South Africa
1976: The Soweto Riots
A short history of the riots against new education laws that turned into a mass collective rejection of apartheid South Africa by thousands of working class black youths.
The Soweto riots of 1976 were the most brutal and violent riots that had taken place against the South African apartheid administration. It was also amazing in how far and how fast it spread. Its significance would go beyond the violence on the streets.
1816-1939: Syndicalism in South Africa
A short history of radical trade unionism, class struggle and race in Southern Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), and the ideas, goals and organisational
practices for which it stood, had an important influence on the early labour
movement and radical press in South Africa. It also had an impact on neighbouring
Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
1917-1921: The Industrial Workers of Africa
The history of four years of the revolutionary multi-racial union in South Africa, the Industrial Workers of Africa, and the labour movement at the time.
"Fight for Africa, which you deserve"
Johannesburg, South Africa. May 1918. A group of African workers, and a handful of white radicals, meet in a small room behind a general store on the corner of Fox and McLaren streets, as they have done on a weekly basis for over a year. Several new faces are present, so Rueben Cetiwe, a key African militant, outlines the purpose of the gathering:
General strike in South Africa
Hundreds of thousands of workers yesterday (Thursday 18th) supported trade union giant Cosatu’s one-day general strike in protest against job losses.
Huge marches brought the central business districts of Johannesburg and Durban to a standstill as police sealed roads and businesses closed shop. The strike also crippled some gold mines and shut numerous schools, but other sectors of the economy were largely unaffected.
South Africa: Class Struggle vs. Race Struggle - ICG
From Communism #3
A Study of the South African Automobile Assembly Industry - Franco Barchiesi
"OK, maybe I can spend twenty minutes on each combi, doing my job properly and checking the quality and attending the next one. But if they come and say: "Kom! Kom! Let that car pass away!" You start being confused, the quality is going to be poor and at the end of the day you won't make twenty. But if you think it's unfair the only way you can fight is through the quality..."
- Elias, SAMCOR seal-applier
Flexibility in manufacturing organisation and subjectivity at the workplace level - A First Approximation to the Issue from a Study of the South African Automobile Assembly Industry, by Franco Barchiesi.
This is an academic article, so the language is very dense and the writing style quite offputting, it nevertheless contains some interesting information on rank-and-file activity
Electricity and the Politics of Struggle for People's Needs in Tembisa - Franco Barchiesi
DELIVERY FROM BELOW, RESISTANCE FROM ABOVE
Electricity and the Politics of Struggle for People's Needs in Tembisa
Franco Barchiesi
Debate 4 (1998)
1. Electric Dreams, Shocking Awakenings, High-voltage Responses.
The Pre-Paid Meter Box Riots and their Aftermath
