accept a retirement order, and instead On Wednesday 6 Murch, British Leyland sacked all 220 of thr African workers at its branch in Durban, South Africa The management took this action after the workers had demanded a wage increase through their union, the African Metal and Allied Workers Union (which has 100% membership in the plant). British Leyland is no exception in refusing to recognise Africun trade unions, demanding instead that the works committee.
STOOGES
is simply a company-controlled device through which the bossea appoint a limited number of stooges to act on behalf of the entire workforce. The British Leyland workers refused to use this procedure and instead went on strike-a move which prompted their sacking.
Since then, a compromise solution has been worked out following a hurried visit to Durban by Leyland's finance and planning director in Britain, After all, the continuation of the strike might have brought adverse publicity at the very time when attention has heen directly focused on the labour Select Committee. negotiations be carried out through However the works committee where to live).
September. benefit. u ritlco of the NEF'% presenpe neubausr spakesaen Ekrx. despile labir oun efforb anil CONTROL SLIPS AWAY situation in South Africa through the recent eport of the Parlamentary So British Leyland have agreed to re employ all the workers and to negotiate a wige increase Chrough a committee elecled by the whole workforce-although they still retuse to recognise the union NOT UNIQUE However this situation is far from unique to British Leyland, Indeed, the South African Government will only recognise white trade unions. Blacks are excluded from these and their own unions are denied recog nition, Furthermote, it is a criminal offence for blacks lo go on strike.
Nevertheless, the Government has recently been shaken by a flood of strikes. In 1972 • huge strike swept Namibia, involving over 13,000 workers who demanded the end of the contract labour system (whereby a worker does not have the right to change his/her job or to choose MORE STRIKES In the United Nations report on South Africa (published in June 1973) six different strikes by black workers during the second half of 1972 are listed, involving miners, dockers and bus drivers among others, But for the first four montls ol 1973 mo less than 34 strikes are listed, including the strike in Natal which lasted for live weeks and involved more than 100,000 workers.
Such actions are not undertaken lightly, Many workers have boen killed -for example, the eleven African miners saot by police last Others bare been given victous prisort sentences, or have simply been sacked-2,600 workers lost their Jobs at Connolidated Textile Mills, for instance, after a recent SKE LOU BRU LU DU SARNEE means to slarve, since naving is inpossible on current wage leveb, and there is no unemployaent CONCESSIONS The determination of black is lipping further and curther awar. in many areas ir the Centra Highlands and coastal rogont, local fanctionanes ane Leng exscured or arrested hy NEF units le ful vioa of the local militia, In the sitio, maswhie, the miltines of die herwerecieisckoue sparred cn ty Che flick of the ceneomie crisis and the carror The telesse of NL.F calte end *acutalst Thind Fosen leadeis tescorly has pizyod a oil purt tn sharpening chese sauros tns de pirote tonalne to de beyond the limies laid down by their The impact of chie social upheaval can workers to continue the struggle has aready won some concessions.
Wages have improved, and the Gorernent has also moved to legalise strikes by blacks in certain, limited instances.
In Britain, publicity on the involvement of British firms in the super-exploitation of black workers forced the Tories to act up a Parlamentary Select Commuttee to look into the question. More sig nificantly, a delegation from the TUC was allowed to visit South Africa.
No-one expected the Toryappointed Select Committee to be unduly concerned with finding ways to advanoe the workers struggle. So it came as no surprise when they reported recently to find that the beat they could do was to advise companies to pull out of South Africa if they could not afford ()) to pay wages apore tae soe-auea "'poverty datum line'.
OPPORTUNITY
But the TEC had a fantastic chance to attack the migratory Inbour system the pasa Jawe, the catch-all Suppression of Communisnt Act, and to desand that full recognition be given to black trade unions. They could nave used this opportunity to pledge their full support for all struggles of black workers, and to undertake a campaign to informn and involve British workers.
Instead, they Imply 'pointed to the need for the establishment of the right to freedons of associntion and collective bargaining through trade Wions Tor al workers E fact, the report consisted of little eise but meaningless platitudes about the need for 'a living wage and fair conditions of employment".
There is no need, bowever, for the spinelessness of the TUC to be reflected in the rank-and-file organisations of the working class. After all, it is precisely the fact that wages are low in South Africa which cnables firmos like British Leyland to hold over the beads of cheir British worker the threat to transfer production shocld milicant strugeles bere be launched.
IE British shop stewards" organisa tions were to threaten strike action in detence of their Affican brothers, thar would go n tong way to foiling these plans by the British capicalists childron and the cloaring of vast aneas nf river and sea of fish.
It is estimated that the oculogical effects of thei attemptx to save Viernan Tor the 'fiee world" will continue for more than 100 years. Nor that Thiee Is tikely 1o Suse murl skon poce lis -he e unicel to last as culer of even a portion of Vlerson for moone than the Tiniest fracrion or DAVID JOHNSON
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Internationa Marxist