Ebook: The spirit of Marikana: the rise of insurgent trade unionism in South Africa

Glossary of South African organisations -- List of acronyms and abbreviations -- List of leaders -- Timeline of key events -- Acknowledgements -- Maps: 1. Approximate location of South Africa's platinum deposits and mines -- 2. South Africa, with a focus on the north west -- Introduction -- The spark underground -- The spirit of Marikana is born -- Amplats carries the torch -- The rise of the AMCU and the demise of worker committees -- Insurgent trade unionism and the Great Strike of 2014 -- Postscript -- Appendices: A. Interview methodology -- b. Workers' secretary's notes of a meeting with Karee Management, 21 June 2012 -- C. Memorandum from Khuseleka 1 and 2 to management.;On 16 August 2012, thirty-four black mineworkers were gunned down by the police under the auspices of South Africa's African National Congress (ANG) in what has become known as the Marikana massacre. The Spirit of Marikana tells the story of the union leaders at the world's three largest platinum mining companies who survived the barrage of state violence, intimidation, torture and murder. What began as a discussion about wage increases between two workers in the changing rooms at one mine became a rallying cry for economic freedom and basic dignity. This gripping account is the first comprehensive study of this movement, revealing how seemingly ordinary people became heroic figures who transformed their workplaces and their country.