Expose slave labour in South Africa

Workers Press no. 1026, 20 March 1973 · scan pages 3, 4

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TWENTY-SIX major British companies were yesterday accused of using black and coloured workers as 'slave labour' in South African factories.

British Leyland topped the list followed by Rio Tinto Zinc, Plessey, Joseph Lucas, Reckitt and Colman, Pilkington Brothers, ICI and Barclays Bank. At a House of Commons Press Conference, spokesmen claimed that African workers were earning less than a quarter of the wages paid to • An end to loans to the South African government and to British companies operating there.

seur Mary the he would be a Ming an international conference on apartheid, due to meet in • An end to white immigration. • Massive media exposure of companies exploiting * Oslo next month, to take the toughest possible action against companies paying poverty wages in South Africa.

York Labour MP, Mr Alex Lyon-whose constituency cludes the Rowntree company, one of the firms named by Adam Raphael in 'The Guardian' -called for an inquiry into the wages policy of British firms.

told Pressmen: A select committee set up here would not have access to South Africa. But if the South African Institute of Race Relations accepted this detailed picture of Provide a obligation it would situation in British companies.' Churches have major shareholdings in many of the firms named by Anti-Apartheid.

Methodist minister, Mr David Haslam, said: 'It is totally out of keeping with the churches principles to profit from what amounts to slave labour.' He said churches should use their positions as shareholders to gather information about the pay policies of British companies and to urge them to end unequal treatment of African

March 20, 1973