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Education for Liberation |
Labour HistoryThis section contains publications which seek to capture the nature of capitalism in South African struggles that were waged by the labour movement. The publications provide information on early societies in Southern Africa, white colonial conquests and struggles for land, trade and commercial agriculture as roots of capitalism in South Africa, the smashing of the peasantry, mining and the cheap black labour system, the emergence of the manufacturing sector in the 1920s and 1940s, and the dominance of manufacturing in the 1960s and 1970s. The history section also discusses resistance of workers. For example, the 1922 white miners' strikes and the 1946 black miners' strikes are introduced to the readers. At the same time, the formation of workers’ organisations is an issue which is taken up in some detail. Important worker organisations and trade unions such as the ICU, FNETU, CNETU, and SACTU are also discussed. The coming to power of the National Party in 1948 led to the intensification of the oppression of black people. Of course, black people continued to resist under the defiance campaign, the women’s march of 1956 and other important local struggles of the 1950s. The Sharpeville massacre of 21 March 1960 was a turning point because it led to the killings, arrests and bannings of organisations and individuals. The apartheid regime and bosses were willing to work with TUCSA, a white 'sweetheart' union. Students formed radical organisations and waged important struggles. There were also a few isolated black workers struggles, but it was the Durban strike of 1973 which shook South Africa and the world. This section discusses the Durban strikes and their implications for the modern labour movement in great detail. The 1973 strikes in Durban and the subsequent wave of worker uprisings are regarded as one of the important landmarks in the making of the South African labour movement. The strike wave and the consequent revival of the labour movement have a direct bearing on the present labour movement. Key working class organisations that constitute the present labour movement can trace their origins back to the 1973 strike wave. The history section also shows that the traditions of the Durban strikes and later struggles have greatly influenced the way we understand democracy and politics in South Africa. Some of these traditions and practices, such the shop steward movement, workers’ control, and other democratic practices, continue to inspire those who are struggling for democracy in working class organisations and in society at large. Union practices, such as leadership accountability, regular election of shop stewards, and attempts to establish participatory democracy were replicated and adapted in student, civic and other mass organisations during the struggle against apartheid. This section also provides important information on workers’ struggles in the 1980s, such the 1987 black miners’ strike, the railway strike of 1987, the struggle for May Day to be recognised as a paid public holiday, struggles during the transition to democracy and the subsequent violence which was unleashed by the apartheid regime. Neoliberalism and globalisation have had a major impact on the modern labour movement that came out of the Durban strikes of 1973. The section confronts some of the challenges facing the labour movement under conditions of neoliberalism. It does so by raising questions about the changing composition of key trade union federations, such as COSATU, the decline of workers in the manufacturing sector, the rise in unemployment, the decline of worker militancy and the transformation of trade union politics from socialism to business unionism. Most of the publications in this section are written and produced by the Khanya College and the Khanya Working Class History Programme. The programme also thanks the Labour History Group for granting it permission to publish some of its valuable publications. |
Khanya College Labour History Publications
Over and above this, the traditions established by the Durban strikes and the struggles it gave rise to have greatly influenced the way we understand democracy and politics in South Africa. Some of these traditions and practices, such as the shop steward movement, the principle of workers’ control and other democratic practices, continue to inspire those who are struggling for democracy in working class organisations and in society at large. Union practices such as leadership accountability, regular election of shop stewards and attempts to establish participatory democracy were replicated and adapted in student, civic and other mass organisations during the struggle against apartheid. Click here to open this publication in pdf. |
MAY DAY
This May Day booklet from Khanya College comes as a timely reminder of the struggle
confronting workers across the globe. Many of the challenges confronting workers today, were first taken up over a hundred years ago. May Day came to symbolise the international nature of the workers struggle. | Khanya Journal on Trade Unions 2005
Other Labour History Publications
| Freedom from Below
This book provided an important introduction for all those who are committed to the workers’ struggle against exploitation and oppression.
In South Africa the government and the bosses have done all in their power to stop workers from organising trade unions to defend and advance workers’ interest. Despite these efforts workers have fought and successfully organised themselves into Trade unions. This has not been an easy struggle. Workers have faced the full power of the police and army as well as apartheid laws. This has made it difficult for workers to organise and defend themselves. | Debates on SA Labour History These articles were originally published in Learning Nation, an educational supplement in the New Nation newspaper, in 1989. They were researched and written by Lacom (Durban). Click here to open this publication in pdf. | Durban Strikes 1973
This was the shout of the striking workers of 1973. Their shout broke a ten,-year silence and the bosses and the government trembled.
In the early 1960s there was very little organisation amongst black workers. Then in 1973, in just three months, there were more than 160 strikes in Durban. More than 60000 workers from, 146 different factories took part in these strikes.
| Garment Workers Unite
Black people suffered the most as capitalism spread in South Africa. Most whites
benefited from capitalism. Whites owned the mining companies; they owned and
managed the big farms; they also owned factories. White workers on the mines used the colour bar to earn ten times as black workers. But not all whites were as fortunate. Some whites were poor. They lost their land
when they were kicked off by richer farmers. | The 1992 White Mineworkers’ Strike In 1922 the white workers on the gold mines went on strike because the mine bosses wanted to re- trench many of them. After two months the bosses still refused to negotiate so the mineworkers called for a strike of all white workers. They wanted to overthrow the government, which supported the bosses. Click here to open this publication in pdf. | The I.C.U. Book Black people live and work very poor conditions in South Africa. They have always protested and resisted this. But at the beginning of this century, these protests were limited to "a few groups of workers at anyone time. There was no organisation for black workers. Then, soon after the First World War ended, a new movement appeared. It spread through the land like a veld fire. The people began to talk of their liberation, their new leaders and their organisation – the Industrial and Commercial Union (the I.C.U.). Click here to open this publication in pdf. |
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