A form of race conscious craft unionism was, as a result, almost inevitable in South Africa, and came to be adopted by other labour elites developing within the society, for example the railway workers.10 Thus, the major labour events of the next one and a half decades may be seen in these terms, allowing the strikes and mining disputes of 1913, 1914 and 1922 to become more explicable. The 1913 strike was an attempt, by the mining unions, to gain official recognition from the Chamber. The Chamber of Mines, however, was adverse to union approaches, African and White scab labour kept the mines working and the strike ended in martial......