From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (Harel Barzilai)
Subject: LABOR/SAFRICA/WOMEN (latest issue of_Spotlight on South Africa_)
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: misc.activism.progressive on UseNet ; ACTIV-L@UMCVMB
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 21:42:21 GMT

[Via misc.activism.progressive from PeaceNet's apc.labour]
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			   ===============
			   c o n t e n t s
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(1) MORE THAN 100,000 MEMBERS OF THE National Union of Metalworkers 
[Strike]

(2) MOSES MAYEKISO, GENERAL SECRETARY OF the National Union of...
[Arrested]

(3) COSATU'S WOMEN'S FORUM ON SUNDAY August 9, called for twelve 
[Women's Labor Rights]

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Topic 183       SPOTLIGHT       Response  1 of  1 
hrcoord 
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From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.org>
Subject: SPOTLIGHT 

/* Written 12:18 pm  Aug 11, 1992 by gn:geonet in cdp:geo2.its */ 


SPOTLIGHT ON SOUTH AFRICA - NR 28/92 - AUGUST 11 1992 

Spotlight on South Africa is a weekly service by the ICFTU INFO 
Division focusing on the struggle of the independent black trade 
union movement in South Africa. 

MORE THAN 100,000 MEMBERS OF THE National Union of Metalworkers 
of South Africa (Numsa), and possibly as many as 150,000 in the 
engineering, auto assembly and tyre and rubber industries, last 
week embarked on South Africa's biggest wage strike since the 
1987 miners' strike.  In addition to wage increases, Numsa's 
demand for a moratorium on dismissals is the central issue in 
dispute.  This has already been conceded in the tyre industry, 
and employers in the auto assembly sector have offered a fund to 
meet the costs of retraining and supplement official unemployment 
insurance.  Numsa's Bernie Fanaroff said at the weekend that he 
was confident there would soon be an agreement in these two 
sectors.  A settlement in the engineering sector, in which the 
bulk of the strikers are employed, seems more distant. Employers 
are offering a low 8 to 13 per cent wage increase and nothing 
significant on job security.  On Friday August 7, employers 
failed in a bid to have the strike declared unlawful for alleged 
ballot irregularities. 

MOSES MAYEKISO, GENERAL SECRETARY OF the National Union of 
Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), was arrested on August 5 
for the second time in two months, together with his bodyguard. 
He was charged with unlawfully carrying a firearm.  Mayekiso 
started carrying a pistol after numerous threats on his life. 
Initially police would not grant him a license - hence his first 
arrest.  This time, although the pistol is now licensed, Mayekiso 
was arrested for carrying it in a declared "unrest area" without 
special police permission - required under new regulations 
introduced two days before his arrest.  According to Numsa the 
arrests are evidence of harassment.  Mayekiso was granted R50 
bail. 

COSATU'S WOMEN'S FORUM ON SUNDAY August 9, called for twelve 
months fully paid maternity leave and employer-financed child 
care centres.  The forum, involving 1,000 delegates, met over the 
weekend in Johannesburg.  It decided that Cosatu should negotiate 
a list of demands with the state and employers which would also 
include code of conduct against sexual harassment, and an end to 
discrimination against married women in taxation and applications 
for loans and house bonds.