Overview

Namibian workers bore the brunt of colonial rule and conquest since its earliest days. Being deprived of their land and livelihoods, they were forced into wage labour and had to endure the most dehumanising and exploitative conditions. However, workers were not just victims - they fought back and their resistance pre-dates the formation of trade unions. A particularly remarkable achievement was the general strike of 1971-72. Slogans like ""Odalate nayi teke"" ('let's break the wire' with reference to the contract labour system), ""united we stand, divided we fall"" and ""a luta continua"" (the struggle continues) exemplify the workers' struggles for liberation and emancipation. This book provides an account of the history and ongoing resistance by Namibian workers and their trade unions. The main focus is on the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) which played a prominent role during the struggle for political Independence and for improved living and working conditions. During the 1980s the NUNW epitomised the social movement trade unionism that contextualised shop-floor struggles within the broader political economy. The expected improvements in working and living conditions in independent Namibia were im- peded by the lack of structural social and economic transformation. The narrowing of workers' struggles to shopfloor issues delinked from structural transformation confined trade unions to a limited role within a tripartite arrangement. Unions were relegated to the role of a junior partner while the creation of a conducive business environment was elevated to a national policy priority. Despite taking up battles against policies like privatisation, labour hire and export processing zones, labour's influence continuously declined. The book examines some of the internal and external factors at play such as neoliberal economic policies, the limited trade union membership, the question of political affiliation, internal divisions, the loss of worker control and trade union investments. The conclusion presents some of the options for Namibia's labour movement today including new forms of social movement unionism. Herbert Jauch served Namibian trade unions in various capacities for 30 years. He was the founding director of the trade union-based Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI) and one of the founders of the African Labour Research Network (ALRN). Jauch was instrumental in developing a labour diploma course for Namibian trade unionists and he was part of the Basic Income Grant Coalition since its inception. He now serves as chairperson of the Economic and Social Justice Trust.

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