The Congress of South African Trade Unions was founded in 1985.

Since then COSATU has been in the forefront of the struggle for democracy and workers' rights. Click h e r e for a background briefing on the federation.

COSATU is a partner in the Tripartite Alliance together with the African National Congress and the South African Communist Party.

The federation is based on five core principles:

• Non-racialism;
• Worker control;
• Paid-up membership;
• One union, one industry.
• International worker solidarity;