(From Neil Aggett Labour Studies Unit (NALSU)) NALSU News: Professor Lucien van der Walt of the Neil Aggett Labour Studies Unit was on eNCA for May Day 2025, which you can see HERE on the original page. Summary (but much more in the video): Unions in South Africa previously swam against the global tide, growing … Continue reading [media] Lucien van der Walt of NALSU on eNCA for May Day 2025
Category: Unions: analysis & strategy
Documenting and examining the struggles of trade unions, generally from an anarcho-syndicalist perspective
[unpublished] van der Walt, Bolsmann, Johnson & Lindsey Martin, 2002, “Outsourcing: The Dirty Secret of Post-Apartheid University Transformation”
CITATION: Lucien van der Walt, Chris Bolsmann, Bernadette Johnson and Lindsey Martin, 2007, "Outsourcing: The Dirty Secret of Post-Apartheid University Transformation," unpublished paper. This was submitted to Debate magazine, but not published. Stumbled across a hard copy: extracted text below. OUTSOURCING: THE DIRTY SECRET OF POST-APARTHEID UNIVERSITY TRANSFORMATION Lucien van der Walt, Chris Bolsmann, Bernadette … Continue reading [unpublished] van der Walt, Bolsmann, Johnson & Lindsey Martin, 2002, “Outsourcing: The Dirty Secret of Post-Apartheid University Transformation”
[unpublished] Lucien van der Walt, 1994, “Syndicalism on the Rand 1910-1913: The rise and fall of the IWW (SA Section)”
NOTE: I recently found the laid-out print-out of this old piece, which I wrote as an undergrad student. It had been intended for local magazine Unrest, which I co-edited; Unrest later merged into Workers Solidarity. At the last minute, I withdrew the piece and sent in a replacement. I'm not in 100% agreement with all … Continue reading [unpublished] Lucien van der Walt, 1994, “Syndicalism on the Rand 1910-1913: The rise and fall of the IWW (SA Section)”
[ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2024, “The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) and the Battle to Organise across Southern Africa” [Workers World News]
Lucien van der Walt, December 2024, "The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) and the Battle to Organise across Southern Africa," Workers World News (ILRIG), number 129, p. 3. PDF is HERE.
[ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2024, “Zarina Patel and the story of Kenya’s labour and left movements” [‘Amandla’ magazine version]
Lucien van der Walt, 6 June 2024, "Zarina Patel and the Story of Kenya’s Labour and Left Movements," print version from Amandla magazine, number 93, July 2024, pp. 38-40. Online version, somewhat longer, is HERE. PDF is HERE
[Workshop] Lucien van der Walt (2020), “Can we mix litigation and mass‐democratic mobilisation? Critical reflections on current community‐based legal challenges in the Eastern Cape, and the lessons of the 1980s and 1990s”
Workshop input: Lucien van der Walt, 2020, "Can we Mix Litigation and Mass-Democratic Mobilisation? Critical Reflections on Current Community-Based Legal Challenges in the Eastern Cape, and the Lessons of the 1980s and 1990s," presented at workshop / summit of Eastern Cape social movements on "Participatory Budgeting," Makhanda, 30 November 2020. Workshop hosted by Unemployed Peoples … Continue reading [Workshop] Lucien van der Walt (2020), “Can we mix litigation and mass‐democratic mobilisation? Critical reflections on current community‐based legal challenges in the Eastern Cape, and the lessons of the 1980s and 1990s”
[TALK]: Lucien van der Walt, (2022), “Are Unions Still Relevant in 2022? Power, Prospects and Pitfalls,” presentation to South African Society of Bank Officials (SASBO)
Lucien van der Walt, 2022, "Are Unions Still Relevant in 2022? Power, Prospects and Pitfalls," presentation to general secretariat, South African Society of Bank Officials (SASBO - The Finance Union), SASBO House, Four Ways, Johannesburg, 6 September. The slides are HERE.
[TALK]: Lucien van der Walt (2021), “The Defence and Strengthening of Collective Bargaining in the Context of Municipal and Working-Class Crisis,” presented to SA Municipal Workers Union
Lucien van der Walt (2021), "The Defence and Strengthening of Collective Bargaining in the Context of Municipal and Working-Class Crisis," presented to SA Municipal Workers Union Collective Bargaining Conference, Sunnyside Hotel, Johannesburg, 15-16 March. PDF of talk HERE (full text follows) The Defence and Strengthening of Collective Bargaining in the Context of Municipal and Working-Class … Continue reading [TALK]: Lucien van der Walt (2021), “The Defence and Strengthening of Collective Bargaining in the Context of Municipal and Working-Class Crisis,” presented to SA Municipal Workers Union
[TALK]: 2022 – Young Workers and Unions: Prof Lucien van der Walt, NALSU, and Dr Alex Mashilo, SACP, Address SAMWU Young Workers
Workshop input: Lucien van der Walt, 2022, "Positioning Young Workers for their Rightful Place in the Economy, Politics, Labour," presented at South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) Young Workers workshop/ panel, online, 28 June. My slides are available HERE. A video of the whole event can be found HERE (Facebook). Report on event, via Neil … Continue reading [TALK]: 2022 – Young Workers and Unions: Prof Lucien van der Walt, NALSU, and Dr Alex Mashilo, SACP, Address SAMWU Young Workers
[BOOK] “Labour Struggles in Southern Africa 1919-1949: New Perspectives on the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU)” (David Johnson, Noor Nieftagodien & Lucien van der Walt, 2022)
David Johnson, Noor Nieftagodien and Lucien van der Walt (eds.), 2022, Labour Struggles in Southern Africa 1919-1949: New Perspectives on the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU), Cape Town: HSRC Press, 308pp. Materials from the publisher are HERE. Introduction (David Johnson, Noor Nieftagodien and Lucien van der Walt) Section A: The ICU in Southern Africa … Continue reading [BOOK] “Labour Struggles in Southern Africa 1919-1949: New Perspectives on the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU)” (David Johnson, Noor Nieftagodien & Lucien van der Walt, 2022)
[ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2008, “Political Differences on the Role of the State and of Trade Unions: Neo-liberal, Social Democratic and Socialist Views” (DITSELA / COSATU)
Lucien van der Walt, 2008, "Political Differences on the Role of the State and of Trade Unions: Neo-liberal, Social Democratic and Socialist Views," in Organiser Modules - Module 3: Political Economy and Alternative Organising under Neo-liberal Capitalism in South Africa, Development Institute for Training, Support and Education for Labour (DITSELA) / Congress of South African … Continue reading [ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2008, “Political Differences on the Role of the State and of Trade Unions: Neo-liberal, Social Democratic and Socialist Views” (DITSELA / COSATU)
[ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2008, “Historical Analysis of South African Political Economy” (DITSELA / COSATU)
Lucien van der Walt, 2008, "Historical Analysis of South African Political Economy," in Organiser Modules - Module 3: Political Economy and Alternative Organising under Neo-liberal Capitalism in South Africa, Development Institute for Training, Support and Education for Labour (DITSELA) / Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Johannesburg, pp. 106-131. PDF of this article HERE and get … Continue reading [ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2008, “Historical Analysis of South African Political Economy” (DITSELA / COSATU)
[TALK]: Lucien van der Walt, 2003, “University Restructuring: Whose Gain, Whose Pain, Whose Transformation?,” poster for talk to UDW’s Combined Staff Assoc.
This was a talk I gave to the independent Combined Staff Association (COMSA) at the University of Durban-Westville, Durban as part of a campaign against outsourcing. The published talk is HERE. Poster in PDF is HERE.
[WORKSHOP] Lucien van der Walt, 2020, “The Working Class and the Crisis: Mapping a Long March,” Labour Community Media Forums
Lucien van der Walt, 2020, “The Working Class and the Crisis: Mapping a Long March,” Labour Community Media Forums EC Provincial Workshop Programme, Noluthando Hall, Joza, Makhanda, 22 October. `
[WORKSHOP]: Lucien van der Walt, 2020, “Working Class Heritage: The Creation of the Working Class and its Struggles in South Africa,” Sundays River Valley Farm Workers Forum
Workshop input: Lucien van der Walt, 2020, "Working Class Heritage: The Creation of the Working Class and its Struggles in South Africa" Heritage Day event, Sundays River Valley Farm Workers Forum, Masizakhe Community Hall, Nomathamsanqa township, Addo, Eastern Cape, 26 September.
Lucien van der Walt 