Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The assignment examines the policy positions of the Congress of South African Trade
Unions (COSATU) on restructuring and privatisation.
The assignment's theoretical point of departure is found in the work of Levitsky and
Way (1998). Levitsky and Way (1998) examines the alliance between a political party
and its labour ally in the context of neo-liberal economic reform. The context is
usually a political party that has come to power with the aid of a powerful trade union
federation. The authors are interested in establishing if the party-union alliance would
be sustained if the political party embarks on drastic economic reforms that have the
potential to undermine trade union federations. The two cases that are investigated are
Poland and Argentina, because in both these cases, a political party has been swept
into power with the aid of a powerful trade union federation. Against the background
of neo-liberal economic reforms, both trade union federations initially supported the
economic reforms. In the medium and long term however, labour defected from the
alliance in Poland, whereas the alliance was sustained in Argentina despite the
enormous costs to workers.
Levitsky and Way (1998) then posit a number of material and institutional factors that
explain both the initial convergence and the later divergence between the two test
cases. The factors that are included in this framework are social linkages, party
strength, leadership overlap, union competition and the degree of autonomy from
either party leadership or the rank-and-file. These factors are hypothesised to explain
the policy positions and behaviour of the trade union federation. It is this theoretical
framework, which will be tested to establish if the framework permits enough
conceptual leverage to explain the past and present policy positions of COSATU on
privatisation. These factors have been given prominence because of its actual bearing
on the status of the alliance relationship. The present study will therefore be using
these factors of the framework, and barring one exception, it will be conceptualised in
the same way.
The second component of the study is to use the South African National Opinion
Leader Survey of 1997/98 to study the actual attitudes and opinions of COSATU
leaders on a range of privatisation issues. The survey is going to be used to determine
if there is any degree of continuity between formal congress resolutions and the
attitudes of COSATU leaders in the survey. This is also an indirect way of verifying
the ideological loyalty of leaders to the official positions of the trade union federation.
The second question returns to the alliance relationship by examining differences, if
any between COSATU and ANC leaders on privatisation related issues.
Factor analysis is used to build two indexes, namely a "privatisation index" and a
"gear index." An interesting finding from the data is the relatively greater policy
cohesion amongst COSATU leaders. These results permit speculations that do not
necessarily indicate an imminent breaking up of the alliance, but rather continued
discussions with possibly various policy compromises by COSATU and the ANC. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die werkstuk ondersoek die beleidsposisie van die Congress of South African Trade
Unions (COSATU) oor herstrukturering en privatisering in Suid Afrika.
Die werkstuk se teoretiese uitgangspunt word in die werk van Levitsky en Way
gevind (1998). Hierdie skrywers ondersoek die alliansie tussen 'n politieke party en sy
arbeidsvennoot in die konteks van neo-liberale ekonomiese hervorming. Die konteks
is 'n politieke party wat aan bewind gekom het met die steun van 'n kragtige vakbondfederasie.
Die skrywers wil vas stel of die party-vakbond-alliansie sal voortgaan
wanneer die politieke party drastiese ekonomiese hervorming aanpak wat die
potensiaal het om vakbond federasies te ondermyn. Twee gevalle, naamlik Pole en
Argentinië word ondersoek. In albei gevalle het die regerende politieke party aan
bewind gekom met die hulp van die vakbond federasie. Teen hierdie agtergrond van
neo-liberale hervorming het albei vakbond federasies in Pole en Argentinië
aanvanklik die proses gesteun. Gedurende hierdie tydperk het vakbonde in Pole
weggebreek van die alliansie, terwyl die alliansie in Argentinië ten spyte van die groot
koste vir die werkers voortgesit was.
Levitsky en Way (1998) verskaf 'n aantal materiële en institusionele faktore wat die
aanvanklike samevloeiing en die latere uiteenvloeiing in hul twee voorbeelde kan
verduidelik. Die faktore wat in die ontleding gebruik word is sosiale verbindinge,
partysterkte, leierskap oorvleueling, vakbond kompetisie en outonomie van of party
leierskap en gewone werkers. Volgens die skrywers se hipotese sal hierdie faktore die
beleidsposisies van die vakbond federasie verklaar. Dit is hierdie teoretiese raamwerk
wat in die studie gebruik word. Daar word gepoog om vas te stel of hierdie raamwerk
genoegsame konseptuele reikwydte het om COSATU se privatiserings beleid te
verduidelik.
Die tweede komponent van die studie is die gebruik van die Suid Afrikaanse
Nasionale Menings Opname van 1997/98. Dit word gebruik om die houdings en die
opinies van COSATU leiers oor n breë spektrum van privatiserings kwessies te
ondersoek. Die doel is om vas te stel of daar enige graad van kontinuïteit tussen
formele kongres resolusies en houdings van COSATU leiers bestaan. Dit is ook 'n
manier om die "ideologiese getrouheid" van COSATU leiers te verifieer. Tweedens
word daar teruggekeer na die alliansie verhouding deur die verskille tussen ANC en
COSATU leiers betreffende privatiserings verwante kwessies te ondersoek.
Faktor ontleding word gebruik om twee indekse te bou, naamlik 'n "Privatiserings
indeks" en 'n "Gear-indeks". Interessante bevindinge wat dui op 'n groter
beleidskohesie by Cosatu-meningsvormers as by ANC-meningsvormers kom na vore.
Na aanleiding van bogenoemde model word daar gespekuleer dat hierdie
meningspatrone nie noodwendig op 'n uiteenval van die alliansie dui nie, maar eerder
op voortgesette gesprekke met verskeie beleidskompromisse by Cosatu sowel as die
ANC-leierskap.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52037 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Wildeman, Russell Andrew |
| Contributors | Kotzé, H. J. K., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 113 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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