Union revolt in South Africa
The largest South African trade union, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), has been expelled from South Africa’s union confederation COSATU by that body’s executive. The reason for this expulsion is that NUMSA members voted in December 2013 at a special conference to refuse to support the ruling ANC in elections. NUMSA wants to move towards a independent workers’ party. The background to this goes back to the struggle against apartheid. In the 1970s and 80s black South African workers were in the forefront of the struggle against the white supremacist state. But moves...