Overview and Impact of Celebrated Cases of Industrial Conflict in the workplace

Industrial conflict arises from the unbearable conditions in the workplace. This can be observed from the emergence and growth of Slavery, Feudalism and Capitalism. 

The Period of Slavery : 

• This is characterised by forced labour.
•  The system of production was based on slavery.
•  The relation of production was a master-servant relationship. 
• There was the presence of slave rebellion otherwise called Slave Revolution or insurrection e.g Slave Revolution of Haiti
• Slave Labour was abolished
• Emergence of Feudalism

The Period of Feudalism :

• The system of production was based on feudalism.
• The relation of production was landlord- serfs relationship.
• Serf were peasant farmers who worked for landowners in exchange for means of survival
• Crude implements were used 
• Emergence of capitalism 

The Period of Capitalism :

• The system of production was based on capitalism
• The relation of production was capitalist - Labour relationship
• Mechanised implements were used 
• Presence of industrial conflict at the highest level.

Celebrated Cases of Industrial Conflict:

• Luddite movement in the UK: This was workers struggled against the introduction of new technologies in the textile manufacturing company in England.
• The Anarchist movement in the USA: This was workers struggle for the reduction of working hours in the USA.
• The Marikana Massacre in South Africa: This was miners struggle for a wage increase and improvement of working conditions in the mining industry in South Africa.

The highlight of the Luddite Movement:

• This was founded by Ned Ludd.
• Ned Ludd was an apprentice in the textile industry in England
• He struggled against the introduction of new technology in the textile industry in England.
• Mobilisation and championed the vandalisation of factory equipment or machines to sabotage the efforts of factory owners
• The movement gained momentum but only lasted between the period of 1811-1813.
• They preferred the traditional method of production and believed that new technology would affect their job and contribute to unemployment.
• The factory owner got support from the government and deployed police and soldiers to suppress and stop the movement of the Luddites.
• The leaders and the groups were arrested and jailed while some were evil.

The Anarchist Movement in the USA:

• This was spearheaded by the American Federation of Labour (AFL) in 1886.
• This was workers struggle for the reduction in working hours.
• It is regarded as the 8-hours movement or anarchist movement.
• At that period the usual working was 10-14 hours per day.
• On the 1st of May, 1886, the American Federation of Labour (AFL) I.e the main labour centre in the USA declared a strike, mobilised and occupy major streets for days to demand the reduction in the working hours to 8- hours per day.
• On the 3rd of May, 1886, the police intervened to suppress and stop the protest. In the process, a policeman fired a shot at the protesters.

           1 striker died

          5 or 6 strikers wounded

        An undisclosed number of the strikers were injured 

• On the 4th of May, 1886, a meeting was organised by the leaders at hay market square in Chicago, USA to protest against police brutality.
• Before the protest, a colon of 180men matched to the venue where the strikers were holding the meeting and told them to disappear. In the process, a protester threw a bomb at the police

          7 police officers died

        70 were seriously wounded

        An undisclosed number of police officers were injured.

• The police retaliated by shooting into the crowd of strikers
• An undisclosed number of death and injury among the workers.  

Homes and offices of the leaders were ransacked. Many were arrested and detained. 

•  8 active leaders (Parsons, Spies, Fielden, Schwab, Fischer, Lingg, Engle, Neebe)  were charged with conspiracy to murder in connection to throwing a bomb at the hay market square in Chicago without a piece of evidence to prove their claims. 
• A kangaroo court found 8 of the leaders of the cult guilty and sentenced them to death.
• On the 11th of November 1887,
•  4 of the leaders(Albert Parsons, August Spies, Adolf Fischer, George Engle)  sentenced to death were hanged 
• 1 of the leaders( Louis Lingg) later committed suicide in the prison.
• On the 26th of June 1893, 
• The remaining 3 leaders (Samuel Fielden,  Oscar Neebe, Micheal Schwab) were pardoned due to a lack of evidence to show that they're guilty of the crime.

Eventually, the demand for reduction of working hours was granted. This led to a foundation for 8-hours of work per day and 40-hours per week in many countries. Since that period organised labour in different parts of the world has continued to celebrate workers day on the 1st of May every year, in commemoration of the labour struggle.

The Marikana Massacre in South Africa :

• This was workers struggle that emanated in the mining industry in South African.
• It's started as a strike among the rock drilling operator(RDO) in the mining industry in South Africa.
• In January 2013, the rock drilling operators started a strike to demand a 200% increase in wage adjustment from R3000 to R9000 per month.
• This Rock Drilling Operator encouraged workers in other Drilling Sector of the Mining Industry to join the strike. 
• However, they insisted that the National Union of Mine Workers(NUMW) which was the main recognised union in Africa should not represent them. 
• The Rock Drilling Operator mobilised and forced other workers to join the struggle and they established a new union called the Association mining and construction Union(AMCU) and confronted members of (NUMW).
• As of August 2012, 34 miners died
• 78 were seriously injured
• The increment was granted but not up to their demands 

2) The Impact ( Positive and Negative)

- Brief History

- Economic Impact in the workplace

- Employers and Employees Relationship ( Labour Management Relations)

- Tripartite Relationship ( State, employers and Employees ).

To be continued...