Socialist Organiser

The weekly of the fused Workers Socialist League, July 1981 to April 1984

Australian workers ive lead in solidarit!

Socialist Organiser no. 53, 17 September 1981 · scan pp. 5–6 · about 583 words

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which organises the dockers. lead them to rely on bosses' on workers and miltants to 5200, South Africa and and is allied closely to governments. The capitalist media in branches, trades councils. GWU, 9 Benbow Buildings, SAAWU. These workers have been Britain recognised the poten- Labour Party wards, AAM Beverley Street, Athlone, arrested for the 'crime' of tial threat of the Australian branches, and the coming Cape Town, South Africa.

Apanmewi Novemen Connenence -Sumcy Novemigen i, fworaz1Qamn estminestem Cathepmal Ionferemcer Centrem tonpetin remecę ж locom SW1. Open to all AAM members. details from AAM, 89 Charlotte St, LAST WEEK'S national trade union congress in Australia unanimously backed a resolution for solidarity action in support of workers in South Africa.

The resolution calls for a week or Diacking achon 1- - f notines against all South African vessels and cargo beginning Monday 14 September, in protest against the arrest of amar and blast trade union. ists this month.

Members

The South African workers are members of the militant union movement in the Eastern Cape, centred on the East London industrial area. Most are in the South Africa Allied Workers Union, which organises the majority of factory workers and is the major political force in the working class townships.

The others belong to the Cenaral Workers unon. IT VISIVAN - .... fighting for working class needs, against the bosses and their vicious apartheid regime.

They, and black workers throughout South Africa, will draw great strength and confidence from LEE SUIN- antidanna from the enlid. arity action by Australian workers. And this blacking action can strike real blows against the bosses' state.

The Australian move 111d gives a magnificent lead for international working class solidarity action.

It points the way to mobilising workers behind demands and actions that support our class allies in struggle, and that hit our common class enemy, the international capitalist class.

Pleas It shows a real fighting alternative to the dead-end pleas for UN sanctions, which take solidarity out of the hands of workers ana London W1 (01-580 5311). blacking campaign, greeted the new s silence.

And despite the commitment of floor speakers to action against the apartheidcapitalist state, it seems that TUC leaders preterred to ignore this major lead for solidarity during last week's TUC congress. Congress motions for UN sanctions against South Africa, while welcome indication of workers' feelings of solidarity, can be no substitute tor the necessary class action.

Cover

In the hands of labour bureaucrats, such motions are little more than a cover for their refusal to mobilise the massive strength of the labour movement in support of our South African class allies, and a cover for their policy of class collaboration.

socialst viralis Caninlict Mroanicer ralls raise this issue in union Labour Party congress --calling for a campaign of blacking action in support of the arrested South African workers, and for the building of links with the Australian and other labour movements to lay the basis for future coordinated solidarity action.

Support

The TUC congress has backed a resolution motion 15 moved by Mike Power of the NGA -which calls for direct action against multinationals in support of victimised workers.

Oxford Trades Council has sent a similar resolution for the AAM annual conference (see SO 52).

Such resolutions should be taken up as widely as possible, and class solidarity action fought for.

*Messages of support for the arrested South African "Inshare in• SAAWI. PO WUINCIS IV• AriA

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Socialist Organiser, September 1981 Page

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