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2/5/1954 - A Few Remarks on Mine Labor in Southern Africa by Edwin S. Munger

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS ESM UnverstF Avenue Few Remarks Lbor Chicago lllnos Southern Afrtc February Mr Walter S Rogers Institute Current World AflfIrs Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Rogers Lord Bryce writing striking sight Union South Afrlcs furnished called compounds which natives mines housed confined They inclosures unroofed subterranean entrance adjoining The worked system three elght shifts worsn never hours together underground Roundthe interior there built sheds which natives sleep working hospital vided within nclosure school where people their leisure lesrnlng write No spirits Rvery entrance strictly usrded plies being obtained store within Com The natives every quarter attracted wages usually ehteen thirty shillings remain three month occasionally perlods Lord comments essentlsllv accurate He wrote I habit coming wages established years establish mining companies great diffi culty getting labour obliged arrange chief despatch This prediction overopti labor supply stability remain problems In Union South Africa practice continued bringing large numbers bo4ied Africans contr house Lot4 Bryce described Dele terious social con4itions arisen scked pounds worse urban slums Johannesburg while Native reserves tended those areas truly words Alan Paten valley women mothers children conducive intro duction modern agriculture conservation ESM In elgisn Congo other government nmining companies cooperated moving whole villages sites encouraging estbllsb_ment families mines present This drastic dslocstion tribal accelerates westernization The concentration families makes possible better family nutrition maternity clinics schools other western institutions It creates stsble labor force built growth factor A brthrate lowered infant mortality desired Belgians because relatively sparse population Congo contrast Onon South Afrlcs westernizstlon urbanization Africans higher birthrate In Northern Rhodeslsn copper under laissez faire approach percentage African miners living their wives chilren mines increased recent years higher homes available In Union while Africans fulfilled Lord Bryce prediction accommodating themselves steady wages growing commercial sndindus trial enterprises where opportunlties svancement higher wages exist The Rand mines continue depend blanket Ntive rural areas Union Mozambique Bechunsl Swzils Bssutoland Rhodesias Ts ngsnyiWs In obscure villages finds brightly printed comic pctured pamphlets Witwstersrsnd Rstve Labour Association The wages strong although Africans target rkers Further tradition developed period mines manhood Lbor experts within industry Union South Africa unable agree future labor supply probable present rural sources economic development reches villages The Governor General frankly hopes Africans southern Mozam bique Rand mines eventually bsorbed within Portuguese territory cycle drought mastered there lbcal production replace wages remitted contract miners Competition labor growing southern Africa there untapped sources supply The mines chronically short their stated needs In early executive estimated mines African needed A principal brget bicycle saving brieprice phonograph When enough money target sccumulated worker Concurrently requirements mining industry Union labor rapidly increasing There Africans existing mines estlmsted Orange State fields coming production alone ultimately Africs miners It predicted Rand mines would phase opening Free State mines happening smoothly looks though areas maximum needs This drastic shorts which prevent maximum development Free Sste fields various remedies adecuste alone apply combination certain success Several leading consulting engineers believe African could elimins consolldsted reassigned They hving follow Euro around errands getting drink Better layouts saved labor further impro vements Other experts minimal savings possible echanizstion introduced years Two Africans smsIl locomotive where thirty At mucking stoping possible mechanize reduce costs There general agreement mechs nizstion offers minor labor saving present rates although absence labor mines could operate expensively still profit others would close Mining skills Union South Africa unemployed underemployed 41fferent reasons The excessively yearly turnover contract labor African miners EUropesns represents stes4 swills where African returns mines retrsinlng necessary though remains similar Some Free State fields proposed start their African miners domiciled their fmilles One proposed house three rooms kitchen bathroom Such solution turnover contrary politlcsl program Union government which blocked development Already nearly Africans Union urban areas ifminers brought their families strengthening would harder achieve On Rand housing progrsmfb African miners would require seventy square miles Chamber Mines declares addition being financially One report estims mines wOuld closed every Aricsn clent wages msintsln family A comlission African wages commented It tended mines mining industry built proPitsbly continue remain depend cheap labour which esults employment reserves supplementary means subsistence Cer tainly mines suddenly compelled unskilled labour which would adequate native living family neghbourhood Witwstersrsnd locating effect mining industry would cstastr0phic Probably mines Witwatersrand would close lives remslnder would seriously tailed since qusntitles otherwise payable would placed beyond limit psysbility Others point either csplts housing Rand If Rand cannot Free State different pattern The question rslsed Africans acquire appreciably higher levels skills exercise Dr Biesheuvel Director National Institute Personnel Research South Africa there doubt Indl Vidusl Africans equal demands their skills Some Dropesns Africa would strenuously agree assertion The question whether whether indigenous population reach western lectual technlcsl chs_rscter standards given their existing environment His resesrch suggests Africsns hampered acquiring higher skills because basic skillsre imperfectly learned tieing shoes throwing other undamental perceptual motor habits which quired early years African environments clothin buttoned steps climbed forks manipulated paper folded He points person ality matters arising different cultural values which nificantly affect performance workers under western condl tions Formal education Africens Union growing rapidly In million doll8rs spent African educatlon twenty million spent However those Africans several years primary educstlon generallv employment outside mines increased education decrease number Afrlcsns 8vsilsble present rates Considerable success achieved recent years greatly improved testing placement heteregeneous Afrlcsns reaching Rand Among shibboleths industry detailed tribl occuptlonsl correla bilities notion Bssutos loading could little There correla tribe assumed better specified ssslgned practice become better untrained another tribe However tests individuals revel wider mechsnlcsl aptitude ferences within tribes between The interesting selection Sership group eight Africans These crucial setting production rates Tasks performed potentis observed cooperation intelligence leadership qualities The wastage rates calculated selection under method selection battery tests Most tests employed African miners explained silent movies which overcome bsrPiers imposed illiteracy language differences tribes varying quality explanation demonstrators Overall results rkble despite stereotyped prejudices among Europeans Africans lessons being applied Agsin though round round holes rescrambled turnover Granted growing African skills always utilized In Union South Africa certain mining lassifics tions custom reserved Europeans To upset ttern would locsl observers predict upsetting whble country throwing industry chsos A standing sgree requires uropean Iner roughly every Africans The ropesn pavroll Labor costs often decisive determining whether given closed break substantial profit But sttempt costs utilizing African skills expense Europeans violent bloody opposi European iners would result Here again invad political field According Minister Verwoerd Nationalist Party strongly favors state control labor ensure sufficient labor assurance Europeans their rightful share industries application quota syste segregation policy establisDnnent board racial Despite strenuous efforts prevent trend Fears greatest influx Africans urban areas Onion South African history great Africs skilled skilled Especially garment industry Johannesburg least mining In industries barriers African prouotion resined rigid there grown widespread utilization skills which Africans relativ menial while actually perform skilled operations Such bootlegging skills occurs mines extent outside In Northern Rhodesls demands Africans allowed scQulre skills openly meets almost implcsble opposition Ero union It sometimes assumed given labor market racial legislstlon soclsl pressure Africans would present Lhropesn levels This doubtful The Dr Rheinhsllt Jones longtlme President South Afrlcsn Institute Race Relations private study European African wages Rhodesisn copper He concluded uropesn scale srttficislIy hsvlng about response pioneering conditions primitive perhaps dangerous country amenities The demand supply skilled limited But future Africans deonstrte skills European miners accordingly Or Jones widely separated black would shout present Ehropesn level It unlikely Ehropesns would proposi enthusiasm possible Africans would trick recognized officially having Europea skills Recovery uranium hills debris after extraction mines commercially feasible affected flnsncisl condition mines paysbility workings In Orange Free State mines recovery ursnlum hlghe return investment posslble concelvsbly providing funds African housing The uranium developments closely involved Atomic Energy Commission United States African labor Union South Afrlcs rarely concert press economic political This weakness African nstlonalist movements Union So minrs primarily illiterate liens working contract tribs antipathies obvious difficul organization preclude effective African protest On occasions urban Africans together trike Johannesburg their scipline mzing To educate stabilize African pying higher skills might lighting explosive present environment It impossible isolte S ltenatives vanced easingthe labor shortage dynamics westerni zstiom urbanization consequent endless sociological fications which would culminate political protest verbal physical against official policies elected government Onion South Africa Skills migrsnt labor appear incoupstible settled African miners European areas incompatible government The situation north Limpopo River summed Chairman Roan Antelope Copper hines Ltd R L Prsin Chairman fulira Copper Hines Ltd annual report dated October This birth Federa Rhodesissnd yaslsnd On broadest political ground development greatly welcomed Our affairs future partly province Federal Government partly Northern Rhodesls Territorlsl Government We shall found ready politicl economic developments ahead Central Afrlcs One flrst fruits Federation declared object prtnership publicly announced copper companies initiate discussions industrial colour Copperbelt This problem permits solution It common parts Africa sttemDt solve evoke suspicion resentment prejudice Yet nothing clearer present situa untenable principle practice unfortun ately inevitability change which contemplted being likely conditions gradualness To rbour delusion blind oneself delib erately lessons history awakening which occurred often tragic circstsnces where Africa Once recognized I confident companies attempting problem light nmelF attempt justice legitimate sspirstlons section their employees while sferding continued industrial socil security other ection their employees The challenge European claim leadership without ruination libers principles British Colonial policy On satisfactory solution problem depends perhaps other continued prosperity industry which other respects would appear endowed ntsges talents These harnessed benefit employees stockholders country production world generally years ahead wisdom prevail where present suspicion reigns without wisdom suffer In recent weeks Governor Northern Rhodesia ferred worsening relations mines despite arbitra swsrd which rised African workers lower employees highest comment employees employers realize increased efficiency greater prouctivlty should result increased wages The Roan Antelope Brs Northern Rhodesia Mineworkers Union pssed following resolution crowded meeting Ths brnch recognizes vslidltF Africans advancement industry Further branch demands forms employment available person irrespective present conditions cteg0ries covered existing agreement shall maintained It reported executive council European vneworkers Union Northern Rhodesia resolved Government Northern Rhodesi should asked deport Kr R L Prin cause stirring trouble between Europeans Africans Northern Rhodesia Sincerely yours Edwin S Munger