The article says the Philadelphia Area Labor Against Apartheid Committee was formed in 1985 with the participation of over 20 local and regional unions, and with rank and file participation from many additional labor organizations; the Committee was organized in response to the urgent need to support the new independent black trade unions in South Africa, and to help further educate the U.S. trade union movement and the American people in general about the nature of apartheid. The article says black workers in South Africa are on the move; excluded from white unions, they have organized independent unions to fight for basic union rights and for human dignity; a large majority of the black...
The article says the Philadelphia Area Labor Against Apartheid Committee was formed in 1985 with the participation of over 20 local and regional unions, and with rank and file participation from many additional labor organizations; the Committee was organized in response to the urgent need to support the new independent black trade unions in South Africa, and to help further educate the U.S. trade union movement and the American people in general about the nature of apartheid. The article says black workers in South Africa are on the move; excluded from white unions, they have organized independent unions to fight for basic union rights and for human dignity; a large majority of the black unions recently formed a giant new labor federation, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU); the unions involved in this federation believe in a multi-racial trade union movement. The article says hundreds of thousands of black workers have rallied to the new unions despite vicious attacks from employers and the South African government; union leaders have been imprisoned without charge or trial and many have been tortured; these independent unions are on a collision course with the apartheid system of institutional racism whereby the white minority regime ruthlessly oppresses and exploits 24 million black people. The article says as trade unionists, the struggle against apartheid is a priority for us; where human rights are no recognized there can be no trade union rights. The article says the Philadelphia Area Labor Against Apartheid Committee has been formed to assist the independent trade unions in South Africa; to demand full trade union rights and freedom from government repression for the workers of South Africa; to push for actions by the American labor movement and the American government which promote labor rights, political rights in South Africa and Namibia; and to in general undertake such activities as appropriate and necessary to contribute to the destruction of apartheid. The article says he Committee meets regularly and information about its activities can be obtained by contacting Bernie Dinkin, Philadelphia Joint Board, ACTWU. The article discusses ACTWU (Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union).
