Outlook at the start of his tour. How did you get involved in the labour movement?
I joined SACCAWU, the commercial and catering union, six When it was called CCAWUSA. It merged with other unions and changed its name.
I worked as an education ofbranch, by far the biggest in the union - SACCAWU has 100,000 members and the jo burg branch is close to 45,000 strong.
The union has always been militant, since its inception years we have led more strikes than any other union. Our guiding slogan is 'Unity, democracy and socialism'. It is a result of with the bosses and the state.
During the state of emergency in 1984 and "86, the union went on strike not against ate That ticular boss, but the state. carned us a militant reputation, concerned not just with bread and butter issues, but also social and political issues. The recent general strike was widely reported in the West as the biggest ever. What was Its real significance?
It showed the fighting spirit of the oppressed, despite the repression and attempts to co-opt the struggle.
At the July COSATU congress, SACCAWU and the ransport and General workers proposed a resolution action. This was be cause of the offensive against the working class - there is the Inkatha violence; and the severe retrenchment faced by the workers and the introduc tion of value added tax (VAT).
We linked this struggle to the call for the resignation of the regime and the convening of a constituent assembly. COSATU congress agreed. The congress said 'If we don't get our demands within a month, WOSA), is in Britain for a tour sponsored by Socialist Outlook youth.
nounced, venues wil be announced soon. The dates are:
Birmingham Manchester Glasgow Southall Socialist Outlook rally SALIM VALLY, a leading militant of the Workers Organisation for Socialist Action (WOSA), is currently on a speaking tour in Britain. Vally is a trade union activist from we'll go on a general strike! We speit out what this meant factory occupations, sit-ins, sleep-ins, occupation. important, because we had stay-aways before which were not effective. They weren't effective because once people go home, they don't spend their time in political activity. This would have been a real test or strengun. It wour partne question of power and workers Hear the latest on South Africa!
Salim Vally, a member of the Workers' Organisation for Socialist Action WOSA is a comparttvely young organisation in South Africa, but has buit.
that a significant base in communites and townships, especially among the Vally's tour will be of interest to all those who want to find out more about the state of the liberation struggle, the pollical forces to the left of the leadership of the African National Congress. Provisional dates for the tour have been an20 November 21 November 24 November 28 November 29 November WOSA SAYS CAPITALISM equals The stringh FOR WesA SA!POWER TO THE WOSA WOSA SA% To CONSTITUENT ASSEMPO No! Gomenised