“Sentimos que nossa força está no chão de fábrica”: dualismo, poder do chão de fábrica e reforma das leis do trabalho no fim do apartheid na África do Sul

Autores

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/1984-9222.2020.e72467

Resumo

Este artigo explora a transformação das relações de trabalho sul-africanas durante os anos 80. Em 1979, motivada pela nova militância de chão de fábrica, a Comissão Wiehahn recomendou que os trabalhadores negros, anteriormente excluídos da maquinaria de trabalho do Estado, fossem autorizados a se unir a sindicatos reconhecidos. A maioria das discussões sobre essa mudança nas relações de trabalho do apartheid concentra-se no debate que se seguiu dentro dos sindicatos negros, divididos entre preservar sua independência ou assegurar a legitimação do Estado. Este artigo examina, em vez disso, o debate sobre os “níveis de negociação”: se os sindicatos negros emergentes exigissem negociar no nível da fábrica, onde eles teriam garantida a força do chão de fábrica por meio da organização e da prática democrática, ou buscariam os benefícios das estruturas corporativas de negociação, que há muito tempo privilegiava trabalhadores brancos? A eventual tendência para o corporativismo, eu argumento, imprimiu o caráter do movimento trabalhista sul-africano na era pós-apartheid. Um desejo compreensível de exercer influência na política econômica nacional corroeu a tradição de controle dos trabalhadores, a democracia do chão de fábrica e o sindicalismo de luta que os sindicatos negros haviam forjado durante as décadas de 1970 e 1980.

Biografia do Autor

Alex Lichtenstein, Indiana University, Bloomington - USA

Alex Lichtenstein é professor de História na Indiana University, Bloomington e editor da American Historical Review. É pesquisador do International Studies Group, University of the Free State, na África do Sul. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9928-4247. E-mail: lichtens@indiana.edu.

Referências

ARDINGTON, E. A Survey of Attitudes to Labour Relations and Labour Mobility in South Africa. Occasional paper n. 1, Economics Research Unit, University of Natal, dez. 1981.

BASKIN, Jeremy. Striking Back: A History of COSATU. Johannesburg: Ravan Press, 1991.

BENDIX, D.W.F. The New Industrial Relations System in South Africa. In: BENDIX, D.W.F. The Challenge of the New Industrial Relations. Pretoria: Unisa Press, 1979, p. 77-91.

BENDIX, D.W.F.; PIRON, J. M.; SWART, S.M. A Framework for South African Labour Relations. South African Journal of Labour Relations, 2, p. 20-29, 1978.

BONNER, Phil. Independent Trade Unions since Wiehahn. South African Labour Bulletin, 8, p. 16-36, 1983.

BOYER, S. e DAVIS, P. Black Workers under Siege: The Repression of Black Trade Unions in South Africa. Nova York: Africa Fund, AFSCME District Council 37, 1984.

BROWN, Julian. The Road to Soweto: Resistance and the Uprising of June 16, 1976. Suffolk: James Currey, 2016.

BUHLUNGU, Sakhela. A Paradox of Victory: COSATU and the Democratic Transformation in South Africa. Durban: University of KwaZulu Press, 2010.

FARRELL, J.D. Black Labour—Problems in Labour Relations. South African Journal of Labour Relations, 2, p. 9-14, 1978.

FORREST, Kally. Metal That Will Not Bend: The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, 1980-1995. Johannesburg: Wits University Press, 2011.

FRIEDMAN, Michelle. The Future is in the Hands of the Workers: A History of FOSATU. Johannesburg: Mutloatse Heritage Trust, 2011.

FRIEDMAN, Steven. Building Tomorrow Today: African Workers in Trade Unions, 1970-1984. Johannesburg: Ravan Press, 1987.

GODFREY, S., MAREE, J., DU TOIT, D., e THERON, J. Collective Bargaining in South Africa. Cidade do Cabo: Juta, 2010.

GODFREY, S., THERON, J., e VISSER, M. The State of Collective Bargaining in South Africa - An Empirical and Conceptual Study of Collective Bargaining. DPRU Working Paper 07/130. Development Policy Research Unit, University of Cidade do Cabo, 2007.

GROBLER, C.P. A White Trade Unionist’s Viewpoint. In: COETZEE, G., Industrial Relations in South Africa. Cidade do Cabo: Juta, 1976.

DOUWES-DEKKER, Loet. Industrial Peace and Industrial Justice—Are These Attainable in the 1980 Decade? In: South African Institute of Race Relations. Papers Given at the Fiftieth Annual Council Meeting: Theme: The Riekert and Wiehahn Reports. Johannesburg: SAIRR, 1980, 2-30.

HAUCK, David. Black Trade Unions in South Africa. Washington, DC: Investor Responsibility Research Center, 1982.

LICHTENSTEIN, Alex. Making Apartheid Work: African Trade Unions and the 1953 Native Labour (Settlement of Disputes) Act in South Africa. Journal of African History, 46, p. 293-314, 2005.

LICHTENSTEIN, Alex. “A Measure of Democracy”: Works Committees, Black Workers, and Industrial Citizenship in South Africa, 1973-1989. South African Historical Journal, 67, p. 113-38, 2015.

LOWRY, Donovan. 20 Years in the Labour Movement. Johannesburg: Wadmore, 1999.

KRAAK, Gerald. Breaking the Chains: Labour in South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s. Londres: Pluto Press, 1993.

LEWIS, David, Black Workers and Trade Unions. In: KARIS, T.; GERHART, G. From Protest to Challenge: A Documentary History of African Politics in South Africa, 1882–1990. Vol. 5. Nadir and Resurgence, 1964–1979. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1997.

MACMILLAN, Hugh. The Lusaka Years: The ANC in Exile in Zambia, 1963-1994. Johannesburg: Jacana, 2013.

MACQUEEN, Ian. Black Consciousness and Progressive Movements Under Apartheid. Durban: University of KwaZulu Press, 2018.

MCKINLEY, Dale. Labor-Community Alliances in South Africa. South Atlantic Quarterly, 114, p. 457-466, 2015.

MORRIS, Mike. Unions and Industrial Councils: Why do Unions’ Policies Change? In: NATTRASS, N.; ARDINGSTON, E. The Political Economy of South Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990.

NAIDOO, Beverly. Death of an Idealist: In: Search of Neil Aggett. Cidade do Cabo: Jonathan Ball, 2012.

NYAMEKO, R.S. The Wiehahn Report: State Plan to Shackle African Trade Unions. African Communist, 79, p. 16-27, 1979.

NIEFTAGODIEN, Noor. The Soweto Revolt. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2014.

ORPEN, Christopher. Productivity & Black Workers in South Africa. Cidade do Cabo: Juta, 1976.

SINWELL, Luke e MBATHA, Siphewe. The Spirit of Marikana: The Rise of Insurgent Trade Unionism in South Africa. Johannesburg: Wits University Press, 2016.

STANDING, G., SENDER, J., e WEEKS, J. Restructuring the Labour Market: The South African Challenge. Geneva: ILO 1996.

THERON, Jan, GODFREY, Shane; FERGIS, Emma. Organisational and Collective Bargaining Rights through the Lens of Marikana. Industrial Law Journal, 36, p. 849-69, 2015.

VAN HOLDT, Karl. The Dangers of Corporatism. SALB, 17, p. 46-51, jan.-fev. 1993.

VAN ZYL HERMANN, Danelle. White Workers in the Late Apartheid Period: A Report on the Wiehahn Commission and Mineworkers’ Union Archival Collections. History in Africa, 43, p. 229-258, 2016.

VOSE, William. Wiehahn and Riekert Revisited: A Review of Prevailing Black Labour Conditions in South Africa. International Labour Review, 124, p. 447-464, 1985.

WEBSTER, Eddie. The Wiehahn Report and the Government White Paper. South African Journal of Labour Relations, 3, p. 554-555, jun. 1979.

Downloads

Publicado

2020-03-27

Como Citar

LICHTENSTEIN, Alex. “Sentimos que nossa força está no chão de fábrica”: dualismo, poder do chão de fábrica e reforma das leis do trabalho no fim do apartheid na África do Sul. Revista Mundos do Trabalho, Florianópolis, v. 12, p. 1–27, 2020. DOI: 10.5007/1984-9222.2020.e72467. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/mundosdotrabalho/article/view/1984-9222.2020.e72467. Acesso em: 28 mar. 2024.

Edição

Seção

Artigos