Labour Party (South Africa)

The South African Labour Party (short Labour Party, LP, Afrikaans: Arbeiders Party, German about: South African Labour Party ) was a party in the South African Union. From 1924 to 1933 and from 1939 to 1945 she was involved in the government. They formed a coalition with the nationalists here who were responsible for the worsening racial politics.

History

The LP was founded in 1910 by union members and members of the Independent Labour Party of the Transvaal. Establishing in Johannesburg all left-wing groups in the country were invited who had been inspired by the founded in the U.S. labor movement in 1905 Industrial Workers of the World ( IWW). The LP represented initially exclusively the interests of the "white" workers and was a forerunner of the policy of apartheid. The LP said quickly away from the currents of syndicalism. In 1915, the International Socialist League split off from the LP, which was also of the line of the IWW.

From 1910 to 1958 she presented Abgeordndete the National Assembly, but was never the strongest ruling party or the main opposition party. In 1924 she received her highest number of voters with 45 380 votes and 14 percent.

From 1910 to about 1933, the LP was led by the British -born Colonel Frederic Hugh Page Creswell ( 1866-1948 ). In addition, acted a " chairman ", initially Henry Sampson. After the First World War, there were strikes of white workers as the edge of revolt, which were put down by the government of Jan Smuts (South African Party, SAP). The followers of the LP allied themselves with the then National Party (NP ) and formed with her after the 1924 elections, a coalition government, called The Pact, the defense minister as the LP Member Thomas Boydell belonged next to Creswell. The LP is to improve the living standards of white workers and to give unemployed whites work succeeded. This was done by Civilized Labour Policy with laws such as the Industrial Conciliation Act No. 11 of 1924 ( about: " Industrial Arbitration Act"), the minimum Wages Act No. 27 of 1925 ( " Minimum Wage Law") and the Mines and Works Amendment Act No. 25 of 1926 ( " mines and factory Amendment Act ").

1928 came to a split after the LP Minister Walter Madeley refused to recognize the union Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU ), which also included non-whites. The National Council Labour refused to accept the dismissal Madeleys. The Madeley - wing then left the government, the Creswell - wing remained even after the elections in 1929 in the government, although the NP had obtained an absolute majority of seats. However, 1933 ended the NP the Pact and merged with the SAP, which they presented as a United Party the next government. When they broke up in 1939, the remaining United Party was formed under Jan Smuts a coalition with the LP, which lasted during the Second World War. At the elections of 1943, the LP made ​​a pact under Madeley with Smuts, but in 1945 left the government Madeley. At the elections in 1948 and 1953, the LP also made ​​a pact with the UP, but they could not form the government. Died in 1953, the LP - chairman John Christie during the election campaign. His successor Alex Hepple tried the LP to a socialist party with ties to the opposition African National Congress ( ANC) to transform, but the LP thus lost rapidly in importance. In the parliamentary elections in 1958, she won no seats. The successor party Conservative Workers' Party won no seats in 1961 also.

Party leaders

Others

1969 in South Africa, the Labour Party founded, which should represent the coloreds within the system of apartheid. The best known member was Allan Hendrickse.