This Day in History: December 2, 2011
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), a federation of various labour unions, was established on 2 December 1985 in Durban. It is among the fastest growing labour federations in the world. At its launch it represented less than half a million members. Presently the membership exceeds 2 million and is still growing.
This year COSATU celebrates 26 years as a trade union and 21 years in the Tripartite Alliance with the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP). The alliance remains strong despite COSATU’s disagreement with many of the ANC’s economic and labour policies.