[BILL SIRS and Terry Duffy are planning a…]
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BILL SIRS and Terry Duffy are planning a visit to South Africa with a delegation from the International Metalworkers Federation.
This visit flies in the face of the TUC and Labour Party policy of "total isolation" of South Africa, which the ISTC and AUEW both voted for. Sirs explained that the TUC resolution wasn't relevant.
The visit has been con, demned by SACTU, one of the main black union federations in South Africa.
Sirs justifies this by claiming that the visit will be aimed at giving advice to black trade unionists. With (at best) unfortunate phrasing he said:
"We have black affiliates who desperately need our assistance. The objective is to pull them out of the dark ages and provide the sort of training shop stewards have here."
(Steelworkers and engineers might be forgiven for thinking that Duffy and Sirs are living in the dark ages and could learn a thing or two from the determination and courage of black trade unionists in South Africa).
Duffy mentioned that they were also planning to "I FULLY support this march. But marches are not enough. We need a Labour Government as faithful to the working class as this Tory government is to the ruling class"
Barry Hines, author of 'Kes', , was speaking at a press conference in Sheffield on Wednesday September 23 to launch the Trans-Pennine March. This march, Part of the TUC's Campaign for Jobs, will start from Sheffield on October 7, join up with the Right to Work march from Liverpool for the later stages, and arrive in Blackpool to lobby the Tory party conference on October 16th.
Kevin Barron was also at press conference to give