THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS’ UNION OF AFRICA

222pp., map, illus., hardback, d.w. edges bumped, foxing on endpapers, Oxford University Press, Cape Town, 1978

Adapted from a Doctoral Thesis (Predating This Publication):

The present study has three primary aims:

Firstly, it seeks to provide a detailed, though not exhaustive, history of the I.C.U. (Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union) in a broadly chronological sequence. This includes examining its organisation and recording the actions, words, and thoughts of its leaders at various points in time. Quotations are used liberally, reflecting the belief that they convey thoughts and feelings more vividly and accurately than paraphrasing. Some details, which may initially appear trivial or redundant, are deliberately included to build a pointillist picture—one that conveys more in its entirety than the sum of its parts.

Secondly, the study aims to contextualise the I.C.U. within its historical setting, demonstrating that it was neither rootless nor entirely unique in its characteristics and activities.

Lastly, it offers an interpretative commentary that is intentionally measured and non-partisan.