African Activist Archive

Memorandum to the Illinois Labor Network Against Apartheid and the Philadelphia Labor Committee Against Apartheid from Kate Pfordresher of the New York Labor Committee Against Apartheid about plans for representatives of affiliates of COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions) to tour the U.S. Their purpose would be to speak to local union leaders, rank and file members, and anti-apartheid labor activists and to help build labor participation in anti-apartheid work and pave the way toward mutually beneficial bi-lateral relations between U.S. and South African unions. Pfordresher explains that COSATU has indicated its willingness to come to the U.S.; several COSATU affiliates have recognized the need to develop relations with U.S. unions outside direct AFL-CIO sponsorship and AALC control. A year and a half ago, the AFL-CIO changed its position on sanctions and COSATU, making a tour less controversial than previously. Other encouraging developments are the high-profile involvement of the United Auto Workers (UAW) and UMW in the campaign calling for Moses Mayekiso's release, the Shell Boycott campaign, and the Chemical Workers Industrial Union's developing policy on international sanctions. The memorandum discusses the important role the independent trade union movement is playing within the democratic opposition in South Africa. Due to limited press coverage, the role of the South African labor movement is not widely known, and labor solidarity in American anti-apartheid politics - even among union activists - has remained largely undeveloped. The memorandum includes the agenda for the COSATU TOUR PLANNING MEETING of January 29, 1989 and a reprint of a newspaper article "Battered by management but not beaten into submission" by Eddie Kock. The memorandum mentions the NUMSA (National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa), mass dismissals, the Labour Relations Act, the National Union of Mineworkers, UDF (United Democratic Front), CWIU (Chemical Workers Industrial Union), the National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU), the Labour Relations Amendment Bill, a stayaway, South African Consultative Committee on Labour Affairs (Saccola), South African Railway and Harbour Workers' Union (Sarwhu), South African Transport Services, the Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu), the South African Domestic Workers' Union, Commercial Catering and Allied Workers' Union (CCAWUSA), anti-apartheid labor committees and networks, and policy on international sanctions and boycotts.

African Activist Archive

RE: COSATU Tour

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