The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) is the second largest national trade union center in South Africa.
History The federation was founded on 1 April 1997, when the Federation of South African Labour Unions merged with the Federation of Organisations Representing Civil Employees. Many affiliates of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions also joined. On founding, about 80% of its members were white-collar workers, and 70% were white.
The federation worked closely with the World Confederation of Labour, but did not affiliate. Instead, in 1998, it affiliated to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, and has continued membership of its successor, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). In 2006, it began negotiating a merger with the rival National Council of Trade Unions. They formed an umbrella organisation, the South African Confederation of Trade Unions, in 2007, but it achieved little, and the two federations remained independent.
The federation has favoured negotiation over industrial action. In 2015, it advised its public sector affiliates to accept a pay rise lower than that offered, in order to reduce government expenditure. It has placed a strong focus on its union education programme. In 2019, its long-term general secretary was dismissed after being accused of corruption. By 2020, it claimed a membership of 700,000, although the ITUC quoted a figure of 500,000.
Affiliates Current affiliates The following unions were listed as affiliates, as of 2021:
Union Abbreviation Founded Membership (2011) Administrative, Library and Technical Staff Associates ALTSA Airline Pilots Association of South Africa ALPA-SA 1,591 Health & Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa HOSPERSA 1994 64,742 Hospitality Industry and Allied Workers' Union HIAWU 1929 Insurance and Banking Staff Association IBSA 7,963 Motor Industry Staff Association MISA 1949 30,039 Motor Transport Workers' Union MTWU National Security and Unqualified Workers' Union NASUWU 9,534 National Union of Leather and Allied Workers NULAW 1926 7,824 National Tertiary Education Union NTEU 2009 Public Servants' Association of South Africa PSA 1920 Professional Transport and Allied Workers' Union PTAWU 1980 17,600 South African Communication Union SACU 1994 5,136 South African Parastatal and Tertiary Institutions Union SAPTU 2008 South African Typographical Union SATU 1898 11,344 Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysers Unie SAOU 1997 32,029 Tertiary Education National Union of South Africa TENUSA 2005 United Association of South Africa UASA 1998 74,138 United National Public Servants Association of South Africa and Allied Workers Union UNIPSAWU 1998 United National Transport Union UNTU 2012 N/A
Former affiliates Union Abbreviation Founded Left Reason not affiliated Membership (1999) Administrative, Technical and Electronic Association of South Africa ATEASA 1996 1998 Merged into UASA N/A Care Centre, Catering, Retail and Allied Workers' Union CCRAWUSA Construction and Engineering Industrial Workers' Union CEIWU Eskom Employees' Association EEA 2010 Dissolved N/A Food and General Workers' Union F&G 1,912 Hairdressers' and Cosmetologists' Trade Union 2000 Merged into UASA 5,591 Independent Municipal & Allied Trade Union IMATU 1996 Disaffiliated 66,657 Independent Performing Arts Trade Union IPATU 120 Internal Staff Association ITA Merged into SAPTU N/A Jewellers' and Goldsmiths' Union J&GU 1939 Millennium Workers' Union MWU Mouth Peace Workers' Union MPWU 1997 National Democratic Change and Allied Workers' Union NDCAWU National Teachers' Union NATU National Union of Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Commercial, Health and Allied Workers NUHRCCHAW National Union of Prosecutors of South Africa NUPSA 2023 Merged into PSA 232 Officials' Association of South Africa OASA 1918 1998 Merged into UASA N/A Post and Telecom Association P&T 1902 6,358 Professional Health Organisation of South Africa PHOSA 2012 Dissolved Public and Allied Workers' Union of South Africa PAWUSA 1967 Transferred to COSATU 24,943 SALSTAFF SALSTAFF 1918 2002 Merged into UASA 16,357 South African Airways Flight Engineers' Association SAAFEA 2009 159 South African Blindworkers' Organisation SABWO Disaffiliated South African Diamond Workers' Union SADWU 2001 Merged into UASA 910 South African Footplate Staff Association SAFSA 1905 2000 Merged into UTATU 10,000 South African Independent and Allied Workers' Union SAI&AWU 2004 South African Railways and Harbours Union SARWHU 2001 2012 Merged into UNTU N/A South African Telecommunications Association SATA N/A South African Workers' Union SAWU 1936 2001 Transferred to Solidarity 21,798 Staff Association for the Motor and Related Industries SAMRI 2001 Merged into UASA 1,333 Sweet Workers' Union SWU 1925 2005 Dissolved N/A Technical Workers' Union TWU 1924 2000 Merged into UTATU 11,118 United Private Sector Workers' Union UPSWU 2008 United Transport and Allied Trade Union UTATU 2000 2012 Merged into UNTU N/A Werknemers Unie van Suid-Afrika WUSA
Leadership General Secretaries 1997: Chez Milani 2006: Dennis George 2019: Riefdah Ajam
Presidents 1997: Mary Malete 2008: Danie Carstens 2011: Koos Bezuidenhout 2016: Godfrey Selematsela
References
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