Union, women and students in the 1970s Flashcards
Unions, women and students
Other restistance within SA during 1970s: trade unions, Soweto school students and women’s groups.
Trade unions
During 60s gov crushed all trade union in SA. Black unions = legal but not allowed to negotiate with employers over wage and working conditions = rendered them powerless.
Trade unions in 1973
In January, approx 2,000 workers at Durban brick factory went on strike and marched to a football stadium chanting. Demanded wage increase. Over following two months further 160 stikes in same area involving approx 200,000 workers varying of diff industries.
Success of strikes in a variety of respects
- Majority of cases, the workers succeded in winning improvements in their weekly wage of around 10-20%.
- Gov itself held employers partly responsible of strikes and policed them without violence.
- Few workers lost their jobs
- Investigation was ordered into wage levels and legislation was amended to give African workers the right to strike.
- 1973 prove to be a turning point in the history of organised black labour, more and more African trade unions began to spring up and organise their workers.
- 1979 African trade unions were officially recognised by the gov which lead the formation of the Federation of South African Trade Unions and eventually the Congress of South African Trade Unions in 1985.
Soweto school students’ uprising 1976 background
Gov intended black children would not recieeve secondary education. Number of blacks enrolling in secondary rose from 46,000 to 320,000 by 1975. 40 new schools were built in Soweto between 1972-76. Quality of education = horrible. Gov spent nearlt 10x as much money educating each white child than on each black child. Teachers = poorly paid and trained. Some classes in Soweto had 60-100 students in each. Some teachers apart of BCM dropped out of uni or been expelled for political activism.
The spark of the Soweto school uprising
Vorster appointed Andries Treurnicht. And in a provocative move to satisfy right-wingers in the gov, he announced half of the subjects in schools should be** taught in Afrikaans**.
On the day of the boycott
On 16 June 1976 between 15,000 - 20,000 students, led by Mashinini, held a demonstration in Soweto. Held placards saying “Afrikaans stinks” and “Away with the Oppressive Afrikaans”. Police fired tear gas and live bullets at the students. Zolile Hector Pieterson, 13 year old boy, was first to be killed.
Other neighbourhoods.
Uprising spread. Police use of further roce made rebellion words. Gov reported 176 were killed and 1,139 injured in the first week of rioting. Protest spread to more townships throughout Johannesburg, Pretoria, East London and Cape Town. Continued for a year. February 1977, official death toll = 575.
Women in the 1960s
Thousands of women joined the men in 1955 drawing up the Freedom Charter. In 1956 geoup of women of all races marched in an anti-pass law demonstration.
Devolopment in the 1970s
Women such as Emma Mahinini and Linda Komape were prominent trade unionists who fought for womens rights at work. Komape set uo the Transport and General Workers Union in 1978. Worked to improve wagesand conditions.** In 1975, Fatima Meer and Winni Mandela formed the Black Women’s Federation (BWF)** which aimed to bring women together to create opportunities for themselves. After a year, Fatima was banned. BWF tried to join other anti-Apartheid orgs.
The Black Sash
Organisation of white, mainly middle-class women. Also demonstrated over pass laws in 1950s. Ran advice centres offering legal help to people in trouble over pass laws or migrant legal system. Held regular street demonstrations. Faced oppositions from various sections. Continued to press for change. Kept public informed on state activities. Drew attention to people who dissappeard or died in police custody.
