The Forgotten Story of South Africa’s Radical Trade Union

The Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU) was a radical trade union formed on the docks of Cape Town in South Africa during the times of apartheid and segregation.

The Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU) was a radical trade union formed on the docks of Cape Town in South Africa during the times of apartheid and segregation. However, its revolutionary history does not find a place in the narratives of the struggles today. We take a brief look at the rise and fall of the ICU.