Lucien van der Walt, 2011, "COSATU's Response to the Crisis: An Anarcho-Syndicalist Assessment and Alternative," ASR/ Anarcho-syndicalist Review, number 56, pp. 11-13. PDF of Anarcho-syndicalist Review version here
Category: Unions: analysis & strategy
Documenting and examining the struggles of trade unions, generally from an anarcho-syndicalist perspective
[SPEECH] Lucien van der Walt, 2000, “From the South: For Another Future through Social Resistance,” May Day mass meeting, Paris
Popular talk: Lucien van der Walt, 2000, "From the South: For Another Future through Social Resistance," speech at May Day mass meeting, Le Autre Futur union congress, Paris, France. These are what I have from a speech I gave at a May Day mass meeting in Paris, France, in 2000. The mass meeting was the closing even … Continue reading [SPEECH] Lucien van der Walt, 2000, “From the South: For Another Future through Social Resistance,” May Day mass meeting, Paris
[TALK] Lucien van der Walt, 2017, “The Political Economy of the Rhodes Industrial Action,” seminar on “Students and the Strike,” Asinimali, Rhodes University, 28 April.
Popular talk: Lucien van der Walt, 2017, “The Political Economy of the Rhodes Industrial Action,” seminar on “Students and the Strike,” Asinimali, Rhodes University, 28 April. This talk was part of a panel arranged by the 'Asinimali' student group at Rhodes University, South Africa, as an unprecedented strike by staff took place at the institution. The … Continue reading [TALK] Lucien van der Walt, 2017, “The Political Economy of the Rhodes Industrial Action,” seminar on “Students and the Strike,” Asinimali, Rhodes University, 28 April.
[TALK]: Lucien van der Walt, 1998, “Low Wages will not Create Jobs, Struggle will”
Lucien van der Walt, 1998, "Low Wages Will Not Create Jobs , Struggle Will," Workers Solidarity meeting, Workers Library and Museum, Newtown, Johannesburg, 15 August The bosses and the government say that low wages will lead to more jobs. This is in the GEAR (government) and the SA Foundation (big business) policies. Both government and … Continue reading [TALK]: Lucien van der Walt, 1998, “Low Wages will not Create Jobs, Struggle will”
[ANALYSIS] Maisiri & van der Walt, 2018, “Alternatives to Capitalism Part 3: Resist-Occupy-Produce: Lessons from Factory Take-Overs and Worker Cooperatives in Argentina” (Workers World News)
Leroy Maisiri and Lucien van der Walt, 2018, "Alternatives to Capitalism Part 3: Resist-Occupy-Produce: Lessons from Factory Take-Overs and Worker Cooperatives in Argentina," Workers World News (ILRIG), number 110, August-September, pp. 8-9. Get the PDF of print version here In Argentina economic crisis saw a collapse in working class conditions. High unemployment, low wages, attacks … Continue reading [ANALYSIS] Maisiri & van der Walt, 2018, “Alternatives to Capitalism Part 3: Resist-Occupy-Produce: Lessons from Factory Take-Overs and Worker Cooperatives in Argentina” (Workers World News)
[CHAPTER] van der Walt, 2019, “Syndicalism” (in ‘The Palgrave Handbook of Anarchism’)
Lucien van der Want, 2019, "Syndicalism," in Carl Levy and Matthew Adams (eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Anarchism, Palgrave, pp. 249-263. Get the PDF here A survey of the core ideas, debates and historical developments in the tradition of syndicalism, taken here as anarcho-syndicalism and revolutionary syndicalism, including De Leonism and the IWW tradition. Contrasts … Continue reading [CHAPTER] van der Walt, 2019, “Syndicalism” (in ‘The Palgrave Handbook of Anarchism’)
[CHAPTER] van der Walt, 2017, “‘All Workers regardless of Craft, Race or Colour’: The First Wave of IWW Activity and Influence in South Africa”
Lucien van der Walt, 2017, "'All Workers regardless of Craft, Race or Colour': The First Wave of IWW Activity and Influence in South Africa", in Peter Cole, David Struthers and Kenyon Zimmer (eds.), Wobblies of the World: A Global History of the IWW, Pluto Press, London/ University of Chicago Press, Chicago, pp. 271-287. Get the … Continue reading [CHAPTER] van der Walt, 2017, “‘All Workers regardless of Craft, Race or Colour’: The First Wave of IWW Activity and Influence in South Africa”
[3-DAY SCHOOL with UPM]: 7-9/11/2018: “Autonomy, Land, Self-Management: Alternatives & the Russian and Spanish Revolutions”
Co-designed and co-faciliated a three-day workshop with the Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) in the Eastern Cape, with Leroy Maisiri and Ayanda Kota. The venue was the Bantu Stephen Biko Student Union Building, at Rhodes University, Grahamstown/ Makhanda; the dates were 7-9 November 2018, and the topic was “Autonomy, Land, Self-Management: Alternatives & the Russian and … Continue reading [3-DAY SCHOOL with UPM]: 7-9/11/2018: “Autonomy, Land, Self-Management: Alternatives & the Russian and Spanish Revolutions”
[ANALYSIS] van der Walt, 2018, “From Union Renewal to a Self-Managed Society: Towards an Anarcho-Syndicalist Project” (South African Labour Bulletin)
Lucien van der Walt 2018, “From Union Renewal to a Self-Managed Society: Towards an Anarcho-Syndicalist Project,” 'South African Labour Bulletin,' 42 (1): 27-30. Get the PDF of print version here **In this article, Lucien van der Walt argues that trade union renewal is essential but should not be reduced to democratising structures or new recruitment … Continue reading [ANALYSIS] van der Walt, 2018, “From Union Renewal to a Self-Managed Society: Towards an Anarcho-Syndicalist Project” (South African Labour Bulletin)
[ANALYSIS] Maisiri & van der Walt, 2018, “Resist-Occupy-Produce: What can Anarchists and Syndicalists Learn from Factory Take-Overs and Worker Cooperatives in Argentina?”
Leroy Maisiri and Lucien van der Walt, 10 May 2018, "Resist-Occupy-Produce: What can Anarchists and Syndicalists Learn from Factory Take-Overs and Worker Cooperatives in Argentina?," Anarkismo.net, online at http://anarkismo.net/article/30982 Documentaries like “The Take” – a movie that has been widely seen in South African labour and left circles – have drawn global attention to a … Continue reading [ANALYSIS] Maisiri & van der Walt, 2018, “Resist-Occupy-Produce: What can Anarchists and Syndicalists Learn from Factory Take-Overs and Worker Cooperatives in Argentina?”
[PRESS]: Lucien van der Walt on the fight against new labour laws (South Africa)
The Citizen, here New labour legislation to ‘hurt workers, split unions’ 2 May 2018, by Simnikiwe Hlatshanen Unions with the ANC see the new laws as a victory but Saftu is resisting those laws and it will lead to further splits, an analyst says. South African workers will be weaker under the expected changes to … Continue reading [PRESS]: Lucien van der Walt on the fight against new labour laws (South Africa)
[TALK] van der Walt ( with Byrne & Ulrich). “South African ‘Workerism’ in the 1980s: Learning from FOSATU’s Radical Unionism”
Lucien van der Walt, with Sian Byrne & Nicole Ulrich, 2017, "South African 'Workerism' in the 1980s: Learning from FOSATU's Radical Unionism," ASR/ Anarcho-syndicalist Review, numbers 71/72, pp. 28-32. This is a lightly edited transcript of a presentation at a workshop hosted by the International Labour Research & Information Group (ILRIG) and the Orange Farm … Continue reading [TALK] van der Walt ( with Byrne & Ulrich). “South African ‘Workerism’ in the 1980s: Learning from FOSATU’s Radical Unionism”
[ANALYSIS]: Peter Cole and Lucien van der Walt, 2017, “Wobblies: A New History of a Radical Union that Profoundly Impacted Southern African Politics”
Peter Cole and Lucien van der Walt, 21 October 2017, "Wobblies: A New History of a Radical Union that Profoundly Impacted Southern African Politics," Africa Is A Country SOURCE: http://africasacountry.com/2017/10/wobblies-a-new-history-of-a-radical-union-that-profoundly-impacted-southern-african-politics/ In the early 20th century, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) organized on every continent and dozens of countries, including in southern Africa. It … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Peter Cole and Lucien van der Walt, 2017, “Wobblies: A New History of a Radical Union that Profoundly Impacted Southern African Politics”
[CHAPTER] Byrne, Ulrich, van der Walt, 2017, “FOSATU, South African ‘Workerism’, ‘Syndicalism’ and the Nation”
Sian Byrne, Nicole Ulrich, and Lucien van der Walt, 2017, "Red, Black and Gold: FOSATU, South African 'Workerism', 'Syndicalism' and the Nation," in Edward Webster and Karin Pampillas (eds.), The Unresolved National Question in South Africa: Left Thinking Under Apartheid, Johannesburg: Wits University Press. Get the PDF here The Federation of South African Trade Unions … Continue reading [CHAPTER] Byrne, Ulrich, van der Walt, 2017, “FOSATU, South African ‘Workerism’, ‘Syndicalism’ and the Nation”
[STATEMENT]: APF – 17 August 2000 – APF Statement Supporting COSATU, Union Protests against Labour Law Amendments
The text of another statement I wrote when I was a Media Officer for the Anti-Privatisation Forum (APF). APF STATEMENT ON LABOUR LAWS 17 August 2000 The Johannesburg Anti-Privatisation Forum expresses its full solidarity with today’s protest action by COSATU. We support COSATU’s resolute stand in opposition to the proposed labour law changes. The proposed … Continue reading [STATEMENT]: APF – 17 August 2000 – APF Statement Supporting COSATU, Union Protests against Labour Law Amendments
Lucien van der Walt 