m - DISA

original organiser of the Fomj, general secretary
Ray Alexander, was banned. Bhe ees replaced by
Dacky Lan who was In turn banned frow gatherings in
1954, and prohibited fraa all trada union activity
in 1956.
Ourlno this period, union president Frank
Uarquard ees banned in '.954, aa vara Sua Coa of
tha unlon'a Port Elizabeth branch, and Sarah
Ventsel, aacratary of tha Borceeter branch,
than tha unlon'a first general eecretaryf Ray
Alexander, wee ordarad by government to resign froe
tha union* sorters etruok in protaat throughout tha
Caps. . Moot of thase protaat strike* took* place in
the eastern Cape, but there sere work stoppagae in
Port Ellaabeth and East London as sell, 100 afrloen
aoaen edgrente struck in Eaet London, and coepoeed
tha follosino tribute to their banned general
secretary!
By encouraging African workere to organles, you
have brought new hope and dignity to thouaands
of workere. Sobeya Bibona (as -ill seat again).
In 1999 Elizabeth flafaklng, preeident of the
A-FCKJ aee benlahad from har hoae in Pearl to a fare
in a remote, eead-deewrt area, 80 miles free tha
nearest large town. Taking only the youngest of
her 11 children, aho slipped out of South Africa
into exile. Frances Beard, eecretary of tha FCSU'e
Port Elisabeth branch, eaa detained by security police
in 1962, and bemad in January 1963, Held In
aolltary confinement for a year, ahe ems finally
convicted in teres of the Buppreeelon of Coeaunlae
Act, and eentenced to 5 years lapriaoneent. On her
release, ahe sea banished to the Northern Traneveel,
a thousand alias froa her hoae.
The list of officleie removed froa FC*U and
A-FCWU la very long, eafcel Balfour, Traneveel
general secretary of the A-FOFJ aes benned in 1962,
and oonfinad to a aaell house in fioodepoort; Liz
Abrahaae, aho acted ae FOPJ ganerel aacratary after
the banning of Ray Alexander and Beaky Len, ees
hereelf restricted in 196*. And Mery Hoodley, who
hed organleed worker* on tha East Rand into FCBU in
the 1900a, see held under 90-day detention in 1963.
Barred free trade union eork in 1963, ahe regained
banned for all but 3 days of the next VJ yetre, dying
a restricted person in October 1979.
Thoea arrested in the Treason Trial Included
A Hshlengu of tha A-FCSU. 6 Oaaone and Frances
Beard of FCBU'e Port Elizabeth branch, than tha
atete of emergency eee declared in 1960, end the
MC end PAC banned, Beard, tasbel Belfour and Oscar
UpethA were detained. Subsequently, Lily Oladrlcha,
aacratary of the FCBU benefit fund in Port Elizabeth,
Inevitably, state action had ita effects on
the unions, and gradually FCJBJ retreated to ita
Veetern Cape base, share only a fee brenchee remained
active. But the davelopaent of nee Independent
trade union grouping* in the 1970a gave FCeU a nee
lapetua, and by 1979 tha union eaa atrong enough
to take on the eenageaont of Fettle* and Mania in
• protracted strike - and eventually ein recognition.
It ees during thla atrika that a conaueor boycott
of F • M products eaa launched in support of tha
eorkere* daaends - a tactic pravlouely used by tha
union in an earlier period. In the 1960s workers
free the union sere involved in tha boycott of
potatoes in the Transvaal, and oranges In tha
eeetem Cape,
The F • m atrika served to underline the F0BU*e
policy of non-reoUl eorker solidarityj both afrlcen
and coloured workers eere Involved in the atrika
activity, and norweclel eupport groups were aet up
around the country to undertake tha boycott of
f • I products.
Union aeebers have been Involved In militant
atrlke activity in e number of inatancee over the
paet fee years - at Baa Harvest in Baldhana Bay
(sea *1P 11:26-27), and at Krcariviar Apple Co-op
(eee JJP 13:23-55}, for exajaple. firanchee have bean
eat up or reactivated in Uohenneeburg and East
London - the latter having bean involved in the
oppoaition to Ciskaien 'lnOependenee*, ahich obvlouoly
affects a majority of union aeabara. Indeed, a number
of FCBU unionist* were detained by Clakel authorities
in 1B80 end 1BS1, ehlla £e*t London branch, aacratary
BonlaUe Noruehe aee held by South Afrlcen eeourlty
police for 7 aonthe before being celled ee a witnaee
in a political trial, then he refused to testify,
he ees eentenced to one yee^e lagrlsoneent.
Ho account of etata action agminet leaders of
FCIU and A-FCiU le complete without aentlon of
Oscar up nth*: involved in A-FCBU for over 3 dacedaa
(intarruptad by banning orders and leprlsoneent),
he Is currently standing trial In Cape Toan eith 17
others. Detained in August 19B0 In tha context of
the Cape Town bus boycott, the etate refuaaa even
to allow thla ?1-yeer old veteran of trede unionlae
ball, despite falling health and vary little evidence
implicating hie in hie trial. In eany ways* Hpetha's
Involvement In trade union, community and political
atrugglaa eyaMliees the hlatory of FCBU and A-FCwu -
Including tha eysteaetlc atteoke aede by the state
on these unions.
This Is the context in ehlch Hail Aggett'a
deeth should be viewed. Ae aacratary of tha Transvaal
branch of A-FCW, he ees Integrally Involved In the
resurgence of eorker orgenleatlon. His death robe
A-FCBU in particular, and the Independent union
eoviaint in general, of a valued and important
member. But the union has outlived the nuearoua
previous attacks on its officials. As a recant
press report noted,
On general policy lesuae the unions 1
etence reaelne within an eatabUehad
tradition. There is e bedrock belief in
industrial unionlae, non-reclellae and rank
and file control (Star. 1fi.01.B3).
It io these featuree which ahould enable
FCfU end^A-FCsnj to aurvive the death of an
organlaar, as well as any future actions ehlch the
stete la planning against the independent trade
union movement*