African history brought the country to a halt. The following declaration was issued by president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).
COSATU Elijah Barayi, COMRADES, this is the 100th anniversary of MayDay, me out year since workers organised themselves to ticht against the exploitation domination of big business.
In South Africa itself КпОи that the discovery of gold in 1886 brought slavery people. Our people spend their lives in the dark pits of the mines, the inside of factories and working long hours in the sun on the farms. We made South Africa rich. roads, the cars, the clothes we wear, shops, houses, factories and the food we eat.
But in millions of workers and their families live in povera nute anu starvatol Our lives and families are broken by the pass laws migrant we In matchbox houses with no families. Our children are given a slave education conlie da tories and mines.
While a minority live in wealth so great that they the world. Their wealth is made through the blood. sweat and toil of the working class.
Therefore Cosatu we must challenge this domination. Our demands clear. We want our reedom TrON apartheid the cheap ware valett. We must mobilise build organisation everywitte tories, farms, mines, schools, townships rural areas.
We must build shop stewards, shaft stewards, street and area committees everywhere. the basis our our people taking power. working class must play a leading TOlE struggle ourselves in all spheres of struggle from fighting for a living wage and the right to strike, to support the struggle of students for democratic SRCs (Student Representative Councils), unbanning of Cosas of South African Students), to demand the release of comHe con Mandela.
Oscar Mpetha and all pontical prisoners, une un• banning of all of all banned organisations, and the end to influx Cosatu is committed to for our freedom, and we members and all patriots in south Africa to work plan ordinate our actions to wir our freedom and break the chains of poverty cheap labour which bind the majority of people in sourn Alrica today.
Let us make this one nunareut May way Ine biggest and most succesful spire us to redouble our eforganise mobilise South Africa's workers so that it will not be long before we achieve Viva Cosatu!
Amandla Ngawethu! Matla Ke A Rona! Aluta Continua!
Elijah Barayi Cosatu President