Rand capitalists and Chinese resistance.
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Date
Authors
Harris, Karen L
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Departement van Geskiedenis Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit / Department of History Rand Afrikaans University
Abstract
• Opsomming:
In hulle poging om die invoer van Chinese
kontrakarbeid aan die begin van hierdie eeu te
regverdig, het die Randse kapitaliste hierdie
potensiële arbeidsmark as gedweë, onderdanig en
dienswillig uitgebeeld. Om opposisie te paai, het bulle
saam met die Britse koloniale regering beperkende
regulasies geformuleer ten einde streng beheer uit te
oefen en maksimum resultate uit die Chinese
ongeskoolde arbeiders te kry. Ten spyte van hierdie
beperkinge het die Chinese, net soos ander geskoolde
en ongeskoolde mynwerkers aan die Randse myne,
die uitbuiting deur die kapitalistiese stelsel aktief
teengestaan met alle moontlike metodes tot hulle
beskikking. Hierdie weerstand het van drostery tot
algemene weiering om te werk gestrek, die opvatting
van 'n passiewe en onderdanige Chinese arbeidsmag
weerlê en terselfdertyd die omvang en aard van
arbeids aktiwiteite aan die Randse goudmyne
uitgebrei.
• Summary: In their efforts to justify the importation of Chinese indentured labour on the gold mines at the turn of this century, the Rand capitalists portrayed this potential workforce as docile, submissive and obedient In order to appease opposition, they, together with the British colonial government, drafted restrictive regulations to exercise extreme control and exact maximum output from the Chinese unskilled labourers. However, despite these constraints, the Chinese, not unlike the other skilled and unskilled employees on the Rand mines, actively resisted the exploitation of the capitalist system by all means at their disposal. This resistance, which ranged from desertion to general refusal to work, disproved conceptions of a passive and submissive Chinese workforce, while at the same time augmented the scope and nature of labour activity on the Rand gold mines.
• Summary: In their efforts to justify the importation of Chinese indentured labour on the gold mines at the turn of this century, the Rand capitalists portrayed this potential workforce as docile, submissive and obedient In order to appease opposition, they, together with the British colonial government, drafted restrictive regulations to exercise extreme control and exact maximum output from the Chinese unskilled labourers. However, despite these constraints, the Chinese, not unlike the other skilled and unskilled employees on the Rand mines, actively resisted the exploitation of the capitalist system by all means at their disposal. This resistance, which ranged from desertion to general refusal to work, disproved conceptions of a passive and submissive Chinese workforce, while at the same time augmented the scope and nature of labour activity on the Rand gold mines.
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Citation
Harris, K.L. 1994. Rand capitalists and Chinese resistance. Contree : Tydskrif vir Suid-Afrikaanse stedelike streekgeskiedenis = Contree : Journal for South African urban and regional history. 35:19-31, Jun. [http://dspace.nwu.ac.za/handle/10394/4969]