Leyland's South African British Leyland South Africa B the company's bierest operation outside Britain, And it is immensely profitable. Over the last five years Leyland has made five bites as much prom from euch of its workers in South Alrica as i has made from its workers in Britain. The reason for this enormous profitability is simple Black workers in South Africa have no political rights; they are denied government recognition of their trade unions; they are lable lo Imprisonment UL0301 activities; they have no right to strike, go to jail, or be banished to remote areas. Without the right to organise, Leyland's blick workers suffer from appallingly low wages; have no control over line speed or other questions of working condi fight Hut desalte the obstacles in their was, Leyland workers struggle for elementary trade union rights, In April 1973, the Metal and Allied Workers Union was formed ns ar WORTS TO DeliCERS a: Mobeni, Leyland's heavy June 95 per cent of the workers RECOGNITION Bot management relused te recognise the union. instead tried to set up Lasson committees and works commattees as a substic for Ical union rights. It refused to grant the workers" demand for a plant referendum on recognition of MAWU. So in February can 1974, the workers struck for recognition. Leyland sacked all of thestrikers, who were forced to back down in Manch, But MAWU continued its work. By October Leyland was so incensed by the militancy of workers, that a deculed to move it bus production to plant, reducing the number of jobs in the Vorster government issued banning orders on the MAWU secretary Alpheis Mihethwa, and MAWU organisets Sipho for Leyland Kubekha and Gavin Anderson, part in union activities for five Leyland built many of the trucks and armoured troop carriers which had been used that year against the students and workers of Soweto by the and South African army police, so perhaps this was some form of recognition of the services rendered by Leylard to And still the MAWU's lighl story of that fight, and its implications lor movement in Britain is the subject of an outstanding new pamphlet, Coventry Anti-Apartheid and 1976, Coventry produce or corcinay the Maheni shop. It Africa. Simply and concisely LESCICBELY WHICH CATA produced, it needs to he read said and usal be every trad unionist who sees the need for international working class ment to take any action on is even defying the practice of Commons CHEET CHUUS of trade unions by and sponsored by Trades Council and Workimaginatively The pamphlet highlights the Tallure of the Labour Govern- parliamentary effective firens operating in South Africa. The Government has dealt with the embarrasing fact that Leyland code of the House of commitlee British firms in South Africa, which recommends recognition маладсment, by. pretending that In a letter of 1 Jone 1977, the undersecretary of state ar the Department of Industry, Leslic Hackfield. told Frank: Hooley MP that the Leyland complied with the sub-committee's recommenda tions. This is simply untrue.
British Teyland in Britain and in South Africa concludes with a section on the need for solidarity with the struggle of black workers in South Africa.
It calls for Leyland workers to Our Motoring Correspondent writes: We have been unable to Identify Mr. Vorster's car. We guess against supplies to South Africa and points out the need to campaign both for Leyland to recognise the MA WU, and for ending of Leyland insestment in south atrica *British Leyland in Britain and sponsored by Coventy Trades Alrica, Council and Coventry Anti Movement by Coventry Workshop, 40 Binley CAESAR COVERE These needs are modest by
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South African, Michael Edwardes, to succeed Dobson as chairperson, writes JOHN HUNT.
Smith talks in a tangle As the talks between the architects "Anglo-American proposals' for Zimbabwe and the representatives of the Patriotic Front open in Malta, Ian Smith's own alternative of an internal settlement' seems to be running into heavy water with the walk-out of the key delegation from the United African National