Four Cosatu unions increased membership
Only four out of 18 trade unions in Cosatu managed to increase their membership numbers over the past three years, according to the federation organisational report.
The report expected to be tabled at Cosatu 12th national congress in Midrand on Wednesday, showed that the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) membership rise from 149 339 in 2012 to 161 008 in 2015.
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) membership increased from 74 883 in 2012 to 81 319 in 2015. The Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) grew its membership from 126 930 in 2012 to 127 000 in 2015.
The doctors union, South African Medical Association (Sama), had 7 759 members in 2012, they now have 8 065 members.
The South African Football Players Union (Safpu) lost only one member in three years, the football players union had 593 members in 2012 and the number dropped to 592 in 2015.
The South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) membership remained the same over three years. The union had 120 352 in 2012 and maintained the same number in 2015.
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) reported a membership of 251 276 at the 11th national congress in 2012. The teachers’ union membership dropped to 248 556 in 2015.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) membership dropped from 310 382 in 2012 to 270 649 in 2015. The union lost members to the rising Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) in the platinum mine in Rustenburg, North West and Northam in Limpopo, after a violent strike in the platinum belt in 2012. Amcu is not an affiliate of Cosatu.
The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) membership dropped from 153 487 in 2012 to 150 923 in 2015.
The union complained to the congress that some ANC Councillors were recruiting its members for rival unions in some municipalities.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) improved its membership from 260 738 to 277 317 during the period under review.
The new union in Cosatu fold, – the Liberated Metalworkers Union of South Africa (Limusa) reported a membership of 7 771.
According to the organisational report Cosatu membership dropped by 324 853 since the 11th national congress in 2012. The federation membership stood at 1, 868 193 in 2015. The federation had targeted to grow its membership to 4 million by 2015.
The huge loss of membership can largely be attributed to Cosatu’s decision last year to expel the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) from the trade union federation. Numsa has more than 300 000 members.