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Yours for the Union

Yours for the Union

Baruch Hirson | Tom Lodge

(2017)

Abstract

Yours for the Union stands as a landmark history of the making of the black working class in South Africa. Drawing on a wide range of sources, it covers the crucial period of 1930–47, when South Africa's rapid industrialisation led to the dramatic growth of the working class, and uncontrolled urbanisation resulted in vast shanty towns which became a focal point for resistance and protest. Importantly, Hirson was one of the first historians to go beyond the traditional focus on the mines and factory workplaces, broadening his account to include the lesser known community struggles of the urban ghettoes and rural reserves.

Written by an author with first-hand involvement in South African labour struggles, Yours for the Union broke new ground with its account of the effort to mobilise urban squatters, domestic workers and rural peasants, and remains an indispensable resource for the study of the South African labour movement.


‘A key theme in Baruch Hirson’s work is “the enthusiasm, courage and weakness of the workers”. In his view, this courage and enthusiasm was squandered. … South Africa’s working-class communities are still paying the price … and Baruch Hirson’s tragic history is still their story.’
Tom Lodge, from the Foreword


Baruch Hirson (1921–1999) was a lifelong activist who spent nine-and-a-half years in South African prisons as a result of his opposition to the apartheid regime. Following his release in 1973 he left for England, where he lectured in history at several universities and produced eight finely written, passionately argued books on the history of the left in South Africa. These include Year of Fire, Year of Ash (1984), The Cape Town Intellectuals (2000) and his autobiography, Revolutions in My Life (1995). He also founded the controversial critical journal Searchlight South Africa.

Tom Lodge is professor of peace and conflict studies at the University of Limerick, Ireland. He was formerly professor of political studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. He is the author of Mandela: A Critical Life (2006) and Politics in South Africa: From Mandela to Mbeki (2003).


Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Front Cover Front cover
African History Archive i
About the Author iii
Title Page v
Copyright vi
Contents vii
Photographs and Illustrations x
Foreword by Tom Lodge xi
Abbreviations xiv
Preface xv
1. The African Worker: Class and Community\r 1
The Growth of an Urban Community 1
Community, Identity, Class Struggle 4
The Search for an African Working Class 10
The War and the Working Class 13
Notes 14
2. Desperately Lean Times: The Socio-Economic Background\r 16
A People Trapped in Depression 16
South Africa during the Depression 17
Unemployed ••• and Unemployable 18
The 'Golden' Road to Recovery\r 20
Boom Time – Boom Town\r 21
The 'Casualness' of Urban Employment\r 23
War, Industry and the Economy 25
Notes 26
3. Industrial Legislation and Minimum Wages 28
'Civilised' Labour\r 28
The Wage Act of 1925 30
The Amended Wage Act 31
From Wage Boards to Union Organisation 33
Notes 34
4. Rebuilding the African Unions, 1932–40 35
Trade Unions in the Colonies 35
Organising the Work Force 37
The State of the Unions, 1930–35 39
New Beginnings 41
Max Gordon and the Liberals 41
Gordon's Victories and Ultimate Downfall 45
Notes 49
5. Organising Domestic Servants 51
Cheeky Servants Must Go! 51
'House-Boys' and 'House-Girls' 53
Unions for Domestic Servants 58
A Case of Corruption? 59
The Union of 100 60
Notes 62
6. Vereeniging: 'To Hell with the Pick-up!' 63
A 'Lack of Organisation'? 63
From 'Old Location' to Sharpevilie 64
Law and Disorder in the Location 66
'To Hell with the Pick-Up!' 67
The First Riot 69
The Second Riot 70
White Town ― Black Location 70
The Aftermath 72
Working-Class Action 73
Notes 74
7. The Politics of War and the Black Working Class 76
Indifference 76
Recruits for the Army 77
Division on the Left 78
African Responses to the War 80
Subversion? 82
The War and the Unions 85
The Strike Wave of 1941–42 86
The March against Passes 89
Notes 91
8. Trade Unions in Struggle 93
The African Distributive Workers 93
Daniel Koza ― Trade Unionist 94
Strike in the Coal Yards 95
The Council of Non-European Trade Unions 98
The Right to Strike 101
Notes 104
9. Organising Under War Conditions 107
Yours for the Union 107
'How to Get Higher Wages' 107
The 31 Workers of Oliphantshoek 108
Marabastad: The Troops Move in 110
Splits and Expulsions 114
Notes 120
10. Rural Protest and Rural Revolt 122
Urban Organisations ― Rural Constituents 122
The Bakwena-Ba-Mogopa Committee 124
Land and Land Apportionment 126
'Betterment', and Much Worse 127
Maliba's 'Seven-Point Programme' 129
The Five Morgen Limit on Land 130
A State of Permanent Instability 132
The Balemi Silenced 132
Notes 134
11. Azikwhelwa! ― We Shall Not Ride 136
The Road to Alexandra 136
The First Boycott 138
New Political Combinations 138
Findings of the Commission of Enquiry 140
The African Democratic Party 141
The Fifty Day Walk 143
The Meaning of Victory 145
Notes 146
12. Umagebule ― The Slicer 148
Orlando, the 'Model' Township 148
The Sofasonke ('We Shall All Die') Movement 150
The 'Slicers' 154
New Squatters, Uew Leaders 155
A Priest at 'Tobruk' 157
Communists at the Tail End 157
A Rent Strike and Riot: The End of the Road 159
Notes 162
13. Organising the Migrant Workers 165
Egoli, the Golden City 165
Compound Organisation 167
Organising the 'Unorgauisable' 168
Migrant Workers and the VFP 171
The Witwatersrand Mine Native Wages Commission 173
Action and Reaction: Strike One! 175
Action and Reaction ― Approaching Strike Two 176
Notes 180
14. The 1946 Miners' Strike 183
August 1946 183
Strike! 185
Congress and the Strike 187
Unions in Trouble 189
Disintegration of the Unions 190
Facing the Future 192
Notes 194
15. Conclusion 196
Bibliography 203
Index 219