By Sam Ssali Kiggundu (Senior Trade Union Instructor).
The belief that unions should be allied with political parties and use them to win reforms for their members remain wide-spread. So, too, does faith in corporatist systems.
The history of African Union, however, clearly show that union alliances with political parties, their participation in state election and use of corporatist system have pro-foundly damaged trade union, and limited their aspirations and potential .It also shows that unions have been able to successfully engage in politics from below without being allied with political parties – often with more radical platforms.
Nationalist account and official histories have long presented an image of seamless unity between Africa’s unions and nationalist parties, with unions merely used as stepping stones in a neat struggle for freedom that culminated in nationalist parties taking state power in the 1950s with the unions’ blessing. Africa labour studies have used a somewhat similar argument, suggesting a national affinity between unions and parties based on their common agendas for independence and development.
While it is true that some of Africa’s most important unions did back nationalist parties and some key nationalist leaders did emerge from the trade unions, many unions kept their distance from nationalists – but were nonetheless militant and vehemently anti- colonial or anti-apartheid, and often far to the left of the nationalists.
Nationalist leaders were often deeply fearful of autonomous unions and the independent power they could wield, as well as their capacity to engage in politics through direct action without the state and develop a counter – hegemonic project independent of political parties. In French West Africa, nationalists often distanced themselves from mass strikes of the 1947/48. In Kenya , while leading nationalist like Jomo Kenyatta aimed at a better deal within the colonial order ,unions demanded a sharp break with the British Empire . Even when these unions started to work more and more closely with the nationalist ,they articulated a distinctive agenda for sweeping changes that would ensure that workers’ have their own shares.
In South Africa, the Federation of South Africa Trade Unions (FOSATU), formed in 1979, refused to ally with the Africa National Congress (ANC) or its partner, the South African Communist Party (SAPC). This led it to be verified in nationalist and communist circles as ‘economist’. In fact, FOSATU’s ‘workers’ politics rejected nationalism in favour of an independent, bottom – up ‘working class movement’ with unions that could fight both apartheid and capitalism to establish a ‘just and fair society controlled by workers’.
Elsewhere in Britain, Germany and the Scandinavian countries Trade Unions developed so fast and organized themselves into political parties e.g the Famous Labour Party in England other socialists parties in German, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
In case of Uganda, I.K Musazi formed the first trade union in 1938 and was at the forefront in fighting for Uganda’s independence with the politicians. After independence, however, trade unions were restricted from active politics by the Government. They were instead used as allies to the UPC Government. Government. This only benefited union leaders as individuals rather than helping the workers. In 1962 Humphrey Luwande who was the National Chairman of Uganda Trade Union Congress (UTUC) now changed to NOTU joined UPC and was elected MP for Kampala East which we now call Nakawa but hee was only serving UPC’S interests because it was not easy for him to speak against the UPC Government.
In the early eighties, David Wogute who was Secretary General NOTU, Kasozi and others formed a labour party but this did not go far and it made an alliance with Museveni’s UPM ( Uganda Patriotic Movement). During the 1980 Elections UPM lost miserably, they won only one seat in Kasese.( Dr. Kiyonga)
As you are all aware, the leader of UPM went to the bush where he waged a 5 year bush war against Obote’s Government. When the NRM captured power in 1986, they were already aware that workers were a useful pressure group, soon they entered into marriage with the workers (alliance).
Robinson Kasozi – Secretary General NOTU by then was the first to benefit. He was appointed Minister of Tourism and wild life. Soon the NRM Government allocated 3 slots to workers to be represented in parliament (These slots have now been increased to 5. What do we see now? All the 5 MPs except one are supporters and members of NRM. One of them served as Minister of Sports for 15 years. As earlier said, when trade unionists make alliance with government / politicians, it benefits them as at the experience of the workers. It is therefore necessary for unions to work hard and organize themselves into strong political parties other than making alliances with Governments. Short of that we shall have leaders who serve self interests other than worker’s interests■
