Organise or Die?

Author:   Raphaël Botiveau
Publisher:   Wits University Press
ISBN:  

9781776142040


Pages:   360
Publication Date:   01 December 2017
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Our Price $72.42 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

Organise or Die?


Add your own review!

Overview

Organise or Die? Democracy and Leadership in South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers is the first in-depth study of one of the leading trade unions in the country. Founded in 1982, the trade union played a key role in the struggle against white minority rule, before turning into a central protagonist of the ruling Tripartite Alliance after apartheid. Deftly navigating through workerist, social movement and political terrains that shape the South African labour landscape, this book sheds light on the path that led to the unprecedented 2012 Marikana massacre, the dissolution of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) federation and to fractures within the African National Congress (ANC) itself. Working with the notions of organisational agency and strategic bureaucratisation, Raphaël Botiveau shows how the founding leadership of NUM built their union’s structures with a view to mirror those of the multinational mining companies NUM faced. Good leadership proved key to the union’s success in recruiting and uniting mineworkers and NUM became an impressive school for union and political cadres, producing a number of South Africa’s top post-apartheid leaders. An incisive analysis of leadership styles and strategies shows how the fragile balance between an increasingly distant leadership and an increasingly militant membership gradually broke down. Botiveau provides a compelling narrative of NUM’s powerful history and the legacy of its leadership. It will appeal to a broad readership – including journalists, students and social sciences scholars – interested in South Africa’s contemporary politics and labour history.

Full Product Details

Author:   Raphaël Botiveau
Publisher:   Wits University Press
Imprint:   Wits University Press
ISBN:  

9781776142040


ISBN 10:   1776142047
Pages:   360
Publication Date:   01 December 2017
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  Professional & Vocational ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Figures And Tables Acknowledgements Acronyms And Abbreviations Chapter 1 Introduction: South African Trade Unions in Apartheid and Democracy Part I Organisational Agency In Union Bureaucracy And Politics Chapter 2 Local Weaknesses Solved through Centralisation Chapter 3 The Power of Head Office: Building National Bureaucracy Chapter 4 Doing Union Politics: The Branches as Idealised Seat of Union Power Chapter 5 The Regions as Antechambers of National Power Part II Leading Mineworkers: A Charterist Leadership School Chapter 6 The Burden of Leadership Chapter 7 The Learning Organisation Chapter 8 Trajectories of Union Leaders and NUM Leadership Ideals Chapter 9 Taking Control of NUM: The Rise of the Communist Faction Chapter 10 Conclusion: From Bureaucratic Organisation to Bureaucratic Politics Index

Reviews

Author Information

Trained in the social sciences (political sociology, African and postcolonial studies) in four countries (France, South Africa, the United States and Italy), Raphaël Botiveau first worked as a journalist before devoting himself to research and teaching. He received his PhD from the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (France) and La Sapienza Università di Roma (Italy) focusing on trade unionism and negotiation in South Africa’s post-apartheid gold and platinum mining industries.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

lgn

al

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List