tour is going to win the election or ¡nestic political issues. But the internae discussed in the party in the next ja defence of abortion rights * But as well as these Labour has to a high priority to South Africa, a perica and, immediately, the I think perhaps I have a difference wh some on the left on this at present. here seems to be a high priority on Q 1 think this is not quite right.
ATO membership by first showing the United States. That is why I think we atral America and South Africa where Obviously I'm very identified with ¿ I will be in Chicago next week testify. i in support of the MacBride prinBut I want to extend that to taking the more general issues of British and THERE are just two weeks left for ensuring the most massive demonstration for sanctions against the apartheid regime on 24 October. The Labour Party conference unanimously backed the demonstration. Union after union have added their support. Students and youth are mobilising in their thousands.
The National Union of Mineworkers has been at the IT IS WITH mixed emotions that I niceung math of recent events in South Africa and in particular the events of such place in the South African mining inpride at the tremendous heroism and sacrifices demonstrated by the black miners of South Africa as they united in a force of 300,000 in the South African NUM and squared up to the mining giants and their partners in apartheid Pride at the way they resolutely stood up to the teargas and plastic bullets and the attempts to starve them or sack and the back trade union movement did not lose in the dispute and will be better placed to mobilise their power in the struggles of the future.
of those 50 South African mineworkers who perished in the explosion at the St Helena goldmine when their cage crashed to the bottom of a 4,600 feet shaft.
also owns the Kinross mine where 177 miners died last year, is one which we also feel. And with that bitterness there is also anger at the carnage which continues in the South African mining indeaths every year and which has led to 48,000 miners killed in accidents in the know that if we are to express solidarity with the black mineworkers in their under racist military occupation, with those children and youth who face the army and the police in the streets, with militant workers and those who are landless, with women who continue to fight even as they bury their dead, with have been imprisoned and tortured but with the people's army, engaged in their armed offensive channel our feelings of solidarity for all meworker our brothers and sisters in the African National Congress have called for them — and because all those people who gefreedom throughout the world have that the apartheid system injustice and inhumanity of these times the degradation of human beings is the very foundation of that system and its development of Africa - of all the international working class — and indeed murderous institution needs the lifeline of international economic support in COSATU and the Mandelas and the ANC and the people of South Africa have called for sanctions because they know that in the struggle to bring down sacrifices and suffering they will have to face will depend upon how much strength the apartheid system can draw from those international backers who presently ensure its continued survival.
Just what those sacrifices and suf licalls. couldn't have been more clearly outlined than by the events of the last year: • Railway workers striking for union I recognition shot dead; •• The headquarters of the Congress of South African Trade Unions ransacked by the security forces then blown up; • Hundreds more trade unionists dei • Bomb attacks on Zambia and Zimcreated by Apartheid's rulers and their MNR mercenaries.
:ternational terrorism and we have to union leaders and leaders of the liberation movement have earned the right to speak on behalf of the South African people when they call for sanctions. We Thatcher to speak on behalf of the peosupposed to be that there will be job losses and suffering for black working the National Union of Mineworkers is well-placed to know about the job losses or suffering of working class people, and black people •tions are against the interests of internationals - the interests which Thatcher truly represents.
Shell and all the other partners in apartheid don't want sanctions then Thatcher's decision will be against applying South African people face. It is that approach which really lies behind British government policy at the present time.
Condemn will surely condemn - those who prolong the life of that abhorrent' system by one more day. But condemnation is not enough. Because of the Tories' attitude, the task of achieving sanctions organising better to achieve sanctions should be a major task of this contake up with particular sense of urgency and of responsibility. I say that because it is mining and minerals which are the key to apartheid's survival. It is coal which is the energy source that tuels apartheid and it is miners who are in the front line in the struggle to bring it down It is because of developments like that that we take up the People's Sanctions campaign, and in particular the campaign against South African coal coal imports, and our fight South African coal were imported into of coal exported by the apartheid state exports which provide its second largest source of foreign revenue. The centre of mobilising solidarity with the liberation struggle of the South African people. At a meeting during the TUC, NUM general secretary Peter Heathfield, spoke alongside representatives of the ANC, SWAPO, and the South African trade union organisations, COSATU and SACTU: The following are major extracts from his speech, explaining the case for sanctiens.
market terms, reaching Europe for as.
is not cheap. It is known only to those miners who pay for the wealth they create but do not share with their sweat, their misery and their lives - because black miners must face living and work. ing conditions which are an interna the strike the conditions weour paid a pittance to work in ap palling conditions with little or no comAnd in spite of the rich loads of coal, diamonds and gold which the miners have won with their lives, miners, like 'tured and killed, their union has grown from 2,000 in 1982 to a mighty force of Charter With their adoption of the ANC's Freedom Charter, their linking up with other forces in the South African strug gle and their potential power of industrial action to stop the flow of South 'African minerals and coal, the miners 313,000 tonnes of that coal icame into Britain. Much more besides |came in blended form via Belgium and 'end to those imports and for sanctions now against apartheid We have taken the case to the British parliaments throughout the internationa ! trade union movement. Our international the International Miners Organisation — last year agreed to bring pressure to bear on those coun tries importing. South African coal ! and called for a complete boycott of Campaign In response to calls from brothers in the South African NUM we have stepped up that campaign. : Within our own union we have laun'the Miners United Against Apartheid campaign, producing a briefing pamphlet on per well other DANS materials, in order to make sure our membership is fully informed of the 'issues inyolved and will be responding as for action. In addition to • calling tor a bovcott of ail souti African products, we have called for a boycott of Shell's products through our press The United States, France and Denmark have already banned South African coal imports, while the Euro. pean Parliament is dithering on issue. We believe that by continuing a sustained mult-level campaign publicity, lobbying and protest we can bring a very telling pressure to I bear on those who continue to allow I the coal to flow into Britain.
AAM 13 Mandola Stront, Lon
Socialist Action 9 Oct 1987 US-Britain out of the Gulf! Victory to Iran!
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Priority will be spending a lot of time on
@ANTI APARTHEID MOVEMENT Y NOWAL DEMONSTRATE!