  districts  across  the  country.    

The  sample  was  designed  to  permit  an  in-­‐depth  analysis  of  the  views  of  union  members  as  well  as  the  unorganised.  To  ensure  a  meaningful  sample  of  actual  and  potential  union  members,  some  large  sections  of  the  working  class  had  to  be  excluded.  Specifically,      

The  survey  excluded  workers  in  enterprises  with  under  five  workers.  That  means  that  it  excluded  virtually  all  informal  workers  and  the  self  employed  as  well  as  domestic  workers,  all  of  whom  find  it  difficult  to  organise  in  unions.  

It  was  only  conducted  in  urban  communities  with  an  average  household  income  of  under  R12  000  a  month,  according  to  the  2001  Census.  According  to  the  official  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey  for  the  first  quarter  of  2012,  over  80%  of  all  union  members  lived  in  urban  areas.    

3    

233  

211   210  

182  165   161   157  

125  108   107  

87  

-­‐

50  

100  

150  

200  

250  

NUMSA

SADTU

NUM

other  COSATU

 affiliate

NEHAW

U

SAMWU

SACCAWU

SATAWU

POPCRU

FAWU

SACTWU

Number  of  members  in  sample  by  affiliate

The  survey  was  effectively  divided  into  two  in  order  to  enable  a  larger  and  therefore  more  reliable  sample  of  union  members.    As  a  result,  while  only  47%  of  formal  sector  workers  are  in  unions,  the  survey  of  union  members  in  the  COSATU  Survey  was  twice  as  large  as  the  survey  of  non-­‐members.  Because  organised  workers  were  deliberately  over-­‐represented  in  the  sample,  we  present  findings  separately  for  members  and  non-­‐members.  

The  final  sample  included  753  non  union  members  and  2293  union  members.  Of  the  union  members,  some  1746,  or  over  half  the  entire  survey,  belonged  to  COSATU  affiliates.    

The  sample  included  a  large  enough  number  of  members  from  ten  COSATU  affiliates  to  permit  some  insight  into  individual  unions.  As  the  chart  shows,  these  affiliates  each  had  over  75  members  in  the  survey.  Only  one  union  outside  of  COSATU,  the  Public  Servants  Association  (PSA),  had  that  many  members  in  the  survey.    

The  size  of  the  sample  in  the  survey  does  not  necessarily  correspond  to  the  relative  size  of  the  union.    NUM  and  the  public  service  unions  in  particular  are  underrepresented  because  they  have  proportionately  more  members  in  rural  areas.  

Survey  results  are  usually  analysed  in  a  weighted  form  that  is  proportional  to  the  full  larger  population  being  analysed.  Even  unweighted,  however,  the  final  sample  in  

the  COSATU  Survey  largely  conformed  to  the  findings  of  the  much  larger  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey,  which  covers  some  30  000  households.    

In  particular,  the  sample  roughly  paralleled  terms  of  race,  gender,  age  and  incomes.  White  workers  were  however  heavily  under-­‐sampled  and  Coloured  and  Asian  workers  over-­‐sampled  in  the  COSATU  Survey.  Women  made  up  only  43%  of  the  COSATU  Survey,  which  is  below  their  share  in  the  total  population  but  roughly  equal  to  their  share  in  urban  formal  employment.      

The  survey  was  managed  by  a  team  based  in  NALEDI  and  led  by  Liesl  Orr,  with  assistance  from  Debbie  Budlender  and  Neva  Makgetla;  Jane  Barrett  and  Theo  Steele  of  COSATU;  and  Rudi  Dicks,  Musa  Malabela  and  Sian  Byrne  of  NALEDI.  It  was  carried  out  by  the  Community  Agency  for  Social  Enquiry  (CASE)  and  analysed  primarily  by  Neva  Makgetla.  We  are  grateful  to  Gay  Seidman  for  comments  and  the  Employment  Promotion  Programme  for  funding.      

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II.  Describing  formal  sector  workers    This  section  describes  some  characteristics  of  members  and  non-­‐members  arising  out  of  the  survey    their  pay,  education,  occupations,  race  and  gender.  For  overall  comparisons  of  members  and  other  formal  sector  workers,  we  report  on  the  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey,  which  is  larger  and  more  comprehensive  than  the  COSATU  Survey.  We  use  the  COSATU  Survey  for  insight  into  differences  between  members  of  the  affiliates,  which  are  shaped  primarily  by  occupational  and  sectoral  differences.    

1 Income  levels  Amongst  formal  employees,  non-­‐members  tend  to  earn  less  than  members  in  every  occupation.  The  COSATU  Survey  only  compared  ordinary  workers,  however.  It  did  not  include  most  managers,  employers  and  self-­‐employed  professionals,  who  are  generally  not  organised  but  earn  far  more  than  most  union  members.  The  equivalent  data  from  the  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey  for  the  third  quarter  of  2010    the  latest  published  -­‐  is  presented  in  the  chart  below.    

 Differences  in  pay  between  unions  mostly  reflect  the  structure  of  employment  and  pay  in  the  industries  they  organise.  The  worst  paid  union  members  are  in  retail,  private  services  (including  security)  and  light  industry.  The  best  paid  are  in  the  public  services,  where  the  majority  of  members  are  in  the  big  public-­‐service  professions    education,  health  and  policing.      

Only  formal  sector  employees  in  enterprises  with  over  four  employees  and  living  in  urban  areas  are  included.  Micro  enterprises,  agricultural,  domestic  and  informal  workers,  and  all  employers  are  all  excluded.    

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

Elementary  workers Skilled  production  workers Clerical  and  sales Managers/professionals

Percentage  of  workers  in  occupation  earning  over  R5000  from  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey,  third  quarter  2010

Members Non-­‐members

5    

 

2 Occupations  Overall,  according  to  the  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey,  union  members  are  spread  almost  equally  between  professionals,  clerical  and  sales  workers,  and  production  workers.  Formal  employees  who  are  not  union  members  are  somewhat  more  likely  to  be  recorded  as  elementary  workers  in  relatively  low-­‐skilled  jobs.    

 The  COSATU  Survey  found  a  different  distribution  of  employment  from  the  QLFS.  In  the  COSATU  survey,  40%  of  members  said  they  are  elementary  workers  or  labourers,  27%  skilled  production  workers,  13%  clerical  or  sales  workers,  and  21%  management  or  professionals.  The  divergence  from  the  QLFS  proportions  apparently  partly  reflects  the  undersampling  of  whites  in  the  COSATU  survey.  It  also  seems  to  result  from  differences  in  

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

Non-­‐m

embers

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

SACTWU

SACCAWU

FAWU

SATAWU

NUMSA

NUM

other  affiliates

SAMWU

NEHAW

U

POPCRU

SADTUshare  of  workers  sa

ying  the

y  are  in  

category

Workers'  monthly  incomes

over  R5000

R2500  to  R5000

Under  R2500

Only  formal  sector  employees  in  enterprises  with  over  four  employees  and  living  in  urban  areas  are  included.  Micro  enterprises,  agricultural,  domestic  and  informal  workers,  and  all  employers  are  all  excluded.    

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Elementary  workers Skilled  production  workers

Clerical  and  sales Managers/professionals

percen

tage  of  group

Occupations  of  members  and  non-­‐members,  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey,  first  quarter  2012

Members Non  members

6    

especially  for  clerical  and  sales  workers.      

The  following  chart  shows  the  distribution  of  occupations  within  unions  according  to  the  COSATU  Survey.  The  public  service  unions  contained  the  largest  share  of  professionals,  while  over  half  of  members  in  private  sector  unions  classified  themselves  as  labourers.  The  public  service  unions  accounted  for  around  a  quarter  of  COSATU  membership  but  seven  out  of  ten  professionals.    

 

3 Education  levels  The  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey  finds  that  union  members  are  more  likely  than  other  workers  to  have  matric  or  a  degree.  In  part,  this  is  because  union  density  is  higher  in  the  public  sector,  where  teachers,  nurses  and  police  dominate.    

 

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

FAWU

NUM

SACTWU

SACCAWU

SATAWU

SAMWU

NUMSA

NEHAW

U

other  affiliates

POPCRU

SADTU

Occupation  by  union

Labourer

Administrator,  clerical,  sales  worker

Skilled  production  worker

Manager/professional

Only  formal  sector  employees  in  enterprises  with  over  four  employees  and  living  in  urban  areas  are  included.  Micro  enterprises,  agricultural,  domestic  and  informal  workers,  and  all  employers  are  all  excluded.    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Primary  or  less Secondary  not  completed

Secondary  completed Tertiarypercen

tage  of  group

Education  levels  of  members  and  other  workers,  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey,  first  quarter  2012

Members Non  members

7    

Only  formal  sector  employees  in  enterprises  with  over  four  employees  and  living  in  urban  areas  are  included.  Micro  enterprises,  agricultural,  domestic  and  informal  workers,  and  all  employers  are  excluded.    

African  men African  men

African  women

African  women

Coloured/Asian  men

Coloured/Asian  men

Col./Asian  women

Col./Asian  women

White  menWhite  men

White  women White  women

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Members Non  members

Union  members  and  non-­‐members  by  race  and  gender,  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey  first  quarter  2012

The  COSATU  Survey  found  that  half  of  COSATU  members  with  a  post-­‐secondary  diploma  or  a  degree  were  in  a  public  service  union.    Members  in  the  private  sector  and  local  government  were  much  less  likely  to  have  continued  schooling  after  matric.    

 

4 Race,  gender  and  age  According  to  the  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey,  union  members  are  more  likely  to  be  African  men  than  are  non-­‐members.    Almost  50%  of  union  members  are  African  men,  compared  to  40%  of  non-­‐members.  In  contrast,  about  30%  of  both  union  members  and  non-­‐members  are  African  women.  On  the  other  hand,  non-­‐members  are  more  likely  to  be  white  than  members.  One  in  ten  union  members  is  white,  compared  to  one  in  seven  non-­‐members.  

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

SADTU

NEHAW

U

other  affiliates

POPCRU

SAMWU

SATAWU

NUM

SACCAWU

NUMSA

SACTWU

FAWU

percen

tage  of  m

embe

rs

Education  level  by  union

TertiaryDiplomaSecondary  completedSecondary  not  completedPrimary  or  less

8    

Only  formal  sector  employees  in  enterprises  with  over  four  employees  and  living  in  urban  areas  are  included.  Micro  enterprises,  agricultural,  domestic  and  informal  workers,  and  all  employers  are  excluded.    

-­‐

1,000  

2,000  

3,000  

4,000  

5,000  

6,000  

7,000  

Members Non  members All  formal  employees

thou

sand

s  of  w

orkers

Members  and  non  members  by  age,  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey  first  quarter  2012

aged  15  to  29 aged  30  to  65

Amongst  COSATU  affiliates,  the  COSATU  Survey  found  substantial  variations  in  the  race  and  gender  of  members,  mostly  reflecting  the  labour  force  in  the  industries  each  union  organises.  As  noted  above,  the  COSATU  Survey  probably  understates  the  share  of  whites  amongst  both  members  and  non-­‐members.      

 The  Quarterly  Labour  Force  survey  finds  that  amongst  union  members,  young  workers  are  under-­‐represented.  Workers  who  are  under  30  years  old  make  up  just  one  in  seven  union  members,  compared  to  a  third  of  non-­‐members.    

The  COSATU  Survey  found  that  the  average  COSATU  member  was  40  years  old.  That  is  virtually  the  same  age  as  the  2006  COSATU  Survey  reported.      

Amongst  COSATU  affiliates,  the  share  of  younger  workers  is  highest  in  industries  where  employment  has  grown  relatively  fast  in  the  past  ten  years.  These  industries  include  retail,  construction  and  security.  The  share  of  younger  members  is  lowest  in  sectors  that,  like  the  public  service,  have  grown  slowly  or  not  at  all.    

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

SADTU

SATAWU

NUM

SACCAWU

POPCRU

NEHAW

U

FAWU

SAMWU

NUMSA

other  affiliates

SACTWU

Membership  by  race  and  gender

White  TotalColoured  and  Asian  WomenColoured  and  Asian  MenAfrican  WomenAfrican  Men

9    

 

5  Conclusions  Union  members  are  typically  older,  better  paid  and  better  educated  than  other  formal  sector  employees.  There  are,  however,  substantial  variations  between  affiliates,  mostly  due  to  the  nature  of  the  industries  in  which  they  organise.    

     

37   37  40   41  

38  40   40   39  

42   42  44  

-­‐

5  

10  

15  

20  

25  

30  

35  

40  

45  

50  

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

SACCAWU

SATAWU

NUMSA

other  affiliates

FAWU

SACTWU

NUM

POPCRU

NEHAWU

SAMWU

SADTU

Percen

tage  of  total

Age  of  union  members  (average  age  in  circles)

Aged  30  to  65Aged  15  to  29Average  age

10    

 III.  Workers  on  the  job  The  survey  asked  workers  a  range  of  questions  about  what  they  want  from  their  employers  and  about  labour  relations,  including  work  status,  racism  and  strikes.      

From  the  responses,  two  over-­‐arching  demands  stand  out.  First,  virtually  all  workers  placed  higher  pay  at  the  top  of  their  list  of  what  they  want  from  employers.  Second,  many  workers  

alities,  history  of  oppressive  and  hierarchical  work  organisation,  and  the  associated  social  divisions  probably  contribute  to  this  perception.  In  particular,  a  quarter  of  African  workers  said  they  are  racially  abused  at  work.  This  figure  remained  virtually  unchanged  from  2006.  Then  as  now,  non-­‐African  workers  were  far  less  likely  to  perceive  racial  abuse  or  discrimination  in  the  workplace.    

1 What  workers  want  from  their  employers  In  all  categories  of  workers,  the  vast  majority  said  better  pay  was  what  they  wanted  most  from  their  employers.  Benefits  came  in  second  place  for  union  members,  but  non-­‐members  focused  more  on  job  security.  Many  union  members  also  emphasised  that  they  wanted  fair  treatment.      

 Generally,  younger  workers  were  more  interested  in  improving  remuneration,  benefits  and  job  security.  Older  workers  also  overwhelmingly  prioritised  higher  pay,  but  put  rather  more  emphasis  than  younger  workers  on  fair  treatment  and  better  working  conditions.  According  

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

mem

bers

non-­‐mem

bers

mem

bers

non-­‐mem

bers

mem

bers

non-­‐mem

bers

mem

bers

non-­‐mem

bers

mem

bers

non-­‐mem

bers

mem

bers

non-­‐mem

bers

mem

bers

non-­‐mem

bers

Wage  increase other  benefits fairness/  employment  equity/  respect

Training/  promotions

safer,  less  intense,  better  resourced  

work

job  security/  end  labour  broking

childcare/  maternity  benefits

What  workers  want  from  employers,  by  age  group  and  union  membership

aged  18  to  29 aged  30  to  65

11    

0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%

non-­‐mem

bers

not  COSATU

total  COSATU

SACCAWU

SAMWU

SACTWU

SATAWU

NUMSA

FAWU

NUM

other  affiliates

SADTU

NEHAW

U

POPCRU

Share  of  workers  on  fixed-­‐term  contracts  compared  to  share  of  workers  prioritising  job  security

%  of  workers  on  fixed-­‐term   contracts

%  who  say  first  or  second  priority  is  permanent   jobs/end  to  labour  broking

to  the  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey  for  the  first  quarter  of  2012,  workers  under  30  years  old  were  twice  as  likely  as  older  workers  to  say  they  do  not  have  permanent  contracts.  Two  out  of  five  younger  workers  were  not  permanent,  compared  to  one  out  of  five  older  workers.      

COSATU  members  regard  to  pay  and  benefits  varied  substantially,  as  the  following  charts  show.  Only  1%  of  union  members  and  3%  of  non-­‐union  members  ranked  retirement  funds  as  one  of  their  top  two  claims.    

 A  third  set  of  claims  related  to  fairness,  employment  equity  and  employment  security.  In  contrast  to  other  claims,  the  demand  for  permanent  jobs  to  replace  fixed-­‐term  (temporary)  contracts  was  closely  linked  to  the  objective  conditions  of  workers.  Non-­‐members,  who  are  much  more  likely  to  be  in  fixed-­‐term  and  other  kinds  of  insecure  employment  than  members,  were  most  likely  to  want  the  employer  to  provide  permanent  jobs.    

 

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%

non-­‐mem

bers

not  COSATU

total  COSATU

FAWU

SADTU

SATAWU

SACCAWU

NUMSA

SACTWU

POPCRU

SAMWU

NUM

other  affiliates

NEHAW

U

What  workers  say  they  want  from  employers  as  a  top  priority

wage  increase housing/transport bursaries health  benefits

12    

0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%

non-­‐members not  COSATU total  COSATU

Percentage  saying  issues  relating  to  work  relations  are  first  or  second  priority

fair  treatment  and  equity better  working  conditions*training  and  promotions

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Mem

bers

Non-­‐mem

bers

Mem

bers

Non-­‐mem

bers

Mem

bers

Non-­‐mem

bers

Abuse  black  workers Discriminate  against  black  workers

Discriminate  against  White,  Coloured  or  Asian  workersSh

are  of  workers  who

 say  the  em

ployer  disc

riminates

How  the  employer  discriminates

Share  of  workers  saying  employer  discriminates  or  abuses  workers  base  don  race

African  workers

Coloured  and  Asian  workersWhite  workers

Finally,  around  a  third  of  workers  said  they  wanted  fair  treatment,  better  working  conditions,  or  training  and  promotions  from  their  employers.  Union  members  were  more  likely  than  non  members  to  prioritise  fair  treatment.  

2 Racial  and  gender  discrimination  Around  a  quarter  of  workers  said  their  employer  discriminated  against  black  workers,  and  around  one  in  six  said  the  employer  abused  black  workers.  The  survey  did  not,  however,  define  abuse  in  detail.  Around  one  in  seven  workers  said  women  faced  discrimination  in  the  workplace,  but  less  than  one  in  20  said  women  suffered  sexual  harassment  or  abuse.  The  share  saying  the  employer  was  abusive  or  discriminatory  was  virtually  the  same  as  in  the  2006  survey.    

 Perceptions  of  racial  discrimination  and  abuse  were  shaped  largely  by  whether  workers  are  on  the  receiving  end.  African  workers  were  much  more  likely  than  white  workers  to  see  discrimination  and  abuse,  except  when  it  came  to  discrimination  against  White,  Coloured  or  Asian  workers,  and  vice  versa.  COSATU  members  as  a  group  were  more  likely  to  see  discrimination,  but  this  was  mostly  because  COSATU  

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%

abuse  black  workers

abuse/  sexually  harass  

women  workers

discriminates  against  black  workers

discriminates  against  women  

workers

discriminates  against  

workers  with  HIV/AIDS

discriminates  against  disabled  workers

discriminates  against  White,  Coloured  or  

Asian  workers

Share  of  workers  saying  their  employer  abuses  or  discriminates  against  groups  of  workers

non  members not  COSATU COSATU  members

13    

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

shopstewards/  m

anagement

health/safety

employm

ent  equity  forum

skills  development  forum

transformation/  

restructuring

electricity/  environment

Share  of  workers  saying  their  workplace  has  committees  or  forums  with  management

Non  members Not  COSATU

Total  COSATU

has  a  higher  share  of  African  members  than  FEDUSA  and  unaffiliated  unions.  Indeed,  if  we  analyse    answers  only  from  Africans,  members  of  FEDUSA  and  NACTU  affiliated  unions  were  substantially  more  likely  to  say  the  employer  discriminates  than  African  COSATU  members.    

There  was  almost  no  difference  between  men  and  women  workers  in  their  perceptions  of  gender  discrimination,  abuse  or  sexual  harassment.  Young  workers  were  slightly  less  likely  than  older  workers  to  perceive  discrimination  by  the  employer.    

As  the  following  chart  shows,  public  sector  union  members  on  the  whole  were  less  likely  to  say  the  employer  discriminates  than  private  sector  members.  The  workers  in  relatively  low-­‐wage  industries  were  most  likely  to  say  the  employer  discriminates.  

 

3 Workplace  forums  Union  members  were  much  more  likely  to  report  that  their  workplaces  have  consultative  forums  of  all  kinds  than  non-­‐members.  Public-­‐sector  union  members  reported  more  consultative  structures  than  private-­‐sector  members.  

 

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%

SATAWU

SACCAWU

FAWU

NUMSA

NEHAW

U

SAMWU

other  affiliates

POPCRU

SACTWU

SADTUPerceptions  of  discrimination  and  abuse  by  union

discriminate  against  black  workersabuse  black  workers

discriminates  against  White,  Coloured  or  Asian  workersdiscriminate  against  women  workersabuse/  sexually  harass  women  workersdiscriminated  against  disabled  workersdiscriminate  against  workers  with  HIV/AIDS

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

SAMWU

NUM

POPCRU

NEHAW

U

SATAWU

SADTU

SACTWU

NUMSA

SACCAWU

other  affiliates

FAWU

Percentage  of  union  members  saying  their  workplace  has  committees  or  forums  with  management

shopstewards/mngt health/safety

employment  equity  forum skills  development   forum

transformation/restructuring electricity/environment

14    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

public  sector private  sector

Share  of  workers  saying  there  was  a  strike  in  the  past  five  years,  by  sector

non-­‐members members

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

non  mem

bers

not  COSATU

Total  COSATU

NUM

FAWU

NEHAW

U

SACTWU

SACCAWU

SATAWU

SADTU

NUM

SA

SAMWU

other  affiliates

POPCRU

Workers  who  say  they  participated  in  the  last  strike  in  their  workplace

4 Strike  action  Just  under  half  of  union  members  and  a  seventh  of  non-­‐members  reported  that  there  had  been  a  strike  in  their  workplace  in  the  past  five  years.  The  difference  probably  largely  reflected  the  ability  of  union  members  to  hold  strikes.  The  result  might  also  be  influenced  by  

perceptions.  Non-­‐members  were  less  likely  to  participate  in  strikes  and  therefore  to  remember  them.    The  share  of  members  reporting  strikes  in  the  past  five  years  ranged  from  just  under  80%  for  educators  to  just  over  20%  for  police,  for  whom  strikes  are  banned.  

Members  of  public  service  unions  were  most  likely  to  report  strikes.  Over  two  thirds  of  members  in  the  public  service  said  there  had  been  a  strike  in  their  workplace  in  the  past  five  years,  compared  to  two  fifths  of  private-­‐sector  members.  In  both  the  public  and  private  sector,  non-­‐members  were  less  likely  to  remember  strikes  than  members.  POPCRU  members  reported  fewer  strikes  because  their  right  to  strike  is  legally  restricted.    

The  vast  majority  of  workers,  particularly  union  members,  said  that  if  a  strike  was  held  in  their  workplace,  they  participated  in  it.  Some  80%  of  COSATU  members  said  they  took  part,  compared  to  just  under  70%  of  members  of  other  unions  and  around  55%  of  non-­‐members.    

Participation  in  strikes  varied  substantially  by  race  and  gender.  Africans  were  most  likely  to  join  in  a  strike  if  one  happened  in  their  workplace,  and  whites  were  least  likely.    

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Non  m

ember

Not  CO

SATU  

union

Total  COSATU

SADTU

SAMWU

NEHAW

U

NUMSA

SATAWU

SACTWU

NUM

other  affiliates

SACCAWU

FAWU

POPCRU

Share  of  workers  saying  there  was  a  strike  in  their  workplace  in  the  past  five  years

15    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Non-­‐members not  COSATU Total  COSATU

Reasons  workers  give  for  not  participating  in  strikes  (share  of  non-­‐participants  giving  each  reason)

Not  part  of  the  bargaining  unit

Scared  of  losing  my  job

Not  legally  allowed  to  strike

Didn't  support   the  aims  of  the  strike

Didn't  want  to  lose  pay  for  the  days  on  strike

Wasn't  working  in  the  workplace  at  the  time

Amongst  union  members,  the  main  reasons  for  not  joining  a  strike,  if  they  were  working  in  the  workplace  at  the  time,  was  that  they  

lose  pay.  Amongst  non-­‐members,  the  overwhelming  reasons  given  for  not  participating  were  that  they  were  not  part  of  the  bargaining  union  or  could  not  legally  go  on  strike.    

The  most  common  reason  given  for  strikes,  by  far,  was  wage  negotiations.  Between  85%  and  90%  of  workers  said  the  latest  strike  in  their  workplace  was  linked  to  pay.  Benefits,  inequalities  and  promotions  were  mentioned  by  around  10%  of  workers,  but  these  issues  often  formed  part  of  a  package  during  wage  negotiations.    

A  further  10%  of  workers  said  the  latest  strike  in  their  workplace  was  part  of  a  national  

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

African Coloured  and  Asian

African Coloured  and  Asian

Whites

Men Women Total

Participation  in  strikes  by  race  and  gender

Members Non  members

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

WagesBenefits

Inequalities  in  remunerationNational  strike

PromotionsRetrenchments

Unfair  discipline  or  dismissalGrading  structures

Reasons  given  for  the  most  recent  strike  (percentage  of  workers  giving  as  reason)

COSATU  total

Not  COSATU

non  members

16    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

National  or  provincial  

government

Local  government SOE Private  sector

Share  of  members  who  were  satisfied  with  the  outcome  of  the  latest  strike  in  their  workplace,  by  

sector

strike.  The  survey  took  place  around  a  month  after  the  national  strike  against  labour  broking  and  urban  road  tolls.    

Almost  half  of  COSATU  members  and  around  a  third  of  other  workers  were  satisfied  with  the  outcomes  of  the  latest  strike  in  their  workplace.  Amongst  union  members,  the  highest  levels  of  satisfaction  were  found  in  the  private  sector  and  state-­‐owned  enterprises,  while  the  lowest  levels  were  in  local  government  and  the  public  service.    

 Similarly,  satisfaction  with  strike  outcomes  was  markedly  lower  for  members  in  the  public  sector  than  for  those  in  the  private  sector.    

Between  10%  and  15%  of  workers  reported  that  there  had  been  violence  or  intimidation  by  management  or  the  police,  mostly  threats  against  strikers,  rubber  bullets  or  teargas.  A  similar  

number  said  there  had  been  violence  or  intimidation  by  strike  supporters,  mostly  threats  to  scabs based  in  large  part  on  hearsay  rather  than  personal  experience.  

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Non  m

embers

not  COSATU

total  COSATU

NUM

SA

SACTWU

POPCRU

NUM

FAWU

SATAWU

NEHAW

U

other  affiliates

SACCAWU

SAMWU

SADTU

Percentage  of  workers*  who  were  satisfied  with  strike  outcomes

*  Only  includes  workers  who  were  in  the  workplace  at  the  time  of  the  strike.

17    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Not  COSATU Total  COSATU

SAMWU SADTU NEHAWU Other  affiliates

Union  members  views  on  violence  during  strikes

Police/management  violence  was  appropriate

Strikers'  violence  was  needed  to  take  demands   forward

 Around  half  of  COSATU  members  involved  in  a  strike  thought  the  violence  by  workers  was  necessary.  Around  two  in  five  thought  the  violence  by  the  police  or  management  was  an  appropriate  

 

The  highest  level  of  violence  by  strike  supporters  was  reported  in  local  government  strikes,  mostly  in  the  form  of  damage  to  property,  Local  government  was  also  the  sector  where  members  were  least  likely  to  say  it  was  necessary.    

     

*Does  not   include  non-­‐members,  as  the  percentage  reporting  violence  during  a  strike  was  too  small  to  be  meaningful

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

not  COSATU

total  COSATU

SADTU

NEHAW

U

SAMWU

other  affiliates

Type  of  violence  by  police  and  management,  as  reported  by  workers*

Picket  lines  or  demonstrations  were  attacked

Striking  workers  or  union  members  were  beaten  up

Striking  workers  or  union  members  were  arrested

Rubber  bullets,  teargas  or  water  cannon

Striking  workers  were  threatened

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

SADTU

other  affiliates

SAMWU

NEHAW

U

Type  of  violence  by  strikers  and  supporters,  as  reported  by  workers*

managers  threatened  or  assaultedpublic  threatened  or  assaulted

scabs  killed

property  damage

assault  of  scabs

threats  to  scabs

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%

Violence  by  management/  police

Management/police  violence  was  appropriate

Violence  by  strikers/supporters

Violence  by  strikers  was  needed

Violence  by  sector  (number  in  brackets  =  number  of  respondents)National  or  provincial  department  or  entity    (50) Local  government  or  entity    (43)

Private  company  or  enterprise    (71)

18    

 

IV.  Union  members  The  survey  asked  a  range  of  questions  to  understand  how  members  see  their  unions  and  what  they  want  from  them.  As  in  2006,  the  survey  found  that  COSATU  affiliates  generally  performed  fairly  well  on  responsiveness,  mandating,  worker  education  and  reporting  back.    

1 What  workers  want  from  unions  Workers  said  they  belong  to  unions  mostly  to  protect  them  at  work  and  improve  their  pay  and  conditions.  For  most  aspects  of  union  work,  between  50%  and  60%  were  satisfied  with  

services.  Asked  what  would  imimproved  communications  and  overall  responsiveness  as  much  as  for  better  services.    

When  asked  for  the  most  important  reason  they  belong  to  unions,  over  a  third  of  members  said  their  top  priority  was  for  the  union  to  defend  them  at  work  from  dismissals  and  disciplinary  challenges.  Around  a  third  wanted  improvements  in  pay,  conditions  and  benefits.  Just  under  10%  of  workers  said  their  priority  was  to  achieve  a  generally  more  fair  and  equitable  workplace,  and  around  the  same  percentage  joined  the  union  to  support  solidarity  and  social  change.  Most  of  the  remaining  members  said  they  joined  because  of  pressure  from  other  workers  or  because  everyone  in  their  workplace  was  in  the  union.    

 The  picture  does  not  change  much  if  joining  a  union.  The  main  difference  is  that  around  one  in  seven  COSATU  members,  and  about  one  in  five  members  of  other  unions,  said  they  also  wanted  specific  benefits  that  the  union  provides,  such  as  funeral  insurance.    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Not  CO

SATUTotal  CO

SATU

POPCRU

NEHAW

UNUMSA

SATAWU

SAMWU

NUM

SADTUSACCAW

Uother  affiliatesFAW

USACTW

U

Percen

tage  of  w

orkers  giving  as  m

ost  impo

rtant  

reason

Workers'  most  important  reason  for  belonging  to  a  unionother/don't  know

benefits  from  union

pressure  from  other  workers/closed  shop

solidarity  and  change  society

fair  treatment/end  discrimination

wages,  working  conditions  and  benefits

protection  in  case  of  dismissal/disciplinary;  job  security

19    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Under  R1500

R1501-­‐R2500

R2501-­‐R5000

R5001-­‐R8000

R8001-­‐R15  000

Over  R15  000

Monthly  income  category

Most  important  reason  for  belonging  to  union  by  income  level

protection  in  case  of  dismissal/disciplinary;  job  security

solidarity  and  change  society

fair  treatment/end  discrimination

other/don't  know

wages,  working  conditions  and  benefits

Workers  with  lower  incomes  were  most  likely  to  say  they  belonged  to  union  to  improve  pay,  benefits  and  conditions.  Higher  income  workers  tended  to  stress  protection  from  disciplinary  challenges  and  dismissal  and  were  somewhat  more  likely  to  mention  solidarity  and  social  change.    

The  survey  asked  workers  what  they  thought  about  their    work  in  specific  areas,  ranging  

from  negotiations  on  pay  to  childcare.  As  the  questions  asked  about  particular  issues,  they    The  survey  did,  however,  record  if  workers  

were  not  interested  in  an  issue  or  did  not  know  aboMembers  who  gave  either  of  these  answers  presumably  do  not  see  the  issue  as  a  priority.      

Overall,  the  highest  share  of  union  members    some  98%  -­‐  said  they  cared  about  their    also  the  area  where  members  were  least  likely  to  say  

they  were  satisfied.  Only  about  two  fifths  of  workers  were  satisfied  on  pay.  Half  were  satisfied  with  the  work  on  skills  development,  two  thirds  with  retrenchment  efforts,  and  four  fifths  on  issues  around  racism.    

20    

 

over  90%  said  they  cared.    

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

care  about  it

satisfied

care  about  it

satisfied

care  about  it

satisfied

care  about  it

satisfied

care  about  it

satisfied

care  about  it

satisfied

care  about  it

satisfied

care  about  it

satisfied

care  about  it

satisfied

care  about  it

satisfied

care  about  it

satisfied

care  about  it

satisfiedhigher  

wages

health  

and  

safety

skills  

develop-­‐

ment

discip-­‐

linary  

cases

prevent-­‐

ing  

retrench

-­‐ments

fighting  

racism

 at  

work

support  

for  

tempo-­‐

rary  or  

casual  

workers

support  

for  

wom

en  

leaders

fighting  

discrim

i-­‐natio

n/  

sexual  

harass-­‐

ment  of  

wom

en

better  

and  

cheaper  

transpor

t  for  

workers

support  

for  

people  

with

 HIV/  

AIDS

child  

care

Assessment  of  union  work

total  COSATU not  COSATU

21    

would  contact  if  they  were  afraid  of  being  fired  or  unfairly  disciplined  at  work.  As  the  following  chart  shows,  the  vast  majority  would  talk  to  their  shop  steward,  with  the  organiser  coming  in  second  place.  In  95%  of  cases  where  workers  did  try  to  contact  a  COSATU  affiliates,  the  union  responded;  in  just  under  70%  of  cases,  the  union  provided  some  help.    

 The  survey  asked  workers  what  their  union  could  do  to  improve  support.  Members  were  requested  to  name  their  three  top  priorities,  but  not  in  order.  A  third  said  unions  should  communicate  better,  and  a  quarter  that  they  should  listen  more.  Most  also  wanted  improved  services,  including  more  success  in  negotiations  as  well  as  better  work  on  individual  cases.    

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

NUM

SAMWU

NUM

SA

SACTWU

other  affilaites

SATAWU

NEHAW

U

FAWU

POPCRU

SADTU

SACCAWU

Percentage  of  workers  who  care  who  are  satisfied  with  union's  work  on  issue

fighting  racism  at  work skills  development disciplinary  cases

preventing  retrenchments health  and  safety higher  wages

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

not  COSATU

total  COSATU

SATAWU

SAMWU

SACCAWU

NEHAW

UNUM

SASACTW

USADTUFAW

UNUM

POPCRU

other  affiliates

Whom  workers  would  contact  if  they  feared  dismissal  or  a  disciplinary  procedure

Other

A  lawyer

My  supervisor  or  HR  personnel  or  managementThe  union  office

A  union  organiser

My  shop  steward0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

not  COSATU

total  COSATU

SACTWU

POPCRU

SATAWU

NEHAW

USADTUFAW

UNUM

SAother  affiliatesNUM

SAMWU

SACCAWU

Response  when  contacted  the  union

They  responded  and  helped  me/case  still  in  progressThey  responded  but  didn't  help

No  response/couldn't  reach  anyone

22    

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Non-­‐m

embers

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

NUM

SADTU

SAMWU

SATAWU

POPCRU

SACTWU

NEHAW

U

NUMSA

FAWU

SACCAWU

other  affiliates

Workplaces  with  shopstewards  by  type  of  shopsteward

Full-­‐time  shopstewards

Mix  of  full-­‐time  and  other  shopstewards

Shopstewards  are  not  full-­‐time

Don't  know  or  no  answer

 Finally,  the  COSATU  Survey  found  that  workers  often  do  not  know  national  structures.  When  asked  about  national  leadership,  just  6%  of  the  members  of  COSATU  affiliates  knew  who  their  president  or  general  secretary  was.  Another  8%  gave  the  name  of  a  COSATU  national  office  bearer,  and  the  rest  either  named  a  local  official  or  no  one  at  all.    

Members  of  unions  that  are  not  affiliated  to  COSATU  were  notably  unsure  of  that  fact.  Three  quarters  of  the  members  of  independent  unions  thought  they  belonged  to  COSATU  affiliates.  So  did  around  a  quarter  of  the  members  of  unions  affiliated  to  NACTU  or  FEDUSA.        

2 Shopstewards    Less  than  15%  of  union  members,  but  80%  of  non-­‐members,  said  their  workplace  did  not  have  any  shopstewards.  Overall,  two  fifths  of  COSATU  members  said  they  had  at  least  some  full-­‐time  shopstewards,  but  the  share  varied  substantially  by  affiliate.    

Union  members  in  smaller  companies  were  less  likely  to  have  shopstewards.  Only  seven  out  of  ten  of  those  who  worked  for  employers  with  nine  workers  or  less  reported  any  shopstewards  in  their  workplaces.  And  if  they  had  any  shopstewards,  only  around  a  quarter  were  full  time.  In  contrast,  in  the  largest  workplaces  nine  out  of  ten  members  reported  that  they  had  shopstewards,  and  two  out  of  five  were  full  time.  

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Better  communication  from  the  union  on  its  workBetter  help  to  workers  with  grievances

Union  listening  more  to  membersSuccess  in  negotiations  around  wages  and  benefits

Better  benefits  from  the  unionBetter  defence  of  members  in  disciplinary  cases

Shopstewards  who  served  members  betterMore  meetings  around  negotiations

More  frequent  organisers'  contact  with  membersBetter  legal  work  by  union  representatives

More  visits  by  national  and  provincial  leadersImproved  induction  training

Don't  know  or  no  answer

What  workers  think  unions  could  do  to  strengthen  support

Total  COSATU not  COSATU

23    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Black  men Black  women

Whites

Views  on  influence  over  shopstewards  by  race  and  gender

Don't  know  or  no  answer

No  influence

Some  influence

A  lot  of  influence

 

Almost  three  quarters  of  COSATU  members  and  two  thirds  of  members  of  other  unions  said  they  had  at  least  some  influence  over  their  shopstewards.  Amongst  COSATU  affiliates,  the  share  saying  they  had  at  least  some  influence  ranged  from  over  80%  to  60%.  

 

influence  over  shopstewards  varied  to  some  extent  by  gender.  African  and  Coloured  women  were  generally  less  likely  than  African  and  Coloured  men  to  feel  they  could  influence  shopstewards.  Whites  as  a  group  were  less  likely  than  others  to  feel  they  could  influence  their  shopstewards,  but  they  also  largely  did  not  belong  to  COSATU  affiliates.    

 Two  thirds  of  the  members  of  COSATU  affiliates  said  there  had  been  a  shopsteward  election  in  their  workplace  in  the  past  four  years,  compared  to  half  of  members  of  other  unions.  Amongst  COSATU  affiliates,  the  share  reporting  

an  election  in  the  past  four  years  ranged  from  just  under  50%  to  80%.      

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

SAMWU

SADTU

NUM

NUMSA

FAWU

NEHAW

U

SACCAWU

SACTWU

SATAWU

POPCRU

other  affiliates

Workers'  views  on  whether  they  can  influence  how  their  shopstewards  act  on  their  behalf

A  lot  of  influence Some  influence No  influence Don't  know  or  no  answer

24    

 Overall,  where  a  shop  steward  election  had  been  held,  almost  nine  out  of  ten  members  of  COSATU  affiliates  said  they  had  voted,  compared  to  eight  out  of  ten  members  of  other  unions.  Amongst  COSATU  affiliates,  the  share  of  members  who  said  they  had  voted  in  shopsteward  elections  ranged  from  97%  to  81%.  There  were  no  significant  differences  by  race,  gender  or  age.    

3 Reporting  back  Reporting  back  to  members  in  the  workplace  and  getting  their  mandates  is  obviously  central  to  union  democracy.  The  COSATU  Survey  asked  union  members  a  number  of  questions  on  this  topic.  

Two  thirds  of  COSATU  members  said  they  had  attended  a  union  meeting  in  the  past  year,  compared  to  under  half  the  members  of  other  unions.  The  share  that  had  attended  a  meeting  in  the  past  year  ranged  amongst  affiliates  from  70%  to  40%.    

 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

SAMWU

SADTU

NEHAW

U

NUMSA

NUM

SACTWU

SACCAWU

FAWU

SATAWU

POPCRU

other  affiliatesPercentage  of  members  saying  there  had  been  a  shopsteward  

election  in  the  past  four  years  in  their  workplace

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%

not  COSATU

Total  COSATU

SAMWU

SADTU

NUM

NEHAW

U

SACCAWU

NUMSA

FAWU

POPCRU

other  affiliates

SATAWU

SACTWU

Share  of  members  who  say  they  attended  a  union  meeting  in  the  past  year

25    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

not  COSATU

Total  COSATU

NUM

SAMWU

NUM

SASACCAW

USADTUNEHAW

UFAW

UPO

PCRUother  affiliatesSACTW

USATAW

U

Frequency  of  general  meetings  as  reported  by  members

Don't  know

Don't  remember  any  meetingsOnce  or  twice  a  year  or  when  neededThree  to  six  times  a  yearAt  least  once  every  two  months

As  with  the  influence  over  shopstewards,  women  were  rather  less  likely  than  men  to  say  they  had  been  to  a  union  meeting  in  the  past  year,  and  whites  were  less  likely  than  anyone  else.  Of  African,  Coloured  and  Asian  men  members,  58%  said  they  had  attended  a  union  meeting  in  the  past  year,  compared  to  53%  of  black  women.  For  whites  as  a  whole,  the  figure  was  only  40%.    

Around  two  thirds  of  COSATU  members  said  that  their  union  held  a  general  meeting  in  their  workplace  at  least  once  a  quarter.  One  in  five,  however,  said  they  did  not  remember  any  general  meetings  or  did  not  know  how  often  they  took  place.  Amongst  affiliates,  the  share  of  members  saying  general  meetings  were  held  at  least  once  every  three  months  ranged  from  four  fifths  to  just  over  half.    

The  survey  also  asked  members  more  specifically  about  mandating  and  reporting  back  during  negotiations.  Some  45%  of  union  members  said  their  unions  always  met  with  them  to  get  a  mandate,  and  another  41%  said  they  met  sometimes.  The  percentage  saying  they  always  met  for  mandating  ranged  from  

58%  to  36%  amongst  COSATU  affiliates.  Half  of  members  said  they  often  got  a  reportback  from  the  union  on  negotiations,  and  another  two  fifths  said  they  sometimes  did.    

 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

not  COSATU

Total  COSATU

SADTUNUM

SAMWU

NUMSA

NEHAW

USACCAW

UFAW

USACTW

UPO

PCRUSATAW

Uother  affiliates

How  often  the  union  meets  with  workers  to  get  a  mandate  during  

negotiations  Often Sometimes

Never Don't  know  or  no  answer

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

not  COSATU

Total  COSATU

SADTUNUMSA

NUM

SAMWU

NEHAW

UPO

PCRUother  affiliatesSACCAW

USATAW

UFAW

USACTW

U

How  often  the  union  meets  with  members  to  report  back  during  

negotiationsOften Sometimes

Never Don't  know  or  no  answer

26    

The  survey  let  members  list  several  ways  their  unions  reported  back.  Four  out  of  five  COSATU  members  said  the  union  reported  back  through  meetings  or  by  sending  someone  to  the  workplace.  Another  fifth  got  written  notices.  Relatively  few  were  informed  by  email  or  text  messages,  and  almost  none  by  facebook  or  twitter.  Unions  that  were  not  affiliated  to  COSATU  were  more  likely  to  use  email  or  text  messages  or  a  union  newsletter.    

 The  survey  also  asked  members  to  list  the  main  ways  their  unions  reported  back  on  negotiations.  Virtually  all  COSATU  affiliates  relied  primarily  on  meetings.  But  there  were  differences  in  how  much  they  used  other  systems  to  report  back.  The  following  chart  only  gives  the  main  mechanisms  that  members  noted.    

 

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

meetings  or  union  sends  someonewritten  notices

emailunion  newsletter  or  magazine

SABC  or  other  mass  mediaSMS/text  message

ask  the  shopstewardfax,  letter  or  phone  call

facebook  or  twitterunion  does  not  report  back  on  negotiations

don't  know/no  answer

Ways  members  say  their  union  reports  back  on  negotiations  

Total  COSATU not  COSATU

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

other  affiliates

SATAWU

FAWU

NUMSA

POPCRU

SACCAWU

NEHAWU

SACTWU

SADTU

NUM

SAMWU

How  members  say  unions  report  back  on  negotiations  

SMS/text  message

SABC  or  other  mass  media

union  newsletter  or  magazine

email

written  notices

meetings  or  union  sends  someone   to  inform  them

27    

4 Union  education  Around  a  quarter  of  COSATU  members  said  they  had  participated  in  a  union  workshop  or  educational  programme.  By  affiliate,  the  share  ranged  from  under  20%  to  over  60%.    

 The  2006  COSATU  Survey  found  that  women  were  generally  less  likely  to  participate  in  union  education  than  men.  In  the  2012  Survey,  women  COSATU  members  overall  were  slightly  more  likely  to  have  participated  than  men.  But  women  were  much  less  likely  to  participate  in  educational  programmes  in  almost  half  of  all  affiliates.  Some  of  the  affected  affiliates  had  a  majority  of  women  members.    

By  topic,  the  largest  number  of  participants  said  they  attended  workshops  or  educational  programmes  on  negotiations,  labour  law,  employment  equity  and  skills  development.  In  part,  the  topics  were  determined  by  the  availability  of  funding  from  the  Department  of  Labour  in  particular.  Around  10%  said  they  attended  induction  or  shopstewpolitical  economy  programmes,  and  a  similar  percentage  attended  programmes  on  gender  or  HIV/AIDS.  

 

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

SADTU

SATAWU

SAMWU

POPCRU

NUMSA

other  affiliates

SACTWU

NEHAW

U

SACCAWU

NUM

FAWU

Participation  in  union  workshops  and  education  by  gender

share  of  women  who  attended  a  workshop   in  past  five  yearsshare  of  men  who  attended  a  union  workshop  in  past  five  yearswomen  as  %  of  membership

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Labour  lawsNegotiations

Employment  equitySkills  developmentHealth  and  safety

Political  issues  or  political  economyGender

induction/role  of  shopstewardsworkplace  issues  (a)

HIV-­‐AIDS

Topics  covered  by  workshops  according  to  COSATU  members

(a)  includes  training  in  new  curriculum  for  educators.

28    

 

 

5 Perceptions  of  corruption  Around  a  third  of  union  members  said  there  was  corruption  in  their  unions,  but  fewer  than  one  in  seven  said  they  had  personally  experienced  it.  This  is  a  common  challenge  for  surveys  on  corruption  in  the  public  sector,  since  people  may  believe  there  is  corruption  without  much  evidence.  In  a  union,  some  members  may  say  any  failure  in  negotiations  or  disputes  is  due  to  employers  bribing  shopstewards  or  organisers.    

As  the  following  chart  shows,  there  was  not  much  relationship  between  perceptions  of  corruption  and  actual  experience  of  it.    

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%

SACTWU

NUM

other  affiliates

NEHAW

U

SACCAWU

SATAWU

NUMSA

SAMWU

POPCRU

FAWU

SADTUShare  of  workshop  participants  who  deal  with  topics  related  to  labour  

laws  and  workplace  issues

Labour  laws Negotiations Employment  equity Skills  development Health  and  safety

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

SACTWU

NUM

other  affiliates

NEHAWU

SACCAWU

SATAWU

NUMSA

SAMWU

POPCRU

FAWU

SADTU

Share  of  workshop  participants  who  deal  with  other  topics

Political  issues  or  political  economy Gender induction/role  of  shopstewards HIV-­‐AIDS

29    

 Almost  half  of  COSATU  members  who  alleged  or  saw  corruption  said  it  involved  shopstewards  selling  out  to  management.  Most  of  the  rest  related  to  misuse  of  union  funds.  Again,  some  of  the  allegations  did  not  constitute  corruption  as  normally  understood,  but  rather  arose  from  the  perception  that  union  leaders  were  not  serving  members.    

 In  COSATU,  professionals  and  skilled  production  workers  were  more  likely  to  say  there  was  corruption  than  office  workers  and  general  labourers.    

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

NUM

SATAWU

other    affiliates

SACCAWU

NEHAW

U

SADTU

SAMWU

SACTWU

FAWU

POPCRU

NUMSA

Members'  perceptions  and  experiences  of  corruption

%  saying  there  is  corruption %  personally  saw  corruption

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20% 22%

Bribed  by  management

Shopstewards/organisers   take  fees

Provinces  abuse  funds

National/unspecified  abuse   funds

Union  abuses  pensions/benefits

Union  leaders  use  position  to  get  into  

pension  adminstrators  bribe  officials/families

take  our  money  but  do  nothing  for  us

Types  of  corruption  identified  by  COSATU  members  who  alleged  corruption  and  who  say  they  actually  saw  it

Those  who  say  they  personally  saw  corruption All  those  alleging  corruption

30    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Yes,  a  lot Yes,  but  not  much Don't  know  or  no  answer

No

Do  union  leaders  sexually  harass  members?

Women

Men

 

6 Sexual  harassment  Just  over  5%  of  COSATU  members  said  leaders  harassed  women  sexually  at  least  sometimes,  while  another  25%  said  they  did  not  know  or  would  not  answer  the  question.    

 There  was  not  much  difference  in  perceptions  of  sexual  harassment  by  gender.  Around  2%  of  men  and  women  union  members  said  that  sexual  harassment  was  widespread.    

0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%

Professionals  and  management

Skilled  production  worker

Clerical  and  sales Labourer

Perceptions  and  experience  of  corruption  amongst  COSATU  members  by  occupation

%  saying  there  is  corruption %  personally  saw  corruption

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Not  COSATU

Total  COSATU

SAMWU

NUM

FAWU

POPCRU

SATAWU

SADTU

SACCAWU

NEHAWU

other  affiliates

NUMSA

SACTWU

Do  union  leaders  sexually  harass  members?

No

Don't  know  or  no  answer

Yes,  but  not  much

Yes,  a  lot

31    

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Women  are  not  confident

Women  are  not  competent

Women  are  not  interested  in  the  union

Women  don't  have  enough  power

Family  responsibilities

Partners  do  not  support

Lack  of  support   from  members

Discrimination/sexual   harassment  by  

Few  women  in  the  workplace/industry

Don't  know

wom

en's  capabilities

family  

issue

sdiscrim

i-­‐natio

nothe

r

Reasons  given  by  COSATU  members,  by  gender,  for  few  women  leaders  

women men

7 Women  leaders  The  COSATU  Survey  asked  members  

 While  most  members  agreed  that  women  were  indeed  underrepresented,    

One  in  five  members  did  not  agree  with  the  premise  that  there  were  too  few  women  in  leadership,  mostly  because  they  were  in  unions  with  relatively  few  women  members.  Overall,  men  were  somewhat  more  likely  than  women  to  say  that  women  were  under-­‐represented  in  leadership,  mostly  because  they  were  more  likely  to  be  in  unions  with  relatively  few  women  members.  

 Overall,  members  were  most  likely  to  say  that  women  did  not  have  the  capabilities  or  confidence  needed  for  leadership  roles.  They  saw  lack  of  family  support  as  the  second  most  important  factor,  with  relatively  few  blaming  discrimination  within  the  union.  Women  were,  however,  far  more  likely  than  men  to  blame  family  responsibilities  and  lack  of  support  from  members  and,  to  a  

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

not  COSATU

Total  COSATU

SACTWU

SAMWU

SADTU

SACCAWU

other  affiliates

NEHAW

U

SATAWU

POPCRU

NUM

FAWU

NUM

SA

Percentage  saying  there  are  too  few  women  in  leadership  and  women  as  percentage  of  membership

There  are  too  few  women  leaders  in  the  union women  as  %  of  membership

32    

lesser  extent,  leadership.    

The  reasons  that  members  gave  for  the  under-­‐representation  of  women  in  leadership  varied  considerably  by  union.    

   

 

     

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

POPCRU

SACCAWU

NEHAWU

NUM

SADTU

SAMWU

other  

FAWU

NUMSA

SATAWU

SACTWU

Reasons  given  for  few  women  leaders  or  shopstewards  by  union

few  women  in  workplace

discrimination/  sexual  harassment  by  leadershipwomen  are  not  supported  as  leaderspartners  do  not  support

childcare  and  other  family  responsibilitieswomen  are  not  competent

women  are  not  confident

33    

0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

NUMSA

FAWU

SATAWU

other  affiliates

SADTU

NUM

SACTWU

NEHAW

U

SACCAWU

POPCRU

SAMWU

Share  of  members  recruited  by  an  organiser

 

V.  Some  challenges  to  recruitment  The  COSATU  Survey  asked  non-­‐members  a  range  of  questions  to  understand  why  they  are  not  organised.  The  share  of  non-­‐members  who  do  not  want  a  union  is  relatively  small.  The  overwhelming  reason  why  non-­‐members  did  not  belong  to  a  union  was  that  there  was  no  union  in  their  workplace  and  no  one  had  tried  to  recruit  them.  Non-­‐members  are  less  likely  to  be  permanent  workers  and  more  likely  to  be  in  small  companies.    

1 Why  non-­‐members  say  they  are  not  in  a  union  Almost  half  of  non-­‐members  said  they  were  not  in  unions  simply  because  there  was  no  union  in  their  workplace  or   .  One  in  seven  was  not  in  the  bargaining  unit,  mostly  because  they  were  on  contract.  Only  one  in  five  said  they  did  not  want  or  like  unions eaction.  Of  those  who  did  not  want  or  need  a  union,  almost  half  had  left  a  union  earlier  due  to  poor  service.  

 The  flip  side  of  this  finding  is  that  most  union  members  joined  because  their  workplaces  were  already  organised.  Thus,  some  two  thirds  of  COSATU  members  joined  within  a  year  of  entering  their  job.  Less  than  a  tenth  were  recruited  when  an  organiser  visited  their  workplace.    

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

don't  like  union's  national  political  positions

don't  want  or  need  a  union

employer  hostile  to  union

can't  reach  a  union

outside  bargaining  unit  (mostly  on  contract)

no  union  in  workplace

Percentage  of  non-­‐members

Reasons  non-­‐members  give  for  not  belonging  to  a  union

34    

Non-­‐members  were  more  likely  to  say  they  could  not  contact  a  union  if  they  were  in  a  smaller  company.  In  addition,  if  they  were  in  temporary,  casual  or  seasonal  jobs  they  were  much  more  likely  to  say  they  were  outside  the  bargaining  unit.  Over  a  quarter  of  non-­‐permanent  workers  said  they  were  outside  the  bargaining  unit,  compared  to  one  in  twenty  permanent  workers.    

s

 Public  servants  were  most  likely  to  say  they  had  not  joined  because  they  did  not  want  a  union.  Two  out  of  five  non-­‐members  in  a  national  or  public  department  or  agency  said  this.  This  presumably  reflects  the  fact  that  the  public  service  has  an  agency  shop,  which  means  the  vast  majority  of  public  servants  are  members  of  a  union.    

   

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

9  or  fewer

10  to  49

50  to  99

100  to  499

500  or  more

Number  of  employees

Why  not  a  union  member  by  size  of  employer

don't  like  union's  politics

do  not  want  a  union

employer  discouraged

outside  the  bargaining  unit

can't  find  the  union

other 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Not  permanent

Permanent

Why  not  a  union  member  by  employment  status

employer  discouraged

do  not  want  a  union

outside  the  bargaining  unitcan't  find  the  union

other

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Public  service Local  government

Private  sector SOE

Why  not  a  union  member  by  sector

don't  like  the  union's  politics

other

employer  discouraged

outside  the  bargaining  unit

can't  find  the  union

do  not  want  a  union

35    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Union  member Non  member

Employment  status  of  members  and  non-­‐members  according  to  the  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey,  first  quarter  2012

Limited  duration

Unspecified  durationPermanent

Only  20%  of  non-­‐members  in  the  public  service  said  they  could  not  find  the  union,  compared  to  40%  of  those  in  local  government  or  parastatals,  and  half  of  those  in  the  private  sector.    

Just  58  non-­‐members  in  the  sample  of  737  non-­‐members  tried  to  get  help  from  a  union.  As  might  be  expected,  they  were  far  less  likely  to  be  satisfied  with  the  response  than  were  members  who  contacted  their  union.  Only  15%  said  they  received  some  help,  while  most  of  the  others  said  they  got  either  no  response  or  no  help.    

 

2 Employment  status  and  recruitment  Workers  who  were  in  temporary,  casual  or  seasonal  positions  or  who  worked  for  smaller  employers  were  less  likely  to  be  in  a  union.  That  said,  the  share  of  members  who  were  not  in  permanent  jobs  or  large  organisations  varied  substantially  between  affiliates.    

The  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey  provides  the  most  reliable  data  on  the  nature  of  employment  and  unionisation.  In  the  first  quarter  of  2012,  around  95%  of  union  members  had  permanent  positions,  compared  to  half  of  non-­‐members.  Over  30%  of  non-­‐members  said  they  had  contracts  of  unspecified  duration.  Under  

labour  laws,  they  would  count  as  permanent,  so  this  answer  may  say  more  about  their  insecurity  than  about  their  employment  contract.    

The  COSATU  Survey  permits  analysis  of  employment  status  by  union.  While  union  members  overall  were  more  likely  than  non-­‐members  to  be  in  permanent  

0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%

No  response I  met  an  official,  but  they  did  nothing

They  provided  help

Poor  service Other

What  happened  when  a  non-­‐member  tried  to  contact  a  union  (n=58)

36    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Union  member Non-­‐member

Size  of  employer  reported  by  members  and  non-­‐members  according  to  the  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey,  first  quarter  2012

9  or  fewer

10  to  49

over  50

positions,  in  some  unions  a  substantial  share  of  members  were  in  non-­‐permanent  positions.  Amongst  SACCAWU  and  SACTWU  members,  between  15%  and  20%  said  they  were  not  in  permanent  jobs,  compared  to  less  than  10%  of  all  COSATU  members.    

 Only  3%  of  union  members  but  12%  of  non-­‐members  said  they  are  employed  through  a  labour  broker,  outsourced  service  agency  or  subcontractor.  Amongst  affiliates,  SATAWU  members  were  the  most  likely  to  say  they  were  employed  through  an  intermediary.    

 Non-­‐members  were  also  much  more  likely  to  work  in  relatively  small  enterprises.  Again,  the  Quarterly  Labour  Force  Survey  provides  useful  data  on  this  issue.  In  the  first  quarter  of  2012,  almost  60%  of  union  members  worked  in  organisations  with  over  50  workers,  compared  to  fewer  than  30%  of  non-­‐members.  Only  7%  of  union  members  were  in  organisations  with  fewer  than  ten  workers,  compared  to  35%  of  non-­‐members.    

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%

non  mem

bs

Not  COSATU

Total  COSATU

other  affiliate

POPCRU

SADTU

NEHAWU

NUMSA

NUM

SAMWU

FAWU

SATAWU

SACTWU

SACCAWU

Non-­‐permanent  workers  as  percent  of  total

0%2%4%6%8%

10%12%

Non  mem

ber

Not  COSATU

Total  COSATU

SATAWU

FAWU

SACTWU

SACCAWU

SAMWU

NUMSA

POPCRU

other  affiliates

NEHAWU

SADTU

NUM

Percentage  who  say  they  are  employed  through  a  labour  broker,  sub-­‐contractor  or  outsources  service  provider

37    

Again,  the  COSATU  Survey  provides  information  on  the  extent  to  which  individual  affiliates  organised  workers  in  smaller  enterprises.  Amongst  members  of  SACTWU,  NUMSA  and  FAWU,  between  a  quarter  and  a  third  said  they  worked  in  a  company  with  fewer  than  100  workers,  compared  to  the  average  of  a  fifth  of  all  COSATU  members.  

     

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

Non  m

embers

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

SACTWU

NUMSA

FAWU

SACCAWU

SATAWU

NUM

SAMWU

other  affiliate

NEHAW

U

SADTU

POPCRU

Number  of  workers  employed  by  employer,  according  to  workers

500  or  more

100  to  499

50  to  99

10  to  49

9  or  fewer

38    

VI.  Political  findings  The  COSATU  Survey  asked  workers  how  they  felt  about  key  political  questions  and  about  their  participation  in  organisations  and  protest  action  outside  the  workplace.  COSATU  members  were  more  likely  to  support  the  Alliance  and  the  ANC  than  non-­‐members  and  members  of  other  unions,  to  have  participated  in  social  and  political  organisations,  and  to  have  taken  part  in  protest  action  in  their  communities.    

1 Political  allegiances  Two  thirds  of  COSATU  members  said  they  would  vote  for  the  ANC  if  elections  were  held  next  week.  Just  under  a  tenth  would  vote  for  the  DA  and  a  similar  number  would  not  vote.  Most  of  the  rest  did  not  answer,  with  only  3%  saying  they  would  vote  for  a  variety  of  smaller  parties.  

 

DA  gained  even  more  support  in  proportional  terms,  apparently  from  workers  who  earlier  said  they  would  not  vote  or  did  not  know  whom  to  support.  In  2006,  fewer  than  10%  of  workers  surveyed  said  they  would  support  the  DA;  in  2012,  the  figure  had  risen  to  around  15%.    

Support  for  the  DA  came  almost  entirely  from  non-­‐Africans,  with  the  strongest  support  amongst  members  of  unions  that  were  not  affiliated  to  COSATU.  In  contrast,  the  strongest  support  for  the  ANC  amongst  non-­‐Africans  came  from  COSATU  members.    Only  around  5%  of  Africans  said  they  would  vote  DA,  compared  to  over  a  third  of  non-­‐Africans.  Non-­‐Africans  were  also  more  likely  than  Africans  to  refuse  to  answer  questions  about  their  political  views  or  to  say  they  would  not  vote  at  all.    

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Non  m

ember

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

FAWU

NUM

SADTU

NUMSA

NEHAW

U

SAMWU

SACCAWU

SATAWU

other  affiliates

POPCRU

SACTWU

How  workers  said  they  would  vote

don't  know/otherwon't  answerwon't  voteother  partiesDAANC

39    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

ANC  -­‐African  National  Congress

DA  -­‐ Democratic  Alliance

ANC  -­‐African  National  Congress

DA  -­‐ Democratic  Alliance

Members Non  members

ANC  and  DA  support  by  monthly  incomeUnder  R1500 R1500-­‐R2500 R2500-­‐R5000

R5000-­‐R8000 R8000-­‐R15  000 Over  R15  000

   

was  strongest  amongst  lower-­‐income  workers.  It  fell  off  markedly  amongst  the  higher-­‐income  group  in  the  sample,  especially  amongst  non-­‐members.  The  opposite  trend  was  even  stronger  for  the  DA,  with  higher-­‐income  workers  tending  to  support  it  much  more  than  lower-­‐income  workers.    

To  explain  their  support  for  the  ANC,  members  were  most  likely  to  cite  its  policies,  governance,  a  lack  of  alternatives  and  its  efforts  to  achieve  equality  for  Africans.  DA  supporters  focused  most  strongly  on  governance.  For  both  parties,  these  factors  far  outweighed  the  history  of  struggle,  family  or  union  support,  and  the  desire  for  a  stronger  opposition  party.    

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

COSATU

Other  unions

Non-­‐m

embers

COSATU

Other  unions

Non-­‐m

embers

African Coloured,  Asian  or  White

How  workers  said  they  would  vote,  by  race

Don't  know/other

Won't  vote

Won't  answer

Other  parties

DA

ANC

40    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

COSATU Other  unions non-­‐members

Support  for  national  leaders

Nelson  Mandela

Jacob  Zuma

Julius  Malema

Zwelinzima  Vavi

Thabo  Mbeki

Kgalema  Motlanthe

Hellen  Zille

Cyril  Ramaphosa

Tokyo  Sexwale

Blade  Nzimande

 Asked  which  national  leader  most  represented  their  aspirations,  around  a  third  of  workers  said  Nelson  Mandela.  His  name  was  followed  by  Jacob  Zuma,  Julius  Malema  and  Zwelinzima  Vavi  in  succession.  The  only  woman  in  the  top  ten  mentioned  was  Helen  Zille,  who  was  named  by  4%  of  COSATU  members  but  around  10%  of  other  workers.    

2 The  Alliance    Over  70%  of  COSATU  members  said  COSATU  should  stay  in  the  Alliance,  compared  to  60%  of  other  workersthe  Alliance.  The  remaining  23%  said  COSATU  should  leave  the  Alliance.  Of  those  who  said  COSATU  should  leave,  two  thirds  (that  is,  16%  of  all  COSATU  members  surveyed)  said  COSATU  should  stay  independent.  Another  6%  of  all  members,  or  a  quarter  of  those  who  wanted  COSATU  to  leave  the  Alliance,  said  it  should  launch  its  own  political  party.  Finally,  

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

best  policiesno  alternative

good  governanceprotect  my  population  group

history  of  strugglefamily  or  religious  values

COSATU/Alliance  recommendationneed  a  stronger  opposition

best  policiesno  alternative

good  governanceprotect  my  population  group

history  of  strugglefamily  or  religious  values

COSATU/Alliance  recommendationneed  a  stronger  opposition

Mem

bers

Non

 mem

bers

percentage  of  supporters

Reasons  given  for  party  choice

DA  -­‐ Democratic  Alliance ANC  -­‐African  National  Congress

41    

0,4%  of  all  members,  or  2%  of  those  who  wanted  to  leave  the  Alliance,  said  COSATU  should  ally  with  the  SACP.    

 Over  a  quarter  of  COSATU  members  say  they  are  active  in  their  ANC  branch,  and  6%  in  their  SACP  branch.  COSATU  members  were  rather  more  likely  than  other  workers  to  be  active  in  these  organisations.    

 Amongst  union  members,  general  workers  were  most  likely  to  be  active  in  the  ANC  and  the  SACP,  and  administrative  and  clerical  workers  the  least  likely.  Of  COSATU  members  who  are  general  workers,  32%  said  they  were  active  in  their  ANC  branch,  compared  to  15%  of  members  who  are  administrative  or  clerical  workers.    

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

Non-­‐m

embers

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

NUM

FAWU

SACCAWU

NUMSA

NEHAW

U

SADTU

SATAWU

SAMWU

other  affiliates

POPCRU

SACTWU

What  members  say  COSATU  should  do  about  the  Tripartite  Alliance

Ally  with  another  party

Ally  with  the  SACP

Other

Start  its  own  party

Don't  know  or  no  answer

Remain  independent   of  all    parties

Stay  in  the  Alliance

0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%

Non  m

embers

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

NUM

FAWU

SAMWU

SATAWU

SADTU

NUMSA

NEHAW

U

SACCAWU

POPCRU

SACTWU

other  affiliates

Share  of  workers  who  say  they  participate  in  their  ANC  or  SACP  branch

ANC  branch

SACP  branch

42    

 

3 s  Conference  

The  COSATU  Survey  asked  workers  what  they  thought  had  improved  and  what  had  

issues  that  were  raised  by  more  than  a  tenth  of  workers.  

 Around  10%  of  workers  welcomed  the  stronger  emphasis  on  employment  creation,  the  transformation  of  policies  on  HIV/AIDS,  efforts  to  fight  corruption  and  crime,  improved  education  policies  and  stronger  prioritisation  of  rural  development  since  the  Polokwane  

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

General  worker

Manager/professional

Skilled/supervisor

Administrative/clerical/sales

General  worker

Manager/professional

Skilled/supervisor

Administrative/clerical/sales

mem

bers

non  mem

bers

Participation  in  ANC  and  SACP  branches  by  occupation

SACP  branch ANC  branch

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

rural  development

education  policies

fighting  corruption/crime

policy  on  HIV/AIDS

emphasis  on  employment  creation

not  enough  employment  creation

corruption  has  gotten  worse

have  not  banned   labour  brokers

tolls  in  Gauteng

rural  development

breakdown  in  ANC  discipline

improved

gotten

 worse

What  workers  say  has  improved  and  gotten  worse  since  the  ANC's  Polokwane  conference

Total  COSATU

Not  COSATU

Non-­‐members

43    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Members Non  members

First  factor  mentioned  by  workers  as  causing  stresscrime/drugs

commuting  issues

childcare/education

healthcare/HIV

political  issues

other/no  answer

family  issues

workplace  issues

housing/services

low  income/high  prices/high  taxes

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

international  solidarityunion  recruitment

living  wageagainst  corruption

stop  electricity  price  increasesban  labour  brokers

stop  toll  roads  in  Gauteng

international  solidarityunion  recruitment

living  wageagainst  corruption

stop  electricity  price  increasesban  labour  brokers

stop  toll  roads  in  Gauteng

international  solidarityunion  recruitment

living  wageagainst  corruption

stop  electricity  price  increasesban  labour  brokers

stop  toll  roads  in  Gauteng

COSA

TUNot  COSA

TUNon

 Mem

bers

Workers'  views  of  COSATU  campaigns

support do  not  support/no  opinion do  not  know  about

conference.  In  contrast,  over  35%  pointed  to  the  failure  to  accelerate  employment  creation  and  to  worsening  corruption;  another  15%  to  20%  said  government  had  not  banned  labour  brokers,  and  about  10%  were  angry  about  tolls  in  Gauteng,  the  lack  of  progress  on  rural  development,  and  a  perceived  breakdown  in  ANC  discipline.    

4 Sources  of  stress  Asked  about  what  caused  stress  in  their  lives,  half  of  both  members  and  non-­‐members  said  

economic  factors,  especially  low  incomes  and  high  prices.  The  second  most  important  factor  was  poor  housing  and  services.  Non-­‐members  were  somewhat  more  likely  to  say  workplace  issues  caused  them  stress,  while  members  were  rather  more  apt  to  point  to  political  and  social  problems.    

5 COSATU  campaigns  The  survey  asked  whether  members  knew  about  specific  COSATU  campaigns,  and  if  they  supported  them.  Between  20%  and  65%  of  members  said  they  did  not  know  about  individual  campaigns,  with  the  share  varying  by  topic.  Where  members  knew  

44    

about  a  campaign,  they  generally  supported  it  overwhelmingly.  Support  for  individual  campaigns  ran  between  84%  and  98%  of  the  COSATU  members  who  knew  about  them.    

6 Participation  in  organisations  besides  unions  COSATU  members  were  more  likely  than  other  workers  to  say  they  participate  in  a  variety  of  community  and  social  organisations  and  in  community  protests.    

 Almost  a  third  of  non-­‐members  said  they  did  not  belong  to  any  political,  social  or  governance  organisations,  compared  to  around  a  quarter  of  COSATU  members.  Moreover,  COSATU  members  were  more  likely  than  other  workers  to  say  they  belong  to  three  or  more  organisations.  

 

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55%

Community  organisationANC  Branch

Ward  CommitteeSACP  Branch

School  Government  BodyCommunity  Police  Forum

ReligiousSportsYouth

Women's

Political  and

 commun

ity  

organisatio

ns

Gover

nance  

bodies

Social  or  

religious  

grou

ps

Share  of  workers  who  say  they  participatein  other  organisations  and  groups

Non-­‐members Other  unions Total  COSATU

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Non-­‐m

embers

Not  CO

SATU

Total  COSATU

SATAWU

SACCAWU

FAWU

NUMSA

other  affiliates

SACTWU

NUM

POPCRU

SAMWU

NEHAW

U

SADTU

How  many  organisations  workers  say  they  participate  in

participate  in  more  than  3  organisations participate  in  1  to  3  organisations

do  not  participate  in  any  organisations

45    

Public  sector  workers  were  more  likely  to  participate  in  community  and  social  organisations  than  other  workers.      

7 Participation  in  community  protests  Just  under  a  quarter  of  COSATU  members,  and  a  fifth  of  other  urban  workers,  said  they  participated  in  a  community  protest  action  in  the  past  four  years.    

Amongst  the  workers  who  said  they  participated  in  protest  action,  the  most  commonly  cited  reasons  related  to  the  availability,  quality  and  cost  of  electricity,  water  and  housing.  Corrupt  councillors  and  city  officials  ranked  fourth,  and  crime  and  poor  policing  fifth.  Around  3%  of  workers  said  they  joined  protests  against  foreigners.    

 

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Non-­‐members

Total  COSATU

SAMWU SACTWU NUM SACCAWU other  COSATU  affiliate

POPCRU

Share  of  workers  who  say  they  participated  in  a  community  protest  in  past  four  years

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Total  COSATU not  COSATU non  members

Share  of  th

ose  who

 participated

 in  

protest  a

ction

Reasons  given  for  protest  action  by  workers  who  say  they  participated

no  electricity,  high  cost  or  shut  offsno  water,  poor  quality  or  shut  offsinadequate  or  expensive  housingcorrupt  councillors  or  officials

crime,  drugs,  poor  policing

poor  roads  or  transport

Other

46    

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Under  R2500

R2500  to  R5000

R5000  to  R8000

R8000  to  R15  000

over  15  000

Main  source  of  political  and  economic  information  by  income  level  for  union  members  only  (note  that  a  third  of  union  members  said  

they  earned  over  R5000  a  month)

Meetings,  friends,   social  media,  other

dstv

Internet

Etv

Newspapers

Radio

SABC  TV

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

non-­‐members Not  COSATU Total  COSATU

What  workers  say  is  their  main  source  of  political  and  economic  information

Meetings,  friends,   social  media,  otherdstv

Internet

Etv

Newspapers

Radio

SABC  TV

8 Sources  of  information  Over  half  the  workers  surveyed  said  their  main  source  of  economic  and  political  information  was  SABC  television,  with  another  one  out  of  five  relying  on  the  radio  and  over  one  in  ten  on  newspapers.    Only  a  relatively  small  share  of  the  urban  workers  in  the  sample  said  they  relied  on  private,  more  technologically  advanced  and  expensive  technologies  such  as  DSTV  and  the  internet.  

In  no  affiliate  did  the  share  of  members  relying  on  private  or  web-­‐based  media  exceed  20%,  and  in  most  the  share  of  these  media  was  closer  to  10%.    

 SABC  television  was  the  main  source  of  political  and  economic  information  for  all  union  members.  Workers  at  higher  income  levels  tended  to  rely  more  on  newspapers  as  well  as  private  and  web-­‐based  media.  These  workers,  however,  only  constituted  a  relatively  small  share  of  union  members.  Lower-­‐income  union  members  depended  more  on  radio.          

0%20%40%60%80%

100%

SACCAWU

SACTWU

POPCRU

NEHAW

U

SADTU

NUMSA

FAWU

other  affiliates

NUM

SAMWU

SATAWU

What  union  members  say  is  their  main  source  of  political  and  economic  information Meetings,  friends,   social  media,  

otherdstv

Internet

Etv

Newspapers

Radio

SABC  TV

47    

VII.  Some  issues  arising  from  the  survey  

movement,  their  workplaces  and  social  concerns.  The  findings  suggest  areas  that  unions  should  focus  on  to  strengthen  their  reach  and  effectiveness.  This  section  draws  out  a  few  critical  takeaway  points  from  the  survey.  

Overall,  satisfaction  with  union  services  is  fairly  high,  although  there  is  room  for  improvement.  This  contradicts  the  widespread  perception  that  members  find  union  services  inadequate.  The  survey  also  shows  that  for  most  workers,  union  membership  is  not  a  full-­‐time  transformative  activity  but  rather  a  way  to  obtain  representation.      

The  survey  demonstrates  that  most  non-­‐members  are  not  hostile  to  unions,  but  rather  work  in  a  small  enterprise,  in  a  temporary  job,  or  for  a  labour  broker.  A  few  affiliates  have  managed  to  reach  these  workers,  but  most  remain  focused  almost  exclusively  on  larger  employers  that  have  long  had  a  union  presence.    

There  are  good  reasons  to  extend  organisation  beyond  the  traditional  strongholds  of  permanent  workers  in  large  companies.  Workers  in  smaller  enterprises  and  non-­‐standard  employment  are  often  most  in  need  of  union  support.  Moreover,  given  the  fall  in  the  share  of  union  membership  in  the  private  sector  in  the  past  ten  years    mostly  as  a  result  of  the  decline  in  mine  employment    finding  new  areas  for  organisation  is  important  for  the  labour  movement  as  a  whole.  But  reaching  these  kinds  of  members  requires  innovative  approaches  to  organisation  and  to  services  as  well  as  more  vigorous  recruitment  campaigns.    

The  survey  also  points  up  the  need  for  better  information  on  strike  violence  as  well  as  for  a  more  open  discussion  about  it.  There  is  clearly  an  exaggerated  view  of  the  extent  of  strike  

 such  as  threats  or  verbal  abuse    that  involve  no  actual  physical  contact.  Moreover,  it  is  a  problem  that  there  is  far  less  media  coverage  of  violence  from  police  and  management  than  from  strikers,  although  workers  experience  similar  levels  of  violence  from  both  sides.  Finally,  a  substantial  percentage  of  workers  think  both  sides  engage  in  unjustified  violence.    

As  in  2006,  the  survey  suggests  that  women  in  the  unions  continue  to  face  challenges.  The  main  problem  is  not  overt  discrimination  or  sexual  harassment.  Rather,  it  is  the  undermining  

etency  as  shopstewards  and  leaders  and  the  failure  to  listen  to  women  members.  These  weaknesses  appear  in  the  answers  given  both  to  why  there  are  fewer  women  in  leadership  and  to  whether  women  members  feel  they  can  influence  their  shopstewards.    

Overall,  the  findings  should  improve  the  understanding  of  office  bearers,  organisers,  shopstewards  and  members  about  their  strengths  and  weaknesses.  They  should  of  course  be  understood  together  with  other  kinds  of  information  about  workers  and  unions    from  

statistics  on  employment  conditions  from  official  sources.  We  hope  that  the  information  provided  here,  as  well  as  further  analysis  of  the  survey  data,  will  enrich  debates  about  how  to  strengthen  COSATU  as  well  as  the  labour  movement  as  a  whole.