The Wristband Migrant Workers!

[Michael Alexander]

This was before my time, but a lot of the old timers would remember how the migrant workers were

branded with a plastic colour coded wristband. These were attached to their wrists on arrival at

CDM prior to going onto the ine. Each Band had an identity number and this identified each

individual. Their contract time on the mine was 9 months. The domestics going rate in the 1960's

was sixpence an hour. There was also a curfew imposed , that started at 8.00pm and any migrant

employee who was found to be outside the compound grounds had to be in posession of a "pass" that

needed to be signed by the employer, giving the number on the said wristband.

Take note  of the colours of the wristbands in the following snaps, each area at CDM had it's own

coloured wristband,

Thanks to the old timer who provided this info.....

[Ricky Barron (RIP)]

Thanks for pre-empting part 2 of my present lesson Michael!

[Gordon Brown]

When I joined CDM in 1968, all workers had wrist bands. As far as I remember they were all coloured green. They were welded together at the ends and could not be removed until their contract was finished.Their Company number was burned into the plastic and it coincided with the number appearing on the employees pay card. In those days they were referred to as 'boys' and the Headman as a 'boss boy'. Working hours as many will recall, was a compulsory 60 hr. week with the third Saturday of the month off.In all written memos and reports boys were referred to by their Company number and not by their name.
With reference to labour wage statistics, the average black wage expressed as a percentage of the average white wage was as follows
1945-1948...3%
1949-1952...4%
1953-1954...6%
1955-1961...7%
1962-1964...9%
Between 1965 and 1972 ,it varied each year between 11% and 15% In this period the United Nations started to take an interest in CDM's operations.
This prompted a greater increase each year pushing the average up as follows
1973...17%
1974...21%
1975...23%
1976...25%
1977...28%
1978...30%
1979...33%
1980...35%
Source: CDM Statistical Schedules- Labour and Wage Statistics for the Years 1945 to 1980

[Gordon Brown]

A few more stats from the same source:
Ave. monthly white wage in 1945    R93.40
Ave. monthly black wage in 1945     R2.39

AS Above for                    1950     R121.07
                                                 R   5.65

                                      1955     R170.02
                                                  R 11.35

                                      1960     R189.82
                                                 R  13.62

                                      1965     R232.87
                                                 R  26.25

                                       1970    R301.81
                                                  R 40.58

                                        1975   R605.41
                                                  R140.01

                                        1980   R1133.56
                                                  R 401.24   

[John Creedy]

Hi

I remember those wrist bands as well....  I recall my parents having a "pass book" that had to be signed if the individual worked after 8 o'clock at night and this had to be presented to the gate at the hostal.  It was date and time marked as well.
The pictures also rang a bell.  Hopefully all that has changed now eh??
John

[Michael Alexander]

I was talking to an old Oshiwambo man the other day, he was recalling the old migrant system in the 60's and 70's..... told me this tale....

Back in the day, most of the migrants that came down from the North were recruited through the local churches in the North..... Now most of the Oshiwambo could not read or write..... and they were off to work on the mines for two years..... a long stint to go without seeing their families again....... Often tales were recalled that the Husband would leave for the mines when his wife was 7 or 8 months pregnant and when he returned he would be met by this two year old child, who had no idea that this man was his father...

Anyhow... the interesting part..... these guys that could not read or write... were given 24 little sticks by the villagers before they left..... these sticks were packed into their meagre belongings and taken down to the compounds on the mine.,.... the instruction being..... everytime you recieve pay...... you throw away one stick...... that way, when you get to the last one... you will know that you will be going home in 30 days.,..... Indeed a novel way for a chap that does not how to read or write....

Interesting to hear these tales from black Oranjemunders from the past...... the young black people of today, have no idea what their parents went through......

[georg ruf jr.]

Interesting "news" to me. Great topic.

[SandyB]

Those  gentle folk  who were entrusted with looking after  us ,,,  I only have good memories ....  bless them all ...

[toonfandangl]

Yes I remember the wrist bands the Ovombos wore, the house boys (that was their title in them days) wore green bands, and I remember one night a helicopter flew over the town with its search light on and then headed in a northerly direction.The next day at work Central Fields there was a bit of buzz going around about the night before and the story I was told was that when the Ovombo's were signed up for the company they were then flown down from Ovomberland the time that it took say two hours (I don't remember the actual time it took) then if a new Ovombo was unhappy then he would think it was not that far to travel and would try and leg it back to his homeland. Hence the search by the helicopter whether this is true ???