Writing the 1973 Durban strikes : the 'birth of independent trade unions'

Abstract

The 'Durban strikes' is a signifier of many things – the 'start' of the independent labour movement, the onset of a period of labour reform, and the impetus for the resistance that eventually bought down the apartheid regime. While a Google Scholar search yields thousands of references, research specifically focusing on the strikes themselves has been limited. What, then, constitutes the scholarship of the Durban strikes? This article locates, documents and analyses the archive of research and writing on the 1973 Durban strikes. It poses the following questions: How extensive is the literature on the Durban strikes? What are the narratives of the strikes? What are the main themes in this literature? Does the literature change over time? The article argues that three distinct narratives emerge from the writings on the Durban Strikes. First, there is a focus on the causes of the strikes. Second, there is an argument suggesting that the strikes were unorganised and spontaneous. Third, there is the assertion that the 1973 Durban strikes marked the birth of the independent trade union movement. The narrative of the Durban strikes as the genesis of the independent trade union movement has become the dominant narrative over time. The article concludes by arguing that 50 years later, the IEE publication The Durban Strikes 1973 remains the seminal research on the strikes.