oaaA.IleD LABoua I" &AST LOMDOM

ill Settin,

In £aet London. tbe ~outb African Allied Workere Union (S~~WU)

haa recent 1, orsaniaed black worker. in order tn i.pro.e their

workin, and li.ins conditiona. The latter. tor ob.ioua rekeona.

in.ol.ee the Ciakaien state. the Atrican 700d and Cen~inl \lorkera

and the aeneral Worker. \lniona aleo ha.e branchea in t •• t London.

theee tbree Uniona work in cloae cOllaboration with eech other.

The, abare of ricea nnd b••• joint .eetin,•• Rove.er. the ao.t

atronll, repreaented union i. tbe Soutb Afric.n Allied ~orkcr.

tnion vhich cl.iaa to ha.a a .aaberahip ot o.er 15.000 workera

..plo,ed in tlda ar... ilrJ..,..4·r"lJ ...)

It would e~pear that the .eti.itiea of SAAvt are conc.ntrated in

the aore technicall, adyanced indu.triea. Their .e.berahip. there_

tor •• aaon,et otbera includea • nucleu. 01 hilhl, akilled workera.

thereb7 conaider.bl, enhancio, thair poteotial bar,ainin, poaitlon

in th.a. induatrlee. Rove.er. vorkera in induatriee .ucb .0. tor

exa.pl •• Vilaon And Rovntree in.vbicb tbe aYera,e ekilled leyela

ar. cor,.id.rabI, lov.r. ba.e alao been orlanized b, SA~V\l. In

coapaoiea ouCb aa the one .entiooed aboye. vhich ha.e up to dale

reluaed to reco,ni,a or na,otiat. vith tha union, the poaition ia

alto,.ther ditt.rent. Tb. racant Vilaon-Rovntr •• otrike indicat.a

the ve.knea. ot tba union to protact ita •••ber.hip.

Th. Atric.n 700d .nd Cannin, Worker. and Qen.ral Vork.r. Union.

vhile or,.nilin, the l •••• r akillad work.ra. heve • rel.~iYeI7

lon,er hietor, or indu.tri.l .trite .nd .re tiral, tounded. In

cO.l'.nie. ouch aa Lan,eb.r,. M•• dov S••da, 1I•• tern' Pro.!;\c" rreeer­

vinl and Epol. the, h•• e ,aine6 for•• l recofnitlon an neJotioting

or,.ni •• tion ••

In r.Arch 1979. SAA'~1l broke ave, tron the black-co,""c'ou .. n.o,

ntrJ1lated Trede Ilnlor.. the BleCk Allied ·.. ork.. ra rllion (8~VU) to

rnro: • non_raci.l un;cn. t'nlik. BAIIIl. SAAlo'll b~l,.,veo that the

future or ~outh Arrice 11ea in a non-r.clal particl~etor, de.oereol.

11le ~oIic, or 1Ilie union i. non-raci.l~b~."d on ..ork.ro unit,. In

\ork in rro,r"a (.IF) it h arsued thet the prir.c1 ..le or non_

r~ciali•• 1e i ...ortan~ on et l,.et on. Yer~ .eaninfful sround; th~

~r,' in .hich the .trulI,le 1e percai"ed 1" lhe one ao"t tur...le.entel

to til, nelda or vor~er•• It 1a • claae r,,~h.r than ruc!el strul£I ••

I;: •••••

- .-"WI Ira aot .truaell., ,,_i.e' , p.rticular racI cr.e. or rellcloo.V. Ie' tollia, '.11"t lb' ••plolter•••• o,pe••e.r. lee",lotl.1 ortb. colovr. "7' S1" .jibol•••• tb, ..'t Lood.e br.oeb ch_lr••• of

'.Hovtl (VIP. 1 •• 11. 1')").

I_ Iceor" ••1 .ltb tb' ,b••,_ltatt' prllelpl•• , SAAWV .tr••••• tb,•••• ror wor•• r partlel,I'101 I' all 1,.,1, of vaioa deeial.a ••'kiD••Ia or'.r to "01' tbe ,ltfalle or b.,•••or,tlc coatrol ••• ~ to •• 'a_tei_ vorber r.pe •••• t.tl•••••r.er. co ••ltt••• oo.,.i,•• aloa.

1".lt'r 11'•• h, •• "'C.I' vith 'AAvtI •• r,17 op.ratla. a••••••rellabod,. It b•• b•••• r •• ,d tba' it "Ava I, ,11al•• t,••, •••• r •••• t

dl.r•• , tb, ".Ildlac, ••10.' ••• coati••• to op.ratl. ta the cOa_p•• l •• wbieh r.eocoi •• $AAVV .r i. which r.eocoitl.K 1. h.~o. o••oti._t.d, work.r. eo•• itt••••r. b.i •• or••• i •• d .10.C th••• li•••. rh••• ,eo.p.ni •• inc Iud. ,outh Afrie •• Chlorid., Joh•••••od J.hn••o, K.S.M.

r,illinC. th ••• h••• oiC•• d for.ol .Cr••••• t. with tho O.ion•• In thopip.-lin••r. ,ork.r r.o, M.ir., loo •• r, auffolo tl.b.r, Ark G.r••• t •• nd " ••pok_Co.ieol Cont.i •• r •• co•• id.robl••utono.7 i ••i ••• to th •••vork.r co•• itt ••• to ••k. th.ir 0•• d.ci.lon••

ror tb. ~ro.r••• i •••oio•• vork-#1.c. and co••uoit7 i ••••••r. elo••17co.n.ct.d. Thi. 1iok i. fou.d to b. politic.117 thr•• t ••i •• to ••07

politici••••nd ••pl07.r. i. south Afrie •• Mr.$.'.aoth., "ioi.t.r ofI!•• po".r OUU ••Uoo, •• id, "lod".\ri.l p.ac. i. of tho ut.o.:·i.port••o. to ••plOl.r••od •• plOl••••• v.ll •• to tho •• thoriti •••It .ho"ld .1.p17 h••• to b••••• r.d th.t Tr.d. O.io••o••••• t ••• o.ch.r. not .1•••• d to er.at••• ito.tloo of oor•• t, ••d •••• t •• l di •• rd, ,

.. ith tb••i ... of ochl •• iaS .i ....hicb 10 r •• llt7 b••••othio. to do~lth .utoal l.boor r.l.tioa., bot .r. ba.lcal17 tb••• r ••••c. offor.len td.olo,I •• and •• ob.tou•• tt•••t .t o•• rthrowi •• tho •• t.b_ll.b.d ord.r~. (t••• lo. Po.t, 21.,.81). to thin Tho.a~11. Gq•• tb.,rr •• id •• t of 'AAVt h•• r •••o.d.dl -Tho .ceu.ation of a political roleco••••1.0 b.e•••• v. do .ot eon fin••• r fl£ht to th. bound.ri •• oftho f.ctor7 floor. 1 •••• , bow c•••••0 tb.t? V. b••• to .0 .n.id.at1f7 with the .z,loit.d ••d .ppr••••• 1n th.lr ho••• Itu.tion. v.b... ,ot to b. tb.r. to ••• th.ir .ct ... l .,,~.ri ...c ••• tllU .... h•••don••nd th.t I. wh, our ~.i•• i ••och • r.pld crowlo, .o~•••ot. Th •• orkor. h••• b••• i.pr•••• d with thin down_t._.arth p.1icr".( c.r.li.raU).

Sine. '96~ th ......d. of alack work.r. h••• b.~n relocated toMd•• t ••••• Altbo"Ch ~lrtu.l17 part of t •• t Land.... I!d•• to.~••••

I}· ..•.••.••

, -lDcorpo ... t"d lnto til. Clak.l in 1966. III 1979 it "'" .aU•• tld tllat

7}~ of til. Blick work_torc. in E•• t Lo"doft 11.,,4 in Mdant" .. e. It ta

tile polic:r or tile souill Atrlc'" Stlt, to 1 .... t",.11y h .... til••ntire

£•• t London Blick work-totc. 11.1,,& i" this I".'. Thl polic~ or urbl"

... locatlon perfor..... 141010SI".1 tUlIction, tor 'or .... IIIl! til. work" ..e

11 •• in ... Indep,,"dent Stlt" it "In b. I"S'11y tl.i.'d that .11 t~.lr

political l"t\.Itl ......It be confin.d to that stnt~ and tha; the only

runctl0na th'it unlona Illouid exerei." a ..lt b' .... trlct.d to "orkins

condition. end "0" •• HO"'.I". tb. proSt.,ni •• Trade Union .o••••nt.

and thl, IlIoLu<l•• til. tilt•• or.,,,I •• tionl pr••io~.l:r •• "tio~.d.cond•• n Ciek.te .. indep.nd.nc •• It i. asaln.t this becksrounJ that a

SAAW~ otticial arsu.a that "A ahip ot tool. will n.V.r e.cap. ita

r.volutionarl d •• tinl _ thia ia what the ill.Siti.~te aen ot fr.toria

~all.d CIak.l is drlvles p.opl. to. Tb. l.ed.r. or Cisk.I ar. po~ltlo.l

hnatic .... (Ev.nln, poat, '.11.81).

Durins h.r wlait to the Ee.t.rn Cep. le.t l.er ~e.Sh•• n. Duncan ot the

Black Ssah h.s d.acrib.d the yorkera in E.st London a. 'the .oat

pollticit.d Il.ck york_tore. In South Atrlce'.

Whl the prosr.a.iv. ~rad. Unlona In Eaet London' Whl-!h••epha.l. on

the non_r.clal cheract.riatice?

Th. roota ot the Trad. Union .ov•••nt can be trac.d back te ors.r.i.a­

tiona .uch aa the ICO, ANC and the IPC. The I.dualrisl~Coc~.rci.l

Work.r. Union knovn .a the leu wae a coe.unitl ba •• d or,.no •• tion

tor•• d In the .arll t~.nti••• Thi. orl.ni,.tion which h.d atron,

.upport throushout the countrl witb ••••b.r.hip ot approxi •• t.ll

80,000 iaclud.d both rurel and urbaa work.r •• It way .trlc~ll .p.nklnS

• popullet eove •• nt reth.r tban a Tr.d. uolon prop.r. Cont •• por.ry

unloni.te h.v. utill~ed this oraeniaetion ••••odel, protlties bo~1I

tro. It••ucc••••••nd it. t.l1ur•••

In tile 60'e tllere w.a .ctive .upport in till••re. t"r the A1:e. In the

70'. the Bl.ck Coneciounn••• Mov•••nt with ite h••dqu.rt.ra in KinS­

willl ••• t"wn .rOe. out ot the ••he. ot the A~C. Thi••o •••ent ted int"

end pro.ided Ideoloslc.l end or,enieetionnl inputa ter thl nesrbl urb.n

c.ntr••. no~... r, the ror.e whlcb the Il.ck p.opl ••• truSS1 •• took in

the s •••ntiu' differ fro. tho.e ot the 80'., The BPe pcrco Iwcd till

Bleck plopl.' ••truStll. in r.ci.l t.r•• and with ,nione "n thle er.a

r.la~l•• ll ~.ek, the cl ••• cont.nt of the .tru"l. t.nd.d to be und.r_

.... ph•• i?.d.

In the abo.e per. Sr. ph. 1~ w•• not.d th.t ~A~Wt .~ronsll ••ph.el~••

the non-rec'el cllerecte' ot th.ir orsanie.tlon .....bil. the non_r.clol

II, •• , ••••

. , -principle h•• co•• to b, iacorporatad into the conatltuiioa or •

nueber or the independlnt unioa., it ta It.,O prioritT bI SAAWO. It

~'a IlIa the railon d'ttre tor br"kins aWly Croa DAWU, It i, probable

thet one or tb, ractorl coair-tbutin. to the atrool ~t'nc. ot lhe union

011 tllie 1'8"1 i. the cIa•• ,hl.1ca1 proxiMity of E.,t London \0 the

Ctlket. ~h. Ci~k.l'" State, •• pre'loualt .,ntloned, ia ,1"'d ••

cOllstit~tilll • ruline cl••• or BlIck appra.sorl. It i, problbll 10

that thl, h••• direct intlulnCI La Ihl,in& the perceptiont or BlIck

.orklrl, i .•. thet BLIck, Cln b, jUlt I' oppre •• i •• II their Whit,

counterpart ••

,~~h••,nluard ot SA~~V lor•• cora of bilh11 ,killed york.ra. Thi,

leaderlhip i •••d, up or the ,ouosar saoar.tioo ••~n7 ot w~o. lI.va

co.platad tllair .acoodar7 .cllool aduc.tion. Tlla7 ara basin&lns to torL

• litar.ta .od .opllietlc.tad la.dar.llip sroup, wbo 'ra .bla to oasoti.ta

.nd .rticul.ta da •• nd. _ .an7 of tba••ara at achool durioG tlla haisbt

of tha .cho&l. unraat aod tllia pariod a.periance contributad to tllair

idaolosic'l parapactlvaa.

Fio.117 •• tra.andou. 'p~r to .ctioo h.a baao tha avar iocra•• ios co.t

of li~ioS .od tlla .cono.lat. inabilit7 or unwl1Iinsoa •• to cootrol

iofl.tion ('0 a~ar iocra •• lo, pric. a'p.ci.117 of paopla'a b.aic food_

atuff•• ). Tlli. 'pur to .ction i.,of couraa •• countr7 wida pbaoo.aooo.

Co.p.rad with tha otbar indll.tri.l c.ntar., Ea.t London i. d.apit. tho I

a.i.tanca of • ou.bar of .lIlti_o.tioo.l fir •• , .ora l.bollr int.n.iva,

Thia ia avidaocad by tha f.ct th.t tbi. cit7 h•• axparia~cad tha

hi,ba.t r.ta of Irowth io a.pl07.ant ovar tha p.at dac.da. rro. tbi.

it C'n ba daducad th.t • l.r,a ou.bar at workar. a.ployad io tbi. ara'

'ra ral.ti.a11 \In.killad. It i ••110 a.ti •• tad th.t una.pl01,aot In

"d.nt••oa In 1980 w" o.ar 2)5 (fl,lIra. b1 tba I.S.E,R.). Thia ia

ax.cerb.tad bI tba bu,a rur.l .lua 10 tba bintarl.nd of tha Cl.k.i.

fro. whlch paopla flood into the .lr••d, o.~rlo.dad .nd rel.ti.all

und'rda.alopad 'ra', Aa • ra.ult io • oUlbar of Indu.tria., workere

.re io • b.rs.lninl poeitioo of cooaidar.bla w••kn••••1._.·.10 tbeir

••pl07.ro. Strikaa h•• a r •••• l.d th.t l.rs. nu.bar. of wo~ker. C'n ba

"0111 r.pl.c.d .nd ra_tr.in.d O.'r • r.l.ti.a11 ahort p.~lod.

Accordi", to SAAW\: Officiala, ,a"'I••ant h.a 1n .n•• of t"a pl.nte

uaad un"pl01,a .. t a•••••n. of unf.ir coarcion .sain.t SAA.O.

rollo.1nl work .toppa,•• worker. ho.e b.... pr.a ... tad wlth • lao, 11.t

or un.,pl01ad. Manala.ant h•• thr.at ... ad to raplaca the' .hould th'1/5 ......

, -not 1,.'41at,l, r.t~ra to work. (SAty).

It vo~ld alto appear that ,cab labour h•• b.,n ors&01"4 b1 anti_valon

Stoup., a. veIl a. the reeruitio& 'Ceoc1 ot the C"ktt M.op~v.r n••• lop•

•• ot Center. th ••• sroup. ba •• b •• o ioeo1 •• d io d •• put,. io • nuaber

or induatri'., tor •••• p1 •• ViI.on-Rovntr•• aod aore reeentil. Punlop.

In th ••• cO'paoi'., "n&".,nt ha. ratu"d to racognl,. the Union or

to na,otlote with their r,.p&ctl'••arka ... Co.nitt •••• Ioot.,4,

accordiol to workara, there ho. b•• n • teodanc1 to 41,.1•• or,&n1.,ra,

who art tooa14ara4 to b, '&,1tatora'.

It 1_ in chi. context of v1da.apr.'d uo ••pIOl.,nt that SA'~V 1,

anC',a4 io the (or.'tlon or &n un'.plored workar. uoion. Accord-lol to

On. DC the officlala, th,pria.r, ai. of the union will b, to r.taln

the hundreda of r.c.ntl, flr,d work.ra within the "rad. tnion .o••••nt.

R. claia. that "It ia I.portant for tha. to .alnt.In thalr 1.... 1 of

conaciouan.a••• work.ra". A •• cond, b.. t .q ..all, I ..portant. r.aaon for

orlani.lnl un'.plol.d work.ra i, that th" will not b. pr.par.d to

take o .. ,r the joba of work.ra unfalrl, dia.laaad.

Tor r.aaooa alr.adl outlln.d the ~oala of the prosr.aal ....niona h.y.

eo•• Into conflict wIth thoa. of the authoritl.a. ~h. f .. netion of

control la .x.rela.d bI both the Clak.lan Stat. and the So.th African

Oo.,rnIlYnt. Durlns a atrik. at the Md.ntaan. Sp.clal ors.nlaatlon

(April 1919) SAAWU ....h.ra W'r' Int.rrosat.d bI tb. CCIS. A w•• k lat.r

Mr.oqw.ta .aa d.taio.d bI the CCIS. Sinc. a atrlk. at tha WIlaon­

Rowntr •• factorl b.sao in T.bru.rI 1981. 35 '.pl01.a. and fora.r

••pl01,.a h.y. b•• n d.taln.d bI tb. CCIS. In S.pt.ab.r 205 ••ab.ra or

SAAWU. the ArC~U and OWO w.r. d.taln.d on r.turnln, froa • Cnlon

.... tl~,. All tha unionlata h.y••Inc. b•• o r.l •••• d 00 b.Il of R50 .ach.

~h, CCIS ha..... Id th.t the "nloni.ta will prob.b11 b, chars.d "nd.r

the Rlotou. Aa •••bli,a Act.

~ia. an,; a,aln M.jor O.n.ral S.b. ~a. aald th.t lh, CI .. k.i.n Go ..,rn­

•• nt r'j,cto Clok.lan workera b,lnS aeab,ra or ~rad. ooio~a for the

aiapt, r.a,on thnt Ih~ CI.k,lan Go.'rn•• nt look, after th~ workera.

Tha Cl.k,ian ~Ini't~r of Ju,tlce. Chl.r Hjokw'ni ha, ,.Id In the

Cisk.1 L'glsl'tiY' Aa., .. b1" "to '''al't in '''rk"tinl our :'abo"r In

So"th Africa. '.pl01'" .",t 'n'"r, that deaertion•••alko .. t' •

•• pulaiona and ins"bordloatlon ar. ,llllln.tld". At , SAA~t· ."aa

.... tlne. workera e.pr••a.d Conc.rn about a plan beln~ d.yla.d b1 the

Ci.k.I GOYern.,nt lo orsanl" labour to .,.t what the, co~c,lY' to b,

tho n,.d. of the South African .ark.t. ~h, plan i, known ., the

"Manpow,r n,".:oFII,nt Co.ponent". It .ntaita ••a.alY' ca"p.Isn to

/6 •••...•

- , -•• ra,t an "iapro•• d" Cia.alan l.bo~r tore. 00 tb, So~tb Alrican

contract .ark,t. Thera wIll ba • clntral ,o"arn.,ot cO'puter cootalnlol

• record of ••ar: worker _ locIYd1nl • diaclplloarl record. Workera

who do not bah"1 will not b, Sl •• o contracta and will b, p~oi.b.d bI

their chi,r, in tb, clak'! who will uadarso a. orl••t'~lon cour" to

t.,ct! tt". to ,hal vitti ""rolls-4o,ra". (TId, ta a1l8.,d b1 ;UA'IIU).

H.r ••••• nt ha. atao.accordiol to ,,,"VO officials, co •• lroa the souih

"trica .. Stat,. In October 1980 s.P.8otha, the Mini.ttr of .,.. po... r

Utili.atlon, .iatt,d £,.t London 'lid o:olled 011 ••plolara to "hold Ollt"

&.,I ..at S,,"WU IIntil ..... 1&s1alatlon could ba brOlllht to ••• i,t th •••

Unlo01ac8 •• intain that ••plo,.r. in thi••r.a ha •• h•• n hidina

b.hind thi. dir.ctl •• to a.oid aakina the d.ciaion or vh.th'r or not

to d•• l with .n ora'oi •• tioa th.t a.oulo.l, r.pr ••• nt. Work.r. inter.

On D.c.aber 9th 1981, Mer.Qqv.ta .nd Mjlk.l.n. V'r' d.t.in.d b, the

South Afrlc.n S.curlt, polic •• 10 tb. p•• t , •• r th., h•• e b'en d._

t.ln.d on fi •• occ •• lon•• The full-tl •• ora.ni •• r or SAAWQ, Mr,Eric

Mtooa', v" al.o d.tain.d durina the •••• v•• k. Th., 're .till beina

b.ld in d.t.ntion.

Tn. 1 •••• on tb. Union offic•• 'Kpired in D.c ••b.r 19811 it V'a not

r.n.v.d. Tbe Union .t pr••• ot occupi •• a h.ll .t • de-procl.i •• d

point io Duncan Vill'a"

O•• r the p•• t f.v v.eke tbe, b••• 00 •••er.l occa.ion. b•• n tbr.at'O'd

_Ith •• ictioo. Thty b••• '1'0 been r.idef by tb. Br.nch • ou.her of

til....

Union official•• raue th.t th.y tu.t l.arn to .dju.t to vto.t th.y

r'l.rd •• tot.l on,\,uabt on ind.p.nd.nt Union•• Aaain tll'y r •• li ••

th.t if thty 'rt to .ur.i •• banninl" d.t.ntion•• nd pollee barr ••• ­

.ent. tht, auat •• r'pidly •• po •• ibl. con,olidat. on the .hop rloor,

thtr.by l •••• nina th.ir r.li.nc. on • vuln.r.bl. ltad.r.h~p, Till'

r.qulr.d th. rapid dtfu.lon of orlani •• tiontl .klll. htnc" taph•• i.

1~ ahiftin~ to th. training of ~hor_.t.w.rd~ .nd oth.r nr~nni,er_.

On the po.iti,•• id. - the Indu.trl.1 _ork_forc. 1n E.~t ~ondoo prop.r

tot.l. 'pprOKi •• t.ly ".000. Thi. i. not. l.rg. nu~b.r ~nd r.l'ti ••

to oth.r 'r'" ••• y to org.nlt ••It h., 'lr.ady b•• n .entioned th.t SAAWU Includ•• within it••e.b.r_

.hlp the lIore .kill.d _orktr•. In t •• t London th.,·. i. a lialt.d

re.er.olr of eklll·d >lorkeNI, thue Ki.ina the tnion in eo ..e or tht

Indu.tri.e coneld.r.bl. h.raainina etrtnlth. For til Ie .tr1 re"on

Dunlop Floor InK durinl the .tr1kt 1n Octob.r 1981, found It 'Ktrt'ely

difricult to recruit eub.tltut. ec.b labour.

hhru.ry 1'182