PROCESSED THE STORY OF

1

F th e CAPE TOWN ~[

r d e u n i o n j LIBRARY CONTENTS

Part One : Page: 2 How the workers make the bosses rich. Part Two Page: 4 How the workers fight the bosses. Part Three Page: 8 How the state is a tool of the bosses Part Four Page: 11 How the workers organise against bosses. Part Five Page: 13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Workers and the women’s struggle

We wish to express our sincere thanks to all those people who Part Six Page: 16 have sacrificed their time and Who are the friends of the workers energy to produce Jane G. We recognise their commitment to the Part Seven Page: 19 workers’ struggle reflected by the many hours of voluntary What is the role of the working class work. Without access to the many photographs and graphics from Part Eight Page: 23 various progressive publications this series wouldnot have been How the workers fight for their children. possible. COPYRIGHT? Prepared and published by You are free to reproduce all The C.A.L. Media Collective or parts of this booklet for Copies obtainable from:: educational and non-profit purposes. CAPE ACTION LEAGUE 701 Atlantic House 16 Corporation Street Cape Town. 8000 Published 1989. Phone :(021) 461-1509 INTRODUCTION

The story of Jane G has its roots in the daily experiences of an ordinary black working mother living in South Africa/Azania. She is the mother you meet at the bus stop, meet in the taxi, talk to at the corner shop or prayer meeting. In this series, Jane G’s struggle is typical of the millions of workers suffering a similar fate in our country.

Jane speaks of the hardship she faces under the exploitative cycle of earning low wages and paying high rents. The burden of working long hours and paying high prices for basic food in order to look after her family. She finds relief by joining the Clothing Workers’ Union which organises workers at the Rex-Tex factory where she works.

As time passes, jane participates in the debates and discussions affecting the lives of workers at Rex-Tex, She realises that the only way she can protect and advance workers rights is to build a strong membership at the factory. But her greatest liberating experience is the strike at Rex-Tex. Her involvement in the mass actions against the Labour Relations Amendment Act helps her understand that the real cause of her suffering is not apartheid but the entire system of racial capitalism.

When workers are asked to support the rent boycott, Jane sees the link between factory and community struggles. She realises that factory struggles are part of a much wider struggle for worker democracy.

Increasingly, Jane becomes more involved in the CWU and finds it difficult to do her job as a machinist, care for her family and participate in her union. As she becomes armed with new ideas, she is no longer intimidated by the bosses ’fear tactics’ about politics and joins the Cape Action League. As a member of the CAL, she grapples with many important ideas before she is convinced that the building of a democratic worker republic can remove poverty, low wages, ignorance and disease and the many ills of the racial capitalist system.

Jane G, first appeared as a series in Solidarity, the mouthpiece of the Cape Action League. The series was read by activists in community, student, youth and worker organisations.

At the request of our readers, the Cape Action League decided to publish the series as a booklet. The book is written in easy English in order for it to be used by workers and their allies as an instrument for active struggle against all forms of oppression and exploitation ------FORWARD TO SOCIALISM------

i PART ONE

Jane G works at a clothing factory in Cape she now has. Or sometimes when the price of Town. Like most clothing workers, she is excited one of these items is increased, she cannot make on a Friday afternoon when she gets her pay ends meet for a long time. packet. Like most clothing workers, she also wonders What Jane does not know is that her pay why she gets so little money for the hard work that packet is not an accident. She is but one of many she does. She always reads her Union’s news­ millions who find themselves in a similar position. letter where she discovered that the bosses in the They are all part of the same system. All those clothing industry always people in South Africa who make very large profits. So work for wages have the she has often asked herself same kinds of problems. why it is that the bosses do Whether they work in cloth­ not give the workers more ing factories or any other wages. kind of factory, whether they work in offices, on farms, in Jane has two little children, the mines, in shops oron the a boy Themba and a little girl docks: they are all wage- Amilcar. With the wages she earners. They all work for a earns, she can just about boss or a company which is manage to pay for all the owned by two or more things that she has to buy or bosses. Sometimes the pay for every week. bosses employ many These wage goods include people who don’t even know the following items: one another. All those * food people who have to work for * clothing wages help to produce * rent/electricity/water profits for the bosses in one * bus fares/train fares way or another. * creche fees * furniture HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? * medical expenses * entertainment Here is a simple explanation. In real life, the answer is much more difficult to find because After she has paid for these things, Jane things are not so straightforward. But when we usually finds that she has no more money left have dropped all the frills, this is what the picture over. She cannot save anything for a rainy day. looks like. In fact, she often has too little money especially STEP 1 when she has to buy an expensive piece of The workers are forced to go to work so that furniture such as the little black and white TV set they can feed their families.

2 STEP 2 The bosses own the factories, the mines, the farms and all other means of producing the goods that we need to live in the world of today. STEP 3 As a result, the workers sell to the bosses their ability to work (or labour power), no matter what product they will be making. (Jane G, of course, helps to make clothes). In most South African businesses today the workers have to work at least 8 hours per day for five days a week. Some work longer hours and for 5 and a half days a week. STEP 4 Let us imagine that in one week, a worker such as Jane produces about R200 worth of goods. Jane, however only gets R100 per week. Her wages (of R100,00) per week, as we have seen, are just enough to cover her expenses if she doesn’t buy any ‘unnecessary’ things. STEP 5 So she has produced R100 extra (or surplus). This surplus is pocketed by the bosses as a profit. When we multiply this surplus by millions of wor­ kers who are employed in the factories, in the mines, on the farms and elsewhere, we get some idea of the amount of surplus value that is pro­ duced by the working class Solidarity in our country. STEP 6 the workers to work for no pay for part of the day, We can ask: the bosses create a system of capitalist exploita­ But hasn’t the tion. Exploitation of the workers is, therefore the boss robbed essential part of this system of the bosses, which Jane of the we cail the capitalist system. extra R100 Later we shall see how it comes about that a that she has few people in this system become bosses whiie produced? the great majority are forced to become workers. T-; Clearly, it would have been enough for Jane if she had worked for only 4 hours per day. This INSIDE The answer to the ques­ would have had the extra benefit to her of allow­ tion is a firm ing her to spend more time with little Amilcarand NO! Be­ with Themba. And she would have been less cause, as the tired at the end of the day and at the end of the system works, week.But if she had done this, she would (accord­ READ A WORKERS’ NEWSPAPER according to ing to the rules of the game) have been ‘robbing’ ‘the rules of the the boss because she would not have worked for game’ Jane agreed, by contract, to work 8 hours the full time of her contract, that is, for 8 hours a per day. Remember, she sold her ability to work day or 40 hours a week. (her labour power) to the boss. And so, the hundreds of workers at Jane’s So the boss is the owner of that ability of (all) factory together produce the huge profits of their the 8 hour day and the 5 day week. All that the company. And the millions of workers in South bosses can be accused of is that they exploit the Africa together produce the great wealth which workers: the capitalist class of bosses enjoy in South Africa In other words, by taking control of the surplus (and in all other capitalist countries in the world). value which the workers produce, or by forcing FOR A WORKERS' REPUBLIC 1 V ______

3 PART TWO

Jane G is an active member of hertrade union, We showed how this surplus is the source of the Clothing Workers’ Union. For a long time all the profits of all the bosses in the country (and after she started working at the clothing factory in the world as a whole). But Jane and all her (Rex-Tex), she was afraid to join the union. fellow workers are normal human beings. And no She had been told by some workers that if she human being is prepared to be robbed by thieves joined the union she would get into trouble. In and to do nothing about it. fact, at her factory there was a general fear at the As long as workers tried to do any or all of these time about being a member things separately, as indi­ of the union. She was not viduals, they could never re­ sure where this fear came ally succeed in forcing the from as she was too new at bosses to give in to their de­ the factory. Today, she mands. knows that it was "the office" and some of the forewomen Workers Defend and supervisors who spread Themselves this fear. There was a lot of whispering to put the union in The working class there­ a bad light. fore defends itself against the capitalist class in many Today, Jane understands different ways. that this fear was one of the Here are some of the weapons which the bosses ways in which workers in all used against the workers in parts of the world have tried their struggle to control them. to defend themselves: She knew that the big fight between the workers and the * By working as slowly as bosses was a fight between possible, not tiring them­ wages and profits. selves unnecessarily. Each belonging to their own class (workers * By taking goods from the factory (bosses) to and capitalists) want to increase their share of the sell or use at home. social product (wealth). * By trying to get bosses to let them work shorter hours per day and fewer days per week. This struggle between the two classes (the * By trying to get the bosses to improve the class struggle) is the result of the capitalist sys­ conditions under which they work such as bet­ tem of exploitation. You will remember that in the ter lighting, more space, more protection last issue we showed how Jane G and her fellow against dangers in the workplace, better medical workers in the factory (and in South Africa as a care, more holidays, company transport, com­ whole) produce SURPLUS VALUE for the pany housing, etc. etc. bosses. * By sabotaging (smashing) machines that put people out of work

4 Sabotage

The word comes from a French word sabot, which means a wooden shoe. In 1910, during a railway strike in France, workers removed the sabots that held down the railway sleepers on which the railways rested. By doing so, they prevented trains from running. As a result, the authorities were put under pressure to settle the strike as soon as possible.

Since then, all actions by workers or others that are meant to disrupt or dislocate the process of production are called acts of sabotage. Of course, such acts were committed long before 1910 already. For example, in England in the early years of the Industrial Revolution when clothing and textile factories were first set up by men with money. The introduction of machines into these factories meant the home weavers were left without work. In parts of England, some of these weavers organised themselves and de­ stroyed all such machines that they could find. class against any attempts by the bosses to make These were the first acts of sabotage in this working conditions worse orto lowertheir wages. modern sense. During World War II, freedom This fact, Jane G has come to understand very fighters who opposed the Nazi’s in Europe used well, because of what happened. sabotage on a large scale ir\ Strike At Rex-Tex o rd e r to weaken Hit­ Last year, the workers at Rex-Tex were in­ le r’s govern­ volved in a strike. One of the supervisors had ment. tried to get into the good books of the managers in "the office". He got them to agree to do away Workers with the fifteen minute tea break in the afternoon Unite from 3pm to 3.15pm. The shop stewards of the Union called a meeting of all the workers that Millions of same morning. Only one voice spoke out against workers in the the suggestion that the workers should down history of the tools and refuse to work. The comrade felt that capitalist this was too small a matter over which to risk world have one’s job. But she was quickly persuaded that if been d is ­ all the workers acted together, such a strike missed and would be successful. The bosses would have no even killed for "going slow", for "stealing", for choice but to cancel the order. She was made to "sabotage", and so forth. As a result, workers see that every minute that helped to lighten the realised that they had to come together (to com­ load of the workers, every little bit of comfort that bine) and act in a united way if they want to they could win for themselves was important. succeed. Through all the daily fifteen minutes they got for themselves they made their lives a little more TRADE UNION comfortable. It is really a matter of life and death and not just an unimportant thing. The "office" In this way, TRADE UNIONS came into being, called in the shop stewards, and after a few at first in England and later in all countries where minutes the whole thing was settled. The bosses the capitalist system was introduced. and supervisors realised that the workers were Trade Unions are, therefore, in the first place, united on the issue and that there was no point in workers’ organisations that defend the working continuing. They, clearly, thought that they FOR A WORKERS' ORGANISATION]

5 which they can defend themselves. They only take strike action when they have no choice.

Jane is elected Shop Steward

Today, Jane is so convinced of the importance and usefulness of the Clothing Workers’ Union that she has agreed to stand as a shop steward at the coming union elections at Rex-Tex. This will put her in the hot seat, she knows, because she will be the union’s representative on the spot, on the shop floor. Both the workers and the bosses will have to come to her if anything has to be discussed between the two parties. But she represents the workers who elected her, not the bosses. This is uppermost in her mind and she knows that she must always ask herself what will promote the interests of her fellow workers. She knows that she cannot make up her own mind about things that happen in the factory on the shopfloor. She will have to get the mandate from the workers for everything she says or does on their behalf.

Building Workers’ Control

Only in this way can the union remain under the control of •the workers. Such "W OR­ KERS’ CON­ TROL" is the life blood of would try to get the workers in some other wa; the tra d e union move­ Fear and Relief ment. Without it, the union of­ Jane was very relieved. She had been afraid ficials can to strike because she was also afraid of losing easily lose her job. But all her friends, including her bosom touch with pal Jackie, were voting forthe strike. She felt that what is going she couldn’t be the odd person out; even though on among the she, too, was not convinced that it was the right workers on thing to do. Now, after the victory and after the shopfloor. listening to all the speeches and reading the They can eas­ union’s report on the matter in the newsletter, she ily become the realised how important the action had been. tools of the bosses, the managers and the super­ visors without even knowing it. They can easily She understood that the strike is one of the forget that they represent the workers and not the most important weapons that workers have if they bosses! want to stop the bosses from robbing them further or to increase wages or to improve the working In the struggle between the two classes which conditions. Of course, she realised also that this takes place on the shop floor day in and day out, weapon was a kind of ultimate weapon, not one the bosses are always on the look out for ways that should be used lightly. Workers who are and means of improving their position and organised in a union have many other ways in ' SOCIALISM EQUALS FREEDOM")

6 d e m a n d s ?

increasing their profits. This, they can do in * Most bosses will only improve working condi­ very many ways. Since the factories and all that tions if they are forced to do so by worker action is in them belong to them, they have a big or if the government makes them obey certain advantage. Their greatest weapon is the power rules and regulations. The less the bosses to dismiss any worker or even all workers if they have to spend on the comfort and health of their wish to do so. workers, the greater their profits. For this rea­ son, they always try to get away with the least Bosses’ Schemes possible expenditure on things like rest rooms, medical aid, air conditioning, paid holidays, These are some of the ways the bosses in­ maternity leave, and so on. crease their power and control over Mainly the large companies workers and Multinationals which make very high (super) profits are pre­ * In the past, they tried to in­ pared to create conditions crease the hours of work or to which are more fit for human lengthen the working day. Today, beings to work in. in most advanced capitalist coun­ Again, it is one of the main tries, no worker is prepared to work tasks of unions to ensure that longer than 8 hours per day or 40 their members and all other wor­ hours per week. Anything more kers work under the best than that is overtime and the possible conditions for the best bosses are forced to pay double possible wages. wages or more for such overtime. This had come about because of WORKERS ON GUARD the power of the trade unions in these countries. In the less ad­ No matter how much the vanced capitalist countries, workers often still workers gain, no matter how much the bosses work up to 16 hours per day without extra pay. are forced to give, the class struggle con­ The reason for this is that in these countries, tinues. Jane knows today that the bosses will the unions are very weak or don’t exist at all. always try to get the workers in some other way. As a result, the workers always have to * More often, the bosses try to increase the rate be on their guard; they always have to see of exploitation. Usually, they introduce ma­ how they can improve their conditions. This chines that force workers to work much faster is the most important task of their union. But and to produce more goods per hour or per day the matter does not end there. As we shall without, however, paying the workers more. see later, people like Jane G have suddenly Sometimes, they will put workers on short time begun to understand that unions play a very and pay them less even though they are pro­ important part in changing not just the condi­ ducing the same number of goods as before. tions at their factory but in the whole of our In countries where unions are strong, they try to society. But that is another story, to which we fight against these practices of the boss class. shall return later. SIFUNA KONKE J 7 HOW THE STATE IS A BOSSES' TOOL PART THREE

Jane’s experience of the strike at Rex- Tex the other branches of the civil service are all showed the importance of unions in changing part of the state." conditions in the whole of our society. Whose interests are served? This became dearer a few days after the strike ended. Jane happened to be talking to one of "Every state is controlled or dominated by a the typists who worked in the office. This woman kind of profit system in that society. So, in capi­ told Jane that the managers talist societies, we have a had thought of calling in the capitalist state. The main police when the workers had purpose of this state is to downed tools. Jane was maintain peace so that the very upset when she heard capitalist system of exploita­ this. Why should they want tion is maintained and im­ to call in the police to settle a proved. This is usually genuine dispute between the expressed as the duty of the workers and the bosses? state ‘to maintain law and Why did the police defend the order’. These words re­ bosses and not the workers? minded Jane of the TV news. At the next meeting of the union she decided to ask the Workers’ shouted in uni­ secretary to explain what the son, "Whose law, Whose role of the police should be in order?" a genuine strike? Whose law? A few weeks later she got Whose order? her chance when the meet­ ing came off. The secretary, "The answer is always Bathemba, decided that this question was so that law and order favours the ruling class or important that they should set aside an hour of classes. In South Africa/Azania as we know, it is the meeting’s time in orderto discuss it. Bathem­ the racist law and the racial capitalist order that ba gave a short introduction to the whole ques­ turns the millions of people into Wage Slavers or tion. Workers.

This is what she said: "The capitalist system "This does not mean, of course, that ALL the can only work because the bosses are in control people who work in these state structures (police, of the state. A state is not simply the government courts, army, revenue office, rent office, hospi­ of the country. The government is only part of the tals, schools, etc.) are necessarily members of state. The army, police, law courts, judges, the ruling class or capitalist class. In fact, they schools, hospitals, prisons, tax collectors and all are usually not of the ruling class. Often they

8 come from the oppressed and exploited classes. They are ordinary working people like you and me." Jane immediately thought of the family next door, where the son was a policeman. She re­ membered how he refused to throw people out of their homes, who couldn’t pay rent.

One of the shop stewards, Karl gave examples where the police force was ordered to break up strikes at factories, in the mines, or to throw people out of their houses when they can’t pay their rent. She remembered how the clerk of the court came next door to repossess their furniture and a car, when they couldn’t keep up the instal­ ments on these. Bathemba explained that much of the work of the courts had to do with punishing people who do not respect the principle of private property, people who "steal" or who are "guilty" of fraud.

Jane suddenly thought "If the bosses do not make huge profits, the whole system would grind to a halt." Their greed for profit, the need to accumulate more and more capital is really what drives the capitalist system." Bathemba conti­ nued "If you take profit away; it is like taking the petrol out of a car. It will just stand dead still! So, the state must m ake sure ARISE! that there is al­ VUKANI ways enough petrol in the car of the capi­ talist system. That is its main task."

At this point, one of the women in her BUILD UNITY/ section state. • ANC GUIDELINES • CHINA asked,"What We see this clearly in some African countries • COSATU CONGRESS • DIALECTICS • ANTI-COLONIALIST OR • WORKERS SUMMIT is the dif­ where men and women who come from the ANTI-CAPITALIST • UPINGTON poorer classes are now in charge of capitalist • PHOLA PARK SQUATTERS ference be­ tween political states. struggle and In many African countries, officials administer economic the state. Often, these people run it just as well struggle?" She added that she felt the struggle as the previous colonial government. In some between rich and poor was the CLASS cases, they do the job even better." This gave STRUGGLE. Jane a rude shock. She thought:"You just can’t trust leaders today!" Another shop steward asked whether the rich whites were the only ones that were greedy for Bathemba continued, "Of course, we must not profit? Bathemba answered, "The state devel­ over-simplify the matter. The state is not simply ops along with capitalism. As long as the inter­ a tool, otherwise the system grinds to a halt, as I ests of the capitalist class is promoted, it does not said before. The other classes, especially the really matter who administers the organs of the working class and the middle class challenge the ; FOR A WORKERS' REPUBLIC )

9 authority and the control of the ruling class all the Bathemba said, "One thing became very clear time. to Jane. In other words, the (political) class struggle takes place within the arena of the state just as We now know that the main purpose of the state the (economic) struggle between the classes and all the different parts of the government is to takes place in the factories, the mines, in the make sure that the bosses can continue to exploit shops and on the farms. the working class! And this is what they are It is really one and the same struggle that takes doing. place at different levels of our society." Even if the government believes that all they are Jane was so puzzled and asked for more doing is to make the system work smoothly by examples. Bathemba explained, "Take a simple maintaining law and order." example when the workers, use their right to vote "Let me end off with a question: How, in a for members of parliament, they try to get these country such as ours, where the majority of the MPs to have the laws that regulate, let us say people do not have the right to vote for members taxes changed, they are still trying in the political of one central parliament, can the black workers sphere, to alter the balance between wages and try to challenge the bosses for control of the profits in favour of wages. Because the less we state?" pay in taxes the more of our wages we have left. Jane was pretty dazed by the time Bathemba If we think this through carefully, we will quickly had come to this point. And she said so. see all the "political" questions of class struggle. Members decided to print Bathemba’s short But we shall have to discuss this later since it talk so it could be studied carefully before the next needs a very detailed discussion." meeting. ' THE STATE- A CLASS WEAPON ]

10 PART FOUR: The chairperson went on," Comrades, rent, Jane’s experiences had become a light in the student boycotts, and our recent stayaway to dark. She began to realise how the different protest against the Labour Bill are ways people departments of the government, police, schools show their anger towards the De Klerk govern­ and hospitals, ensure that the bosses continue to ment. When I was a little boy, my father told me exploit workers. The strike clearly showed how about the stayaways, rent boycotts and anti-pass the police defended the bosses when workers campaigns which became part of his life during took strike action at Rex Tex where she worked. the 1950’s. Comrades, we must remember our ------v rich history of resistance A month laterthe shop-ste­ against wage slavery, pov­ wards Local called a meeting erty, ignorance and exploi­ to discuss the current rent JjNTf E AND FIGHT THE LABOU tation." boycotts. Andre’ from Athlone said, As soon as this item was " I think this is a very good tabled for discussion many idea. Just last night in the comrades said political mat­ newspaper I saw a photo of ters had nothing to do with a family sitting on the pave­ union issues. Comrade chair ment with all their furniture, called the meeting to order clothes and food scattered and said, around them. Rent Board officials evicted them be­ "Comrades, I live in Gu- cause they had refused for guletu, why have we (CWU) months to pay an increase in not sent a letter in support of rent. My heart went out to the rent boycott? Comrades, the mother who looked so thousands of families in sad and yet so strong, as Gugs and in other town- ______she tried to keep her little ships in our country have children warm as they sat on been refusing to pay higher rents. Board officials the pavement." want to push up the rents again. The government must give us our houses, we have paid the price The debate was getting hot! Even after of the houses, many times over!" Many workers Andre’s contribution, many of the shopstewards listened carefully to Sipho. still objected to sending a letter of support. Many said this was not a ‘union matter’. The CWU was "Unity in our union has taught us that we can only concerned with getting workers higher force the bosses to pay us a living wage. Now’s wages, better working conditions and sick pay the time to support our civics in the rent boycott. benefits. If CWU gets mixed up in political things We must unite with our comrades in the struggle it was going to land us in trouble. Others said that for the right to decent housing and lower rents." this kind of thing would divide the union. After all, it was true that the rent boycott was against the

I I law of the country. How could the union be expected to support something that was illegal? CWU had to be careful, under the state of emer­ gency, the government could easily ban the union!" "Some comrades even said the rent boycott only affected "African" workers, "Coloureds" and "Indians” were paying their rents as usual. How can CWU be expected to support something like this when most of its members were not af­ fected?" Workers became really angry and the discus­ sion went on for hours. All of a sudden, Jane forgot her shyness and shouted: "Comrades calm down! Think straight!"

Remember the capitalist system is based on conflict between wages and profits. Capitalism is also based on class struggle between workers and bosses. The rent boycott is part of the struggle for higher wages. The more rent the government or bosses make us pay, the lower our wages are in reality. In other words, our real wages depend on the price of things like food, clothing, transport, education and housing. The workers of Guguletu and ourcomrades in Soweto and Alex must refuse to pay the increase in rent. If they do, it is like agreeing to a cce p t lower wages. "I say we send a letter of support. The community struggle for lower rents is part our struggle for National Language Project better living conditions. Historic Unity Rally 1985. CAL UDF COSATU UM P.O. Box 378 Community struggles are Salt River paign to the union at the next general meeting. 7925 linked to fac­ Telephone: (021) 47 2760/1 tory struggles. It was also agreed that Jane was to talk at the Workers must next shop stewards’ meeting on the links be­ see that these tween the struggles in the factories, in the town­ are aspects of the same struggle - our struggle ships and in the schools. for a free and democratic worker controlled so­ Jane suddenly felt very small and a little afraid. ciety." Why did I open my big mouth? What do I really Jane’s reminder to the shop stewards about know about such things? But I also feel a little how rent and wage struggles are linked came in proud because my comrades had chosen me to the nick of time. It did not solve the problem, give the talk. I will just have to learn by reading because the meeting did not agree to issue a and talking to other people. I have just joined the letter of support. But, at least, it was agreed that Cape Action League branch in Langa and I’m we would invite someone from the Civic Associ­ sure that I’ll find some of the answers to these ation to come and explain the whole rents cam­ questions from my comrades of CAL. ( BURY DIVISION BUILD UNITY WORKERS AND THE WOMEN'S ip STRUGGLE ^------J PART FIVE

Jane’s mandate (from the last union meeting) bus shelters, creches, play parks and sport to speak at the Shop Steward Council had wor­ fields in our townships, it is once again the women ried her all week. who have to face the councils and the stooges on At last Jane’s turn to speak to the shop ste­ the Town Councils and Management Commit­ wards came. After almost a month of waiting and tees! preparing, the shop stewards council decided that she should speak on Tuesday 9th August. "Why, then, do our men treat us like we are their She was supposed to speak property? Why do working on the link between the men, our husbands and our struggles of workers in the sons, behave like the factories, offices, shops, bosses when they deal with farms and mines on the one us -theirwives, theirdaught- hand, and the struggles of ers and their sisters? Why the poor people in the town­ do they always want us to do ships against high rents and all the dirty work in the for better living conditions on house? The washing up, the other hand. the cooking, the laundry, making the beds, sweeping, But since August 9th is feeding the animals, doing Women’s Day in our country, the shopping orlooking after Jane decided to talk about the children? the role of women in the struggle. Most of the shop "Why do they do this? Be­ stewards and other workers cause, they say, women are at the meeting were men. So inferior. God made two Jane was very worried be­ sexes, a male sex and a fe­ cause she did not know how male sex. And the females her comrades would react to are inferior, they say. It is what she had to say. obvious. Men are bigger and stronger and they earn more money. Often they are the breadwin­ But, she began confidently: ners and, so they say, God wanted the women to look after the family and stay at home. So even "Women, Jane said, "are today in the frontline if we women have to work (in "madams house", of our struggles in the townships. When there are in hospitals, in offices, in schools or in factories) protests against rent increases or bus fare in­ we still have to do all the housework. While they, creases, it is the women who take the lead. the men, the supermen, sit around at home with When we have to support our sons and daughters their feet in the air, listening to the radio, watching who are fighting for better education, it is we, the TV and having funny conversations while they women, to whom they turn for help. Or when we drink their beer or their wine and smoke their struggle to get basic needs like clinics, hospitals, cigarettes. Afterwards, they fall asleep and we

1 3 have to clean up after them! And, of course, we mostly do all this without a murmur. But we women also have been brought up to think that this is how it should be. We also think that we are inferior. Or perhaps we don’t think so, but we certainly act as though we do!

"But these things are changing. More and more women - and some men - are beginning to understand that this is wrong. We are beginning to understand why black women in our country are oppressed three times over. First as wor­ kers by the bosses, then as black people by the apartheid laws and last - but by no means least - as women by the men. And what we are finding is that all this oppression and exploitation grows from one root. And that root is the very capitalist system that we are fighting in the fac­ tories and in the other places where we work.

"We are finding that our struggle as women for have a few children and a few servants to look equality with our male comrades, our struggle as after them, and be nice and pretty so that they blacks for equality with whites, and our struggle can relax and enjoy themselves when they come as workers for a just system where we will not be from work. And we working women dress up and exploited, all these struggles are really just differ­ want to be pretty dolls for our men. It would suit ent branches of the same tree. Comrades, this us not to work in factories and not to have to look is really all one struggle. We find this difficult to after lots of children. So we all want to live like understand the fat cats and their wives. - p . , 'i •( sometimes. • h L ijn-vji piO'.- ’•1 T k , For instance, "This suits the capitalist class, especially when the very things are not so good and they can do without worker who the millions of women workers. Our work in the j WELCOME stands up for house sees to it that the male (and female) wor­ TO THE g his rights as a kers are always fit to work. worker in the first teenage - factory will go WE, the women, through our domestic slavery, magazine against home from make sure that the bosses of the factories and racism and sexism there and treat offices run smoothly so that they can make their his wife like a profits. Imagine what would happen if WE re­ slave, even fused to cook, wash and iron and so on!! The men would get sick and even die and the whole Films worse than &ooks the boss has system would come to a standstill. treated him at

FREE STICKER INSIDE! work! But of course, it is not so simple! All I want to show is that the oppression of women by men "So how serves the interests of the capitalist system. can h i s Comrades, men and women must join hands to struggle against the boss and her struggle fight capitalism if we are really serious about against him be one and the same struggle? doing away with women’s oppression. Remem­ ber, our struggle as women is not really against "To understand this, we must remember that men as such. the ideas of the bosses or of the ruling class are all over the place. We, who are workers, are also "Comrades, I know that I have made all this infected with these ruling class ideas. All of us, sound very simple. Our daily lives are more if we are honest and think about it, want to be like difficult than the picture I have painted. After all, the bosses; all of us want to be rich and powerful. we still have to deal with animals who think they Our menfolk want their women to stay at home, are our husbands or our sons; we still have to face EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK

14 men who are so poisoned by the system that they struggle, we must also remember that the can only see us women as sex objects, men who struggles of the factories and the townships make life an ugly and nasty thing. It is not enough go together. Comrades, these struggles have to say we must fight the capitalist system. We to be fought and led by the working men and must fight this sexism (like racism) all the time. women of our country!! And how we do that is a big problem. Perhaps we should go away from this meeting with these two big questions to think about:

Must we have separate women’s organisa­ tions?

Or is it enough if we simply build a working class organisation?

If it is all one struggle against the capitalist system why should we have separate women’s 15 Durham Avenue organisations or, forthat matter, separate organi­ Salt River sations of black people? 7925 "These are serious questions, comrades. Ph: 472760 We must all think about them because the V-*' :* - V ££& A i % success of our struggle depends on the LONG LIVE THE STRUGGLE OF answers we find to them. Today as we re­ THE WOMEN!! member the role which women play in our MASAKHANE V______15 WHO ARE THE FRIENDS OF THE WORKERS PART SIX

One day when Jane was having lunch with a "And yet this BBB and other such racist organi­ group of comrades at work, her friend Nomi came sations are clearly enemies of us working people. to speak to her about something which was wor­ rying her. Jane knew Nomi as a happy-go-lucky, They stand for more discrimination against always smiling type. So she asked her what the black people, not less. They want to strengthen matter was. Nomi answered in a most unex­ apartheid and the capitalist system. How can pected way: they be workers? Surely, those well-dressed, sincere white women who "You have told us about come to help us start soup how the bosses make the kitchens in the townships workers work for them, how and give us legal advice they take profits from the when we get into trouble, are yweat of our labour. That is our real friends? They pro­ one lesson I shall never for­ test in the streets against un­ get. Nothing I have ever just laws and brutal actions learnt has made me see by the government against things so clearly. But I knew black people and against us there was something that workers. worried me, something that Surely they are our this lesson somehow did not friends, not these race-mad, seem to explain." rude members of the BBB "This morning as I was sit­ who work next to us, often ting in the bus coming to for the same pay but usually work, I couldn't help seeing as supervisors and foremen all the white and red posters and forewomen?" on the telephone poles. They screamed loudly at "What have you to say to us: MASS MEETING - CITY this? I really want to under­ HALL - WHITE LIBERATION MOVEMENT. stand it because I think that unless we can explain Some were in Afrikaans: MONSTERVERGADE- this, our union will never have the real answers RING - STAD SAAL - BLANKEBEVRYDING- to our many problems." SBEWEGING. Jane took a deep breath and thought about Somehow this disturbed me deeply and I’ve things carefully. been puzzling over it ever since. Then I suddenly She had always known that at one time or remembered that most of the people who support another, this question would crop up in the union. this BBB are workers themselves. They are She knew of the tension and friction in many white workers who are exploited as you and I - factories between white and black workers. many of them work here with you and me. I’ve At the beginning, she herself had spent sleep­ seen them with their BBB badges." less nights trying to understand how these white

1 6 workers could be seen as comrades and fellow- exploited people. She knew that she would have to go step by step to explain a very difficult and complicated situation. So she started to answer as follows:

STEP ONE: WHO ARE THE WORKERS?

"When we use the words "worker" or "working- class", we are talking of people who are exploited by the capitalist system. That is to say: all those people who do not own or control any means of production (factories, mines, farms, etc.). These people are therefore forced to sell the bosses their ability to work. All these people are in fact "workers". Together they form the "working class".

STEP TWO: WE BUILD WORKER’S ORGANISATIONS But white workers have mostly better education, "But, in modern capitalist society, the history of better training, more subsidies, more advant­ that society is very important. Depending on that ages, etc. than black workers. history, you will find certain groups and classes The history of how white workers gained all of people who tend to do things together in order these advantages, we shall have to take up again to change that society, or to keep it as it is. In the later on. But just to complete the point I was simplest possible way, we can say that all those making: even among those whom we call "black" who benefit workers, there are similar kinds of differences. from the pres­ "Coloured" and "Indian" workers, for example, ent form of so­ have historically had many advantages over "Af­ ciety will act rican" workers. And we all know that this is true together to and that it is a source of great tension, of disunity, keep it as it is. of racial prejudice, and of collaboration with the But our own bosses and with the state! struggle has shown us that "But there are many divisions even among all those who "African" workers: the bosses and the state have get nothing or managed to make a division between "insiders" almost noth­ and "outsiders", between those who are "legally" ing out of in the cities and those who are supposed to be present forms living permanently in the Bantustans like Trans- of that society kei and Venda. And to all this, we must add the will begin to differences within each of these groups between act together in those workers who are more skilled and those order to with less. All these differences mean that work­ change it. ing people’s interests and demands are seldom the same! In this way, the bosses (helped by the STEP THREE: UNITE TO ADVANCE state) keep the workers divided so that they can WORKERS’ RIGHTS control them better. Worker unity is the greatest threat to the rule "Now, just because people work for a wage, of the boss class and of the apartheid system this does not mean that they MUST all see things in the same way. Because of South Africa’s STEP FOUR: BUILD SOLIDARITY TO racist history, for example, the vast majority of ADVANCE WORKERS’ RIGHTS white workers benefit from the system when com­ pared with the vast majority of the black workers. So, where does that take us as far as the white They are exploited and we must not deny this. workers are concerned? It is very clear that the WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE] on those individual blacks who- for whatever reason- collaborate with the state! We have to do this because we know that at some time the organised working class will bring about a situation where all workers and other oppressed people will realise that their combined strength can reorganise society in a different, more just way. They have nothing of importance to lose, ex­ cept their false beliefs in their "racial purity" and "racial superiority".

This, by the way, is the reason why, in our own Clothing Workers’ Union, we insist that ours is a non-racial, anti-racist union, even though at pres­ ent there isn’t a single "white" member in that union! White workers will join us as they see how our own strength grows. They will learn that when we strike for a living wage, we are doing so on behalf of all workers!

"So what about our white ladies? Are they our friends?" a puzzled Nomi asked.

But just after she had said this, she interrupted and asked Jane to stop.

She had heard more than enough for one lunchtim e. She had had, as it were, too much food for thought. She vast majority of white workers are the solid base wanted to on which the apartheid state rests. Because of think about racial prejudice and the real material advantages what Jane had of "being white" in a racist state, they are likely to said so that support the just demands and struggles of black she could see workers. So, black workers have to take the lead whether it all on their own. But because we have begun to made sense. understand why white workers behave the way She said she they do, we do not point our anger at them as a would come group, we point it to the real source of the problem back with - the capitalist system. Of course, to understand more ques­ does not mean to forgive! You may understand tions: why a father, frustrated by his poverty and exploi­ "Hey Com, tation at work, rapes his little daughter, but you I’ve heard still have to punish him/her. enough for one lunchtime. I got so excited listen­ ing to you - I ate too much. Let me think about Insofar as white workers as a group support the what you said and I’ll talk to my friends in the local. apartheid state and system of racial capitalism, Let’s get back to work, the siren has gone off. we can show them no mercy. We have to repri­ "The history of South Africa is so complicated," mand them. But we have to remain open to Jane thought to herself. accepting those individual white workers (or "Phew! I’m sure workers in other countries groups of them) who genuinely turn their backs don’t have so many complications. I’ll have to on the apartheid state and support the demands think seriously about howto answer Nomi’s ques­ of the working people. Just as we turn our backs tion properly. ( DEATH TO RACIAL CAPITALISM] WHAT " ' ' ' IS THE ROLE OF THE j t m p I MIDDLE Iffjfl I CLASS ? J h. • • H PART SEVEN

Two days after Jane and Nomi had sat discuss­ to the middle class. Some of them, however, ing the ways in which white and black workers actually come from the white ruling class. "They relate to one another, they got another chance to are the wives or daughters of the owners of large talk about Nomi’s question. Nomi was satisfied factories, farms, mines, banks, and super­ that she understood the position of the white markets," she said. working class in South Africa. But she still "Does this, in itself, mean that they are our wanted to know about those kind and helpful enemies?" Nomi asked. white ladies who brought "No! certainly not," said soup to the townships and Jane. "The fact that some­ gave free legal advice. Are one is ‘born into’ a particular they friends of the working class does not mean that he class? How are we to be­ or she will defend the inter­ have towards them? Are ests of that class. People do those comrades - such as the have the choice to throw in shopstewards Vusi and their lot with those who Devan - right when they say belong to another class, that these people are wolves even a class that is com­ in sheepskins? Are they pletely opposed to the one really the most dangerous into which they are born. enemies of the black working class? TOWN COUNCILLORS AND Jane had been thinking IMPIMPIS deeply about the problem. In order to prepare herself, she "You mean, like some had read old newspapers black working-class people and pamphlets of the dif­ who do the dirty work of the ferent organisations in the bosses or of the apartheid liberation movement. She hau uume iu realise siaie - iiKt! me oreen Flies, the town councillors that there were many different views on this ques­ and the impimpis?” Nomi asked. tion and that many people had changed their "Precisely! Of course, one must never forget views in the course of time. The most enlighten­ that most black workers who do this kind of thing ing pamphlets and articles had been written by are forced to do so by unemployment and hunger. people such as IB Tabata, B M Kies, R Sobukwe, On the other hand, as I always say: to understand Ray Alexander and Jack Simons. All these men does not mean to forgive! But, Jane continued, and women belonged to different political tenden­ although people from one class can be "born cies and although they stressed different things, again" into another class so to speak, there is there was much that was common in their ex­ very, very strong pressure on them to behave planation of this particular problem. "normally", i.e., like all other members of their Jane told Nomi that these "white ladies" belong class. Because, the way a class of people be-

I 9 haves is mapped out by the system of relations in which they find themselves. And that system, in turn, comes from the particular historical development in the country concerned."

"I don’t understand," said Nomi. "Please ex­ plain that a little more simply." "Well," said Jane, "it’s actually very difficult to explain this simply. But, perhaps, if you think of a church bell which is sounded when someone pulls a rope, you will understand it. The bell, the hinge joint, the rope and the person that pulls it, all these together form a system. The one can only perform its particular function, if all the others are performing theirs. "Of course, social systems are never quite as mechanical as that. But what this means is that the capitalist system depends on the working of the connections or relations between the different parts or elements (the classes) that form it. The capitalist class has to make profits and do occasionally employ strangers, these are accumulate capital and the working class has to never more than a couple or so." produce surplus value if the system is to work. Between these two classes, there are many "Would I be right, then, if I said that you are groups of people who do different kinds of talking of the man who owns the corner grocery things, and we speak of these people as ‘the shop, the tailor shop and such like?" middle class’." "Correct, but there are others as well, mainly "Is this mid­ people who have a profession - doctors, dentists, dle class also lawyers, school principals and some highly-paid divided into a teachers, accountants, etc. - who also belong to white and this middle class. The ‘tools of the trade’, their black se c­ capital, or their means of production, is their tion?" asked knowledge of the system itself.", explained Jane. Nomi. "They are able to accumulate quite a lot of "Oh, yes!" money by carrying out their professions and, if said Jane. they are lucky, a few of them may even become 'That is South real capitalists who own large concerns and ex­ Africa. The ploit hundreds and even thousands of workers." history of the "What, then, is the difference between the system of ra- white and the black middle class?" Nomi wanted c i a I to know. capitalism, which we THE CLASS WITH TWO SOULS know as apartheid, has "The black middle class is pulled in two oppos­ made it that ing directions," said Jane. "They have two souls way." in their breasts; the one wants to fly towards the heaven of the big capitalists while the other SHOPOWNERS AND PROFESSIONALS remains trapped in the purgatory of the black working class!" "But how do I know if someone belongs to the "Wait a minute Jane! What are you saying? All middle class?” that sounds very pretty but what does it mean in "Well, generally speaking, middle-class people simple terms?" own the factories and shops, but don’t really Jane burst out laughing and said: exploit the labour power of other people. They "It’s really very simple, Comrade. As long as usually have only members of their own family or there is any racial discrimination at all, the black more distant relatives working for them. If they middle class can never wholeheartedly support WORKING CLASS LEADERSHIP] CLASS SUICIDE

"Which brings me back to our ‘white ladies’," said Jane. "Oh yes, the white ladies!" said Nomi. "I had almost forgotten about them! Where do they fit in?" "Actually," said Jane, "they don’t fit in all that easily. Some of these people, only a very few, have committed class suicide. They have turned their backs on the white capitalist and the middle classes; they have, as I said before, been "born again" into the black working class. These are, as far as I am concerned, our comrades. They are genuine freedom fighters who stand shoulder to shoulder with us in the struggle against ex­ ploitation and oppression. Not all our comrades, unfortunately, are prepared to accept this description of the situation. And whenever spies like Olivia Forsyth or Craig Williamson are ex­ posed, it becomes difficult for a while to persuade these comrades that any "whites" can be genuinely committed to our struggle.

GUILT-RIDDEN

"Then, there are those white ladies (and gentlemen) who have been struck by feelings of guilt. They have certainly not been "born again"! They are like the the present system. As long as they are forced, Pharisees for example, to live in the same drab racial group who shout areas as black workers, and as long as their loudest children can’t go to the best creches and schools towards because of the colour of their skin, their money heaven but alone cannot set them free. So they are con­ are in fact stantly drawn towards and into the class struggle quite unwilling on the side of the black workers. to turn their "On the other hand, they want to make more backs on the profits, get more benefits and, if possible, them­ advantages of selves become big capitalists. This is the pull of their position. the system on the whole of the middle class. So "They let they are afraid of any really radical challenge to our people that system; they tend to look for compromises, sing and to find the easy way out, to see the silver lining in dance and shout slogans as long as it does not the cloud of racial capitalism. Many of them go lead to any serious challenge to the state and the over and become ‘system people’ who accept boss class. They would like to see a more that conditions will ‘improve’ only very slowly for humane and gentle kind of life in South Africa, "the black man" but who will rather play along with certainly, but they are not prepared to go all the the system and get some small benefits forthem- way and to do all the things that are necessary to selves and their families than to throw in their lot bring about such a way of life. On the other hand, with the black working class and fight the system even though most of these people - once they to the bitter end. have left the university - become settled in the security of their white___ WORKERS MUST LEAD ) —lives and become managers of big business or poverty, ignorance, disease, crime, oppression make pots of gold as professionals, we have to and exploitation. They always come bearing accept that they really want to bring about what gifts. And so we always welcome them as they think is a good and a more just society. We ‘friends’, unlike the police and the troops in the don’t, of course, have to fall into the trap of townships who don’t hide the real dagger of their believing that their way will bring us to such a purposes under the cloak of friendship and kind­ society! ness!” The siren went off and Jane had to stop. She CLOAK AND DAGGER had become very heated because she remem­ bered those early days before she had joined the "The third group of ‘white ladies’, said Jane, union when she had believed in the fairy tales of "those who quite deliberately want to patch up the these "white ladies". How she despised her own system by merely giving out soup and blankets ignorance then! She was determined to see to it in the townships: are simply beneath our dignity. that no one that she could influence would ever They believe in the capitalist system. They see have the wool pulled over their eyes like that. poverty, crime and exploitation as unfortunate but On the way onto the factory floor, she and Nomi unavoidable warts on the skin of that system. So, continued to talk, but they had switched over to they go about applying their stupid ointments so other more intimate topics. that the warts won’t be so noticeable and they can sleep soundly at night. These are our most dangerous enemies because they make our people powerless. "They make us believe that there is nothing we ALUTA CONTINUA can do to free ourselves from the shackles of BLACK WORKING CLASS LEADS 1

22 HOW WORKERS FIGHT FOR

11is

f> ______;

PART EIGHT eye epidemic had suddenly made everyone re­ ONEday in June, there was a crisis at Rextex. alise that the union has to take up many questions A group of about twenty women had not come to besides wages and working conditions. work. There did not seem to be any reason for One of the women got up and asked whether this. Since all of them lived in different townships she was expected to go to work when her two- and corners of the Peninsula, there did not seem year old was screaming in pain and she had to be any agreement among them to stay away. nobody to leave her with. She couldn’t expect her When they did not turn up the next day, Jane neighbour who was kind enough to help her out became very worried. She was worried about by caring for her child while she was at work, to their jobs since she was their be saddled with her prob­ shop steward and she knew lem. What was a mother of that the forelady would be children to do when she was asking her about their ab­ forced to go and work? sence. But she knew that This opened up a heated something had to be debate. Some people said wrong.The next day the mys­ that this was the curse of the tery was cleared up. Most of working class, especially of the women had stayed out of the working mother. There the work to look after their was little we could do about little children, who were it, they thought. among thousands in the Western Cape who had got DOUBLE SHIFT’ pink eyes. Others, again, said that it LOSS OF PAY was all the fault of the sys­ tem that forced people to go That afternoon there was a out to work while they had meeting to discuss the ques­ little children at home who tion. The bosses had made it could not care for them­ clear that these women were selves. If it wasn’t for all the going to lose two days’ pay. unemployed women and old ladies in the town­ A long discussion took place, too long to ship, none of the mothers in that meeting would describe here in detail. What follows is a sum­ have been able to work.Some women raised the mary of the views put forward by different wor­ whole question of "women’s double shift", as one kers. At first, there was a large group that felt that of them called it. She made the point that we are the meeting was unnecessary.Their argument taught from childhood that housework and bring­ was that the bosses were acting quite correctly. ing up children is women’s work:everybody be­ After all, if comrades had not worked, they could lieves that men are the breadwinners of the not expect to be paid! family. This seemed very reasonable. But, of course, as every woman in that meeting knew, this is simply not true! PINK-EYE EPIDEMIC She quoted from a pamphlet of the Vumani But the others felt that there was something Preschool Project which a friend had given her. wrong in this argument. The accident of a pink­ The pamphlet was called "All Our Children" and 23 it had this to say on women’s "double shift": "The bosses, as well as our union, must help us to set up these centres and to pay for their THE RIGHT TO CHILDCARE expenses. After all, our children are the workers of tomorrow. Our wages should be enough to "Many women must also go out and find paid cover all the expenses we have to feed, clothe, work, because the money earned by the men isn’t shelter, educate and train our children. enough to buy the things the family needs. Some women also want to work at a job outside the RIGHTS home; they are interested in other types of work besides housework and childcare. But because "The whole question of maternity rights for of everything they have been taught as children, women and paternity rights for men, as well as men and women still believe that looking after compassionate leave for cases of illness ordeath the children is "women’s work". So women do Iwq in the family, has to be raised by the union. We jobs: looking after the house and children, and are human beings made of blood and tears like working in a shop or factory". Of course most everyone else. women work in factories, farms, as domestics, "If the bosses’ children get sick or if someone as nurses and as secretaries. in their family dies, they do not have to ask This speech really put the cat among the pi­ anyone’s permission to stay away. They just do geons. Some of the males in the meeting ob­ so, because that is the normal thing for human jected. They didn’t believe that looking after beings to do. children was women’s work! Oh no, if necessary, "Our children are the flowers of the future. We they will change a nappy now and then, or even have to make sure that they are protected by law bath the toddlers! or by the strength of our union. Some very heated exchanges took place be­ For this reason, we will take action if our com­ cause some of the comrades felt that these kinds rades are punished because their children got of remarks were insulting to women. pink eyes."

DISCUSSION PREGNANT

The discus­ Jane spoke with great passion. She could see sion went this that she had the support of the whole meeting, way and that and when she finally sat down, there was con­ way. The main tinuous applause. questions Jane had difficulty calling the meeting to VUMANiPumooL1 prvmc r were always order.She felt tired and her head ached.What clear, but nobody in the meeting knew was that Jane her­ people took self had fallen pregnant and only she understood different why she was fighting with so much spirit. sides. Many As she called the meeting to a close, one of the shifted their shop stewards asked for a minute’s silence for positions and his school friend Anton Fransch who had been changed shot by the police. ideas, some­ P.O.Box 2580 P.O.Box 723 times more MOTHERS OF THE YOUNG COMRADES Cape Town Johannesburg than once! 8000 2001 (011) Jane was in As Jane bowed her head she thought of her Ph.479546 Ph.8367008 the chair. She own children. Jane wondered what her two allowed the children would grow up to be. discussion to She was convinced that her children had to be go on because she knew how important this part of the struggle despite the dangers. She question was for all those women and men at the knew that the sacrifices of the young and fearless meeting. Towards the end of the two-hour period freedom fighters had to be remembered with they had set aside for the meeting, she summed respect. up the general feeling. She was convinced that their sacrifices would 'To begin with, we all agreed that we need help the workers to eventually take power. proper educare centres to help to look after our children while we are at work. These centres ALUTA CONTINUA should be set up in our communities or near our places of work. This is something that we as workers must decide for ourselves," she said. CHILD CARE IS A RIGHT

24 ORGANISATION/PUBLICATTON ADDRESS / PHONE KIND OF INFORMATION

Action Youth The Secretary National Socialist Youth organisation P 0 Box 30921 mainly based in Johannesburg. Exten- Magazine: Arise Vukani Braamfontein sive contacts with unions and experien- 2017 ces in strike support.

Cape Action League 7th Floor Socialist orientated organisation Atlantic House mainly but not only based in the Cape. Newspaper: Solidarity 16 Corporation Street Stimulating literature on working class Cape Town struggle in our country. Ph: 4611509

Erase 15 Durham Avenue A project aimed at building an anti- Salt River racist and anti-sexist approach in work- Magazine: Eraser 7925 ing class organisations. Ph: 472760

Free Azania POBox 13337 Free Azania is a quarterly journal con- Mowbray cemed with working class theory and 7700 practice. It contains different views and Cape Town is non-sectarian.

National Language Project P O Box 378 Provides conversational classes in Salt River Xhosa, Afrikaans and English workers. Magazine: Language Project Review 7925 Also provides resources for teachers in- Ph: 472760/1 volved in community organisations, trade unions and co-operatives.

Learn and Teach P O Box 556 A publication for workers assisting Johannesburg 2000 with literacy.

Students of Young Azania PO Box 491 National Socialist-orientated student Salt River 7925 organisation has various publications on student struggles nationally.

South Africa Labour News P O Box A fortnightly publication covering es- 18407 sentially strike and other actions nation- Wynberg 7840 ally.

South African Labour Bulletin POBox 3851 A labour journal covering a wide range Johannesburg 2000 of issues related to organised labour. Ph:3378511

Speak The Ecumenical Centre An informative magazine on women’s 20 St. Andrews Str struggles nationally. Durban 4001 Ph: 3011624

Upbeat 7 th Floor An educational magazine mainly for Allied Building high school and primary school stu- 236 Bree Street dents. Johannesburg 2001

Vumani Preschool Project 25 Church Street An alternative child care project with Woodstock branches based in Cape Town and Newsletter: Vumani Newsletter 7925 Johannesburg. Provides advice to com- Ph: 011-8367005 munity organisations wishing to set up 021- 479546 pre-schools.

Frontline Worker ALSC BM BOX 4863 International Journal for a Socialist LONDON WCln 3XX Workers’ movement in South Africa.