1971–72 Namibian contract workers strike
Namibian general strike / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1971–72 Namibian contract workers general strike was a labour dispute in Namibia between African contract workers (particularly miners)[6] and the apartheid government. Workers sought to end the contract-labour system, which many described as close to slavery.[7][8] An underlying goal was the promotion of independence under SWAPO leadership.[8]
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1971–1972 Namibian Contract Strike | |||
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Part of the Namibian War of Independence and Apartheid | |||
Date | 13 December 1971 (1971-12-13) - March 1972 (1972-03) | ||
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Goals | To end the contract labour system Better working/living conditions | ||
Resulted in | End of SWANLA contract labour New contract labour system established | ||
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The strike began on 13 December 1971 in Windhoek and on the 14th in Walvis Bay before spreading to the US-owned[3] Tsumeb Mine and beyond. Approximately 25,000 workers participated in the strike, primarily those from Ovamboland in the country's densely-populated north.[9][10][8] The strike continued into the next year, ending in March 1972.