Introduction:

The Union initially remained under the British Crown as a self-governing dominion of the British Empire. Union was considered equal in status to the other Dominions, and the United Kingdom could no longer legislate on behalf of South Africa. Unions in South Africa have a history dating back to the 1880s. From the beginning unions could be viewed as a reflection of the racial conflict of the country, with the earliest unions being predominantly for white workers. People who work for a living know about the inequality of power between employers and employees. Hence presence of Union has a significant implication for the structure of the organisation and for management of human resources

Unions are independent organizations that represent workers to their employers to achieve common goals such as protecting the integrity of its trade, achieving higher pay, increasing the number of employees an employer hires, and better working conditions. The Trade Union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with employers. The most common purpose of Unions is "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment.

Today Unions are an important force in South Africa, with 3.1 million members representing 25% of the formal work force. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is the largest of the three major trade union centres, with a membership of 1.8 million, and is part of the Tripartite alliance with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP).

A Union worker wins respect on the job, better wages and benefits, more flexibility for work and family needs and a voice in improving the quality of their products and services. Workers in Unions counterbalance the unchecked power of employers. Unions help make sure our nation prioritizes working people's issues: unions hold corporations accountable, make workplaces safe, protect Social Security and retirement, fight for quality health care and ensure that working people have time to spend with their families

Trade unions and employer organisations are also obliged to:

Provide certain information to the registrar within the time periods stipulated in the Act (s 100); Advise the registrar of a change to their name or constitution (s 101); and

Inform the registrar if they amalgamate with another organisation (s 102).

Union membership is important to all of these people, helping them gain decent wages and working conditions and have a say in their jobs.

Working people in all walks of life join together in unions to gain a voice at work. Union members have a say about pay, benefits, working conditions and how their jobs get done -- and having that say gives them a "union advantage."

Here are seven practical reasons why

1. Money: Union jobs pay significantly more than non-union jobs. From top to bottom, industry to industry, region to region, union wages are roughly 15 per cent higher than non-union wages. Its as simple as that.

2. Benefits :Pensions, medical insurance, paid vacation, holidays, personal holidays, sick pay, overtime premium pay, penalty pay and shift differential are generally not only better in a union shop, often the only way to obtain them is through a union contract
3. Safety: A union contract gives employees the immediate right to insist on a safe work environment. Rather than having to petition a remote government agency in the hope that they come to your aid, as a union worker you can instantly grieve an unsafe condition

4. Dignity:As a union worker you dont have to put up with flaky bosses, arbitrary decisions, or co-worker harassment. You can still be fired for substandard work performance, but you dont have to tip-toe around in fear or be at the mercy of weird or grossly incompetent managers. Because administering the provisions of a union contract requires a certain level of expertise, you tend to get better, more efficient bosses. Instead of flitting about making arbitrary, off-the-cuff decisions, theyre forced to behave like professionals. 5. Security: The boss cant walk up and fire you because he wants to give your job to his wifes nephew, whos looking for a summer job before returning to school. Management cant lay you off out of sequence. They cant demote you arbitrarily. Nor can they prevent you, without sufficient cause, from promoting to the next higher job when its your turn. African Americans and women didnt get their fair shot at higher-rung manufacturing jobs until labour unions gave it to them, a fact that doesnt receive enough recognition.

6. Competence:Union workers tend to be better workers than non-union workers. Just think about it: Which job in the community is going to attract a higher caliber performerthe one with the good wages, benefits and working conditions, or the crap job with low pay, lousy benefits and no airconditioning? Not only will better workers apply to a union facility, but management will have a significantly greater number to choose from, allowing them to hire the very best. 7. Activism :You have the opportunitythe privilegeof one day becoming a shop steward, of representing your fellow workers, if they feel justified in giving you that responsibility. Shop steward is no glorified popularity contest, like being elected class president in high school. Its an important job. People on the floor are going to select the person they deem best qualified to represent their interests. As a union official, whose authority is recognized by federal labour law, you will forever be a footnote in the history of the American labour movement 8. Fair and just supervision:The day has long gone when the supervisors could rule their employees with an iron fist. A significant reason for the general shift leadership style from automatic to people-oriented patterns is the insistence by unions that supervisors treat their employees fairly, justly and respectfully

Main union federations

According to the 2001/02 South Africa Yearbook, there were about 17 trade union federations at the end of 2000. This number could be higher, though, as federations are not required by law to register, and unaffiliated unions spring up all the time.
There are, however, three prominent trade union federations with affiliates operating in the different sectors of the economy.

These are the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa), and the National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu). Although the three federations and their respective affiliates compete for membership, they co-operate in forums such as Nedlac. They have also embarked on joint campaigns, including demonstrations against amendments to the Labour Relations Act.

Early labour unions attempted to organize workers in order to obtain safe working conditions, better wages, and shorter working hours in the day. Some unions believed it was necessary to accomplish those goals through the political process. Other unions met in secret and did not want owners of industry or companies to know they existed. Some thought only violence would accomplish their goals. As labour unions grew, they became important voting blocs. Most unions started out trying to obtain the "bread and butter" issues--better wages, safe working conditions, fewer hours

These goals spread to include :

Medical leave without a deduction in pay; Pensions provided by owners and workers; Medical insurance paid for by owners and workers; Laws against child labor; Support for free public education, protection of political and civil rights of workers; and the right to hold collective bargaining elections, so that the workers could vote to join a union.

Union Rights at Workplace

Organisational rights of recognised majority union in the workplace are regulated by sections 11 to 22 of the Labour Relations Act.
Some of these rights state that:

An office bearer or official of the union can enter the employers premises in order to recruit members, communicate with members or serve the interest of its members; To hold meetings with employees outside working hours at the employers premises;

The members of the union are entitled to vote at the employers premises in any election or ballot contemplated in the unions constitution; To assist and represent employees in grievance and disciplinary proceedings in the workplace; To perform any other function agreed upon between the union and the employer.

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