South African rail workers dead.
officers join the union's Sello, who was imprisoned the union.
The strike was sparked off on 13 March when a worker, charged with an alleged late paying-in of a R40 (£13) delivery charge, was sacked six months after the event. However, the strike wave has much deeper roots. It is part of a Africa's black transport workers to their history of poverty wages, intolerable iving and working condi tions, and to a refusal of the regime to extend even the limited laws to the railways, maktheir illegal.
Workers have seen leaders detained. and continual attempts by the state to break the union as it begins to organise, grown numerically and take ac ILS members.
The strike has involved two attacks on the Johanheadquarters of COSATU, the major non-racial union federation in south Atrica. first came the day after SATS 16,000 wOnKers.
Union of Railwaymen, fund to this end.
Rail Against Apartheid, which has the full backing of the national executive committee of the NUR, was quickly able to focus its acLIVILY LIC LICCUS SARHWU. has had twelve months of activity since its formation in April 1986, developing links with Ethe liberation movement in South Africa including the south Atrican Congress of AFTER SEVEN weeks on strike, South Africa's railway workers have faced the full power of the racist apartheid state. Six workers have been shot Sixteen thousand workers have been sacked for refusing to accept the company's deadline for a return to work. Hundreds have been detained, including 40 officers of the South African Railway and Harbour Workers Union (SARWHU). These Police armed with rifles machine guns SurCOSATU House.
attack which followed, trade unionists in the building were beaten arrested ano area workers were shot dead.
killed in Germinston, when police waded into a meeting declared unlawful under the State of Emergency.
A week after the first attack on COSATU's ofpolict meerined tof break strikers. Police smashed their way into the building attacked 1,000 assembled rail workers LOUI gas The around the bunding became a battle ground as police with dogs batoned the demonstrating crowds. Streets were barricaded off and THE PRESENT focus of all activity of anti-apartheid activists in this country is to mobilise massive solidarity for the strike wave sweeping South Africa. As soon as details of the current unrest reached this country, both the Anti-Apartheid Movement and Rail Against Apartheid, a campaigning group within the National moved into top gear. Both stress that a top priority is to raise funds for the unions involved. Rail Against Apartheid, in consultation with SARHWU in South Africa, has established a special Trade Unions and fraternal relations with SARHWU.
NUR member. with SArin last sing meeting mer, RAA officers launch£2000 to fund a full-time organiser for the South African union. This pro-: armoured vehicles troop reinforcements were DOUCHI Hu The Botha government clearly the significance of the rapidly organisations of black trade unions and the threat that poses to the apartheid regime. The brutal assaults made by the police shows the crisis of Botha's strategy today. His called reform programme is put on the shelf as he is forced to employ brutal repression to quell the strike wave and launch an offensive against COSThis strike wave is exactly the type of development wanted avoid in the run-up to the election. in the townships.
mass stay-away by Soweto workers continues protest against evicWORKE
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general secretary, Ntai earlier this year. The Botha regime has made its intentions clear. No ef- fort will be spared to break this strike and smash up