Table Of ContentA Working Class in the Making
/
A WORKING CLASS
IN THE MAKING
Belgian Colonial Labor Policy,
Private Enterprise, and the
African Mineworker, 1907-1951
John Higginson
The University of Wisconsin I'res§
A WORKING CLASS
IN THE MAKING
Belgian Colonial Labor Policy,
Private Enterprise, and the
African Mineworker, 1907-1951
John Higginson
The University of Wisconsin I'res§
To my family-Mama Ghlistine, John Falid, Toye, and Malaika-
end to the I)eople of Zaire and southern Afriea
The University of Wisconsin Press
114 North Murray Street
Madison, Wiscoflsin 53715
The University of Wisconsin Press, I.td.
I Cower Street
London WCIE 6HA, England
Copyright ®1989
The Board of Regents of the UrLiversity of Wisconsin System
An rights reserved
54321
Printed in the United States of America
Publication of this book was made possible in part
by a grant froln the Afldrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Library of Coflgre§s Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Higginson, John, 1949-
A working class in the making: Belgiaa colonial labor policy,
private enteprise, and 't|oLhea A Hfirgicgainns Ionni.neworker, 1907-1951 /
328 pp. cm.
Bibliography: pp. 2,79-295.
hcludes index.
I. Miners-Zaire-History. 2. Mineral industries-Zaire-IIistory.
3. Working class-Zaire-History. 4. Belgium-ColoDies-Africa.
I. Title.
HD8039.M61Z284 1989
331. 7'622,'09675109041 -dc20 8 8-40435
ISBN 0-299-12070-8 GIP
ISBN 0-2,99-12074-0 (pbk.)
To my family-Mama Ghlistine, John Falid, Toye, and Malaika-
end to the I)eople of Zaire and southern Afriea
The University of Wisconsin Press
114 North Murray Street
Madison, Wiscoflsin 53715
The University of Wisconsin Press, I.td.
I Cower Street
London WCIE 6HA, England
Copyright ®1989
The Board of Regents of the UrLiversity of Wisconsin System
An rights reserved
54321
Printed in the United States of America
Publication of this book was made possible in part
by a grant froln the Afldrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Library of Coflgre§s Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Higginson, John, 1949-
A working class in the making: Belgiaa colonial labor policy,
private enteprise, and 't|oLhea A Hfirgicgainns Ionni.neworker, 1907-1951 /
328 pp. cm.
Bibliography: pp. 2,79-295.
hcludes index.
I. Miners-Zaire-History. 2. Mineral industries-Zaire-IIistory.
3. Working class-Zaire-History. 4. Belgium-ColoDies-Africa.
I. Title.
HD8039.M61Z284 1989
331. 7'622,'09675109041 -dc20 8 8-40435
ISBN 0-299-12070-8 GIP
ISBN 0-2,99-12074-0 (pbk.)
Contents
Illustratiofls and Maps ix
Tables xi-xii
Abbreviations xiii
Acknowledgments xv-xvii
Note to the Reader xix
Introduction 3
Part One. Copper, Community, and Death
Chapter One. Getting on the Ground: The Practical Beginnings of
the Uhion Miniere du Haut-Katanga, 1907-1918 19
Chapter Two. Obstacles to Growth: The Union Miniere in the Period
Immediately Following tbe First World War 38
Part Thro. The Quaking of a Generation: The African Minewolkers
from 1927, to 1939
Chapter Thiee. African Workers in the hdustrial Towns,
1919-1930 61
Cbapter Four. From StabilizatioD to Labor Unrest, 192,7-1931 86
Chapter Five. The Ijabor Unrest of 1931 and Its Aftermath 113
Cbapter Six. The Reconstruction of the Mining industry,
1932,-1939 130
I'art Three. Mineworkers against the Company and the State
Chapter Seven. The Political Experiences of the African Mineworkers,
1937-1941 161
Chapter Eight. The Leviathan Collapsed and Rebuilt 185
Chapter Nine. CoDclusion 2,09
Epilogue. New Battles, Old Temin: A Note on the CoDseils indigenes
d'Enterprise 2,17
Notes 2,23
Bibliography 279
Index 297
vri
Contents
Illustratiofls and Maps ix
Tables xi-xii
Abbreviations xiii
Acknowledgments xv-xvii
Note to the Reader xix
Introduction 3
Part One. Copper, Community, and Death
Chapter One. Getting on the Ground: The Practical Beginnings of
the Uhion Miniere du Haut-Katanga, 1907-1918 19
Chapter Two. Obstacles to Growth: The Union Miniere in the Period
Immediately Following tbe First World War 38
Part Thro. The Quaking of a Generation: The African Minewolkers
from 1927, to 1939
Chapter Thiee. African Workers in the hdustrial Towns,
1919-1930 61
Cbapter Four. From StabilizatioD to Labor Unrest, 192,7-1931 86
Chapter Five. The Ijabor Unrest of 1931 and Its Aftermath 113
Cbapter Six. The Reconstruction of the Mining industry,
1932,-1939 130
I'art Three. Mineworkers against the Company and the State
Chapter Seven. The Political Experiences of the African Mineworkers,
1937-1941 161
Chapter Eight. The Leviathan Collapsed and Rebuilt 185
Chapter Nine. CoDclusion 2,09
Epilogue. New Battles, Old Temin: A Note on the CoDseils indigenes
d'Enterprise 2,17
Notes 2,23
Bibliography 279
Index 297
vri
Illustrations and Maps
ILLUSTRATIONS
On the work sites
Lubumbashi works circa 1920153
Busanga circa 1935153
Kipushi circa 1939154
Men and machine;s
Fumacemen and supervisor at Lubumbashi circa 192,2 154
Working a bandjig at Busanga circa 1935 155
Machinists at Atelier Centrale in 7adotville circa 1935 155
E=:op±a;ibw:;:S:u:=?id::hLegIf48fa=€:esatthecompanyme§S
Wives and children of African workers in line for rations
circa 1948156
Vetemns
Forty- and fifty-year men receiving company medals and
commendations 157
Forty- and fifty-year men pose for a group picture 157
Fifty-year men 157
uns
Katanga Province, Belgian Congo, circa 1932,-33 14
Southern Africa, circa 1932,-33, with special emphasis oD the
Union Miniere du Haut-Katanga work sites and the regional
rail system 15
Illustrations and Maps
ILLUSTRATIONS
On the work sites
Lubumbashi works circa 1920153
Busanga circa 1935153
Kipushi circa 1939154
Men and machine;s
Fumacemen and supervisor at Lubumbashi circa 192,2 154
Working a bandjig at Busanga circa 1935 155
Machinists at Atelier Centrale in 7adotville circa 1935 155
E=:op±a;ibw:;:S:u:=?id::hLegIf48fa=€:esatthecompanyme§S
Wives and children of African workers in line for rations
circa 1948156
Vetemns
Forty- and fifty-year men receiving company medals and
commendations 157
Forty- and fifty-year men pose for a group picture 157
Fifty-year men 157
uns
Katanga Province, Belgian Congo, circa 1932,-33 14
Southern Africa, circa 1932,-33, with special emphasis oD the
Union Miniere du Haut-Katanga work sites and the regional
rail system 15
Tables
1.1 Nulnber and Percentage o£ BTK Recruits Employed in the
Mining and Rail Industries and as Casual Labor in
Katanga, 1914-192,1 30
1.2 Number of Men Ill at the Three Main Union Miniere Sites
in 1915-1916, by Disease 34,
1.3 Mortality at the Three Main Ufliori Miniere Work Sites for
Congolese and Foreign African Workers in the Last Half
of 1916 35
2.1 BTK Recruits for the Union Miniere from Tanganika-Moero,
Lubefu, Luluaburg, Kabinda, Lusambo, Lomami, and
Kanda Kanda, 1918-1924 45
2.2, BTK Recruitment, Tanganika-Moero, 1917-192,1 45
::#ieieis:::ooiie¥si|:d¥e:I:::f:i::::i6:OTF;:o::;;re::;stLh:ua
3.1 Birth and Death Rates per 1,000 Households at the UMHK,
1927-1930 74
3.2 Official African Populatiofls of Katanga in 1930 and
Augmented Total 78
4.1 Nulnber of African Workers at the Union Miniere and Gross
Annual Copper Production (in toDs), 1919-1931 88
4.2 Number of African Workers at Lubumbashi, by Job
Classification or Department and by Worker Status, from
August 192,8 to February 192,9 97
4.3 Number of Overtime Hours for African Operatives, by Job
Classification or Department, at Lubumbashi, from
August 1928 to Febniary 192,9 99
4.4 Number and Percentage of Thavatlx L6gers amoDg the
African Workers at the Major Work Sites of the Union
Miniere du Haut-Katanga as of 31 December 192,8 loo
