Aire et ocean ‘t. SACTU in Canada looking for union Solidarity, action By MIKE PHILLIPS TORONTO — The road from Lamontville township, South Africa has been a hard one for Peter Mhlangu but it’s a path he won’t stray from, for it must inevitably lead to freedom for his people. Toronto is the latest stop on that free- dom road for the 38 year old trade un- ionist from Durban. He has come to open and staff the first official Canadian out- post for the South African Congress of Trade Unions, SACTU. His arrival is an historic moment in the development of Canadian solidarity ef- forts on behalf of South Africa’s under- ground, non-racial trade union move- ment. Up to now the mobilization of that solidarity has been ably undertaken by the SACTU Solidarity Committee, a group of Canadian volunteers operating with a mandate from SACTU’s London headquarters. ‘*The solidarity committee will now be able to function with a more direct connection to SACTU and that should strengthen its work here’’ Mhlangu told the Tribune recently. “‘My job as I see it will be to liase with Canadian trade unions and explain the South African situation to workers and anyone else I can talk to as well as to canvass material and moral support for the trade union movement in my country. ‘*Especially now, when our people are under Botha’s state of emergency, we need the most energetic and generous support of the Canadian trade unions and their members. And, it’s equally impor- tant that our Canadian brothers and sis- ters receive their input about apartheid in South Africa from trade unionists who have lived it.”’ Beyond Bread and Butter Since its formation in 1955, SACTU has operated on the principle that inas- much as the freedom struggle in South Africa is a liberation fight against a form of colonial oppression for all races and groups in the country, the revolutionary trade union movement should be non ra- cial and seek to organize all the workers in the country into the largest and most powerful unions possible. The union’s intimate relationship with the African National Congress and its role in helping frame the Freedom Char- ter at the Congress of the People, in the same year, reflects SACTU’s conviction that the cause of South African workers can never be confined to bread and but- ter issues. ‘*Because the first oppression we face is as black people living under a form of colonialism, the issues in the work place can’t be divorced from our position in society,” Mhalangu said. “Workers in my country can’t even choose where they want to live because of repressive and racist legislation such as the pass laws, the Influx Control laws or the Group Areas Act, which is a special law letting the government choose mere people can be.”’ 6 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986 Every aspect of daily life impinges on the working conditions of black South African workers. “‘Rent, housing, trans- portation are all tied to work,’ the SACTU representative said. “‘If you don’t have decent housing; are separated from your family; your rent is much more than you can pay; and you have no transportation to get you to work, how can you work efficiently?” SACTU and the ANC, Mhlangu stres- sed, are allies in the struggle, each with distinctive roles to play. While the ANC is a broad-based national liberation organization fighting for a democratic South Africa, SACTU has taken up its mandate to unite South African labor — PHOTO — KERRY McCUAIG Peter Mhlanga is in Canada to open and staff the first official Canadian outpost het the South African Congress of Trade Unions. f ; ‘*As a people we know who have been leading in the struggle and who have paid the greatest sacrifices in our cause. You grow up with someone in that struggle then outsiders say you’re supposed to denounce them as communists — I don’t go for that.” Identical Aims Aside from the fact that SACTU, COSATU, and the ANC have already jointly indicated their mutual support SACTU does have its detractors among certain right wing elements in the Canadian union movement. They suggest that labor should directly channel its aid to COSATU and other legal trade union bodies in the country. What's actually bugging these right wingers is the prestige and prominence of the South African Communist Party in the ranks of SACTU and the ANC. into a powerful trade union movement in the face of vicious repression. Efforts Rewarded Its efforts in this direction have been rewarded with the emergence of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, COSATU, which is the largest labor federation in the country. SACTU was responsible for initiating the talks which launched the process of COSATU’s formation. Its role in the fight to build the South African trade union movement was to revitalize the trade union movement by organizing the unorganized and to campaign for the formation of one powerful trade union federation based one one union per industry. SACTU does have its detractors among certain right wing elements in the Canadian trade union movement. Never __ thrilled by the broad support SACTU has won among Canadian trade unionists, they suggest that labor should directly channel its aid to COSATU and other legal trade union bodies in that country. They argue that because SACTU is an underground organization there is no ac- curate way of knowing what influence or support it actually enjoys, while the sup- port COSATU demonstrates as a legal federation is obvious. What’s actually bugging these right wingers is the prestige and prominence of the South African Communist Party in the ranks of the national liberation movement including the ANC. To which Mhlangu responds: ‘“‘If communist party members are in its leadership it is because communists have contributed so much to our struggle for freedom and they deserve to be there. and identical aims in the liberation strug- gle, Mhlangu pointed out that the succes- — ses, achieved in establishing legal trade unions in South Africa, haven’t changed the repressive nature of the racist re- gime, nor have they eliminated the need for underground trade union work. ‘Repression was the reason SACTU had to go underground in the first place and it’s still the same government in power,’ he said, recalling the many ~ SACTU officers and activists, such as former leader Mini Vuyisile and others murdered by the state, or imprisoned for their trade union actions. Mhlangu pointed out that current SACTU president Stephen Dlamini, has been in and out of apartheid’s jails for his efforts, including a six-month detention in 1976 where he was tortured and press- ed to betray his comrades in the under- ground. The current state of emergency, Mhlangu said highlights the need for SACTU. ‘‘How can we guarantee that COSATU or other legal union bodies will be there tomorrow? Given the current situation they may have to go under- ground. ‘‘Right now, three quarters of the cur- rent leadership are in prison and the rest are in hiding. The government’s main aim with the state of emergency is to get rid of the trade union leadership,’’ he said. This includes COSATU president Elijah Barayi who has recently been let out of jail but who remains under house arrest. SACTU, he emphasized will remain - underground until the struggle for free- dom in South Africa has been won. ‘all out assault on the trade unions “SACTU acts as a cushion for the ¥° ! of the legal trade unions. As long 43% have SACTU, the workers of Souths rica can always be assured thet® trade union leadership the govern! ; can’t get a hold of.” Militancy and Catch 22 Its underground status also equ SACTU to play a unifying role 4 4 country’s labor movement that 19 else can. ‘‘Forexample, it’s very rl COSATU to go to CUSA, (the Coun? South African Unions), and prop? unity with COSATU. -at6} “But, for SACTU, it is in our inter to solidify the trade union movement ™ | can get to the rank and file workel®; fl these (CUSA) unions and change a character so we can open the way © unity with COSATU.” In addition, SACTU, with the inte tional connections it has made throv out the world since it went under sof is the best channel through which # la? abroad can communicate with Sout”, rican unions and through which it gain access to the most reliable mation about what is happening in country. This is particularly important wa unions outside want to forward mon, and other support to the unions of So” Africa. “ql , Without going through SAC At Mhlangu said, unions outside Souths rica have no real guarantee the * 4] they send will actually reach theif des : nation or help the workers. Agail particularly true in light of the cu state of emergency. Undoubtedly, the state of emet ‘i has had a brutal impact on COSA activity and its program of unitin mobilizing the unions for the libe!™ struggle. ‘For one thing it has made it dill to achieve regional co-ordination 9 union actions and the fulfillm’ COSATU’s merger program,’ said. ‘‘But it hasn’t stopped the st 40 because the workers are now in the? nett tion to challenge the govert re repressive laws and demand the of their leaders.’ andi In fact the state of emergency 4% d be nt revealed splits within the aparthel corporate establishments over the in? policy towards the unions. ““They ru ‘Catch 22’ situation,” the SACT explained. a! ‘**As much as they hate the de 17 blacks organizing, some of them wis government wouldn’t use the hal if approach because it fuels the milit the workers,’’ Mhlangu said.