Ep 14: International Workers’ Day: Celebrating Worker Power, but is it ‘Mayday’ for Industrial Un...

On 1 May, we mark International Workers’ Day, a moment to reflect on the history of workers' struggles for decent work and labour rights, collective power, and the role of trade unions and their significance in shaping South Africa’s democratic and labour landscape. In this episode, we look back into history and forward to the future: from the labour movement’s central role in political transformation, to the challenges facing trade unions today in a rapidly changing world of work. We are joined by Mario Jacobs, lecturer and researcher at CENTROW, to discuss the findings of a study on South African trade unions and COSATU affiliates, which Mario undertook together with Shane Godfrey and Ian Macun - who between them have decades of experience, as scholars of collective bargaining, trade unionists, and with the Department of Employment of Labour. Drawing on their article Industrial Unionism and the Congress of South African Trade Unions: Founding Principles, Present Realities and Future Challenges (https://doi.org/10.14426/vswez831) (Part 1 (https://epubs.ac.za/index.php/newagen...) and Part 2 (https://epubs.ac.za/index.php/newagen...) ), we consider the vision of “one industry, one union” and whether that model still holds after 40 years. For a more detailed discussion of the study, see the Webinar recording available on YouTube (   • Industrial unionism and COSATU: Founding p...  ) .