From Illiteracy to Dignity and Why Worker Education Still Matters
When trade unionists like those in the National Union of Mineworkers first walked through mine hostels and underground stations in the mid-1990s, one reality struck them again and again: many workers who handled explosives, heavy machinery and complex tasks every day could not read or write. Illiteracy was not an abstract statistic. It showed up when a worker could not read a safety notice, understand a medical report or sign their name on a form.
This lack of basic education carried painful consequences. Some workers lost their jobs simply because they could not complete written assessments. Others signed documents they did not fully understand. Many felt ashamed when asked to read something aloud in front of others. Illiteracy made them vulnerable in the workplace and invisible in broader society.
That is why education became central to the union movement’s mission. Worker education was never a favour or an act of charity – it was a matter of dignity and justice. Through basic literacy programmes, night classes on the mine and later structured initiatives like Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET), workers began to reclaim what apartheid had systematically denied them: the right to learn.
In mining communities across South Africa, powerful moments unfolded in these classrooms. A worker who had signed with a thumbprint his entire life proudly wrote his name for the first time. A mineworker who had relied on others to read letters from home began reading them himself. Confidence grew alongside skills, and with confidence came the courage to participate in meetings, elections and negotiations.
Over time, the vision expanded beyond literacy. Through institutions like the Mineworkers Investment Trust and the JB Marks Education Trust Fund, the children of mineworkers were given opportunities to access university and college education. Some became teachers, engineers, doctors, accountants, researchers and public servants – reshaping the narrative that mining families were destined only for manual labour.
So why does worker education still matter today, in an era of smartphones, automation and digital disruption? It matters because inequality remains high, and millions of workers still face precarious employment, unsafe conditions and limited access to training. Without education, they struggle to adapt to new technologies, assert their rights or seize emerging opportunities.
Education equips workers to understand their contracts, challenge unfair practices and engage meaningfully in workplace forums. It enables shop stewards and worker leaders to analyse complex information, negotiate with management and contribute to policy debates. It also helps families navigate financial decisions, healthcare systems and the ever-shifting labour market.
Most importantly, education changes how workers see themselves. A miner who completes ABET or a further qualification no longer feels trapped in the role assigned to them by history. They begin to imagine different futures for themselves and their children. That shift in self-perception is one of the most powerful outcomes of any education programme.
Worker education will remain essential as long as there are people whose labour builds the economy but whose voices are marginalised in decision-making. Investing in their learning is not only a tribute to past struggles, but a practical tool for building a fairer, more democratic South Africa.
From illiteracy to dignity, from thumbprints to signatures and degrees, the journey of worker education shows that when working people gain knowledge, they gain power. That is why unions, trusts and progressive employers must continue to treat education not as a side-project, but as a central pillar of transformation.
