South Africa 1917

Synopsis

In 1917 militant workers of the International Socialist League formed the Industrial Workers of Africa (IWA), the first union for black workers in South African history. The anarchist union, based on the model of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), aimed to abolish the capitalist system and defend workers' rights. At a time of bloody battles between labor and the white capitalist class, the IWA helped form a leftist block that for a time managed to pull the middle-class African National Congress further left. When the white supremacist government repressed striking workers in June 1918, the IWA called for a general strike; the strike was called off and some leaders were arrested. A dock workers' strike in 1919 also failed, but it set the foundation for greater cooperation among workers in the sector. The union had a profound effect on both...