Trade unionists

Programme for a conference on trade unions in South Africa held on 24 February 1990. After the banning of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in 1988, the trade union movement led the opposition to apartheid. The conference mobilised support for trade unionists who had been arrested and detained.

Poster featuring a photograph of Nelson Mandela with Ron Todd, General Secretary of the British Transport and General Workers Union, during Mandela’s visit to Britain in April 1990.

This leaflet tells the story of four railway workers who were sentenced to hang after a strike by employees of the South African Transport Service in 1987. They were alleged to have taken part in the killing of four non-strikers. The leaflet was produced by the Joint Campaign against the Repression of Trade Unionists with support from leading British trade unions.

Four railway workers were sentenced to death after a strike by employees of the South African Transport Service in 1987. They were alleged to have taken part in the killing of four non-strikers. This badge was produced by the Joint Campaign against the Repression of Trade Unionists, set  up by the AAM and leading British trade unions to campaign for the release of South African trade unionists.

After the unbanning of the South African liberation movements in 1990, the AAM launched a ‘Call to Freedom Declaration’ on 26 June. The declaration called for an elected constituent assembly to agree on a new constitution for South Africa. Left to right: TUC president and NALGO officer Ada Maddocks, TUC General Secretary Norman Willis, Ron Todd, General Secretary of the transport workers union and Barbara Switzer, Deputy General Secretary of the supervisory workers union MSF sign the declaration at the 1990 TUC congress.

Leaflet publicising an AAM appeal to the trade union movement for an Emergency Fund for its campaign for peace and democracy in the early 1990s. The fund was sponsored by the TUC.

Leaflet publicising a fundraising concert, 'Rock Against Apartheid', organised by Birmingham AA Group and Birmingham Trades Council in 1992.

Flyer for a day school examining the links between British pit closures and South African coal imports, organised by Durham AA Group and the north-east area of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1992. The day school looked at the role of international capital in the coal mining industry and at future strategies for the industry in Britain and South Africa. Speakers included representatives of the British and South African mineworkers unions.