[Iyf-ct] FW: IWW in South Africa

Tue Feb 2 02:54:29 PST 2010

Article from Amandla by this guy:
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:rlxcdEpzIIMJ:www.amandlapublishers.co.za/component/rokdownloads/download/43-amandla-issue-9+CSAAWU&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=za&client=firefox-a
or
http://www.amandlapublishers.co.za/component/rokdownloads/download/43-amandla-issue-9

the union was registered in July 2007 - the only other media reference
is this one:

http://jv.dieburger.com//Stories/News/17.0.169248869.aspx

So they seem particularly active in the rural areas.

Peter

Mandy Moussouris wrote:
>
>
> More on IWW... - does anyone know the dude and union he mentions - I
> am getting quite excited about this...
>
>
>
>  
> > Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 21:37:34 -0800
> > From: davekloker at yahoo.com
> > Subject: RE: IWW in South Africa
> > To: mandymoussouris at hotmail.com
> > CC: ghq at iww.org; redgrocer at gmail.com
> >
> > Mandy,
> > Please forgive the lateness of my reply to your last email. I am
> pleased to inform you that the International Solidarity Commission of
> the Industrial Workers of the World is officially supporting the
> formation of a Cape Town, South Africa branch. Forming a branch, which
> I believe requires six or more members, allows you to retain a portion
> of your dues for organizing and solidarity efforts in your area.
> >
> > The next steps are as follows. First, you can join the IWW at
> www.iww.org. Please contact the General Secretary Treasurer (GST) Joe
> Tessone about the specifics of forming a branch. I believe you also
> need the formal approval of the General Executive Board (G.E.B). I am
> Carbon Copying both Fellow Workers Tessone and Gaughan (my
> representative to the G.E.B.) on this email to ease communication.
> There emails are ghq at iww.org and redgrocer at gmail.com respectively. I
> strongly support you efforts and continue to want to support the
> formation of a South African presence of the IWW in whatever way I can.
> >
> > As you are deciding on organizing priorities may I personally
> suggest that you get in contact with Karel Swart of CSAAWU (Commercial
> Stevedoring Agricultural & Allied Workers Union). He is working with
> Ladismith Cheese workers on a fair wages campaign that includes a
> boycott. I marched with those workers this past summer and have since
> done solidarity work through our IWW branch here in California. You
> can reach CSAAWU at 10 Pine Crescent Hillcrest Blue Downs 7100. Their
> phone is (021) 909 3059 and email is info at ladismithcheese.co.za.
> >
> > Again best of luck and welcome to the Industrial Workers of the World!
> > Regards,
> > D.M. Kloker
> >
> > “Creating love is not for the soft and sentimental among us. Love is
> a tough business.” Alix Spiegel
> >
> >
> > --- On Fri, 1/15/10, Mandy Moussouris <mandymoussouris at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > > From: Mandy Moussouris <mandymoussouris at hotmail.com>
> > > Subject: RE: IWW in South Africa
> > > To: davekloker at yahoo.com
> > > Cc: "In your face" <iyf-ct at lists.resist.ca>
> > > Date: Friday, January 15, 2010, 2:12 AM
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > >  
> > >
> > > Thanks for getting back. Pitty we did not know you were
> > > here would have been nice to meet and chat - hope you had a
> > > good stay in CT although July is not the best time weather
> > > wise.
> > >
> > >  
> > >
> > > At the moment we would not be in a position to start job
> > > site organising, we think this would develop as things got
> > > going. Our group, called In Your Face (IYF) is a
> > > mixture of Anarchist and autonomists, it started last year
> > > when I moved to Cape Town with an anti Election
> > > campaign entitled NOPE, with the slogan 'our dreams
> > > don't fit on your ballots' and has moved on to
> > > running a really really free market every month and plans to
> > > start basic economics training and run seminars and film
> > > screenings. I am a supporter of Zabalaza, a South African
> > > Anarchist group and before that was part of Bekisha Media
> > > Cooperative with Nicole Ulrich, Lucien Van der Walt and
> > > Michael Smidt and we all met comrades from IWW when we went
> > > to the May 2000 CNT Pour un Autre Futur Rallye in
> > > Paris. I have also worked in the union movement, specificaly
> > > with COSATU in various capacities (mostly Training and
> > > research) since 1993 - although do not any more, so I do
> > > have some skills which can provide support.
> > >
> > >  
> > >
> > > Our group is made up primarily of workers in NGO's
> > > and some unemployed people but we would very much like to
> > > belong to a union. In the past I have both worked for and
> > > been a member of COSATU but as you know COSATU is very much
> > > a Nationalist union particularly since 1994 with its
> > > alliance with the ANC and SACP, it has also, lost a lot of
> > > its working class focus and shopfloor strenghth, choosing to
> > > follow a more corpratist model of unionism. These are issues
> > > with us and the main reason why we would not like
> > > to join COSATU. IYF tasked me to look into the possiblity of
> > > getting an IWW Chapter set up here and we would need to
> > > discuss this in our group a bit more but the idea of
> > > starting an IWW here comes, firstly from my belief in the
> > > model and principles of IWW, which my comrades share. We
> > > also think that our really really free markets would be a
> > > good place to begin recruitment campaigns. Our group is
> > > small at the moment and getting things going would take a
> > > lot of work, so recruiting, we think would be an important
> > > innitial step to build numbers and thus capacity.
> > >
> > >  
> > >
> > > In terms of what we would like to accomplish, we would
> > > like, for ourselves andother workers, to have a union that
> > > supports and provides space for libeterian thought and
> > > practice, one which is not linked to any politial party, one
> > > that REALLY challenges the Capitalist State and Capital but
> > > first and foremost one that organises, supports and empowers
> > > workers to engage with the problems and challenges they face
> > > on a daily basis in their workplace and their lives. This is
> > > the aspect which will require, at least innitially a lot of
> > > time and support in terms of training and providing
> > > knowledge of labour laws etc.
> > >
> > >  
> > >
> > > Sorry if this is a bit broad, vague, verbose and
> > > structureless. I think from here I would need to sit down
> > > and have a proper conversation, so that we can develop a
> > > more formal plan and idea. anyway hope this helps.
> > >
> > >  
> > >
> > > Yours in struggle
> > >
> > > Mandy
> > >
> > >  
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >  
> > > > Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:59:39 -0800
> > > > From: davekloker at yahoo.com
> > > > Subject: IWW in South Africa
> > > > To: mandymoussouris at hotmail.com
> > > > CC: jkrpaniww at yahoo.com
> > > >
> > > > Greetings,
> > > > I am the chair of the International Solidarity
> > > Commission of the IWW. I am very excited about the prospect
> > > of an IWW chapter in Cape Town, particularly because I was
> > > just there this past July. I would love some more
> > > information as a next step in starting a branch. Are you
> > > doing any job site organizing? What drew you to the IWW?
> > > What would you like to accomplish with a branch in Cape
> > > Town? I look forward to hearing from you.
> > > > Regards,
> > > > Kloker, San Francisco Bay Area General Membership
> > > Branch, United States
> > > > “Creating love is not for the soft and sentimental
> > > among us. Love is a tough business.” Alix Spiegel
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > Windows 7: Simplify what you do
> > > everyday. Find the right PC
> > > for you.
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
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