Abstract
M.A.
The aim
role of
to 1990.
of
the
this research was to present an overall view of the
white worker in the trade union movement from 1948
The events following the coming to power of the National Party
in 1948 were scrutinized and it has been clearly indicated that
discrimination on the basis of skin colour has been the single
most important factor leading to problems in the labour field.
Then came the period after 1979. The Wiehahn proposals were
accepted by the government and a new era in the field of labour
relations was introduced. Racial segregation made way for an
integrated and unitary labour relations system. Within the
context of this research TUCSA and SACOL were regarded as
representative of the white groups in the trade union movement.
In the third instance attention was also given to three
significant variables in the labour field which militancy and
strikes, the role of differentiation and discrimination, and the
opinions of white trade union members on politics and the trade
union members on politics and the trade union movement.
The following conclusions can be drawn from the empirical study:
* All the trade union leaders are of the op1n1on that their
trade union has an important role to play and that it meets
the needs of their members.
* The majority of trade union leaders hold the opinion that
they are pro-active in protecting the interests of their
members.
* Some of the trade union leaders feel that militant action in
the labour field can be justified...