Workers World Radio Productions (WWRP) is a production company for radio programmes about labour, union and workers issues. WWRP proceeds from the ’labour-service’ organisation, Labour Research Services and in this project cooperates with the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) and union associations Cosatu, Fedusa and Nactu. Cosatu, Fedusa and also Nactu and the ’labour service’ organisations TULEC, IHRG and en ILRIG have representatives in the WWRP board.

WWMP was founded to allow the 50% of the South African population that lives in poverty, especially the poorest, to express themselves. Apartheid created major educational and social obstacles to the development of the black population. Formal discrimination ended in 1994 but poverty remains widespread. Many people have made hardly any progress because of the emphasis put on economic growth rather than the eradication of inequality. The trade unions promote their interests at the national level but organisation at the grassroots is weak. The media focus on the middle class.

WWMP promotes the creation of community radios and works with very poor workers in the informal sector. Every week, it provides a package of basic information to the radio stations. Local trade union representatives and social workers use this information to make interactive radio programmes that are used to create labour radio communities (LRCs). Trade unions use these forums to promote grassroots organisation. There are 40 radio stations broadcasting in five languages to more than six million listeners.