Let us not be slaves until we die: the lives of chokka fishers

THEME: Mobilising for socio, economic and political campaigns

TITLE:  Let us not be slaves until we die: the lives of chokka fishers

PUBLISHED BY: Centre for Integrated Post-School Education and Training (CIPSET), Nelson Mandela University

WHO IS THIS FOR: This booklet is a collection of life histories from South African fishers gathered through in-depth interviews, analysing fishers’ payslips, conducting desk top research on the squid fishing industry; and notes from numerous meetings with the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Department of Labour, and employers. It tells the story of chokka fishers from their perspective and experiences. And while  this is the story of a group of workers within a specific industry, it is also the story of the social relations that shape the world of workers, and it talks to the role of the state in maintaining these relations. It is part of the universal story of how the exploitation of workers gives rise to the accumulation of wealth and privilege by a small elite.

This booklet is for the use of community educators, self-organised community groups and trade unions that aim to build autonomous, democratic, working-class organisations.

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Let us not be slaves until we die: the lives of chokka fishers