Solidarity

Everybody who can get to Elandsfontein at midday today should do so in solidarity with the Kraft Foods strikers. See notice linked below. These workers have been out since May 25th. Their union FAWU has worked hard to build support for the strike both nationally and internationally. Yesterday’s decision in the Pietermaritzburg High Court to postpone ANC Deputy President Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial is regretted by COSATU. The linked statement is a concise and clear statement of why it is that the treatment of Jacob Zuma has been and continues to be so completely unacceptable to the organised working class as a whole, COSATU in particular, and the general oppressed of this country (who know injustice when they see it). All, in fact, except for a thin and fractured layer of frankly middle-class and bourgeois people who thought this unjust campaign was a chance to assert their superiority. In connection with solidarity, and with falsely superior or vicarious morality, please see the linked transcript of the Harold Wolpe Memorial Lecture given last Friday in Durban by Ashwin Desai. Ashwin mercilessly criticises the “social movements” movement or SMI (Social Movement Indaba) of which he has long been a very prominent part, especially since the publication of his 2002 book, “We are the poors”. Let’s hope his criticism is taken in good spirit. The general sense of it seems to be that we all need to break down the compartments that have been separating activists, and unite in action. But read it, comrades. This is criticism and self-criticism, all right. It is very surprising. It pulls no punches. Click on this link: COSATU, Solidarity action in support of strikers at Kraft Foods (144 words) COSATU on Pietermaritzburg High Court decision (363 words) Vans, Autos, Kombis and Social Movements, Ashwin Desai (5854 words)