12. Mr Jones said that the OLCC should consider ways of persuading British subsidiaries in South Africa to recognise unions of Black workers. There were no legal obstacles to this step. To permit liaison committees to negotiate on wages would never be an adequate substitute for trade union representation at company level. The South African Government apparently paid little heed to British representations on human and trade union freedoms and unfortunately British subsidiaries were not prepared to take the step of recognising Black unions. This was short-sighted since Black workers would lose faith in their largely moderate trade unions and turn to more militant organisations. The attitude of British employers was that their local managements in South Africa must be free to take decisions but American managements appeared more courageous and more ready to intervene with their South African subsidiaries. He hoped that the CBI could help to change the attitude of British subsidia- ries in South Africa.
13.
Mr Jones said that liaison committees were not regarded as independent by Black workers, whose representatives were wary of expressing, opinions in front of management representatives. Black workers regarded liaison committees as employer-dominated and preferred works committees. The latter should be encouraged by employers if they genuinely wished to promote the development of independent Black trade unions. Works committees had the right to be helped by Black trade union officials who were themselves increasingly assisted by independent educational and training institutions in South Africa. A clear statement by British employers that they favoured the emergence of independent Black trade unions would encourage other foreign companies in South Africa to do likewise. Mr Jones criticised the attitude of those employers who said they would recognise Black trade unions which succeeded in securing majority representation in their undertakings. In South African conditions employers could not expect a majority of Black workers to declare themselves in favour of Black unions which therefore experienced difficulty in recruiting members.
14.
Mr Jones emphasised that the TUC General Council had con- sistently withstood strong, pressures in the British trade union movement before and after the visit of their delegation to South Africa in 1973, to call for an end to investment in South Africa and other economic measures. The General Council still took the view that such a policy would be to the disadvantage of Black South African workers and had replied to their critics by advocating an alternative policy of encouraging the growth of Black trade unions and giving Black workers an effective voice in negotiating their conditions of employment. Unfortunately there had not been a corresponding response from employers and he hoped that the CBI would realise the TUC's dilemma. Opinion in the United States clearly favoured a more rapid change in industrial relations practices and several American subsidiaries, including Ford and Chrysler, were moving in the direction of recognising a Black union. A resolute attitude by British companies would help the process of peaceful political change in South Africa. For its part, the TUC would continue to give practical support to the Urban Training Project and the Institute for Industrial Education.
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