lang: en
Summary
In May 1935, black African mineworkers on the Copperbelt of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) struck against a wage reduction and an increase in the native tax. The strike spread from Mufulira to Rhokana and Roan Antelope mines, involving mass meetings, work stoppages, and leafleting. After six miners were killed and many wounded by askari fire, the strike collapsed, but a commission of inquiry acknowledged some grievances and dismissed an unpopular compound manager, setting the stage for future labor organizing.
Tactics used
Tactics used
Background
By 1924, Northern Rhodesia was a British protectorate, and the Copperbelt mines were controlled by British, South African, and US companies. Black African mineworkers faced poor working conditions, deep wage inequalities, cramped company compounds, and physical abuse, while a sudden increase in the native tax and a reduction in industrial wages in May 1935 triggered the strike.
What happened
On May 20, 1935, notices of the tax increase were posted at Roan Antelope mine, while at Mufulira mine police shouted the news, prompting the first strike there. [source: nv-database] Over the following days, workers held mass meetings and work stoppages, and by May 23 mine management claimed control, detaining strike leaders, though some escaped to Rhokana [source: nv-database]. On May 25, Rhokana workers gave notice of intent to strike, and the strike began on May 27 despite at least 75 arrests; troops were flown in to patrol the compound [source: nv-database]. On May 28, a worker distributing leaflets at Roan Antelope was caught, and the next day eighty askari attacked strikers with batons; strikers threw stones and sticks, and askari opened fire, killing six and wounding twenty-two [source: nv-database]. At Mufulira, strikers protested in lighter spirits, shouting down the District Officer and scattering when askari marched in [source: nv-database]. After the violence, askari were replaced by military police, and on May 30 forty-four leaders were seized and sent to Ndola; most strikers returned to work the next day [source: nv-database]. Renewed protests in late July ended the 1935 strike [source: nv-database].
Key people & organizations
- Bemba people
- Mbeni dance association
- British colonial administration
- African Mineworkers’ Union
Outcome
Verdict: partial.
The strike did not achieve its immediate goals—the commission of inquiry deemed the tax increase ‘fair and reasonable’—but it acknowledged corporal punishment as a cause, formed oversight committees, and dismissed an unpopular compound manager. Although no fundamental changes occurred, the strike influenced British colonial attitudes and set the stage for later successes by the African Mineworkers’ Union in the 1950s. [source: nv-database]
Lessons
- Worker associations and cultural groups can serve as effective organizing hubs for protest.
- Even a violently repressed strike can shift official attitudes and lay groundwork for future gains.
- Coordinated action across multiple sites can amplify pressure on authorities.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py