Pressing Challenges Facing the South African Labour Movement: an Interview with John Appolis and Dinga Sikwebu

Abstract

The transition to democracy in South Africa has seen trends towards what can be defined as a growing institutionalisation of labour, meaning that trade unions have been increasingly participating in social and political institutionalised bargaining, both in policy making and industrial restructuring. Dinga Sikwebu grew up in Cape Town and left school in 1978 having received an early political education from the radicalisation that swept South African schools after the 1976 Soweto uprising. John Appolis is Wits regional secretary of the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union. John had been an anti-apartheid activist in his youth and studied at the University of the Western Cape. John is also the chairperson of the Gauteng Anti-Privatisation Forum, which unites and co-ordinates the struggles of community organisations located in the townships of Soweto, East Rand, Vaal and Alexandra. Sectoral Employment Training Authorities are bodies established in 2001 to develop systems of skill acquisition and recognition of skills by industry.