BTR SARMCOL Strike update Feb. 1986
Item
- Title
- BTR SARMCOL Strike update Feb. 1986
- Description
- CHRISTMAS Day 1985 in Howick/Mpophomeni marked the 34th week of the strike by Sarmcol workers over the recognition of trade union rights by the Company. While local white residents of HowicK planned their Christmas festivities the Sarmcol strikers still entirely dependant on the small weekly food parcels supplied by MAWU, planned to bring home to local Sanncol management their determination to secure their reinstatement at the factory and the recognition of MAWU. Accordingly on Christmas Day the strikers and their families dressed in black, took buses into the white CBD of Howick to attend the morning Christmas church service at the local Anglican Church — the church of Senior Sarmcol management. Most of the strikers were told to sit in a corner wing of the church while the others stood outside. However at Communion the white Anglicans including Mr. Sampson, the Sarmcol financial director, were joined by the Anglicans amongst the strikers. The morning service was sombre but peaceful. After the service the strikers who rwere unable to afford the transport fares decided to walk back to their homes which in terms of South Africa's grand apartheid plans have been located over 20 kins from Howick. The march which was led by sympathetic priests from the area, was closely followed by the SA Police who waited until the strikers had gone beyond the white residential areas and then broke up the procession and forced the strikers to board buses from the nearby Merrivale bus rank. In order to keep Christmas a peaceful day the strikers did not resist and boarded the buses back to their township. In the township the strikers gathered outside the church for a brief discussion and prayer and reconfirmed their determination to continue their struggle against BTR irrespective of the cost.
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/111225
- Date Issued
- Feb-86
- Rights
- MAWU
- Rights Holder
- MAWU
- Provenance
- The item is held at the Cory Library for Humanities Research, Rhodes University, on behalf of the Labour Research Service
- Type
- text
- Extent
- 7 pages
- Format
- Language
- English
- Location - Physical Location
- Cory Library for Humanitites Research
- useGuidelines
- The materials are made available explicitly for research and educational purposes. Any use of these materials must be cleared with the Labour Research Service.
- Publisher
- MAWU
- Item sets
- General Materials
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