unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (09/19/89)
SOUTH AFRICA: Women on the Union Agenda
Johannesburg, September 14, 1989 (AIA/Shareen Singh) -- The
cloud of male chauvinism which hung over the Congress of
South African Trade Unions' (Cosatu's) Third National
Congress (July 12 to 19) was the only negative outcome of a
get-together otherwise characterised by a strong spirit of
unity and compromise through mature and open debate.
A resolution on basic sexual conduct was kicked out after
four hours of debate - the only resolution rejected by the
congress. Another resolution relating to women's oppression
was not particuarly well received.
The Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) - the only
union in Cosatu with a woman general secretary - proposed
the sexual conduct resolution.
Women in the trade union movement are faced with a constant
battle against sexual harassment, abuse and sexist attitudes
from their male comrades, including union officials.
TGWU officials thought the union federation should take a
principled stand against such attitudes and behaviour.
Ironically, this straightforward resolution took up the
longest debating time and was eventually rejected. The major
arguments put forward against resolution went something
like: "Women have the right to say 'no' when they are
approached and harassed by men"; "The congress should not
adopt the resolution as it would damage Cosatu
politically"; "The issue is a disciplinary one and
should not be discussed at the congress but in Cosatu
structures as part of a code of conduct"; "The resolution
deals with bourgeois morality because sexual oppression
will only be removed under socialism - it is premature
to deal with the issue".
Some of these views were expressed by women. Surprisingly,
most unions with a majority of women members did not
articulate strong positions in favour of the resolution.
An exception was the Commercial Catering and Allied Workers
Union of South Africa (CCAWUSA). However CCAWUSA was not
allowed to second any motion due to divisions in its own
ranks. The resolution was left with no seconder and was
eventually rejected.
Theoretically, progressive organisations and trade unions
accept that the struggle against women's oppression and
exploitation is integrally linked to the broader liberation
struggle. But the degree to which this has been internalised
and practised was clearly evident at the Cosatu Congress.
As one union official commented: "We are decades behind on
the 'women question' - and the battle is as tough as the
battle against the bosses". In practice organisations tend to
relegate women's oppression and gender questions as "women's
issues" and not serious political issues.
The other contentious resolution proposed by TGWU noted the
small number of women leaders in Cosatu unions and resolved
to encourage the election of shop-stewards on the factory
floor, to ensure that women are elected into leadership
positions, and to break down practical barriers preventing
the full participation by women in Cosatu structures.
But some delegates at the Congress, including women from the
South African Domestic Workers Union (SADWU) and the Food and
Allied Workers' Union (FAWU) argued that women workers were
not ready for leadership positions and that they needed to
be "educated and groomed for such positions".
Neither Cosatu nor any one of its 15 affiliates, except TGWU,
have women in high-ranking leadership positions. Even unions
with predominantly women membership and more progressive
positions on gender and class are dominated by male leaders.
CCAWUSA, notably the first union to win a landmark maternity
and parental rights agreement, has made major gains
in addressing gender issues with managements. But progress
seems much slower within the union's own ranks. Out of
about 60 organisers, only three are women, yet more than 75
percent of the union's membership is women.
Further exacerbating the position on women, the congress
seemed to place more emphasis on the formation and
development of a national women's structure outside Cosatu
than addressing the problem internally. A resolution by the
National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) was adopted calling on
Cosatu to take immediate steps to facilitate the revival of
the Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW), a defunct
national organisation.
Though individual unions have established women's structures,
attempts to form a national body in the federation were met
with little success. The Cosatu women's conference in 1988
was fraught with different perceptions on the relationship
between women in the community and women in trade unions,
and broader political tensions between the unions led to
different factions on the issue.
Some unions argued that the establishment of a national
women's structure in Cosatu would merely be duplicating and
undermining organisation which was already taking place at
local and regional level and in the community.
Others argued that working women were faced with certain
problems which needed to be challenged in the workplace and
in union structures. They felt that the Cosatu women's
organisation would not be isolated from the community-based
organisation but rather an addition to it. The logic of the
former argument held at the Congress.
Amid the debates about the role of women's organisation a
constitutional amendment on non-sexist language was hardly
noticeable. It was agreed that references to gender in the
constitution - for example, "his", and "chairman" - be
replaced with non-sexist language.
This was a major victory considering that the National Union
of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), which has a fairly
well established women's committee, failed at its congress
earlier this year to remove "his" from the slogan, "From each
according to his ability to each according to his needs".
Some unionists say that on the positive side the union
movement is finally addressing women's oppression and the
fact that resolutions in this regard were tabled at the
congress, places the issue on the agenda.
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* Origin: AlterNet, Node1 (Opus 1:163/113)
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