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27 November, 2000Wars have had devastating effects on workers and populations in general.
SOUTH AFRICA: Expressing abhorrence at the wars being waged on the African continent, the International Metalworkers' Federation has made an urgent call to the various governments to resolve their ongoing conflicts.
The appeal came in a resolution adopted by delegates at the IMF's African Regional Conference, which was held in Benoni, South Africa, on November 21-22. Conflicts in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Eritrea and Sudan have raged for some time, with devastating effects on workers and the population in general.
"The IMF is to call on the Organisation of African Unity and the United Nations to act decisively and quickly to resolve these conflicts," said Brian Fredricks, the Federation's assistant general secretary, at the conference. All unions at the meeting will make urgent representations to their respective governments to be proactive in seeking a solution to resolve these conflicts. All metal unions at the meeting will make such submissions both through their national sectors and individually, and the IMF will be kept informed of the outcome.
The conference also resolved to fully support the just demands of workers and trade unions in Swaziland to achieve their rights and called on the Swazi authorities to sit down with the workers' representatives and negotiate an agreement acceptable to all concerned.
Urging the international community to "stop the marginalisation of Africa," Fredricks called for investing across the continent. He said that the lack of investment in manufacturing was perpetuating the difficult situation in many African countries.
The appeal came in a resolution adopted by delegates at the IMF's African Regional Conference, which was held in Benoni, South Africa, on November 21-22. Conflicts in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, Eritrea and Sudan have raged for some time, with devastating effects on workers and the population in general.
"The IMF is to call on the Organisation of African Unity and the United Nations to act decisively and quickly to resolve these conflicts," said Brian Fredricks, the Federation's assistant general secretary, at the conference. All unions at the meeting will make urgent representations to their respective governments to be proactive in seeking a solution to resolve these conflicts. All metal unions at the meeting will make such submissions both through their national sectors and individually, and the IMF will be kept informed of the outcome.
The conference also resolved to fully support the just demands of workers and trade unions in Swaziland to achieve their rights and called on the Swazi authorities to sit down with the workers' representatives and negotiate an agreement acceptable to all concerned.
Urging the international community to "stop the marginalisation of Africa," Fredricks called for investing across the continent. He said that the lack of investment in manufacturing was perpetuating the difficult situation in many African countries.