African Activist Archive

Contents: WHY ARE THESE SPECIFIC LABOR RIGHTS NEEDED? • WILL THESE LABOR RIGHTS PROTECTIONS WEAKEN SANCTIONS? • WHO SUPPORTS ADDING LABOR RIGHTS TO SANCTIONS? • The document says on November 2, twelve members of the New York City Council introduced an important bill to close the loopholes in the law barring the City from doing business with companies operating in South Africa. The document says the bill, Intro #1137, will prevent companies from using licensing and franchise agreements in South Africa, or third-party vendors here, to circumvent City sanctions. This document discusses adding to divestment legislation the right of South African workers and their unions to receive advance notice as companies disinvest from South Africa to comply with sanctions, and the right of employee organizations to negotiate over the terms of withdrawal. The New York City labor movement plans to raise this issue regarding legislation that has been introduced in the New York City Council that would close loopholes in the laws barring the City from doing business with companies operating in South Africa. The two major labor federations representing black workers in South Africa, COSATU and NACTU, strongly support comprehensive sanctions as a way the international community can isolate and pressure the apartheid regime. The document says in monitoring the progress of sanctions, however South African unionists has reported numerous cases of sham disinvestment, prompting current attempts to close loopholes in the law. The document says specific language upholding labor rights to notice and negotiates was first put forward in the U.S. Comprehensive Sanctions Act of 1988, the Dellums-Cranston bill. The document discusses employee organizations, South African law, pension and benefit funds, Stan Hill. D.C. 37, City Council Vice-Chair Peter Vallone, Council Member Ruth Messinger, Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins, Kate Pfordresher, CWA Local 1180, COSATU (Coalition of South African Trade Unions), and labor unions.

African Activist Archive

The Right to Notice and Negotiation: Supporting Labor in South Africa Through Sanctions Legislation

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