Occupational health and safety in South Africa: The perspectives of capital, state and unions

South Africa is one of the most technologically advanced countries of Africa. The main sectors are mining, agriculture and industry. Many work environments are dangerous. Since the early development of the mines in South Africa, occupational health and safety (OHS) has received the attention of the state, the employers, and the workers. Although there have been some advances in legislation, conditions are often still poor and enforcement of legislation is lacking. The paper outlines the history of concern with OHS issues, and draws attention to the Erasmus Commission of Enquiry (1976) into Occupational Health. The paper attempts to provide an overview of the different activities and perspectives of these interest groups: the state is concerned with minimising conflict and disruption of productivity, while ensuring that conditions do not deteriorate too badly; the employers are concerned to maximise profits and to undertake improvements in OHS only insofar as these are profitable and in the interest of stable industrial relations; and the union movement has sought to make work safer. These perspectives are different and conflicting. The only interest group with an unambiguous commitment to improving OHS is the union movement in South Africa. However, many difficulties and problems mitigate against the movement achieving its OHS objectives, including the limited number of workers which have been organised into unions and the many pressing issues which require the movement's immediate attention.