Formed in 1983, the Southern African Trade Union Co-ordination Council (SATUCC) has become the main regional trade union organization in SADC. Its membership consists of all major trade union federations in the SADC region. SATUCC has been at the centre of various critical initiatives over the years. During the 1980s and into the early 1990s, the key focus was on supporting liberation struggles in the region confronted with oppressive colonial and apartheid regimes. However, following the political liberation in the entire SADC region SATUCC’s political focus has shifted towards promoting and defending democracy and good governance. Trade unions have always played a critical role in advancing, defending and promoting democracies the world over including in the SADC region. The new democracies in the region remain challenged and under threat for many reasons. The democracies are weak and fragile particularly in the absence of formidable opposition, weak and inadequate institutions of democracy compounded by a largely poor, illiterate and ill-informed general electorate despite having adopted SADC principles and guidelines governing democratic elections. Given the deterioration in democracy and governance in the region in the recent past on one hand and the serious threat this development poses to the human and trade union rights situation as well as equitable sustainable development and people centered integration, SATUCC remains totally committed to its political work to ensure that democracy and good governance are promoted and defended.
SATUCC’s approach has been to focus on achieving labour and social standards in the sub-region, through solidarity and campaigns, social dialogue and advocacy in the quest for equity and social justice and a people centred and driven regional integration. SATUCC’s attempts to develop and harmonize social and labour policies in the sub-region has led to the ratification by nearly all SADC member states of the SADC Charter of Fundamental Social Rights in Southern Africa, after a protracted campaign that began with the submission of the proposed SATUCC social charter of workers in Southern Africa. SATUCC campaigned for the adoption of the eight core labour standards of the ILO, contributing to the present 100 per cent ratification by SADC member states. SATUCC has also been instrumental in the successful adoption of SADC codes and protocols including the Code of Conduct on HIV/AIDS and Employment; SADC declarations on Productivity and Social Security; the protocol on Free Movement of Persons and most recently the SADC protocol on Gender and Development. Currently SATUCC in involved in the development of the SADC Employment and Labour Protocol and implementation of the SADC Decent Work Programme.
SATUCC continues to play its role in mobilizing trade unions around a common agenda to secure decent jobs and to fight for equity; social justice; and a people centred and driven regional integration and working towards alternative development strategies. A key initiative in recent years in this area has been “Alternatives Neo-Liberalism in Southern Africa” (ANSA). SATUCC also works closely with other social formations in SADC and beyond and recently signed an alliance pact with the SADC Council of Non Governmental Organizations (SADC-CNGO) and the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa (FOCISSA) charting a way for increased collaborative work, common positions and action.
SATUCC is proud to now present a website that provides links to its affiliates, the SATUCC history and to recent initiatives like ANSA as well as a virtual platform for affiliate interaction. We value you comments on this website and keep them coming.
