Factory Occupations and Sit-ins
Not only has the South A f r i c a n emergent labour movement grown in
size and depth of o r g a n i s a t i o n over the l a s t decade, but new and
s o p h i s t i c a t e d methods of s t r u g g l e have been developed by the workers i n these unions. Hampered by labour laws which make l e g a l
s t r i k e s an arduous and lengthy experience, and faced w i t h the
t h r e a t of dismissal and p o l i c e a c t i o n even i f they do engage in
legal s t r i k e s , workers are shaping new s t r a t e g i e s t o f u r t h e r t h e i r
s t r u g g l e s . Towards t h i s end, the s i t - i n i s one t a c t i c workers have
r e c e n t l y begun t o use w i t h some success. We w i l l look a t three
case s t u d i e s which occurred in South A f r i c a during 1985. Although
the s i t - i n t a c t i c has only r e c e n t l y been used i n South A f r i c a , i t
has a long h i s t o r y and has been employed e x t e n s i v e l y by workers 1
movements i n other p a r t s of the w o r l d .
Generally, f a c t o r y occupations and s i t - i n s provide an e f f e c t i v e
means o f pressure which workers can use a g a i n s t an employer i n
p u r s u i t ofimproved working c o n d i t i o n s , or t o p r o t e c t j o b s . Workers
take the i n i t i a t i v e , and t h e i r physical presence i n the workplace
gives them c o n t r o l over whether or not production w i l l continue.
I n so doing the f a c t o r y s i t - i n challenges p r i v a t e p r o p e r t y and
c a p i t a l i s t c o n t r o l of the means of p r o d u c t i o n , and suggests the
p o s s i b i l i t y of an a l t e r n a t i v e economic system i n which production
takes place under the c o n t r o l , and i n the i n t e r e s t s o f , the working c l a s s . Thus, during periods of general p o l i t i c a l and economic
c r i s i s , s i t - i n s and occupations have formed p a r t of the broad p o l i t i c a l o f f e n s i v e a g a i n s t the p a r t i c u l a r regime, w h i l s t a t the same
t i m e a t t a c k i n g the very foundations o f the e x i s t i n g s o c i a l o r d e r .
Examples of such occassions i n c l u d e : Russia i n 1905 and 1917, Germany and I t a l y a f t e r world war I , Spain i n the 1930s, A l g e r i a during d e c p l o n i s a t i o n , and Portugal i n the 1970s. E q u a l l y , s i t - i n s
have been used t o achieve much more moderate aims, as i n the
attempts i n B r i t a i n i n the 1970s and '80s t o prevent c l o s u r e s .
I t a l y 1920
In I t a l y , i n 1920, workers occupied f a c t o r i e s throughout the i n d u s t r i a l areas of the N o r t h . The occupations followed the breakdown of n a t i o n a l wage n e g o t i a t i o n s in the engineering i n d u s t r y .
I n August workers decided on a national go-slow. But on September
1 employers proclaimed a l o c k - o u t , sparking o f f the occupations.
20
- sit-ins The workers continued p r o d u c t i o n , but under workers 1 c o n t r o l .
There was no i n t e r v e n t i o n from the p o l i c e and army who surrounded
the a f f e c t e d f a c t o r i e s . The f a c t o r i e s were evacuated and workers
returned t o work f o r the owners i n October, a f t e r a settlement
was negotiated w i t h the employers by t h e i r unions which l i m i t e d
the workers demands t o employers 1 r e c o g n i t i o n of trade union cont r o l i n the f a c t o r i e s . (1)
France 1968
France i n 1968 was h i t by national f a c t o r y occupations, which coincided w i t h widespread student r e v o l t s . The occupations were i n
support of demands f o r an increase in wages, a progressive reduct i o n of the working week t o 40 hours w i t h no r e d u c t i o n i n wages,
a lowering of the r e t i r e m e n t age and the extension of trade union
freedom and r i g h t s i n f a c t o r i e s . (2) The occupations l a s t e d from
3 to 5 weeks and were most concerted i n the metal s e c t o r , although
white c o l l a r workers and c i v i l servants a l s o p a r t i c i p a t e d .
An i n t e r e s t i n g f e a t u r e of the occupations was t h a t f i r m s r e c o g n i s ed the r i g h t of workers t o occupy t h e i r workplaces. During the
occupations s t r i k e committees were set up i n a l l f a c t o r i e s to coordinate and organise a c t i v i t y . They were under union c o n t r o l i n
most cases. There was also i n t e r - s t r i k e committee c o - o r d i n a t i o n .
S t r i k e p i c k e t s , s e t up t o prevent strangers from gaining e n t r y to
f a c t o r i e s , t o p r o t e c t f a c t o r i e s from attempted sabotage and t o
prevent a takeover of the f a c t o r i e s , were responsible t o the
s t r i k e committees and were organised on a voluntary and r o t a b a s i s .
In most cases production ceased during the occupations except i n
cases where machines had t o be maintained or where the l i v e s of
the community would be adversely a f f e c t e d . I n some f a c t o r i e s
attempts were made t o experiment w i t h workers' c o n t r o l i n the
running of them. A t one s h i p y a r d , workers organised payment of
wages and d i s t r i b u t i o n of food t o s t r i k i n g workers and a l s o r e q u i s i t i o n e d food supplies held i n the p o r t .
At some occupied p l a n t s workers held management c a p t i v e f o r about
two weeks. The aim of t h i s was, a t f i r s t t o , gain a quick s e t t l e ment, b u t a f t e r the f i r s t two days when i t became c l e a r t h a t the
s t r i k e would be p r o t r a c t e d , management's c a p t i v i t y became symbolic.
The f i n a l settlement reached between the employers, the government
a
nd the unions gave the workers higher wages, but d i d not address
21
- sit-ins t h e i r wider demands. Back i n c o n t r o l a g a i n , employers i n some
areas began v i c t i m i s i n g m i l i t a n t s t r i k e r s .
B r i t a i n : Upper Clyde Shipbuilders
I n B r i t a i n i n the e a r l y 1970s, workers 1 c o n t r o l of s o c i e t y was
not r e a l l y on the agenda i n the occupations which s t a r t e d a t the
Upper Clyde S h i p b u i l d e r s ' (UCS) yards i n June 1971, and spread
r a p i d l y t o other p l a n t s .
Workers a t the f o u r yards decided t o occupy when the B r i t i s h Government w i t h e l d f i n a n c i a l assistance t o the d i r e c t o r s of the company, so a l l o w i n g i t t o close down. The workers' occupation i n c luded continued production because, they reasoned, the threatened
closure of the f o u r yards could not be averted by a withdrawal of
labour. The Chairman of the shop stewards j o i n t c o - o r d i n a t i n g
committee f o r the UCS company, Jimmy Reid, explained t h e i r a c t i o n :
We are t a k i n g over the yards because we refuse t o accept t h a t
faceless men can take these d e c i s i o n s . We are not s t r i k e r s . We
are responsible people...we are not the w i l d c a t s , we want work.
The real w i l d c a t s are i n [ t h e g o v e r n m e n t ] . . . The b i g g e s t mistake we could make i s t o l i e down, c a p i t u l a t e and grovel to
them. (3)
The work a t the y a r d s , during the occupation, was c a r e f u l l y monitored so t h a t production d i d not exceed l e v e l s a t the time of the
s t a r t of the s t r i k e . A f t e r more than a year of occupation o f the
yards the government announced i n February 1972 t h a t i t would
grant money tov/ards the reconsti t u t i o n of 3 of the yards and would
provide a i d t o any buyer of the f o u r t h one. On October 10 1972 the
f o u r t h yard was sold and the occupation was c a l l e d o f f .
The workers 1 a c t i o n succeeded i n stopping c l o s u r e of the yards and
saving jof>s i n the s h o r t - t e r m . A l s o , during the s i t - i n workers had
encroached on managerial powers when they took over the r i g h t t o
h i r e and f i r e . When the occupation came t o an end such experiments
were also d i s c o n t i n u e d .
S i t - i n s j j i South A f r i c a
In t h i s period of recession, when there i s reduced surplus w i t h
which to l u b r i c a t e the wheels of i n d u s t r i a l r e l a t i o n s , s t r u g g l e s
over wages andconditions have become longer and more b i t t e r . Workers have shown t h a t they are not prepared t o passively accept the
22
- sit-ins
-
terms d i c t a t e d by employers. But the bosses can simply dismiss
workers, and c a l l up the massive reserve army o f unemployed l a b our. I f t h a t does not work, p o l i c e a c t i o n and a b a t t e r y of securi t y laws are a v a i l a b l e t o hamper the o r g a n i s a t i o n of any s t r i k e
and t o prevent p i c k e t i n g .
Bosch
About 300 workers a t the Bosch f a c t o r y i n B r i t s , T r a n s v a a l , staged
a two-day s i t - i n i n September 1985. The workers were members of
the Metal and A l l i e d Workers Union (MAWU).
A wage d i s p u t e began a t the beginning of September w i t h workers
c a l l i n g f o r a Rl increase across the board t o r a i s e the minimum
wage t o R3,50 an hour and management r e f u s i n g t o g r a n t an increase
of more than 12c and 18c an hour from January 1986. When attempts
to resolve the issue f a i l e d , workers went on s t r i k e on September 3 .
Management then changed t h e i r o f f e r t o an l i e an hour increase
from July 1 and a f u r t h e r increase of 7c an hour a t the beginning
of 1986. A f t e r discussing t h i s new development, workers, however,
voted i n favour of c o n t i n u i n g the s t r i k e . On September 5, management dismissed the s t r i k i n g workers and ordered them o f f the f a c t o r y premises. A s u r p r i s e lay i n store f o r management, however,
when workers decided not t o leave the f a c t o r y but t o remain i n side u n t i l t h e i r demand was met. Moses Mayekiso, a MAWU o f f i c i a l ,
explained why workers took t h i s d e c i s i o n :
They wanted r e i n s t a t e m e n t . By t h a t time they had a l s o i n d i c a t ed t h a t they were w i l l i n g to accept an increase of 70c. They
wanted t o p r o t e c t t h e i r jobs and block management from g e t t i n g
new r e c r u i t s . "No worker w i l l touch our machines' 1 , I s what
they s a i d .
I t was a t a c t i c which had been planned f o r winning an acceptable increase. I t developed as the way t o combat the t h r e a t of
dismissals and p o l i c e a c t i o n against workers p i c k e t i n g outside
the f a c t o r y t o prevent scabs from t a k i n g t h e i r j o b s .
On the f i r s t day of the s i t - i n management refused t o t a l k to worke r s . "They thought workers were j u s t j o k i n g about s i t t i n g - 1 n u n t i l
t h e i r demands f o r reinstatement and an acceptable increase were
met. But a f t e r 6.30 pm on September 5 they r e a l i s e d the workers
were s e r i o u s , " s a i d Mayekiso. By t h a t time union organisers and
family members of the workers had begun t o b r i n g food and blankets
to the f a c t o r y . Soon a f t e r the food and blankets a r r i v e d , manage23
- sit-ins
-
ment said they were prepared t o t a l k .
N e g o t i a t i o n continued a l l n i g h t and a t 4 am on September 6 agreement was reached. An increase of 50c an hour was agreed (12c an
hour backdated t o July 1 and another increase on October 1 ) . The
minimum wage would then stand a t R3.00 an hour, only 50c s h o r t of
the workers' o r i g i n a l demand. I n a d d i t i o n management agreed t h a t
workers could have the r e s t of the day o f f . As Hayek150 saw i t :
The experience was important f o r workers and several important
lessons were l e a r n t . F i r s t l y , workers r e a l i s e d t h a t they had
real power. They l e a r n t t h a t the real power t o c o n t r o l product i o n l a y w i t h them, not the bosses. Secondly, they saw t h a t the
only way t o p r o t e c t t h e i r jobs was through f i g h t i n g .
S t r i k e s l e g a l or i l l e g a l are always a problem because of d i s m i s s a l s . There i s a l s o the problem of s t r i k e r s being dismissed
and when they d o n ' t leave the p o i n t of production becoming t r e s passers. A t t h i s p o i n t the p o l i c e are u s u a l l y c a l l e d i n t o
f o r c e f u l l y remove them.
Once t h e y ' v e l e f t the f a c t o r y i t i s more d i f f i c u l t f o r workers
to win a s t r i k e . The t a c t i c of the s i t - i n overcomes both these
problems: new r e c r u i t s are kept out by s t r i k e r s guarding the
f a c t o r y g a t e s . Management, e s p e c i a l l y i f they are s t i l l i n the
f a c t o r y , are r e l u c t a n t t o c a l l i n the p o l i c e . I n the case of
Bosch there was no attempt by management t o c a l l the p o l i c e .
A s i t - i n makes i t d i f f i c u l t t o cross the p i c k e t l i n e - t o scab and i t makes i t d i f f i c u l t f o r the p o l i c e t o smash the workers
i n s i d e . I n a d d i t i o n , the r e s t of the community gets i n v o l v e d .
Workers i n s i d e the f a c t o r y depend on them f o r m a t e r i a l support.
The consciousness of non-workers i s raised and l i n k s are forged
between them and the workers.
Durban baiceries s t r i k e
Two thousand one hundred bread workers belonging t o 4 d i f f e r e n t
unions - Sweet Food and A l l i e d Workers Union (SFAWU), Food and
Beverage Workers Union, Black A l l i e d Workers Union, and Natal
Baking I n d u s t r i e s Employees Union - went on s t r i k e f o r two weeks
i n Natal i n J u l y 1985 to demand a l i v i n g wage. The workers were
up a g a i n s t some of the l a r g e s t companies - Anglo V a a l , Premier
Group, and Tiger Oats (Barlow Rand).
24
- sit-ins Despite t h i s , workers belonging t o SFAWU occupied three bakeries
during the f i r s t week of the s t r i k e . Their reasons f o r doing so
were made c l e a r : they wanted t o stay close together and so maint a i n s o l i d a r i t y , to prevent scab labour r e p l a c i n g them, t o prevent management c o n t i n u i n g t o produce, and t o show management t h a t
they were s e r i o u s .
The bakery bosses were e q u a l l y determined t o show workers t h a t
they would not budge on t h e i r minimum wage o f f e r of R93.90 a week.
Workers i n SFAWU were demanding R105.50. When workers occupied
the b a k e r i e s , managements closed the canteens, hoping t o starve .
workers i n t o submission. But workers 1 f a m i l i e s brought food t o
the bakeries 1 gates and more than 200 Clover D a i r i e s workers
brought crates of m i l k , yoghurt and mageu. I n t u r n the bakery
workers allowed the undelivered bread, which was s t i l l on the
premises, t o be d i s t r i b u t e d t o c h a r i t y o r g a n i s a t i o n s and t o workers who had e a r l i e r been dismissed from the m u l t i n a t i o n a l BTR
Sarmcol i n Howick, P i e t e r m a r i t z b u r g .
Although workers had saved money i n p r e p a r a t i o n f o r the s t r i k e ,
they were only prepared t o use i t when i t became a b s o l u t e l y necessary. " I t was so cold and I became t e r r i b l y s i c k , " r e c a l l e d one
worker. "But we d i d no want an organiser t o g i v e blankets or buy
food u n t i l we could not go any f u r t h e r . We used f l o u r bags from
the m i l l t o cover o u r s e l v e s , u n t i l the bosses took them. Then we
huddled together and used cardboard boxes."
But d e s p i t e widespread support f o r the workers 1 s t r u g g l e and
t h e i r w i l l i n g n e s s t o s u f f e r t o achieve t h e i r g o a l , they were e v i c ted by c o u r t order from the three bakeries a t the end of the f i r s t
week o f the s t r i k e . A t the end of the second week, a l l the s t r i k ing workers were back a t work w i t h hardly any change i n managements' o f f e r s .
The c h i e f f a c t o r which led t o t h i s outcome was the v a r i a t i o n i n
l e v e l s of o r g a n i s a t i o n and preparedness f o r the s t r i k e between
the four p a r t i c i p a n t unions. Only SFAWU members occupied t h e i r
b a k e r i e s . The workers from the other unions had signed agreements w i t h t h e i r managements saying they would leave the bakeries
i n the afternoons and r e t u r n i n the mornings.
Printpak
Ninety workers a t Printpak Gravure i n I n d u s t r i a , Johannesburg, a l l
25
- sit-ins members of the Paper, Wood and A l l i e d Workers Union, began a two
and a h a l f week s i t - i n s t r i k e on October 9 1985. T h e i r a c t i o n
followed the dismissal o f a f e l l o w worker who had refused t o obey
management's order t h a t he do his own work as w e l l as t h a t o f
another worker who had been taken i l l . Joseph Hene, the chairman
of the shopstewards committee a t the p l a n t , e x p l a i n e d :
The t r o u b l e s t a r t e d on Tuesday n i g h t [October 8 ] when we found
t h a t we were s h o r t of one person i n our department. He had become i l l . We t o l d the foreman about t h i s and he said he would
get somebody from the basement t o do the work. C y r i l Rulashe
was sent up. But he a l s o had t o feed the machine i n the basement and c o u l d n ' t cope w i t h both j o b s . A t one p o i n t the basement machine had t o stop f o r 3 hours.
The Wednesday the same s i t u a t i o n existed - we v/ere s t i l l short
of one person. When C y r i l t o l d the foreman about his d i f f i c u l t y
i n coping w i t h both jobs he w o u l d n ' t l i s t e n . I a l s o explained
the s i t u a t i o n to management b u t they w e r e n ' t i n t e r e s t e d . I n stead they wanted t o give C y r i l a w r i t t e n warning. We l e f t the
o f f i c e w i t h o u t signing a n y t h i n g .
Soon a f t e r we'd l e f t I was c a l l e d t o the manager's o f f i c e and
t o l d t o t e l l C y r i l t o do the two j o b s . C y r i l was given a f i n a l
warning.
The other workers decided to discuss the issue but w h i l e we
were busy, one of the managers came up t o us and t o l d us we
had 5 mins to get back t o work and t h a t C y r i l was dismissed.
But we decided not t o go back t o work but a l s o not t o leave the
f a c t o r y . We t o l d management we would stay i n the f a c t o r y u n t i l
the problem had been solved.
The workers l e f t the f a c t o r y on Friday n i g h t a f t e r having occupied
i t f o r two days. However, when they returned on Monday they found
themselves locked o u t . Management i n s i s t e d t h a t they agree t o
C y r i l Rulashe remaining outside the f a c t o r y u n t i l the matter had
been resolved and t h a t the other workers sign an undertaking not
t o go on s t r i k e . Workers refused to agree t o e i t h e r of these and
instead devised a way of g e t t i n g back i n t o the p l a n t .
"We got one of our members to d r i v e up t o the gate w i t h a car and
t o h o o t , " Joseph Nene r e c a l l s . "When the s e c u r i t y people opened
the gate he drove i n so t h a t they could not close i t a g a i n . Other
workers then rushed i n and opened the gate p r o p e r l y so t h a t we
26
- sit-ins could a l l enter the premises."
Management c a l l e d the p o l i c e but the l a t t e r took no a c t i o n . They
f u r t h e r t r i e d t o p r o h i b i t workers from leaving and e n t e r i n g the
premises f r e e l y and t o l d them they would not be provided w i t h
food. A f t e r workers demanded food, however, management allowed
them t o buy some from the nearby shop. Workers f u r t h e r warned
management t h a t i f the p o l i c e were c a l l e d i n and took a c t i o n
against them, they would f i g h t back and the safety o f persons,
t h a t i s , management and others not involved i n the s t r i k e , and
of machinery, could no be guaranteed.
The next day, the workers won f u r t h e r ground when management s i g n ed an agreement saying they would not prevent workers e n t e r i n g or
leaving the premises. When i t became c l e a r t h a t workers were p r e pared t o s i t - i n f o r as long as was necessary f o r management t o
r e i n s t a t e them a l l , management re-opened serious n e g o t i a t i o n and
acceded t o t h e i r demand. Besides the pressure of the workers 1 s i t i n , Printpak management was a l s o faced w i t h t h r e a t s of s o l i d a r i t y
a c t i o n by workers i n f a c t o r i e s which handle Printpak products.
"Other workers would have come out i n support i f the s i t - i n had
f a i l e d , " said Sipho Kubeka, PV/AWU Transvaal Branch S e c r e t a r y :
But t h i s was not necessary because management gave i n . Workers
saw the s t r i k e as very important. Although the issue might seem
s m a l l , i t was important t o p r o t e c t t h a t one w o r k e r ' s j o b . I t i s
something which could face any worker and the only way t o stop
dismissals i s t o have u n i t e d a c t i o n by other workers.
The t a c t i c of s i t t i n g - i n was consciously decided o n . Workers
had l e a r n t from the bakeries s t r i k e in Durban and the B r i t s
one. They f e l t i t would give them more c o n t r o l over the s i t u a t i o n than an o r d i n a r y s t r i k e , although i t needs more thorough
o r g a n i s a t i o n . There was also the advantage of workers being t o gether f o r a long t i m e . They were able t o discuss i s s u e s , expl a i n things t o one another and b u i l d g r e a t e r u n i t y through
closer i n t e r a c t i o n .
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
S i t - i n s or f a c t o r y occupations, although on the increase i n South
A f r i c a are s t i l l a new and r e l a t i v e l y unexploited t a c t i c . Given
the o f t e n harsh repression which even legal s t r i k e r s face once
they have been e v i c t e d from f a c t o r y premises, and given the vast
numbers of unemployed, s i t - i n s could prove t o be an e f f e c t i v e
27
- sit-ins method of defending workers and t h e i r jobs during a d i s p u t e . Their
success w i l l depend on the l e v e l of o r g a n i s a t i o n of workers i n v o l ved, t h e i r preparedness f o r the occupation, as w e l l as the posi t i o n adopted by management.
As can be seen from the above examples the s i t - i n t a c t i c can be
used t o redress a wide range of grievances. I t places c o n t r o l of
the s t r i k e d i r e c t l y i n t o the "hands of the workers and i n d i c a t e s ,
p r a c t i c a l l y , when they see the machines standing i d l e , the p i v o t a l
r o l e t h a t the workers play i n p r o d u c t i o n . Depending on the e x t e n t
and form of the s i t - i n , i t gives a v i s i o n of how a new, workerc o n t r o l l e d s o c i e t y might f u n c t i o n .
But although workers may c o n t r o l t h e i r f a c t o r i e s f o r a p e r i o d ,
i n s o c i e t y a t l a r g e the bosses remain i n command, able t o use the
law, the c o u r t s and the s e c u r i t y forces t o deal w i t h s t r i k e r s ,
( E s t e l l e R a n d a l l , January 1985)
Footnotes:
1 . A Gramsci, S e l e c t i o n s from p o l i t i c a l w r i t i n g s 1910-1920,
London, 1977^
2 . A Hoyles, Imagination i n power, Nottingham, 1973.
3 . K Coates, Work-ins, s i t - i n s and i n d u s t r i a l democracy,
Nottingham, 1981.
P o s t s c r i p t : We have l e a r n t t h a t 250 workers a t Chesebrough Ponds,
a l l members of the Chemical Workers I n d u s t r i a l Union, have staged
a successful s i t - i n t o f u r t h e r t h e i r demands. The s i t - i n began on
January 22 when n e g o t i a t i o n s w i t h management broke down. CUIU's
demands were f o r a minimum R3,25 per hour. May Day as a paid h o l i d a y , a 40-hour week, one month's annual bonus, and 5 days a year
compassionate l e a v e . The company o f f e r e d a package amounting t o
an 18,4% increase ( h o u r l y minimum up from R2,70 t o R3,05; i n c r e a s ed annual bonus and compassionate l e a v e ) .
The workers occupied the f a c t o r y f o r two days and three n i g h t s ,
during which time r e l a t i v e s and f r i e n d s kept them supplied w i t h
food and c l o t h i n g . With production a t a s t a n d s t i l l , management
gave way: the union demands i n respect of wages, annual bonuses
and May Day were a l l met, w h i l s t hours were reduced t o 44 a week.
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