SOUTH AFRICAN WORKERS FORCE BACK FIRESTONE BOSSES Fight for solidarity with BL strikel

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Militant united action by black workers in the South African motor industry has won a major victory against the capitalists and their strikebreaking weapons of mass victimisations.

Last week, management at Firestone Tyre factory in Port Elizabeth were forced to reinstate immediately some of the 160 workers they had sacked in February after a strike, and to promise to take back the rest.

This victory was won by substantial blacking and mass strike action by workers at Fords, General Motors and Firestone itself.

Breakthrough

It is a major breakthrough for the whole workers' movement in the face of a class enemy that uses the vicious weapons of mass unemployment and police terror against workers fighting for their needs and interests.

This forced retreat for the capitalists came at the same time as their apartheid state was using its army to try to crush a mobilisation of black youth in Johannesburg.

Workers at Fords and GM had taken blacking action in April against Firestone tyres, in response to a call by the 160 victimised workers for support in their struggle for reinstatement.

This solidarity action was extended into a strike by BL Landrovers in actic about 2,000 workers at these plants on May 20. Then on May 21 they were joined in united strike action by the 1500-strong workforce Firestone.

In the face of united and determined class action which was crippling profits and threatening to escalate through wider sections the black working class, Firestone bosses were forced to back down.

The task facing workers must now be to make sure agal tha to reit WO has to del wo sol So:

bla Af inst Sowery blacks it management is forced stick to its agreement to nstate every victimised ker. Firestone struggle i shown the way forward united class action in fence of any group of orkers under attack. It is a hting example of class idarity to workers in uth Africa and intertionally.

Every mobilisation of ick workers in South rica is confronted with the rising trend of victimisation by capitalists and their apartheid state. Every group of workers in struggle needs to be able to draw on the support and strength of their class brothers and sistersin South Africa, Britain and in other countries.

The Firestone struggle has shown the strongest forms of independent class action for building support and solidarity. It has shown the weapons that are already in the hands of workers.

At the present time, there are crucial struggles being fought in South Africa that can be greatly strengthened by supporting action from the British labour movement.

500 striking workers at Rowntree MacK intosh's subsidiary Wilson-Rowntree in East London are fighting for reinstatement and recognition of their union.

And at BL's whollyowned subsidiary in Cape Town workers are resisting the attempts of BL management to crush their strike for decent wages and against possible blacking action in support of the South African workers.

Convenors are directed to investigate all links between their plant; and the South African pants, to assess what blacking action can be taken against supplies and to report back, to the next Combine Committee meeting.

Clear lead

The campaign being taken up in BL gives a clear and solid lead to solidarity action in support of other struggles. In particular the same fight must be taken up with Rowntree-MacK intosh workers and in their unions, for action in support of Wilson-Rowntree workers in South Africa..

In October 1980 workers at the Wilson-Rowntree factory in East: London were reprimanded for fixing a machine. It was said they had done fitters' work.

In February 1981 three workers were asked to perform the same type of work. They refused, knowing from the previous incident that unless they got written permission from the foreman they could be • They also asked to be paid for doing the fitters' work, (the rate for the job).

The foreman refused to give them written authorisation so they downed tools and were instantly dismissed. (They were not even sacked through the proper procedure).

Committee

Within weeks, We rkers from other depart nents protested by downing tools until such time as these three workers were reinstated. They also were The workers' committee, democratically elected by 90% of those that have joined the South African Allied : : Workers* Union (SAAWU), negotiated. with management but to no avail.

Management only recognises the unrepresentative registered Sweet Workers Union which has apartheid built into its constitution.

Consequently management is afraid of SAAWU because it truly represents the workers interests.

After fruitless negotiations the rest of the workers downed tools and were dismissed. Management has now sacked 500 striking workers.

Pool of Thousands of people are unemployed in the Eastern Cape and Wilson-Rowntrees has been able to draw replacements from this pool of labour.

All but one of the workers committee members are in jail where they have been on hunger strike.

Management iş working with the Ciskei Security Police •to break . the SAAWU's strength.

SAAWU has called a boycott of all Wilson-Rowntree products.

This boycott is being supported in Cape Town by workers, students and many community organisations, as well as in other urban areas.

Back in the UK the majority of workers in Rowntree MacK intosh are members of the TGWU, GMWU and USDAW.

These unions are in collaboration with Rowntree Mackintosh through a Joint Negotiating Council (JNC).

It is believed that on May 18 the National Officers of these three unions had secret talks with Rowntrees chairman on the situation in South Africa.

The shop stewards' delegates on this JNC had no knowledge of this until now. Confirmation of these secret talks is being sought. Only a Rowntree workers strike in the UK will win this one.

Speeches

The union of the South African workers has already appealed in February to the TUC for support. But workers in Britain who saw this reported on TV have heard nothing from TUC leaders as to what they are doing to mobilise action.

These leaders are happy to make rousing speeches against apartheid in general, but act to block class action in support of specific struggles by black workers against capitalists and their apartheid state. They are the same leaders who are holding back struggles in Britain around jobs, wages, social services and democratic rights.

*The TGWU 5/60 Branch representing the entire membership in BL's Body Plant, meeting on Sunday passed a resolution of solidarity and calling for blacking action.