Fight the Between Udf. Azanyu, Sansco, Azasm and

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Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) and the Chemical Workers International Union (CWIU). This resolution called for unity in action with NACTU and for the formation of a "front of all the organizations based on the working class and the oppressed" that would formulate "a common action program to put an end to the capitalism of apartheid."

A week later, 10,000 members of the Commercial and Catering Allied Workers Union of South Africa (CCAWUSA), the third largest union in COSATU, staged a noon rally in downtown Johannesburg in which they called for a united front between COSATU and NACTU to fight the labor bill. [The accompanying poster on this page was carried by each unionist.] After the May 21-22 meeting of NACTU shop stewards sent a letter to the COSATU leadership calling for "a meeting to discuss a common action against the law," the stage was set for the June 1 meeting between NACTU and COSATU, from which the joint call was issued.

Call for a "broad front"

Despite the step forward represented by the joint strike call, profound differences remain between the leaderships of the two labor federations over what is meant by a "united front."

At the special conference in mid-May, after a very heated debate, a majority of COSATU delegates decided to convene a "conference of a broad range of anti-apartheid organizations to focus on opposing apartheid repression."

The resolution instructs COSATU's central executive committee, together with its "traditional allies" (a reference to the BETWEEN CCAWUSA 142 KERK STR PHONE 402-1840/9 together. We hope this will be the beginning of future common activity.

Question: After this three-day strike, the apartheid government extended the state of emergency. At the same time it did this, however, it proposed to carry out negotiations with COSATU in relation to the Labor Relations Amendment Bill. It appears that the government may be ready to negotiate. [The COSATU leadership agreed to meet with the government to discuss amending the bill.] What is your position on these negotiations?

Answer: Our position is very clear. All the liberation forces in our country, including those that were recently banned by the government, have been opposed to negotiating with this government. This is our policy as well. We reject any platform decided by the government as a basis for negotiations.

We believe that as long as political prisoners—particularly trade unionists—are still in jail, the state of emergency is still in effect, and the ban on 17 liberation

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