THE NATIONAL Mineworkers in South Africa made movement history in heroic three-week strike in pursuit of a living wage. Never before has the liberation struggle in Africa experienced a strike of such proportions for such a length of time. The strike achieved, in the words of the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU), 'the best unity and organisation the country has ever seen'.
Although the miners were unable to win their 30 per cent wage increase, the successfully organised necessary retreat. This will allow it to continue the struggle ly intact and with 80,000 new members won through the battle.
Ramaphosa, general secretary of the NUM(SA) put it, the strike should be seen as 'a dress rehearsal for further action'. With the death of 50 miners at the Helena gold mine just hours after me return to wOln further action is on the cards.
This AISLOTO trial registered the balance It demonstrated that the apartheid regime can't simply crush the trade union movement — the capacity of which belied the Chamber of Mines' predictions that would within two days. In saluting the black workers, SACTU explained that mining bosses: 'failed to bleed the NUM to its death.? But the strike also showed that the struggle tor power by the oppressed peoples of South Africa will be a prolonged one.
African ruling class is a junior partner in the world system of imperialism. Apartheid rule, which brings the imperialists superprofits labour, will not be overthrown easily.
1he NUM(SA) was four years ago. At the start of the of strike, it organised its non-racial African Trade Unions (COSATU). The claim South March (the • organisationalAs Cyril or In miner's wage, Yet without strength tained by the of forces in hours.
crumble liberation struggle, the 1940 sinke The South increase ranging from 15 to union. The strike began. black government tried a re-launched per cent of miners. With over 340,000 members it is the backbone of the 710,000 member, Confederation of South submitted by the NUM(SA) in this year's wage round included a 30 per cent wage increase (reduced to 27 per cent in the final week of negotiations); an increase in holidays private from 18 to 30 days; an increase in holiday pay; an extension in death benetits to miners families five years. The union also demanded paid holidays on dates black workers wished to mark. These include May Day, 16 June (the anniver- quarier. sarv of the Soweto uprising) and anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre). An end to the migrant labour system was called for.
The very length of the dispute, in an industry organised on the inhumane migrant labour system, was a feat in itself. Black miners in South Africa are forced to live in single-sex compounds, leaving their families behind in the bantustans (land reservations for blacks), countries which provide large amounts of labour for the mining houses in South Africa. Each on average, must support 12-15 family members he has left strike pay, the miners held out for three weeks. The longest national dispute previously susNUM(SA) lasted The strike affected 44 of the 46 gold and coal mines targetted by the NUM. In comparison, the historic 1946 miners strike, a landmark in the South African society.
involved 70,000 to 100,000 miners in 21 mines for five days from 12-17 August. At the end of the was defeatd, miners were dead and 1200 injured.
The initial response of the Chamber of Mines this time was a desperate bid my. to buy off the strike. On 1 July, a wage theid 23.4 per cent was imposed. This didn't deter the that On the first day of the strike the similar ploy. enacted laws to abolish the job reservation' system in the mines. These laws have barred black miners from better paid jobs in the pits for more than 75 years. A massive misinformation campaign of fake leafletting also failed to disrupt the strike.
were coupled with nese tactics brute force from day one. The miners were subject to unrelenting attacks by the mining bosses and their notorious secunity forces, backed where necessary, by the apartheid state forces. Miners who remained at the compounds were forced down mining shafts at gunpoint. The appeal by the NUM for miners to leave their living was a clear signal that the reponsibility for violence was at the door of the bosses and the state. In the event, most miners remained at the compounds.
During the three weeks, over 400 arrests were made; over 500 miners sutfered injuries murdered. Thirty six thousand miners were sacked from their jobs. ands of other jobs were put at risk when the mine owners threatened to close a number of mining shatts.
At the end of the day, the union won improved conditions, but no further wage increase. A ten per cent increase holiday pay was agreed. benefits are to be paid up to three years after the death. Agreement has been reached that moves will be made to end the hostel system.
However, this battle was not just another wage round. The strike took place against the back cloth of an increasingly polarised South . The apartheid employed violence on all fronts in an attempt to contain resistance to its rule. But it has been unable to regain the strategic initiative.
The townships where black urban workers live remain occupied by the arYet the regime can't get the aparcouncils functioning. troops were withdrawn everyone agrees the underground street committees, people's courts, and local defence units would soon reappear.
The mass organisations have also been targetted for repression by the regime. The United Democratic Front (UDF) the largest anti-apartheid coalition in South Africa, has a majority of its leaders in prison. Nevertheless, new mass organisations continue to be set up.
UDF. Women's League was launched. Preparations rebirth of the Federation African Women (FEDSAW) which will up draw In boll women. FEDSAW was relaunched in the Johannesburg area in June 1987.
Perhaps the achievement in recent months was the launch of a quarter of a million strong youth organisation, the South African totally underground.
But the most decisive feature this year has been the central role of the trade unions as focus for the resistance to the apartheid regime. were have been able to score important vIctories — at great cost in terms of human lives and suffering Two major battles on a national scale have been won. First, over 10,000 workers, mainly women, employed by the large chain stores of Ok Bazaars won a strike against low pay. In June the South African Railway and Harbour Workers Union scored a resounding victory after à three-month strug gle. This had threatened to spark off a I1UlC generalised eleventh anniversary uprising approached.
With these successes under its belt the trade union movement was engaged African in strike actions involving half a million workers as the miners strike got underway. Unelical agricultural cessing workers regional disputes. The postal workers action was the broadest 20,000 members at a national level. This action followed from the victory of the Soweto-centred postal strike in y May. It was part of a strike wave by members Telecommunication (POTWA) which return to after the NUM(SA) settlement. An improvement in conditions resulted example, in May 1987, the underway of South most spectacular (SAYCO) which is upsurge the of the Soweto local workers, cal workers, labourers and food prowere in local Namibia Isumeb POS Office Workers began 1n work took place two days although demands for wages parity with white workers was not achieved Today, 100,000 members of the second largest South African union, tional Union of Metalworkers of South African (NUMSA), are preparing for actions LITOUZHOUL the country. A threatened national strike has been declared illegal by the courts During the miners strike in South Africa, 4000 sacked copper miners in were alsu resisting onslaught of harassment and intimidation. These workers, employed by the Corporation Ltd. (TCL), which is owned by the British multina tional Consolidated Gold Fields, had been on strike since 26 July for a 120 per cent increase in the pitiful wages paid. It also demanded improved conditions — as well as broader political demands such as an end to the contract labour system and the implementation
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OF UDF and non-UDF