Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- List Of Abbreviations and Acronyms
- Introduction
- Chapter One Building local power: 1970s
- Chapter Two Power through numbers: 1980–1985
- Chapter Three Power in unity: 1980–1987
- Chapter Four Breaking the apartheid mould: 1980–1982
- Chapter Five Worker action fans out: 1980–1984
- Chapter Six Melding institutional, campaign and bureaucratic power: 1983–1990
- Chapter Seven Conquest of Metal Industrial Council: 1987–1988
- Chapter Eight Auto workers take power: 1982–1989
- Chapter Nine Auto takes on the industry: 1990–1992
- Chapter Ten New directions: 1988–1991
- Chapter Eleven Defeat of Mawu strategy: 1990–1992
- Chapter Twelve Towards a new industry: 1993
- Chapter Thirteen The Cinderella sector: 1983–1990
- Chapter Fourteen Applying vision in auto and motor: 1990–1995
- Chapter Fifteen Applying vision in engineering: 1994–1995
- Chapter Sixteen Independent worker movement: 1980–1986
- Chapter Seventeen Beginnings of alliance politics: 1984–1986
- Chapter Eighteen Weakening the socialist impulse: Civil war in Natal 1987–1994
- Chapter Nineteen Civil war in Transvaal: 1989–1994
- Chapter Twenty New politics: 1987–1990
- Chapter Twenty-One Disinvestment: Pragmatic politics 1985–1989
- Chapter Twenty-Two Compromising on socialism: Legacy of the Alliance 1989–1995
- Appendix
- Notes
- Select Bibliography
- Index
Chapter Twenty - New politics: 1987–1990
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 March 2018
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- List Of Abbreviations and Acronyms
- Introduction
- Chapter One Building local power: 1970s
- Chapter Two Power through numbers: 1980–1985
- Chapter Three Power in unity: 1980–1987
- Chapter Four Breaking the apartheid mould: 1980–1982
- Chapter Five Worker action fans out: 1980–1984
- Chapter Six Melding institutional, campaign and bureaucratic power: 1983–1990
- Chapter Seven Conquest of Metal Industrial Council: 1987–1988
- Chapter Eight Auto workers take power: 1982–1989
- Chapter Nine Auto takes on the industry: 1990–1992
- Chapter Ten New directions: 1988–1991
- Chapter Eleven Defeat of Mawu strategy: 1990–1992
- Chapter Twelve Towards a new industry: 1993
- Chapter Thirteen The Cinderella sector: 1983–1990
- Chapter Fourteen Applying vision in auto and motor: 1990–1995
- Chapter Fifteen Applying vision in engineering: 1994–1995
- Chapter Sixteen Independent worker movement: 1980–1986
- Chapter Seventeen Beginnings of alliance politics: 1984–1986
- Chapter Eighteen Weakening the socialist impulse: Civil war in Natal 1987–1994
- Chapter Nineteen Civil war in Transvaal: 1989–1994
- Chapter Twenty New politics: 1987–1990
- Chapter Twenty-One Disinvestment: Pragmatic politics 1985–1989
- Chapter Twenty-Two Compromising on socialism: Legacy of the Alliance 1989–1995
- Appendix
- Notes
- Select Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Numsa made decisive political shifts between 1987–1994. In these it was less a victimof external manipulations often beyond its control, and more of a pragmatic player confronting the question of what political goals it hoped to achieve and how to get there. Although consensus on a socialist society existed, interpretations on how to achieve this goal differed.
The banning of the UDF and imposition of the 1986 state of emergency moved Cosatu to the centre of the political stage. The Fosatu focus on strong organisation was vindicated as organised factories weathered attacks which township organisations could not withstand. There were moments in 1987 when the state appeared determined to destroy Cosatu – when it bombed Cosatu House where affiliate head offices were based (including Numsa) – but the labour movement was too extensive and too deeply entrenched to destroy. Sactu's fate was not going to be repeated.
The rapidly changing political landscape of the early 1990s, coupled with the scale of union growth, meant that Numsa could no longer control political developments in its ranks in the way that Mawu and Naawu had attempted. Without abandoning Mawu's socialist perspective, Numsa moved to shape the political landscape. It became more flexible in its relations with political movements, which meant a continuous assessment of how far it was prepared to compromise its independence. Its politics was still the subject of intense debate both internally and outside the union. In these interactions, the formulation of a working class political programme to guide its policies and activities was a constant refrain. The Mawu 1986 congress had called for such a blueprint – and it remained Numsa's task to fulfil it.
Freedom Charter: contested terrain
At Numsa's 1987 congress, former Macwusa unionists from the Eastern Cape tabled a motion calling for the adoption of the Freedom Charter, a topic which was also on the agenda of Cosatu's upcoming second congress. At issue was whether this historic popular document adequately articulated the union's socialist perspective.
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- Information
- Metal that Will not BendNational Union of Metalworkers of South Africa 1980–1995, pp. 416 - 443Publisher: Wits University PressPrint publication year: 2011