In a new Jacana Media publication, ‘Solidarity Road: The Story of a Trade Union in the Ending of Apartheid’, Jan Theron writes about the values that shaped the trade union struggle and the decisions and practices which undermined them.  

He argues that the events leading to the Marikana massacre not only shattered South Africa’s image of itself as a democracy in which workers had a respected place, but also the image of Cosatu and the NUM, its largest affiliate at the time.  Subsequent events are said to confirm that SA’s pre-eminent trade union federation has lost its way.  To understand why this has happened, Theron argues that it is necessary to understand the choices made by the trade unions that formed Cosatu in the 1980s.

• Read more about this publication at BooksLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page