SA dockers join international day of action
In September 1995, 500 Liverpool dock workers were locked out by the
bosses after refusing to cross a picket-line mounted by dockers on
strike against sub-contracting and retrenchments. Today, these
workers still locked out.
A central part of their fight has been to build international
workers unity. In January 20 1997, there was an international day of
action at 105 ports in 27 countries.
On September 8, 1997, there was a second day of action. Ports were
shut down in Australia, Holland, Sweden, and USA. Other actions took
place in Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, India, Japan, France, Canada,
and Ireland.
In South Africa, thousands of workers attended a mass rally in
Durban, and there was a national day of port action in support of
dockers' struggles in Australia and Liverpool. In August, the
Transport and General Workers Union launched a solidarity boycott of
exports to Liverpool and Sheerness ports. The TGWU expressed strong
support for the Liverpool workers, recalling how these comrades
blocked imports of South African and Namibian uranium in 1988 as part
of the struggle against apartheid.
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