south african congress of trade unions€¦ · tshombe, kasavubu or imperialist plunderer can set...
TRANSCRIPT
SOUTH AFRICAN CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS
Sixth Annual National Conference
held at Durban, 1—2 April, 1961£&3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333:
0 Report
$ Proceedings of
5th Annual Conference
d i n in jury to O fte u> an in jury to
R O Y A L 3 6 I
I N D E X
Introduction.......... ......................................................................Death of Comrade Loftus N d i n g a . . . . . .......... ................... •• 21. Report on Resolutions Adopted at Fifth Annual
National Conference.
a) Peace and Disarmament....................................................... 3
b) All Africa Trade Union Federation................ .............. 3
c) Congo............................ *........................................................d) Australia...............................................................................
e) Cuba.................................................... ....................................f ) £1 a Day Campaign...............................................................
g) Basic Industries ............................... ................................
h) General Workers’ Unions...................................................i) Recognition of African Trade Unions................j) Industrial Colour-Bar (Job Reservation)................... 8
k) Organising Campaign...........................................................
1) Forty Hour W e e k . . . . ........................................................... -*-0m) Workmen's Compensation..................................................... 10
n) Increase in Price of Bread............................................. 11
o) Workers and Peasants......................................................... Hp) Trade Union E d u c a t io n ... . ............................................... 12
q) "Workers' Unity"................................... .............................. 12
r) Passes.............................. . ............................... .................. 12s) Bannings, Deportations and A r r e s t s . . . . . . . . . .......... 12
t) Local Committee Bye-Laws................................................. 13
2. National Organising Committees:
A. Mines.................. ........................................................ ......................... 13
B. Metal..................................................................................................... 1‘+C. Transport....................................................... ........................ ............. l2̂
D. Agriculture......................................................................................... 15
3 . Report on Other Matters Handled.
A. South African Pensioners' A s s o c i a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
B. International Labour O ffice .......................................... 16
C. I .C .F .T .U ................................................................................ 17D. All-Africa Trade Union Federation............................... 18
E . W .F .T .U .................................................................................... 18
F . Basutoland................................................................. * .......... 18G. May Day 1961.......... .............................................................. 18H. Press Statements.................................................................. 19
I . Assistance in Disputes.Bay Transport Company workers, Port E liza b e th .* .. 19
Natal Leather Workers.......................................................Johannesburg Toy Workers.......................................
K. Wage Boards:Commercial Distributive Trade.......... .. 20
Cement Products Industry.................................................
4 . Reports on Local Committees;A, Durban Local Committee..................................................... ..............21B , Pietermaritzburg Local Committee..............................................21C, Witwatersrand Local Com m ittee................ ................................22
D. Cape Western Province Local Committee...................................22E . Port Elizabeth Local Committee............ .....................................23F . Kimbc?rley Local Committee............................................... ............. 23
5 . Report on National Consultative CommitteePondoland, Sharpeville................ .................................... 23
Congo, Passes............ .......................................................... 24
6 . Conclusion...............................................* ................ .. 24
7 . Appendix - Minutes and Resolutions of FifthAnnual National Conference.
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
TO THE SIXTH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF
SOUTH AFRICAN CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS
Dear Comrades,
Fiftythree thousand workers in fiftyone trade unions are now
celebrating the sixth anniversary of South Africa 's commonwealth of workers - THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS.
On the 5th March, 1955, SACTU was established at a national conference in Johannesburg. The trade union movement was in serious danger of being completely destroyed by the Nationalist Government. In Parliament, each time the guillotine fe ll , a new law struck the working
class and its organisations.
Firstly, the Suppression of Communism Act pushed the best workers1 leaders out of the factories. Then the Native Labour (Settle
ment of Disputes) Act drew blood from the Unions of African workers. A new Industrial Conciliation Bill broke the bonds which had held an already disunited labour organisation together. An amendment to the Unemploy
ment Insurance Act robbed the African workers of thireeen million pounds
which they had contributed, and denied the majority of them benefits.The Wage Board barely functioned and while the employers feasted on super
profits, the workers' pay packets could not provide a month’ s rent, food,
clothing and the needs of l ife .
These were the conditions which brought SACTU into existence
as a trade union ct? ordinating body to beat back the flood of repression
and to secure essential workers' rights. With only twelve affiliated
Unions, SACTU set out to organise unorganised workers in the factories
and the shops. SACTU mass meetings throughout the country discussed the
need for workers to come together into unions. Demands for higher wages
and better working conditions were submitted to employers. New Unions
which came into being shared the desks and office equipment of existing
SACTU Unions. Trade Unions which had been established during the war
years were revived and helped to become active again.
The workers fought the Native Labour (Settlement of Disputes)Act and suffered heavy penalties for striking. SACTU, however, did not let them down, but helped with lawyers, legal fees, collections for work
ers and other urgent needs as they arose. With the help of SACTU, the heavy blows of the "ban" were lessened by the fraternal help from a f f i l i
ated SACTU Unions.
The pound a day campaign, however, blazed the trail for the
greatest higher wages movement in this country's history. This was launch
ed by SACTU during the 1957 bus boycott when workers walked 19 miles a day to save twopence. In the three months of the boycott they walked a total
distance of 2,000 miles. SACTU held a mass rally for boycotters and from this rally came the demand for a national minimum wage of one pound a day and immediate increases for those who received more than this amount.
Demands were sent to hundreds of employers’ organisations, Industrial Councils, municipalities, the Government and the Wage Board,At scores of workers' rallies held in every province, the demand for a
pound a day was endorsed. In 1957, South Africa 's working class majority stayed at home in support of this demand and did so again in 1958, although on this occasion police pressure prevented a complete success.
The popular slogans of "One pound a day now", "asinamali' ,
"sifuni mali" reached every worker's home. Employers and their organi
sations were forced to realise that this was the minimum wage on which
workers could live. The Wage Board had to be fought and SACTU did not hesitate to do so. It demanded that the Wage Board speed up its investigations or disband. It pushed the Government to change its wages policy
and exposed it at every turn when the Wage Board acted as a machine for
keeping wages down.
During the course of the higher wages campaign and many other
campaigns, more and more unions came into being. By 1953 SACTU had increased its affiliation figure to thirty-thousand workers. In e^ y fie ld ,
SACTU«s voice was heard - for total liberation of all oppressed people,
trade union rights; unemployment insurance, increased workmen ® sation, more pay, more holidays. Five months ago, in October I960 whe
our post emergency Conference was held, 51 Trade Unions had a ffil
SACTU with a total membership of 53 ,000 workers.
SACTU is now six years old and is proud of its record, -vorkers
have begun to stream into the trade union movement to play their part in
the great struggle. They not only Interest themselves in the trade unron
movement of South Africa, but of all ^frica.
This Report covers the period from October 196. to March 19
and it gives details of the actual activities of all the organs of SACT .
The amount of work undertaken is significant because of its quanti y quality. This was possible only by the sincere interest and davotxon of members of our affiliated unions, the enthusiasm of our Local Committees
and the sacrifices made by our personnel.
SACTU as a co-ordinating body has improved its organisation,
efficiency and its relatienship with all ,affiliate,i Unlo,is. As * ^ m ily Of trade unions, led by an able core of trade unionists, SACTU has truly
given leadership to the workers and to the trade union movement of
Africa.
DEATH OF COMRADE LOFTUS NDINGA.
It is with great regret that we report the death, at the age
of 39, of Comrade Loftus Ndinga, Assistant Secretary of the S .A . Clothing
Worker s ’ Union.
He had been interested in trade union work since the 1 9 4 0 ’ s when
he organised the African Milling Workers’ Union. For a short period he conducted his own business and then returned to trade union activity when
Comrade Gana Makabeni, a foundation member of the S .A . Clothing Workers Union brought him into the union. Comrade Ndinga became Assistant Secre
tary and held this position until his death.
He was persecuted for his trade union work and a few weeks be
fore his death, he and other officials of the Union were charged in Parys, O .F .S . with inciting workers to strike. They were acquitte .
Despite the exacting nature of his Trade Union work, Comrade
Ndinea still found time to study and took up a correspondence course to
obtain a B .A . Degree. It is sad and ironic that he was to have written his final examination on the day of his death. We express our sincere
sympathy to his wife and family and to the members of his Union. <e
shall miss him very much.
1 , R E P O R T
on
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT THE FIFTH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE
HELD IN JOHANNESBURG. OCTOBER 8TH - 1QTH
I9to0«
a) Peace and Disarmament:
A copy of this Resolution was sent to the S.A.Peace Council. The Resolution was published in the Peace Council Bulletin which is distri
buted nationally and internationally.
b) All-Africa Trade Union Federation:
This resolution instructed "the National Executive Committee to en
sure that the S .A . Congress of Trade Unions plays the fullest possible part in building and strengthening the All-Africa Trade Union Federation."
Your Management Committee immediately took steps to instruct our two representatives overseas to visit Brother J . Tettegah of the Ghana Trade Union Congress, who is also Secretary of the Preparatory Committee.
This instruction was carried out, but our representatives were not able to meet Brother Tettegah and had a discussion with Brother Charles
Heymann, Director of the Ghana Trade Union Congress International Affairs
Department. Discussions were also held with the Executive Committee of the Guinea Trade Union Congress. Trade Unionists in Ghana and Guinea are of the opinion that the All-Africa Trade Union Federation should not
affiliate to either of the two major international federations and that
this should also apply to individual affiliates to the AATUF. Our delegates disagreed and this question is still being debated. It was a
decision of the National Executive Committee of the S .A . Congress of Trade Unions that the All-Africa Trade Union Federation should be independent, but that affiliates should be free to affiliate to any other
federation.
The Management Committee has requested Brother Tettegah to send a copy of the draft Constitution and as soon as this has been received it
will be circulated to all Local Committees and affiliated Unions,
Our representatives also held discussions on the inaugural Confer
ence which is due to take place shortly,
c) Congo:
The Conference resolution calling upon the S .A . Congress of Trade Unions to demonstrate its solidarity with the workers and the people of the Congo was implemented. Our resolution was sent to the Congolese
Government.
Your Management Committee regularly studied the position in the Congo and recorded its shock at the imprisonment of Premier Lumumba and his subsequent murder. Immediately the news of Premier Lumumba’ s death reached our country the Management Committee sent the following letter to Premier Gizenga at Stanleyville:-
Mr. Geze.nga,Prime Minister of the Congo Republic,
Stanleyville.
Dear Sir,
The South African Congress of Trade Unions, representing
53,000 workers of all races in the Union of South Africa, wishes to convey its deep regret at the brutal murder of
Mr. Patrice Lumumba, the late lawfully elected premier of
the Congolese people.
The majority of workers of South Africa hold the view
that Mr, Lumumba stood out as a symbol of independence for the people of Africa; an irresistible force, which no Tshombe, Kasavubu or Imperialist plunderer can set aside.
South African workers mourn the death of Mr, Lumumba, together with the workers and true freedom fighters of the
Congo. They consider Mr. Lumumba to have been a great and
glorious fighter for freedom, whose courage w ill never be
forgotten and whose spirit w ill inspire fighters for free
dom wherever they may be.
At mass meetings held in many parts of South Africa
during this past week-end tribute was paid to Patrice Lumumba and the sincere grief and bereavement of the parti
cipants was an indication of the support he had won.
The news has just come to hand of the execution of Mr.
Jean-Pierre Finant, Major Jacques Fataki, Mr. Gilbert
Nzuzu, Mr. Christophe Muzungu, Mr. Pierre Leopole Elengese
and Mr. Yangara and we record our outrage at this new crime
against the Congolese people and demand that those responsi
ble be brought to justice and that the independence of your
Government be recognised.
(SIGNED) L. MASSINA,General Secretary:
21st February, 1961. S .A . Congress of Trade Unions."
This letter received press publicity. All our Local Committees participated in Memorial meetings for Patrice Lumumba which were held
at various centres in our country.
d) Australia:
Our Resolution condemning the intention of the Australian Govern
ment to introduce a B ill making it illegal for Australian workers to support workers of other countries was sent to the Australian Prime
Minister and to the Australian Council of Trade Unions. This resolu
tion received press publicity.
This proposed B ill threatens the basis of trade Unionism in
Australia and all Australian Trade Unions are putting up a determined fight against it . Our relationship with many Australian Trade Unions
has been more firmly established in the past few months.
e) Cuba:
Our Conference Resolution strongly condemning the interference of
the United States of America in Cuban affairs was sent to the Cuban
Trade Union Congress.
( f ) The Campaign for £1 a Day.
The Management Committee considered this resolution to rank among
the most important adopted at the Fifth Conference and resolved as follows
" . . . that a survey be made of those industries where wages of £1. 10. 0. and £2. 0 . 0 . per week were still paid and also those industries where there was no protection for workers in the form of wage agreements or
industrial council agreements. Any new memorandum would also include a history of the £1. a Day campaign and SACTU's role would be emphasised."
The Management Committee elected a sub-Committee to collect and collate the above information and the preparation of a new memorandum to be served upon employers is awaiting this sib-Committee' s findings. The Durban
Local Committee is to be congratulated on serving new demands in terms of
an up to date memorandum to the employers' organisations in Natal and also
the Port Elizabeth Local Committee which has drawn up a new memorandum.
In all Provinces Local affiliated Unions have served new wage de
mands upon employers.
The Conference instruction to the N .E .C . to ensure the publication
of "The Road to Higher Wages" was implemented. 10,000 copies were printed
in English, Zulu and Sesut and the pamphlet is selling very well.
(g) Basic Industries:
Conference urged all our Unions and Local Committees to offer the
fullest co-operation in building Unions in the following industries - mining, metal and transport. This is being done in all centres. The
Management Committee re-organised the National Organising Committees for
these industries and Reports on each Committee appear immediately after this
section.
(h) General Workers' Unions.
The Management Committee had several discussions on the resolution
calling for the establishment of General Workers' Unions in all areas where none existed and sent a special circular to the Cape Western Province,
Port Elizabeth and Witwatersrand Local Committees making the following re c omme ndations:
"The recommendation of the Management Committee is that members of General Workers' Unions should pay a monthly subscription fee of 4/- which should then be allocated as follows:-
3/- for the Union concerned (when a separate Union is formed for a particular group of workers, these sums of 3/- w ill be credited
to the account of that Union.
lid . To the Local Committee for administrative expenses which will include postages, transport and stationery.
Id . To SACTU Head Office for affiliation fees.
The control of each General Workers' Union w ill be vested in the SACTU Local Committee of the area. The Manageme it Committee recommends that departmental Committees should be established (for the different industries) and that the activities of these departmental committees should be co-ordinated by a Central
Committee.
The Management Committee agreed to recommend1 ‘:o Local Committees that individual Unions be formed as soon as possible. It was
felt that no arbitrary period could be set down, but that a separate union should be formed whenthere were representatives in
sufficient factories in the particular industry.
If Factory Committees had already been formed in certain industries, they should become part of the General Workers' Unions until such
time as they could be established as separate Unions,
The Management Committee recommends that these General Workers* Unions be launched with as much publicity as possible as this is part of our national campaign to recruit thousands of new members
into SACTU."
Johannesburg. 12th December, I960,
Witwatersrand:
This Local Committee has implemented the resolution and a General
Workers1 Union on the above lines has been set up. It now has several
hundred members.
Cape Western Province:
This Local Committee is now establishing a General Workers’ Union,
This Committee has reported to the Management Committee that a General
Workers' Union is being set up in the Cape, outside SACTU and fuller
reports are awaited. Our Local Committee has been advised to go ahead
with its own General Workers’ Union in terms of the Conference decision.
Port Elizabeth:
This Local Committee w ill shortly set up a General Workers’ Union,
(i) Recognition of African Trade Unions.
Conference resolved to continue opposition to the Native Labour
(Settlement of Disputes) Act of 1953 and to fight for the recognition of
African Trade Unions.
The Management Committee sent three representatives to give evidence to the Industrial Tribunal which was investigating the amendment to the
Industrial Conciliation Act in order to permit any group of workers (other than African) to register as a Trade Union even if there was a registered
Union in existence in a particular industry. The SACTU representatives made a strong case for the recognition of African Trade Unions and also stated categorically that there should be one trade union for all workers
in each industry.
The Management Committee issued a strongly worded press statement on the occasion of the first Conference of the Native Labour Board held in Cape Town in November, I960 . The statement, which exposed the complete
failure of the Board, read as follows:-
" PRESS RELEASE
" NATIVE LABOUR BOARD CONFERENCE.
"For three days next month, from November 8th to the
10th, the Central Native Labour Board w ill meet in Cape Town in the Board Room of the Department of Labour.
This sinister body is holding its first Annual Conference (it was formed seven years ago) and about 30
African delegates are reported to be attending. These delegates, according to an official of the Department of
"Labour, are chiefly African businessmen who are members of African Labour Regional Committees appointed, by the
Department of Labour.
Under the Chairmanship of Mr, S .D . Mentz, Chairman
of the Central Native Labour Board, the Conference will
discuss matters relating primarily to employment and
conditions of employment among Africans and w ill also exchange ideas on the procedure of handling matters be
tween the State and the African worker.
The South African Congress of Trade Unions which has
condemned the Native Labour (Settlement of Disputes) Act
since it became law, believes that this Conference is an attempt to revive the Board as it has been completely boy
cotted by the African workers. SACTU also believes that
the intention to "exchange ideas on procedure" is a frank admission of failure for the Act lays down the most com-
licated procedure ever known in industrial law.
Better known to the workers as the "Slave Labour Act"
it was passed in 1953 to undermine the African Trade Union movement. It provides for a network of Committees on
which African businessmen and White Labour Department officials would "represent" the interests of African workers
in cases where disputes arose. In this way, trade union
activity was to be completely eliminated and replaced by "Works committees" formed by African workers in the factor
ies, who would inform the regional committees of their grievances, but not participate in any negotiations with
their employers.
In piloting the Disputes B ill through Parliament, Mr. Schoeman, then Minister of Labour, said that it was intended to bleed the African trade unions to death. He envisaged African workers flocking to the Department of Labour to establish "Works Committees" but exactly the opposite happened. The actions of the Board soon proved to the workers that their interests were prejudiced. When officers of the Department of Labour arrived at the scene of a dis
pute, they were accompanied by members of the Security
Police. It soon became apparent that the Department of
Labour officials and the Security Police regarded themselves as prosecutors, not arbitrators in the majority of disputes involving African workers and their employers.
Throughout the country, thousands of workers have been brought to the Courts, as the result of reports given by
Board officials. These charges have included 'incitement to strike1 and 'participation in illegal strikes '. In un
told cases, involving Boards officers, workers have been
punished by dismissal, endorsement out of the area, often against the wishes of the employers who were threatened with prosecution if they did not carry out the officials '
directives. No employers, have, however, been prosecuted for infringing the provisions of the Act, according to in
formation available to SACTU.
Now, after 7 years of this Act, the Minister of Labour
is forced to admit that only ten "Works Committees" have been established. He boasts that the Board has increased African wages, but the truth is, however, that the workers
have won higher wages through their own efforts. They have organised themselves into Trade Unions, with factory committees to protect themselves, SACTU itself caters for
53 ,000 workers in 51 Trade Unions,
"In the view of SACTU this Conference convened by the Native Labour Board has no meaning for the workers for they demand the same trade unions as their fellow white workers.
They will not be satisfied until they have won the repeal
of the Act and full recognitions f or African Trade Unions."
Johannesburg, 28th October, I960 .
(j ) Industrial Colour Bar:
The Management Committee considered ways and means of initiating
a campaign against the industrial colour-'bar in terms of the Conference
resolution. A recommendation was sent to the Cape Western Province Local
Committee that an All-In Conference on this question be held in Cape Town
in December, I960, but unfortunately, this could not be arranged. At the meeting of the National Executive Committee held in Johannesburg on 4th and 5th February, 1961, this was discussed and the delegate from the Cape felt that such a Conference was still needed, and this matter
is for discussion at Conference.
In January,- 1961, the Textile Workers’ Industrial Union inform
ed the Management Committee that the Industrial Tribunal intended to consider the reservation of jobs in the textile industry in terms of Clause 77 of the Industrial Conciliation Act. The Management Committee
thereupon sent the following letter to a meeting of the National Ex
ecutive Committee of the Textile Workers’ Industrial Union.
"The President,Textile Workers* Industrial Union (S .A .)
302 Albert Road,Woodstock,
Cape.
Dear Comrade,
On Wednesday, 18th January, 1961, our enlarged Secre
tariat considered the Government's threat to introduce Job Reservation in the Textile industry and decided to convey
to your N .E .C . SACTU’ s determination to stand by the Textile
workers in their resistance to job apartheid.
Our Secretariat considered numerous ways and means of
resisting job apartheid and decided to convey to you some of the views expressed in the hope that your N .E .C . would
consider them and inform us of your opinion on the suggest
ions made. As soon as we hear from you offi®ially we shall convene a special session of our Management Committee or, if possible, our N .E .C . to decide on a specific course of
action.
Among the views expressed were the following: -
1. The fight against job reservation in the Textile industry should become the responsibility of SACTU and the Textile Workers’ Union who should use every means at their disposal to defeat the Government’ s
aims.
2 . The 51 Trade Unions affiliated to SACTU be called upon to give practical support to the textile workers in their fight against job apartheid.
3 . Mass meetings against job reservation be held in every province.
4 . A special "defend your Jobs Conference" be held as soon as possible. All Trade Unions be invited,
irrespective of a ffiliation .
5 . A special action committee of SACTU and Textile Unions be established to steer the campaign.
6 . An anti-Job Reservation Fund be launched nation
ally and internationally to cover the costs of
the campaign,
7. Great demonstrations be held when Tribunal s it
tings take place.
8 . The boycott weapon be investigated.
We sincerely trust that you w ill let us have your views so
that our Management Committee or N .E .C . can take a decision on
the matter.
Assuring you of our solidarity,Yours fraternally
L. LEVY. L. MASSINA.President. General Secretary.
Johannesburg. 21st January, 1961 ."
The Textile Workers' Industrial Union has advised us that we will
be informed of their plans. They submitted a memorandum to the Industrial
Tribunal opposing an investigation into the textile industry.
i i i ) The National Executive Committee at its meeting on 4th and 5th February, 1961, resolved to publish a pamphlet illustrating the effects of Job Reservation. It is intended that our pamphlet shall act as a counter
to the publication of the Labour Department, issued on 31st December,
I960. The Department's pamphlet is entitled "Work Reservation, its
background, motivation and application to the benefit of all racial
groups in South Africa" and it justifies job reservation. The pre
paration of our pamphlet in reply to this is in hand,
iv) Investigation by the Industrial Tribunal in terms of Section 17(8)
(g) of the Industrial Conciliation Act 1956: Deductions of Trade
Union subscriptions from the Remuneration of Employees and the
Granting of Organisational Facilities.________________________________ .____
Our Management Committee sent a deputation to the Industrial Tri
bunal to place SACTU's views before them. The terms of Reference of the
Tribunal were to investigate and report on the desirability of amending the Industrial Conciliation Act so as to make it compulsory for an
employer:
" (a ) to deduct at the request of an employee who is a member of a trade union as defined in the Industrial Conciliation Act, 1956, as amended, trade union subscriptions from his remuneration; and
(b) to grant to trade unions, as defined in the In
dustrial Conciliation Act, 1956, as amended —
(i) the right to enter any work premises for organisational purposes; and
(i i ) equal treatment in regard to organisational
facilities
Our delegation presented a strongly worded memorandum which stated,
inter alia, that:
"It is apparent that the only way to overcome the d if f i culties which have led to the present investigation is
to heal the breach in South A frica 's trade union move
ment. The task of the legislature in this regard is to drastically amend the Industrial Conciliation Act so as
(a) to include Africans in the definition of "employee"
and (b) to prevent the splitting of trade unions on racial grourds or for any other reason, and ( c) to repeal all the present discriminatory provisions of the
Act and to lay down as the principle of our industrial law 'One union for all workers in any one industry.‘
Only if the Act is amended in this fashion w ill it be desirable and practicable to grant trade unions the facilities mentioned in the terms of reference of the
Tribunal, As an immediate step in this regard employers should be compelled to grant these facilities .(a) to registered trade unions, and (b) to represent
ative African trade unions. We wish, however, to make
it clear that there w ill be no lasting guarantee that
these facilities are not abused for the purposes of splitting the Trade union movement unless the Indus
trial Conciliation Act is drastically changed along
the lines proposed ab ve '
We accordingly submit -
(a) that the Industrial Conciliation Act must be
amended on the principle that there should be only one trade union for workers of all races
in any one industry; and
(b) that such trade unions should be granted the rights mentioned in the terms of reference of
the Tribunal."
(k) Organising Campaign: (House to House) ,
Conference resolved to embark on a large scale organising campaign on a factory to factory, office to office, shop to shop, house
to house basis. Conference resloved further that reports on these campaigns would be given to all Local Committees throughout the Union
once every three months. The effect of this resolution is dealt with
under the Reports of Local Committees.
(1) Forty-Hour Week Campaign:
We have to report that owing to pressure of work, no attempt
was made to implement this resolution. Conference is requested to re
consider this resolution and to give more guidance to the incoming
Management Committee in this regard.
(m) Workmen's Compensation Act.
A copy of this Resolution was sent to the Minister of Labour.
Our Management Committee further undertook a campaign to educate our trade union officials on the provisions of this Act and to point out the glaring injustices contained in it . A special lecture was
prepared and circulated to all Local Committees and affiliated Unions.In addition, a lecture was given to Management Committee and Witwaters-
rand Local Committee officials in Johannesburg.
(n) Increase in the Price of Bread:
i) In order to assist affiliated Unions and Local Committees to know the background to the increase in the price of bread, so that their protests could be well prepared, the Management Committee appointed a sub
committee to investigate this matter. On the recommendation of this sub
committee a reprint from an article in the "Financial Mail" was then circulated to all Local Committees and affiliated Unions. The singificant
feature reported in this article is that "The Wheat Control £ J't.i. 13 strongly in favour of government subsidies being reduced. It would like to see the price of bread attain "a realistic lev el." If this is the
policy, it would appear that further increases in the price of bread are likely.
ii) To implement this resolution on a National level, the Management
Committee requested the Cape Western Province Local Committee to organise
a deputation to the Minister of Finance, A number of women's organisations
agreed to participate in this deputation together with SACTU trade unionists from the Cape Province. An excellent memorandum has been submitted to the Minister, stating, inter alia:
"Bread is an indispensable part of the diet of every
body, but it has long been proved that the smaller
the income of the family unit, the larger the pro
portion of that income is spent on bread. It is not right, therefore, that those sections least able
to afford it should bear the burden of the increased
costs in the production of bread."
The Memorandum concludes:-
"It is morally wrong for the Government to take pennies
from the poor, while granting extensive budgetary concessions to the employers in the mining and financial world. Our people are our country's greatest asset,
and a wise Government w ill devote its first attention
to ensuring that they are adequately provided for in
every sense of the word."
At the time that this report wasbeing prepared, the Minister of
Finance had informed the Cape Western Province Local Committee that he would read the memorandum and decide whether it is covered by his Ministry or that of Economics and Markets. A decision will then be
made as to whether the deputation will be received.
( o) Workers and Peasants:
This extremely important resolution adopted at the Fifth Annual National Conference stated: " . . . Conference recognises the urgent need to link the toilers of towns and country closely together in their common struggle against oppression. Conference accordingly resolves to render all possible assistance to the people of the countryside in their struggle, and to assist them to form peasant's organi
sations. Local Committees are also instructed to assist agricultural labourers on farms to form agricultural workers' unions. People in the countryside must also be encouraged by means of written and spoken propaganda to join trade unions when they come to work in the
t owns."
The Management Committee appointed a National Organising
Committee to implement this Resolution and Conference will be happy to learn that the organising committee has done some remarkable work. A
report on the work of this Committee is included in the Section dealing with National Organising Committees. Our efforts to express solidarity
with the people of Pondoland are dealt with in the Section on the Nat
ional Consultative Committee.
(p) Trade Union Education:
We regret to inform Conference that no specific arrangements have been made to :-
i) Hold a national school for Trade Union officials .
ii ) Bring out a set of lectures on Trade Unionism for factory Committees.
( q) Workers' Unity:
The Editorial Board of Workers’ Unity considered the Conference
resolution to put our newspaper on a sound financial basis. It was decided for financial reasons to change the format of this paper to a magazine similar to the organ of the Ghana Trade Union Congress. We hope to issue this magazine regularly in the near future. It is hoped,
however, that it w ill be possible to issue a special Conference issue in
the old newspaper format.
(r) Passes:
This resolution will be referred to under the Section dealing
with the National Consultative Committee.
( s) Bannings. Deportations and Arrests:
No National campaign was mounted with a view to approaching em
ployers* organisations and individual employers to re-instate those who had lost their jobs as the result of their detention during the State of Emergency, but every Local Committee handled many cases of this nature and a large number of workers were re-instated. Appeals are continually
being made by Local Committees against deportations and endorsement out of the area.
As a result of an appeal issued by SACTU an additional sum of
£12. 10, 0. was received on behalf of Comrade E . Mafekeng from fellow- workers in Australia.
It is with deep anger that we report the banning of Comrade B. Nair, Secretary of the Durban Local Committee and Comrade M, Fletcher, Secretary of the Textile Workers' Industrial Union (Durban). These two
experienced comrades have given their time, strength and energy to the Trade Union movement. Their banning is a severe blow to the workers'
cause. Prior to his banning, Comrade Fletcher has appeared in Court on two charges of 'incitement" one dating back to the National Stay at Home
in 1958,
It is the duty of Conference to consider the wicked attempts of the Government to muzzle the leaders of the Trade Union movement and to decide on positive steps for protest action.
Treason T rial:
The trial for High Treason of 29 accused. Is now in its 51st month
and )ias cost the Treason Trial Defence Fund £163,000. We are grateful to the people of South Africa and those in other parts of the world who have
made it possible for the treason trial accused to be properly defended.
It is with profound regret that we report the death on Friday 10th
Maroh, 1961 of Comrade E .P . Moretsele. At the time of his death he was
one of those still on trial for treason and had attended Court that morn
ing. He was one of the leaders of the liberation movement in South Africa and we shall miss him very much in all our efforts.
(t) Local Committee B.ve-Laws;
The decision of the Fifth Annual Conference to have a new set of Bye-
Laws for Local Committees drawn up has been implemented# This Conference
is asked to consider the draft before it .
2 . R E P O R T
on
NATIONAL ORGANISING COMMITTEES.
A. MINES:■ ........
The Gold Mining Industry, which now covers large areas of the Trans
vaal and Orange Free State employs approximately 400,000 African workers
recruited from various parts of Africa, still remains the citadel of cheap Afrio&n labour. In other words, the mining industry is the backbone of
the Sputh African Government’ s immoral policy of cheap "native labour"*
It is an established fact that, as long as so large a contingent of the South African labour force remains unorganised and'are paid
starvation wages, it w ill be difficult, if not impossible, to bring about fundamental changes in the wages earned by workers in secondary industry. The African mine labourers are regarded as the preserve of the Government
and mining magnates - "The Goose that lays the Golden Egg" - hence all
obstacles are placed in the way of those wanting to organise them.
In the past, few attempts have been made to organise these workers into a Trade Union of their own. The last of these culminated in the historic mine strike of 1946, which was suppressed by police terror and brutality. This strike, however, made some impact on the industry and slight improvements in wages and working conditions were made.
Now the South African Congress of Trade Unions has examined and analysed the Gold Mining industry in relation to its African employees
and decided that no effort be spared in an all-out attempt to organise the hundreds of thousands of African miners into a body that will act, make representations and speak on their behalf.
In this direction work is now in full swing. All existing organisations have been asked to assist in this arduous task. Trade Unionists
and volunteers are distributing thousands of leaflets, which set out the inadequate wages and deplorable conditions of work. The response is
promising.
This National Organising committee is aware of the necessity of organi
sing the African coal miners and Conference w ill be asked, to formulate a decision in this connection, whereby the Management Committee and the Natal
Local Committee can work together on this task*
B. METAL INDUSTRY:
There are four functioning metal workers' unions in South Africa which are open to African workers. These are the Metal Workers' Union (Trans
vaal), Metal Workers' Union (Western Cape), Metal Workers' Union (Eastern Cape) and Metal Workers' Union (Natal).
The Metal Workers1 Union (Transvaal) is the largest of these unions.
It has just over 1,000 regular-paying members. As is the case with all African unions, a large number of workers who do not belong to the union
bccause of police persecution and victimisation by employers, sympathise with the union and follow its leadership. This union has established branches in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Boksburg, Benoni, Germiston, Kempton Park, Krugersdorp and Vereeniging. The National Organising Committee has
employed a full-time organiser to work for the Metal Workers' Union in the
Pretoria area as from 1st March, 1961. The work of this organiser will be mainly to assist the 7»000 steel workers of Pretoria to organise.The National Organising Committee is co-opoi'ating with the National Organising Committee for Transport workers to open an office in Pretoria. The Union has also established a branch office in B 0ksburg which is open every
Saturday for metal workers on the East Rand.
No reports have been received from the other three metal unions by the National Organising Committee. According to the latest figures available (October, I960) the Natal Union has 600 members and the Eastern Cape
Union has 500. No figures are available for the Western Cape Union. Plans
have been formulated to render special assistance to the Eastern Cape Union to organise the workers in the General Motors, Ford and other assem
bly plants.
Through the Transvaal Union an invitation has been sent to each of
the metal unions to attend a meeting at the time of this SACTU Conference to discuss the formation of a National Union of Metal Workers. A draft
constitution will be submitted to this meeting of delegates from the various metal unions.
C. TRANSPORT:
Since the State of Emergency it has been difficult to re-form the National Organising Committee for Transport workers and as a result, the high level of co-ordination of the work of the S.A.R.Sc H. Workers' Unions in the Cape, Natal and the Transvaal has not been maintained. Contact with the Unions in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth has been" irregular and these Unions have not progressed. A full-time organiser is now being employed
in Port Elizabeth. The Cape Western Province Local Committee has been
asked to pay special attention to this Union in its area.
In Natal, the S .A .R . & H, Workers' Union has developed and now has
3 ,500 members and employs four full-time organisers. It is the strongest non-white transport workers' Union in the country. Liaison is maintained between this Union and the National Organising Committee and the Transvaal
Union.
The Transvaal S.A .R . & K. Workers' Union has increased its membership to 618, Through the hard work of the organiser it has succeeded in having workers re-instated through the S .A .R . & H. Administration Appeal Board,A full-time organiser has now been appointed for Pretoria.
The Transport Committee has written to the Secretary for Labour with
regard to workmen's compensation and unemployment insurance cases, but no
reply has been received. The Committee has also brought to the attention of the Management Committee the immoral system employed by the S .A .R . 8c H, Administration of disciplining its employees by imposing monetary fines .
Matters came to a head in the Transvaal when a Railway doctor certified that a number of workers were fit for work, despite the fact that they were ill and had supporting certificates from private doctors to this effect.These workers were, nevertheless, fined as much as £8, 0. 0 , eachl No pri
vate employer is permitted to deduct wages or impose fines on workers as a means of forcing them to observe certain conditions of work. A memoran
dum on this is being prepared and w ill be sent to Members of Parliament,
Conference is asked to pay attention to the organisation of dockworkers.
D. AGRICULTURE: -----------
This National Organising Committee was established in terms of the
decision taken at the Fifth Annual National Conference, At present, organising activity among farm workers has been undertaken only in the Transvaal.
So far five regional Committees have been formed in the Eastern Transvaal,
two in the Northern Transvaal and committees are being formed in the Delmas and Benoni districts. Over 100 farm workers have already paid membership
fees and have forwarded complaints. Some of these complaints have been
referred to the individual employers.
On a national level, the Organising Committee is seeking the co
operation of a number of experts in the preparation of a memorandum to be
submitted to Parliament on the disabilities of farm workers and calling
for the repeal of the Master and Servants Act. A national campaign forthe repeal of this Act is an essential prerequisitefrr winning im
prove as nts for farm labourers.
At the beginning of March, 1961, the Transvaal Agricultural Union held a closed Conference where conditions of farm labourers were discussed, The Organising Committee drew up a memorandum setting out the minimum demands of farm labourers and also pointing out that the Masters and Servants Act was barbaric and outdated. This memorandum was distri
buted to over 400 delegates attending the Conference.
Whan it was later announced in the Press that conditions for leave
and other matters affecting farm labourers had been discussed by the delegates to the Conference and that it had been agreed that these should
be left to individual farmers to decide and not to have them laid down
by law, the Organiging Committee followed up its memorandum by stating
that all such matters should be made the subject of legislation, request was also made to the Transvaal Agricultural Union with regard ̂
to the forwarding of complaints to them. No reply has so far been received
to this letter.
Numbers of complaints have been received on summary expulsions of^
farm labourers at any season of the year. These can handled by activities
in the form of mass action only.
3 . R E P O R T
on
OTHER MATTERS HANDLED BY THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
AND THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE SINCE THE FIFTH ANNUALNATIQNAL CONFERENCE. ___________________________
A. SOUTH AFRICAN PENSIONERS1 ASSOCIATION;
A request was received from the above organisation stating:"Continuous representations having been made without effect by our Associ
ation, to the Commissione of Social Welfare and Pensions, in an endeavour
to rectify the iniquities of the "Means Test", we now feel that it would
be more effective, if all Trade Unions and other Labour Organisations,
were to get together and tackle this very important matter as a whole."
The Management Committee immediately replied by supporting the idea and stating that we were prepared to send representatives to any Conference
or round table disoussion called by this organisation. We were then invited to send a representative to a meeting on 22nd March, 1961 and the day before
this meeting took place received the following letter:
"We would refer to our letter to you of the 18th January, 1961 and to yours of the 30th January,
since when the writer has had an opportunity of discussing with various Trade Union leaders the
constitution of the meeting called to discuss
the problems of the Pensioners.
It has come to our notice with regret that there may be some objection to a delegate from your Congress being present and that it w ill be uncon
stitutional for our Association to convene a multi
racial meeting of this nature. For these reasons we have to retract the invitation to your body to
attend the consultation, emphasising that this is
not intended as a slight either upon yourselves^ nor your members and our regret at any inconvenience
that may have been caused you."
(SIGNED. E .M . CARLSTON SOUTH AFRICAN PENSIONERS' ASSOCIATION.
Perhaps nothing could indicate more concisely or more clearly the r ift in the Trade Union movement, than this incident. White Trade Unionists are not prepared to discuss as non—political a subject as Old Age Pensions with SACTU and were prepared to disorganise a Conference on
this subject rather than meet with a SACTU representative. This reveals
too, the extent of the need for an educational campaign directed at
white trade unionists who still do not understand the basic principle
of the unity of all workers.
It is a matter of regret that the South African Pensioners* Associ
ation which states that it is "A non-political organisation which aims to promote and protect the interests of all classes of Pensioners" should have permitted itself to be browbeaten and blackmailed in this fashion,
A reply to them, along these lines, has been forwarded.
B. INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE:
The Management Committee received information from the I .L .O . in
Collection Number: AD1137
FEDERATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN 1954-1963
PUBLISHER: Publisher:- Historical Papers Research Archive
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