Locating South Africa in the third world: Comparative perspectives on patterns of industrialisation and political trade unionism in South America

Abstract

This paper argues that a comparative study of trade union movements in South Africa and South America reveals interesting similarities, particularly in relation to “political” trade unionism. It is argued that the historical development and nature of trade union organisation in South Africa follows more closely the patterns in the more industrialised countries of South America (Chile, Brazil and Argentina) than those of tropical Africa. An important reason for this, it is suggested, is that relatively similar patterns of industrialisation were followed. These include the early industrialisation of the late 1800s, the beginnings of import substitution industrialisation between the wars and post‐1945 dependency on transnational corporations. and their emergent mass production industries. Further broad economic, political and ideological factors which shape the form of militant, socialist‐orientated trade unionism in these countries are considered. The paper attempts to identify similar patterns while not ig...