The third part of SAM MHLONGO'S discussion of South Africa today deais with black workers and the trade unions.
Ninety-eight and a half per hasno trade union rights. These Only the Coloureds (mixed STRIKES race) and Asians enjoy some form of limited union rights -olten at the capricious Tancy of the white working class and Although black workers have no trade union rights therefore their heing on strike is criminal offence, Africa is continually hit by strikes by these workers.
VIOLENCE After the lull that followed the Sharpevill demonstration industrial strugales relurneu to the 1972. Despite the fact that the workers face the posibility of Imprisonment, the strikes bave continued, albeit SO83HO cally.
Althouch a measure of state violence was ased against StrikErs there were hardly any deaths. The Government and capitalists learni some lessons in The fact that many of these are sailed and nos casily and cheaply replaceable has a testramite chect on the Government and the capitalists ELLLTESE protect. The fear procanan revolution is an other reason for this "restraint' Todiminish the snow-bailing strikes Gavernmient and nave brought schenies ONUCEENC coononte struggles of these workers. Factory work commitand tees which must first meet the approval of the employers are South being set up.
The Government has set up a lechmical college in Durban to black with Chief Buthelezi of the Kwa Zulu "homeland" as chancellor. The Government and capitalists fear the inevitable development of and movements of black workers whether above or underground.
But the occasional unchanging patlern of strikes shows that the workers by then selves have been unable broaden their beyond the contines soems to be the case regardless or wiciler te workers operac legally or illegally.
police the capitalists vanous the independent and The struggie PRIME MINISTER Vorster It was atter a study of forms results that Lenin TOC-BIDO: shows that the working class.
concluded: of all countries black Sout Dutch Institule For olticials. a score of black was for Inteligence COYCEL moscmebts.
the air Sikhakhane, Food and mos TUCSA 1976.
HOSTED the Labour Britisa Embaisy in Engincerins in 1996, Organisacional | exclusively by its own effort, is ableto develop only trade union consciousaess, i.e. the conviction that it is necessary to etc. combine in unions, light the invariably FUNDS meetings between union lenders and high level Foreign Office Private Exe pointed out that: "These foundations have long been used an a cover for Britists gathering and support for •Toreign fare exceetingly moderale leader of the Sweet.
Allied Workers Leian, lor a three month union bilicials course in Borain so In 1977 J. Legodi, the UTP Ariel-funded British jamboree called Industrial Relations for Overseas Trade Unionists.
Unions.
Some moderate black union ista connected with the UTP have been more directly hosted by. the Foreign Office. B. Vosc Atrache at the Pretoria picked Jen Hlogwane of the and Allied Workers Union and Clement black Montsho of the Transport and Allied Workers Union for a three week study tour of Britain coordination *Further TOT NENE RIBET BIES TEL reportedly taken place during regular rocetings of the little known Overseas Lahour Cor CBI and Forcign Office send London N1.
TEM emplovers and strive to compel the government to pasa the necessary labour legislation. by But, like Lenin, South delegares and South Africa is In November 1977 the UTP and the black unions associated with it wereaboutthe only black organisations not banaed by the Soutl Atrican regime after the murder or Steve Biko.
This is partly because of the regime's fear of taking the rank and file members head oi. But it also showed how cifectivel those members were controller hy their moderate leaders his 1976 Annual Report the UTl had disassociased ilself from the Soweto aprising. E had insisted that black union Jeaders were frst and forensost concerned with building up of 8 healthy relationship with the emplayers not public disorder The UTP now receives funds troin the International MoneLacy Fund, Misereor la German Cathalic fund which receives mones from the Wes German Government), the Disch Trade Union Foundation for Interna tional Development Coopera tion (funds primarily from the Dutch Gasernment), the Swiss Foderacion of Christian Trade Unions and the Confederation Dutch Christian Trade RECOGNITION The C TP black union leaders are not simply peppets. Bor out solidarity will haveto help blaci trade unioniss lo brenk free fron a bot of strings.
We demand recognition fo by companics. But we also have to break the hold of our own union leaderships over those black unions to win our demand.
information Counter Informution Services 9 Polund Street, Landon WI, #1-439 3764. Research by Research Associates Internatomal, da Compton Terrace, African Marxists can point out thatany actioe by black workers against capitalists is a polirical The workers, through fault of their own, have had no tbeorerical training and unable to think in a theoretical SHEBEENS South Africa also doesn't have the kind of organisation that Leain had in mind when he wrote! Withour resolutionary theory there sin be revolutionary movement.
Revolutionary theary needs thinkers and Chis s What E missing in the working class South Africa's black intelligensia is cither busy acquiring a #ring of bourgeois university degroes or it is so demoralised that its leisure hours are spent in the shebeens (hars). It was not surprising that one ofthe targets for destruction by fire in the recent pupils revolt was this Mourishing shebeen industry, The working class needs this intelligensia on its side — on the South Africa's black move Sargely been nationalistic in orientation and CHECTOT acter. . Although workers and a Marxisti are in these movements, the leadership and political domination remaien perty bourgoois.