Roy Alexarder reviews a new Red Weekly pamphlet by Jim Atkinson *How the Labour Government supports Apartheid'.
The British labour movement is virtually unanimous in its conapartheid regime in South Africa, Darnculary are me doody events of last summer in the black townSIDS.
These gave rise at the last Labour Party conference to the adoption of a resolution (Composite 44) which not merely protested at these events but went some way towards mapping out a policy for action against the racist regime. It called for a strict embargo on arms and military equipment and measures against British investment in South Africa, including the withdrawal of all investment by nationalised and controlled industries and British DanKS.
How has the behaviour of the • Labour Government been affected by the views of the labour moveMCACCOTCH TO HIS • SDOKCS persons it shares the view of Subscribe NAME. opposition to apartheid. practice has flown in the face not merely of the democratically expressed will of the labour movement but even of its own public positions, which are little than a cynical cover for the deepracIst going collaboration between tish imperialism and South African racism.
This is thoroughly argued and documented in Weekly pamphlet, 'How the Lab.
our Government supports AparThe author points out the rotten record or tne Labour covernmen even over the crucial and emotive issue boosting capacity racist whole range of products of militarv significance can be shipped to South Africa without even the formality of an export licence The real policy of the Labour made Wels clear in October when it blocked with France and the US at the United Nations Security Council to cast a triple veto against a proposed mandatory Red Weekly SUBSCRIPTION RATES DOMESTIC: E7 per year E3.50 for six months FOREIGN: E9 per year surface mail E12 per year armail But its arms embargo, despite the demand of the Labour Party conference the previous month for such an embargo.
The collaboration between the more South African military machine ane ine brus state exsis or al Bri- sorts of levels, and even extends to tne ominous spnere or une racis state's nuclear programme, which depends on uranium mined by the latest British multinational, Rio Tinto Zinc, aided by a long term uranium purchasing agreement with Tony Benn's Ministry of Energy.
As the pamphlet correctly argues: 'Our job in Britain is to build a movement with sufficient power ine minary to force the Labour Government HOPKINSONS crystal WANTED NEW BROOM TO SWEEP OUT internationa VICTORIAN MANAGEMENT stop racist cconomicany. a powerful outery tionist policies 20° CENTURY CREN Workers from Hopkinson's Ltd, in Huddersfield, march to demand the reinstatement of six sacked shop stewards and in support of a £6 wage claim. In the course of the wage struggle, one of the stewards discovered documents revealing the Rhodesian sanctionhucting activities of the company. The collaborating with the butchers in Pretoria whether militarily, politically or TCHERCS It also offers a number of concrete proposals for how this job can be got underway.
THe most Important ooDorLunILy and in the near future is the national demonstration called by the Anti-Apartheid Movement for 6 March. cott South This pamphlet will play a valuable January. role in the campaign of agitation in the labour movement which must be mounted to win support for this Africa demonstration and ensure that it is against South African regime and the with South Labour Government's collaboranotaune speaking the AKZA CarolI swanser Clyde Fees workers have occupied Hull