About CWU

The Communication Workers' Union of South Africa is the most progressive, militant and growing union in the communication industry, boasting some 44,000 members spread across most of the communication industry of South Africa. CWU is a very young trade union that was formed only on the 13th to 16th of May 1996. Anyone who does not know the background to the formation of this union may be momentarily pardoned to think it lacks experience. The formation of CWU dates back to the early 1980's when the then Post Office Employees Association (PEASA), Post and Telecommunication Workers Association (POTWA) and South African Post Telecommunication Employees Association (SAPTEA) held merger meetings.

These meetings at times had to be held in places like Zambia, outside the borders of our country, where the giants of trade union movement in South Africa, the then South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU), were present and shared with us their wealth of experience on trade unionism in South Africa and on trade union movements internationally.

The racist white staff associations that existed in the then Department of Post and Telecommunication (P&T) were invited to these meetings but refused to attend, probably blinded by the illusions of comfort that they found in their racist paradise. A paradise so eagerly aided and abetted by management that was equally steeped in racism and stood to benefit all the way from the disunity of workers.

The three streams, PEASA, POTWA and SAPTEA, flowed together on the historic 26th to 27th May 1996 to form the vibrant democratic CWU. At the time of the formation of this union our membership was derived mainly from workers of Telkom and Sapo. These two industries still contribute the majority of our members, but now our scope has increased dramatically to include workers from the industries that are mentioned below.

Our Scope 

The warmth of our organising arms reaches out to promote, advance and protect workers interests in communication industries like Telkom (in telecommunication), Sapo (in the postal industry), SABC (in broadcasting industry), Vodacom and MTN (in the cellular industry), CCI, (in cabling industry), Nashua and SA Blick, (in the computer industry), TDS (in information industry) and Sun Couriers (in the courier industry).

Our voice of reason can also be heard advancing the interests of our members in government institutions like ICASA (previously SATRA and IBA) and the Department Of Communication. Even the sky is not a limit to us as we reach out to our members in the satellite industry, like SENTECH, where we wage campaigns for a living wage and for better working conditions.

The leadership of our union, guided by our constitution, has been found organising workers in the world of arts and culture, as we have successfully done in the North West Arts Council and Klerksdorp Record, where better wages and working conditions are not the only items on our agenda, but ideas on culture as it affects our lives and on how it could contribute to building a real caring society, are exchanged with workers and artists in this important field that seeks to reflect our lives and aspirations.

Our members are always encouraged to regard CWU as an organisation that belongs to all of them as a collective. This encouragement emanates from the constitution of the union. This constitution provides for structures that safeguard worker control. A practical interpretation of this constitution is found in, among others, the following union committees.

Challenge

We challenge you, as a worker in the communication industry in South Africa, to join us so as to further improve this young union and make it a sharper spear and shield in the workers struggle. As a reader outside this industry we stand ready to accept you as a friend that supports a noble goal the betterment of the lives of workers.

CWU Organisational Structure

National Congress (NC)
This is the highest governing body. It is composed of delegates from all nine provinces, National Office Bearers.

Central Executive Committee (CEC)
This body considers policy matters and other major issues. It is composed of delegates from provinces, NOB's and Provincial office bearers (POB's) and heads of departments.

National Executive Committee (NEC)
Manages affairs of the union as guided by policies and also to and from sub-committees. It is composed of NOB's, Provincial chairperson, provincial secretaries, heads of departments and sector coordinators.

Provincial Executive Committee (PEC)
It is composed of Provincial Office Bearers, Regional chairpersons, Regional Secretaries.

Regional Executive Committee (REC)
Composed of Regional Office Bearers (ROB's), branch chairpersons, and branch secretaries.

Branches
Composed of Branch Office Bearers, ROB's, shopstewards, Committee chairpersons, and shopstewards from each workplace.

Members
Composed of all members of the union that are recognised as members in terms of CWU's constitution.