Fewer people joining trade unions

09 February 2015 - 12:56 By Staff reporter
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Open plan office.
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Fewer than one in five South Africans who are economically active are choosing to join trade unions.

This is according to the latest South Africa Survey, published by the South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) in Johannesburg today.

Key trends included that:

  • Registered union membership as a proportion of total employment decreased by 20% between 1994 and 2014;
  • The number of registered trade unions decreased by 14% between 1994 and 2014;
  • Registered union membership declined by 26% between 1994 and 2014, and
  • Trade union membership declined in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, construction, wholesale and retail trade, as well as private households between 2000 and 2014.

IRR analyst Boitumelo Sethlatswe said that declining trade union membership indicated that unions were struggling to find relevance and attract membership among young workers.

This, coupled with tensions in the largest trade union federation Cosatu, "provides the best environment for much needed reforms in the industrial relations landscape", Sethlatswe said.

‘’Dissolution of the tripartite alliance and breaking down the influence of Cosatu will allow for a more competitive labour environment, which will benefit not only workers but also the economy as a whole,’’ Sethlatswe said.

DO YOU BELONG TO A UNION? Is a rethink needed within the trade union movement? Share your thoughts with us @timeslive on Facebook or Twitter

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