Unions and Media in South Africa : A New Set of Tools in the Struggle

                                                                 Kubeshni Govender

* Please note that this summary does not have the indepth, informal comments made during the verbal presentation. 

To understand the situation of labour and media in South Africa, we have to begin with some contextual information.  There is one state broadcaster in South Africa, the SABC (the SouthAfrican Broadcasting Corporation).  This corporation was previously under the control of the National Party who severly restricted the broadcast of information that did not support its apartheid ideology.  Since 1991, the SABC has been undergoing a processes of restructuring.  Unfortunately its subsidy from the government has been severly cut and it has become a strain for the broadcaster to truly fulfill its public service mandate.  What complicates labour's possible access to this platform of mass communication,  is the hazy ideological position of the broadcaster.  Its heavy reliance on advertising unavoidably slants the broadcaster toward the interests of capital.  This is apparent by the obvious lack of labour programming  on current affairs programmes on the SABC.  At this time there is only one full time labour reporter based at the SABC's main offices in South Africa.  

The Independent Broadcasting authority is responsible for recommending changes to broadcast in Radio and Television in South Africa.  Due to significant restructuring of radio, already a large number of community radio stations have started broadcasting to local listeners.  Community Radio stations provide labour with an effective means to communicate to workers because of the localised focus and the community emphasis of decision making and production.  This is however under utilized by labour media practitioners.  

It is not a secret that the labour movement as espoused by COSATU,  aspire toward a socialist programme for the transformation of society and economic justice.  Given the idealogical stance of COSATU, the high cost of production and access to mainstream avenues of broadcast it is challenging for labour media practitioners, to position their unions for maximum exposure to the South African public .  It is a problem that capital defines what the issue are that get discussed by mainstream press.  It seems sometimes that labour point of view is only important to the extent that it provides "balanced" journalism.    

Structures of labour media Production in South Africa. 

1. Union Media Offices / Departments.
Most Unions affiliated to COSATU have media offices or departments.  The tasks of its personnel include media liaison, networking for the union, media production (print, radio, video), media campaign strategies and internal communication of the union.  

2. COSATU Communication Office
This office resourced by two full time personnel are responsible for communication of the federation: press releases, liaison between affiliate media officers, media strategy, profiling the federation. 

3. Progressive / Like minded production organizations. 
Organizations like CDC, Centre Democratic Communication and The open WIndow Network affiliations with COSATU.  COSATU's newsletter: The shopsteward is produced by CDC.  

Media Products

Radio: Given the listenership of both commercial, public and community radio stations in South Africa , this is an under used resource by labour media practitioners.  At present labour resource projects like The Trade Union Library, produce and  air  educational material directed at workers. An example is a programme on Bush Radio (a community radion station) on the new Labour relations act. 

Print: Newsletters are very widely used by almost all union affiliates.  These newsletters cover current affairs issue pertinent to particular unions as well as education information and ideological debate articles.  Newsletters are distributed to workers, and other interested parties.  In many instances the newsletters are resources that can be further referenced.  
Pamphlets are also widely used for specific issues and form part of campaigns. 

Internet: Some unions in South Africa have the resources and the equipment which allow them access to the internet. About five unions have websites. These are all linked by the COSATU website and can be accessed through WWW: cosatu.org. For those unions who do not have websites, the net is usually used for the exchange of information between affiliates and COSATU, other senders.  It is also used to send press releases to press groups and media inside and out of South Africa. 

Video: (from the perspective of FAWU)
The use of video by the FAWU has been most effective.  This year we produced two broadcast videos which were shown at the union national congress and the first Workers International Film Festival.  We have also recorded the Union congress and are in the process of producing a profile video of the union to be directed at International Film Festivals.  The overall aim of using video, is to effectively sample a variety of opinions and present a composition of ideas and thoughts that can be accessed by large numbers of people.  At the same time this present a document which acts as an audio visual record of history in the making.  

(see FAWU Fisheries debate Video)

Way Forward: Challenges for South Africa Labour Media
1. Promotion of international exchange of audio/ visual material. 
2. The creation of an "alternate" space of communication for labour media in South Africa.
3. Control of resources of production of media.  (High costs is deterrent for the use of media productions)
4. Further prioritization of media and the role of media in labour by leadership of unions in South Africa.  
