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The Labour Studies Unit at Rhodes University will be formally named after Dr Neil Aggett at the end of a three-day programme starting tomorrow (Wednesday) evening.

The Neil Aggett Labour Studies Unit (NALSU) has been established in the Institute of Social and Economic Research at Rhodes in partnership with the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

Dr Aggett died in detention in 1982 after being tortured by the security police.

The programme gets underway on Wednesday evening with the first annual Neil Aggett Labour Studies Lecture which will be delivered by Beverley Naidoo, author of Death of an Idealist: In Search of Neil Aggett.

On Thursday, a Neil Aggett Colloquium will be held in the Makana City Hall on 3 April 2014 when speakers will include Beverley Naidoo, Jan Theron,             currently with UCT and former General Secretary of the Food and Canning Workers Union – Neil’s union – and its successor, the Food and Allied Workers Union.

Other speakers include: Katishi Masemola current General Secretary of the Food and Allied Workers Union, Dr Gavin Andersson, former trade unionist and currently Managing Director of the Seriti Institute, Ma Lydia Kompe, former trade unionist and MP, Sipho Kubeka, a former trade unionist, Jane Barrett from COSATU, and Prof Eddie Webster, Director of the Chris Hani Institute.

The formal naming ceremony will take place on Friday the morning with an address by Mcebisi Jonas, Eastern Cape MEC for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

Neil Aggett’s sister, Jill Burger, will formally open the unit and the building in which it is housed which will be named the Neil Aggett House.