Political implications of industrial unrest in South Africa

Abstract

The past eighteen months have seen the emergence of labour organisation as arguably the most important focus of black mobilisation in South Africa. While there have been other manifestations of black discontent - such as school boycotts - labour has moved to centre stage because it is the area in which black organization has appeared to show the most concrete results for its participants. Many strikes have resulted in gains for the workers who took part in them and an increasing number of employers have reacted to this upsurge in militancy by seeking an accommodation with the unions. Worker militancy has prompted important shifts in employer responses to labour organisation, a development which has placed stresses on the Government's ability to control labour events. There have, of course, been contrary trends – most importantly detentions of union leaders under security legislation and government attempts to increase control over the unions. Nevertheless, there is a growing belief that a unique process of change is taking place on the factory floor and that this in time will have implications for political change. This paper will attempt to analyse these developments. It is traditional, and appropriate in this instance, to begin with an historical summary of unionism. I assume that readers of this paper are familiar with this history and will restrict myself to an overview.