Economic and Political Programme for 1928^f

Opponents of the ICU have frequently asserted that the organisation is not a trade union in the sense that the term is generally understood in South Africa, but that it is a kind of pseudo-political body. The ground on which this assertion has been based is the fact that the ICU has concentrated its attention on matters in which the issues involved have not been 'purely economic' whilst these 'purely economic' issues have been very largely neglected.

The new constitution, which was adopted at the Special Congress at Kimberley in December last, definitely establishes the ICU as a trade union, albeit one of the native workers whose rights of organisation are only now earning recognition. In these circumstances it has become necessary for the organisation to have a clearly defined economic programme, corresponding to the interests of the membership at large. At the same time it must be clearly understood that we have no intention of copying the stupid and futile 'non-political' attitude of our white contemporaries. As Karl Marx said, every economic question is, in the last analysis, a political question also, and we must recognise that in neglecting to concern ourselves with current politics, in leaving the political machines to the unchallenged control of our class enemies we are rendering a disservice to those tens of thousands of our members who are groaning under oppressive laws and who are looking to the ICU for a lead.

In the past, the officers of the ICU in the field have had no definite programme to follow, and this has resulted not merely in confusion of ideas, but it has lead to the dissemination of conflicting politics. This being so, I make no apology for introducing the subject of an Economic and Political Programme for the organisation at this stage. The ICU is a homogeneous national organisation. As such it must have a national policy, consonant with the terms of its constitution, which will serve as a programme of action by which its officials will be guided in their work. The framing of such a policy or programme is essentially the work of the Congress, and I propose to give here the broad outlines of such a programme. In view of what I said above it will be realised that it is not necessary to divide the programme into political and economic sections, the two being closely bound up with each other.

I will further preface the proposals I have to make by remarking that our programme must be largely of an agrarian character, for the reason that the greater proportion of our membership comprises rural workers, landless peasants, whose dissatisfaction with conditions is with good reason greater than that of the workers in the urban areas. These conditions are only too well known to you to require any restatement from me. The town workers must not however, be neglected. More attention must in the future be given to their grievances, desires and aspirations if their loyalty to the ICU is to be secured. At the present stage of our development it is inevitable that our activities should be almost entirely of an agitational character for we are not recognised as citizens in our own country, being almost entirely disfranchised and debarred from exercising a say in state affairs closely affecting our lives and welfare. Our programme will therefore be almost entirely agitational in character.

I now detail my proposals as follows:-

1. WAGES: A consistent and persistent agitation for improved wages for native workers must be conducted by all branches of the Union. The agitation must be Union-wide, and regard must always be had to local conditions and circumstances. Improvements, however small in themselves, must be welcomed and made the basis on which to agitate for further advances. Every endeavour should be made to enter into friendly negotiations with farmers' associations, employers' organisations and individual employers in the towns, with a view to securing improvements. If no results are obtained branch secretaries should, wherever practicable, invoke the aid of the Wage Board. In this connection a study of the Wage Act, 1925 is urged.

As an immediate objective, a minimum wage of £5 per month (plus food and housing in country districts) should be striven for. The reasonableness of this claim cannot be disputed by anyone. The attainment of this admittedly low rate, which it must be said few native workers are receiving, is not to be regarded as an end in itself, but as a stepping stone to the ultimate achievement of the full economic rights of the native workers.

2. HOURS: Insistence should be made on a maximum working day of eight hours and a working week of 5 ½ days for town and country workers alike. This demand will have the support of all right-thinking and justice-loving people, and members who refuse to exceed this working-time should be given every possible support and encouragement. ,

3. ILLEGAL PRACTICES: Illegal practices by employers, such as withholding wages, seizing stock, etc. should be reported to the local Magistrate and Native Affairs Department, with fullest particulars. Any refusal by these officials to deal with complaints or failure to secure satisfaction for the members concerned should be reported to the Head Office of the organisation for submission to higher authorities.

4. THE FRANCHISE: The proposal of the present government to withdraw the very limited franchise granted to Natives in the Cape Province should be unequivocally condemned at every public gathering of the ICU. Further, on the principle, 'No taxation without representation' an extension of the franchise to Natives should be demanded. We would suggest that a monster petition be organised by the ICU against the present reactionary proposal and presented to Parliament during the present session.

In the event of the Bill being passed and the franchise being withdrawn a protest should be made by means of a mammoth petition calling into question the necessity and legality of taxing and legislating for a section of the population and citizens without granting them the same representation as provided for the Europeans, at the same time asking for tangible and unbiased reasons why the Natives should not refuse to pay taxes without representation.

5. PASS LAWS: The Pass Laws are a legal expression of Native enslavement, corresponding with the dark days of Tzarist Russia. They manufacture criminals and possess no moral or ethical justification. It is therefore the duty of the ICU to oppose them by every possible means at its disposal. I would propose that the government be petitioned to suspend the Pass Laws for, say, a period of six months. If, during that period it is found that there has been no increase of lawlessness among the Natives, but that they are just as law-abiding without passes as with them, then the government should be asked to repeal the Pass Laws in their entirety as there will no longer be any reason or justification, either real or imaginary, for their continuance.

In the event of the government refusing to comply with such a petition. Congress should fix a day of national protest against the Pass Laws, to be marked by mass demonstrations; at which all natives should be asked to hand in their passports, the same to be burned in public, at the demonstrations. In addition, those assembled should be pledged by solemn resolution to refuse to carry any further passports or to give any further recognition to the Pass Laws.

6. LAND: The total area of land set aside for exclusive native occupation in the Union is notoriously inadequate. Parliament should be petitioned through one or more of its members to increase the native reserves so as to make provision for the landless native farmers. The assistance of labour organisation overseas should be invoked in this matter. In addition, an agitation should be started against the laws prohibiting native squatting.

7. FREE SPEECH: Vigorous propaganda must be carried on against those provisions in the Native Administration Act which place restrictions on the right of free speech. Ostensibly these provisions are designed to prevent the stirring-up of hostility between the white and black races. Actually they are intended to limit the opportunities for trade union propaganda and organisation among the native workers. These provisions must therefore be strenuously fought against and their legality challenged where wrongful arrests are carried out. In this connection, no opportunity must be lost of stressing the fact that the ICU is not an anti-European organisation, and that where it has occasion to criticise Europeans it is on the grounds of their actions (usually as employers of labour) towards the natives and not on account of the colour of their skins.

8. PROPAGANDA: Members must be kept fully informed of the activities of the organisation and of all happenings affecting their interests. For this purpose regular members' meetings must be called by Branch Secretaries and the speeches made thereat must not, as here to fore, be of a vague or general agitational 'character but must deal with concrete and immediate problems. Every endeavour must be made to to stimulate a direct personal interest in the affairs of the organisation and to this end questions and discussions by the audience must be encouraged.

The 'Workers' Herald', our official organ, must be further popularised among the members. If every member bought the paper its circulation could be easily quadrupled and more. The paper could be made to possess an interest for each district if Branch Secretaries would take the trouble to contribute notes concerning local happenings with their comments thereon.

9. NEW RECRUITS: There are large numbers of native workers to whom the ICU is scarcely known. I refer to the workers on the Witwatersrand gold mines, the natal coal mines and the railways. Branch Secretaries in these areas should make every endeavour to rope these men in as members of the ICU as they would be an undoubted source of strength. The good work commenced some years ago among dock-workers has unfortunately been discontinued very largely. Renewed efforts must be made during the ensuing year to bring the strayed ones back to the fold.

10. representation ON PUBLIC BODIES: It was decided at a previous Congress that advantage be taken of the laws governing Provincial Council elections in the Cape to run official ICU candidates. Native parliamentary voters are qualified to enter the cape Provincial Council, and definite steps should be taken to select candidates to stand on behalf of the ICU in cape constituencies where there is a possibility of securing a fair vote at least. An instruction should be issued to the National Council accordingly and full preparations should be made by the branch or branches concerned for a thorough election campaign in the next cape Provincial Council elections. Propaganda must be the main consideration, although every effort must be made to secure the return of any candidates put up.

The question of candidates in the Parliamentary General Elections forms a separate item on the agenda.

In submitting the above outline, I trust that delegates will see with me the urgent necessity for a national policy for the organisation. Once a policy is adopted, and a programme arranged, it must not be allowed to remain on paper, and every official will be expected to do his utmost to translate the same into practice. Only in this way can the organisation grow and become an effective agency for liberating the African workers from the thraldom of slavery.

Source:

• South African Labour Bulletin : September-October, 1974, Vol.1, No.6.

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