16 'AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL'

Apartheid owes its continued existence to the many forms of direct and indirect assistance received from international capitalism. In return, multinational corporations which invest in Apartheid South Africa extract huge profits from the sweat and blood of the Black working class. The equation is simple: Apartheid and international monopoly capitalism need each other.

But the workers - the toilers, the producers of all wealth - in South Africa and in every capitalist country need neither Apartheid nor multinational corporations. The case of British Leyland cited in the previous chapter can be multiplied thousands of times. In every foreign corporation that invests in Apartheid there is a group of workers who must ask themselves one fundamental question: 'can our interests, no matter how strong our trade union, be protected as long as cheap, Black labour is exploited in South Africa?' The answer is clearly NO! From this essential starting point, it then becomes imperative that workers throughout the capitalist world make the struggle against Apartheid their struggle as well. SACTU's motto is not a slogan devised in South Africa for only South African conditions. It is a fighting weapon to which every worker who sells labour power to another must attach himself/herself. AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL.

The militant struggles waged by the oppressed people of South Africa in the 1970s have alerted the multinational corporations, and the Western governments that do their bidding, to realize that some initiative must be made to protect the massive investments - past, present and future - in Apartheid. Governments and corporations, therefore, have begun to devise 'Codes of Conduct' for regulating capitalist behaviour in Apartheid.

These Codes of Conduct, while they vary in detail from one country to the next, share certain fundamental premises. Firstly, they were devised completely independent of consultation with the Black working class of South Africa. Secondly, they intentionally confuse the entire issue by suggesting that Apartheid can be reformed without the necessity of it being completely overthrown. This, of course, is done so as to protect capitalism's long term interest in exploiting the human and natural resources of not only South Africa but also the entire subcontinent. Thirdly, they fail in every respect to respond to the real needs of the people of South Africa, as outlined in the Freedom Charter (see Appendix II).

The oppressed people of South Africa, through their trade union movement (SACTU) and through their liberation movement (ANC) and its allies, have clearly told the multinational corporations and Western governments that the only acceptable 'code of conduct' is to GET OUT NOW!

We, the South African Congress of Trade Unions, have now told you our story of a quarter of a century of struggle and sacrifice. Our victory is certain! That victory, however, requires the principled solidarity from everyone who shares our goals and aspirations to create a free and democratic South Africa. On behalf of the exploited workers of South Africa, we call upon you to commit yourself to the following tasks which are necessary for the realization of our struggle against Apartheid. Join hands with the workers of South Africa and DEMAND:

• AN END TO ALL FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA

• AN END TO ALL FOREIGN LOANS TO THE APARTHEID REGIME AND COMPANIES OPERATING IN SOUTH AFRICA

• THE NATIONALIZATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN MULTINATIONALS OPERATING IN YOUR COUNTRY

• AN END TO ALL TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA

• A COMPLETE ISOLATION OF SOUTH AFRICA IN EVERY SPHERE -CULTURALLY, POLITICALLY, ECONOMICALLY, MILITARILY AND THROUGH SPORTING LINKS

• A COMPLETE ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST THE REGIME

• AN INTERNATIONAL OIL EMBARGO AGAINST APARTHEID

• AN END TO EMIGRATION OF SKILLED WORKERS TO SOUTH AFRICA

• A CONSUMER BOYCOTT OF PRODUCTS OF APARTHEID

• AN END TO THE PROMOTION OF BUSINESS WITH SOUTH AFRICA AND TO THE ADVERTISEMENT OF SOUTH AFRICAN GOODS AND SERVICES

• THE PROHIBITION OF AIRLINES AND SHIPPING LINES REGISTERED IN YOUR COUNTRY FROM PROVIDING SERVICES TO AND FROM SOUTH AFRICA

WORKERS, CEMENT YOUR SOLIDARITY BY TAKING THESE ACTIONS NOW:

• IMPLEMENT A BAN ON THE HANDLING OF ALL SOUTH AFRICAN GOODS COMING IN BY SEA, AIR, ROAD OR RAIL

• CONTINUE TO DEMAND THE RIGHT OF ALL SOUTH AFRICAN WORKERS TO ORGANIZE AND FORM INDEPENDENT TRADE UNIONS, AND DEMAND THAT EMPLOYERS RECOGNIZE AND NEGOTIATE WITH THE WORKERS ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES

• FORGE DIRECT LINKS WITH YOUR FELLOW WORKERS IN THE SAME INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA IN CONSULTATION WITH SACTU

• DEVELOP AND PROMOTE THE EFFECTIVE USE OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON APARTHEID WITH YOUR FELLOW WORKERS

• ORGANIZE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS

• INVITE SACTU TO ADDRESS YOUR WORKERS COLLECTIVELY

• BY CARRYING OUT THESE ACTIONS, YOU WILL BE ADVANCING THE STRUGGLE WAGED BY YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SOUTH AFRICA AGAINST APARTHEID, OPPRESSION AND EXPLOITATION!

[Contents]