The 1973 Strikes saw close to 100 000 workers rise up to oppose labour practices of the time. The strikes signaled the beginning of a turning point in the long struggle of black, coloured and Indian workers to build non-racial trade unions and to open up the possibility of mass struggle against the apartheid regime. The Durban strikes marked the first stage of mass action that contributed to the spirit of rebellion in the country, starting on January 9, 1973, when workers at the Coronation Brick and Tile factory, outside Durban, protested. Immediately thereafter, workers from small packaging, transport and ship repair companies also came out on strike.
THIS week, a three-day conference was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Durban Strikes. The conference, hosted by Durban University of Technology (DUT), in partnership with the South African History Online (SAHO) and six other universities, took place from Thursday, January 26 to Saturday, January 28. Berea Mail visited the conference to chat with Omar Badsha, founder of South African History Online (SAHO), on the significance of the 1973 strikes and how history might be repeating itself today. Badsha, who grew up in the Berea, was one of the leaders of the new unions that emerged after the strikes.
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For Badsha, the series of strikes that erupted in 1973 marked one of several important turning points in South Africa’s history.
“One needs to continuously go back and interrogate what we understand about that period. This conference aimed to look at history from the perspective of today. The year 1973 was a turning point in which ordinary working-class people reasserted their rights as part of society to represent working-class interests,” he said.
Badsha added that today’s working class – and even the middle class – is facing an enormous crisis as salaries stagnate against rising inflation rates in the climbing unemployment rates.
“We need to look at how to overcome this crisis – do we require socialism? Do we require a multi-class alliance? How can we deal with the issues of unemployment, violence and inequality? This is why there are continual debates and conferences to exchange ideas on how to go forward. It’s not just about 1973; it’s about the working class today. What has become very evident is that the trade unions are weaker,” he said.
In the backdrop of the 1973 strikes was a battle for dignity and rights.
“At that stage, most people had no say in the type of government they lived under,” said Badsha.
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Why history matters for today’s youth
In 1998, Badsha had the idea to create SAHO, with the next generation in mind.
“We launched our website in January of 2001. There were a number of goals, but essentially, it was to ensure the younger generation understand our history, which then provides an understanding of the nature of our society. From there, they can start to look for a way forward. Unless you understand the nature of your society – the contradictions and possibilities, you are, in many instances, walking blind,” he said.
For Badhsa, education is the key to creating a ‘new history,’ free from bias.
“A ‘new history’ is one that is inclusive, not sectarian. In South Africa, you don’t want to create a new history by erasing the past but by understanding the past with a new perspective,” he explained.
Read more about South Africa’s history on SAHO: www.sahistory.org.za.
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