He was born in Cala in the Transkei of poor parents who struggled to pay for his education. He was expelled from school after protesting against authoritarianism, but completed his matric after working for a year as a miner in Welkom, earning 80 cents a day. In 1974 he moved to Johannesburg and started working building labourer. he was employed by Toyota and joined MAWU. He was soon elected a shop steward and later became MAWU national treasurer, before being fired after the 1979 strikes. He was then appointed full-time organizer in the East Rand and later Transvaal organizer. He played a key role in the formation of the Congress of South African Trade Unions.
Mayekiso developed close relations with COSAS and other United Democratic Front affiliates, and was one of the organizers of the November 1984 stayaway, for which he was detained. Charges against him were later dropped. He has also played a central role in Alexandra community politics and heads the Alexandra Action mittee.
To give an idea of the popularity of this workers' leader, it is enough to recall that following a previous arrest in March 1986, a solidarity strike took place in the metal industry, in which 58 per cent of members in the Transvaal participated
MAWU has launched a solidarity campaign to obtain the release of its general secretary. This has been extended by the stance of the International Metalworkers Federation, which has published a posteard to be sent to the South African government. It reads "I demand the release of
Moses Mayekiso, general secretary of the Metal and Allied Workers Union, and all the trade unionists and other political prisoners in South Africa."
initiative can be repeated throughout the international workers press, as well as across the various trade-union channels. That is the way effectively to pressurize the repressive South African government and to offer concrete support to its of solidarity and protest cards should be sent Republic of South Africa. Spanish state Land occupations THE SPANISH Council of Ministers' decision to not even consider amnesty for Diego Canamero, leader of the Agricultural Workers' Union (SOC), got a bitter and angry response from 300 Andalusian farm laborers who came to Madrid to demonstrate.
Canamero was jailed a short time workers who occuped land in Andalusia. He expected to have the monthlong sentence handed down against him by the Moron de la Frontera court annulled by Premier Felipe Gonzalez.
Having already been sentenced to prison for occupying an the trade-union leader had refused to appear before the court. When the news was announced, was decided to hold a 24-hour strike village and 300 persons threatened to go on
This is not the first action by the Andalusian agricultural workers, whose tragic situation has hardly improved under the government of the Andalusian Felipe Gonzalez.
UNLE
Some 2 per cent of the population owns 50 per cent of the arable land in Andalusia, while a half million agricultural laborers are living in poverty. It is estimated that 320,000 persons are undernourished and living below the poverty threshold. Far from improving, this ancient injustice has deepened over the past decade.
The agrarian reform promised since 1983 has been stalled, and farm laborers still find themselves forced into seasonal migration, especially to France, in order simply to assure the survival of themselves and their families. among agricultural benefits are pitiful or nonexistent in most of the country. with the reform in the system of unemployment insurance, laborers in Andalusia and Estremadura are entitled to receive them. The rest of the unemployed cultural workers, estimated at 250,000 people, get nothing.
However, even for those who have the right to claim these benefits, the conditions are such that most of them do not draw them. In order to draw about 150 dollars a month in unemployment benefits, you have to have worked ten days in the year. But the employment situation is such that in 1985, out of 280,000 agricultural workers theoretically entitled to draw this miserable sum, 170,000 could not meet that condition.
The big farmers are vantage of tion for work to impose the wages and conditions that suit them.
In solidarity with Diego Canamero, and in response to a call by the SOC, the Workers Commissions and several national — a demonstration was held on August 23 in El Coronil, where El Garrotal, the estate occupied by the jailed agricultural workers, is located. There, the demonstrators, who were joined by the Rio Tinto miners, in turn occupied El Garrotal, challenging the authorities to impose the same penalty on them.
The repression against the agricultural workers demanding "land, work and freedom" has widened. In mid-August, about 15 persons were arrested in Ayamante because they were demanding electricity for the homes of about 30 workers' families.
The demands of the workers have been met with silence and police by the Spanish Social Democratic party. Other trials are going to be held against agricultural workers, and other demonstrations and hunger strikes are already planned throughout Andalusia.
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