Metal that Will not Bend

Kally Forrest

Description

Indexed in Clarivate Analytics Book Citation Index (Web of Science Core Collection)

Sujets

• Political Science
• Movimiento sindical
• General officer
• Trade union
• General

Informations

• Publié par: WITS University Press
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781868147120
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

METAL THAT WILL NOT BEND
National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa 1980–1995
Kally Forrest
Published in South Africa by:
Wits University Press
1 Jan Smuts Avenue
Johannesburg
2001
www.witspress.co.za
Copyright © Kally Forrest 2011
Copyright © Photographs as credited in captions
First published 2011
ISBN 978-1-86814-534-8 (print)
ISBN 978-1-86814-712-0 (digital)
Wits University Press and the author have made every reasonable effort to locate, contact and acknowledge copyright owners. Please notify us should copyright not have been properly identified and acknowledged. Any corrections will be incorporated in subsequent editions of the book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher, except in accordan ce with the provisions of the Copyright Act, Act 98 of 1978.
Edited by Monica Seeber
Cover design and layout by Hothouse South Africa
Printed and bound by Ultra Litho (Pty.) Ltd.
Insimbi Ayigobi , Metal that will not Bend, is a National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa slogan.
Contents Acknowledgements v List of Abbreviations and Acronyms vii Introduction 1 Chapter One Building local power: 1970s 5 Chapter Two Power through numbers: 1980–1985 35 Chapter Three Power in unity: 1980–1987 59 Chapter Four Breaking the apartheid mould: 1980–1982 76 Chapter Five Worker action fans out: 1980–1984 96 Chapter Six Melding institutional, campaign and bureaucratic power: 1983–1990 119 Chapter Seven Conquest of Metal Industrial Council: 1987–1988 146 Chapter Eight Auto workers take power: 1982–1989 164 Chapter Nine Auto takes on the industry: 1990–1992 182 Chapter Ten New directions: 1988–1991 204 Chapter Eleven Defeat of Mawu strategy: 1990–1992 224 Chapter Twelve Towards a new industry: 1993 241 Chapter Thirteen The Cinderella sector: 1983–1990 259 Chapter Fourteen Applying vision in auto and motor: 1990–1995 276 Chapter Fifteen Applying vision in engineering: 1994–1995 294 Chapter Sixteen Independent worker movement: 1980–1986 320 Chapter Seventeen Beginnings of alliance politics: 1984–1986 336 Chapter Eighteen Weakening the socialist impulse: Civil war in Natal 1987–1994 365 Chapter Nineteen Civil war in Transvaal: 1989–1994 393 Chapter Twenty New politics: 1987–1990 416 Chapter Twenty-One Disinvestment: Pragmatic politics 1985–1989 444 Chapter Twenty-Two Compromising on socialism: Legacy of the Alliance 1989–1995 454 Appendix 481 Notes 487 Select Bibliography 550 Index 554
Acknowledgements
A lengthy book such as this inevitably means a long, and mostly solo, journey. Along the way however I met extraordinary and powerful people who lent me important support at different times.
The story of course belongs to the numerous people that I interviewed and their union colleagues. These soldiers of the metal unions freely shared with me their experiences, struggles, sufferings, victories, jubilations, thoughts and analyses of the unions’ role in the period they participated in. Their narratives and observations were astute and at times inspirational, even when it was painful for them to revisit such memories. For many, it was the first opportunity to return to these intense, exciting and fraught times, and for most it was an important moment. I feel honoured to have been part of this. These were, after all, people who richly contributed to creating a new democracy in South Africa and who assisted in forging critical worker rights and improved conditions and wages for thousands of racially oppressed and impoverished South Africans.
My thanks go to Numsa office bearers both past and present for setting me on a course of tracing a fascinating history of courageous and creative workers and officials who achieved an astounding amount in a very short period. Some of them gave particularly generously of their time. Numsa’s Jenny Grice deserves special mention for her invaluable assistance which, over the years, was given extensively and promptly.
I am also grateful to a number of academics. Sakhela Buhlungu originally encouraged me to write Numsa’s story and his assistance was critical in certain phases of writing while Glenn Adler continued to give enlightening input even after his departure to the US. My appreciation goes to Professor Phil Bonner who guided me back into an academic mode of thought and writing after years outside the field. His insights and suggestions on the structuring of the history gave it a manageable and readable shape.
The production of a book is never an author’s alone; numerous people are involved in its completion. In this regard I would like to thank Drew Forrest for doing an excellent job of reducing an overly long PhD, Monica Seeber for her careful editing and Lisa Aarons Platt whose layout made a dense manuscript into an attractive book.
Special thanks go to the photographers who have brought this book alive. These photos are of great historic interest, and some are of outstanding quality. Indeed many of the photographers – such as Cedric Nunn, Eric Miller, Anna Zieminski and Paul Weinberg – have gone on to become famous in their own rights. I owe a special debt to William Matlala for marking Numsa’s visual history over so many years.
I also thank the historical documents department of the University of the Witwatersrand for granting me access to many rich photos, and Lucia Mshake for her valuable research in unearthing photos from the Eastern Cape.
I should also like to express my gratitude to Numsa, to Atlantic Philanthropies and to the University of the Witwatersrand for their financial assistance which made this book possible.
My children, Robert and Alex, grew up as I laboured on this history, and Numsa became a household word. My deep gratitude goes to Melvyn who has given me friendship and support in numerous ways including feedback on the manuscript. And my thanks go to the many friends who gave me support along the way.
I owe a huge debt to the union movement for its nonracialism in action, for welcoming me as a person seeking change in South Africa. Workers have always warmly embraced my contribution, and I give this book back to them so that the story of their struggle in these critical years of South African history will never be forgotten.
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AAC Alexandra Action Committee AAC Anti-Apartheid Conference ABE Adult Basic Education Actu Australian Council of Trade Unions Ameo Automobile Manufacturers Employers’ Organisation ANC African National Congress Azactu Azanian Confederation of Trade Unions Bac Brits Action Committee BC Black Consciousness BLA Black Local Authority CC Central Committee CEC Central Executive Committee CMBU Confederation of Metal and Building Unions Codesa Convention for a Democratic South Africa Cosas Congress of South African Students Cosatu Congress of South African Trade Unions Cusa Council of Unions of South Africa CWI Consolidated Wire Industries CWIU Chemical Workers’ Industrial Union EAWU Engineering and Allied Workers’ Union EEC European Economic Community EIWU Engineering Industrial Workers ERAB East Rand Administration Board Erapo East Rand People’s Organisation Fawu Food and Allied Workers’ Union FC Freedom Charter FCI Federated Chamber of Industries FCWU Food and Canning Workers’ Union FIOM Federazione Impiegati Operai Metallurgici Fofatusa Federation of Free Trade Unions of South Africa Fosatu Federation of South African Trade Unions GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Gawu General and Allied Workers Union GEC General Electric Company GFWBF General Factory Workers’ Benefit Fund GM General Motors GST General Sales Tax GWU General Workers’ Union HSL Household Subsistence Level IAC Industrial Area Committee IAS Industrial Aid Society IC Industrial Council ICA Industrial Conciliation Act ICEF International Chemical and Energy Federation ICFTU International Confederation of Free Trade Unions ICU Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union IETB Industry Education and Training Board IFP Inkatha Freedom Party ILO International Labour Organisation IMF International Metalworkers’ Federation IMF International Monetary Fund IMS Iron Moulders’ Society IMSSA Independent Mediation Services of South Africa ISP Industrial Strategy Project ITB Industry Training Board JMC Joint Management Centre JWC Joint Working Committee KZP KwaZulu Police Lifo Last in First Out LRA Labour Relations Act LRAA Labour Relations Amendment Act LWC Living Wage Campaign Macwusa Motor Assemblers’ and Component Workers’ Union Mawu Metal and Allied Workers’ Union MBSA Mercedez Benz South Africa MDM Movement for Democratic Change MDM Mass Democratic Movement MIA Motor Industry Authority Micwu Motor Industry Combined Workers’ Union Mieu Motor Industry Employees’ Union of South Africa MIGPF Metal Industries Group Pension Fund MIMAF Metal Industries Medical Fund Misa Motor Industry Staff Association MITG Motor Industry Task Group MK Umkhonto we Sizwe Naamsa National Association of Automobile Manufacturers’ of South Africa Naawu National Automobile and Allied Workers’ Union Nactu National Council of Trade Unions NBC National Bargaining Conference NBF National Bargaining Forum NCC National Campaigns Coordinating Committee NEC National Executive Committee Nedcom National Education Committee Nedlac National Economic Development and Labour Council NEF National Economic Forum NIC National Industrial Council Nicisemi National Industrial Council for the Iron, Steel, Engineering and Metallurgical Industry Nicmi National Industrial Council for the Motor Industry NLC National Liaison Committee NMC National Manpower Commission NOCC National Organising and Campaigns Committee NP National Party NS National Springs NTB National Training Board Num National Union of Mineworkers Numarwosa National Union of Motor Assembly and Rubber Workers’ of