Abstract

South Africa’s long road to political freedom reflects only a partial freedom and an unfinished project of liberation. The country remains one of the most unequal on earth and is experiencing unprecedented levels of protest and industrial action. South Africa’s powerful and globally revered trade unions are currently playing a central role in what are the most significant political upheavals since the transition to democracy. The alliance between the unions and the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is in crisis, while the unions themselves are beset by volatile internecine infighting that threatens to tear the labour movement apart. The unions therefore stand at an organisational and political crossroads. Which path they take bears huge significance for South Africa’s future, as well as how we understand the role that trade unions can play in global struggles for social justice in the era of neoliberal globalisation.