William H. Andrews (unionist)
Encyclopedia
William Henry Andrews commonly known as Bill Andrews, was the first chairman of the South African Labour Party (SALP) and the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of South Africa. He was also active in the formation of the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union.
in 1890. He travelled to Johannesburg
in 1890, holding jobs on goldmines in the West Rand
in the 1890s. Increasingly prominent as a trade union organizer, he became the official South African organizer of the ASE, the president of the Witwatersrand Trades and Labour Council and the Political Labour League in 1905, the Labour Representation Committee in 1906 and the South African Labour Party in 1909.
In the 1912 Georgetown
by-election Andrews was elected a Labour MP. In 1915 he was elected the first president of the International Socialist League, which formed when anti-war socialists split from the SALP. He visited Britain in 1918, where he was impressed by the British shop stewards' movement. In 1921 he became the first general secretary of the Communist Party of South Africa, and in 1922 the editor of the party's newspaper The International. In 1925 he was elected the first secretary of the South African Trade Union Congress.
Biography
Born in England, Andrews joined the Amalgamated Society of EngineersAmalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union was a British trade union. It merged with the MSF to form Amicus in 2001.The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the "Old Mechanics" of 1826, which grew into the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in 1851...
in 1890. He travelled to Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
in 1890, holding jobs on goldmines in the West Rand
West Rand
The West Rand is the name of the urban western part of the Witwatersrand that is functionally merged with the Johannesburg conurbation. This area became settled by Europeans after a gold-bearing reef discovered in 1886 and sparked the gold rush that gave rise to the establishment of...
in the 1890s. Increasingly prominent as a trade union organizer, he became the official South African organizer of the ASE, the president of the Witwatersrand Trades and Labour Council and the Political Labour League in 1905, the Labour Representation Committee in 1906 and the South African Labour Party in 1909.
In the 1912 Georgetown
George, Western Cape
George is a city with 203,253 inhabitants in South Africa's Western Cape province. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre and the administrative and commercial hub of the Garden Route.- Location :...
by-election Andrews was elected a Labour MP. In 1915 he was elected the first president of the International Socialist League, which formed when anti-war socialists split from the SALP. He visited Britain in 1918, where he was impressed by the British shop stewards' movement. In 1921 he became the first general secretary of the Communist Party of South Africa, and in 1922 the editor of the party's newspaper The International. In 1925 he was elected the first secretary of the South African Trade Union Congress.
Further reading
- R. K. Cope, Comrade Bill. The Life and Times of W. H. Andrews, Workers' Leader, Cape Town, 1943.