Blacking needed to back SAAWU

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THREE black leaders of the workers' movement in South Africa have been brought to trial by the bosses' apartheid state. Thozamile Gqweta, Fisa Njikelana and Sam Kikine, leaders of the militant SAAWU have been charged with three other activists under the vicious Terrorism Act.

They have already been held in detention for months by the brutal security police. Now they face massive jail sentences. In the eyes of the bosses' state they have committed the crime of fighting for workers' needs. In the eyes of the working class they have committed no crime at all.

Last week the Anti-Apartheid Movement organised a protest outside the South African embassy joined by ASTMS leader Clive Jenkins. The Tobacco. Workers Union has condemned the arrests and trials.

These moves reflect the widespread solidarity in the British labour movement with working people in South Africa. Now is the time to take forward that feeling of solidarity and build the most effective working class mobilisation and action in defence of the SAAWU leaders and in support of the workers' movement in South Africa.

Already, before the SAAWU leaders were brought to trial, the AAM called for a week of action from 16-26 June in solidarity with the 500 SAAWI strikers victimised ovet: 3 year ago by the South African subsidiary of Rowntree Mackintosh.

The week of action will end with a demonstration in York, site of the headquarters and biggest plant of the Rowntrees empire. Other meetings and demonstrations will be held in the same period to mark the sixth anniversary of the uprising of the black working class that began in Soweto.

WeaponA week of protest blacking action of all goods to and from South Africa would be massively powerful and effective. Blacking is a weapon already in the hands of the labour movement. It would do more to defend the workers organisations and SAAWU than all the resolutions and condemnations put together could ever do.

It has taken the AAM leadership more than two years to take even the first steps to raise solidarity with the Rowntree workers in the British labour movement. And they took thes steps only under pressure from AAM militants. The pressure of union militants was needed before the AUEW Executive declared its support for the call, from Rowntrees crafts shop stewards for a conference of all shop stewards in the combine to discuss solidarity action in support of the South African strikers.

The call has now been conveniently 'lost' between the AUEW Executive and the TUC International Committee.

With the week of action and demonstration now only weeks away the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the labour movement leaders have.. not campaigned to publicise the actions and mobilise support in workplaces, unions, or Labour Party wards.

Even less ire there any signs by the leadership to develop the week into a week of blacking action.

There is still time to make sure that the AAM and Labour leadership do not again produce a solidarity damp squib. There are millions of workers with strong anti-apartheid feelings, ready to show this if they are given a lead.

We must immediately fight in trade union and Labour Party branches for support for blacking action, for large contingents on the York demonstration and for delegations to the Rowntrees shop stewards conference. The following model resolution should be put wherever possible.

'This branch/ward:

1) condemns the arrest of the SAAWU leaders and their trial with three other militants under the Terrorism Act.

2) Expresses its total support for the workers' movement in South Africa and calls for the unconditiónal relcase of all workers and militants jailed for opposing the South African government and employers.

3) Agrees to mobilise the largest possible contingent for the June 26 demonstration in York.

4) Calls on the Executive to organise a full national mobilisation for this demonstration.

5) Calls on the Executive to call on the TUC to support solidarity action by organising total blacking of goods to and from South Africa during the action period June 16-26.

6) Calls on sponsored MPs and the Parliamentary Labour Party as a whole to campaign on these issues in the constituencies and in Parliament. the Gang of Five will sanction another invasion further into Angola - the troop build up has started - and may try to legitimise another bogus South African-controlled election. But this only makes SWAPO a more difficult fish to catch for imperialisms's longer term interests in the sub-region.

With about 100 Namibians and Angolans dying per week, almost all civilians, the population is learning through the barrels of imperialistsupplied guns where their interests lie.

The NSC is holding a conference on Saturday 22 May (11-5) in London's County Hall with workshops and speakers from SWAPO, PLO, ANC, and the British black community, Amrit Wilson, Lionel Jeffreys. Films, creche, food. Details from NSC, 53 Leverton St., London NW5. Tel: 267 1941/2:

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Socialist Organiser no.85 May 20 1982 Page 5