Satawu is affiliated to

Union Network International (UNI)

and

International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)

The former SATAWU General Secretary Randall Howard, was elected President of ITF in 2006

PALESTINE - ZIMBABWE - SWAZILAND MUST BE FREE!!!

Our international work is generally informed by our international policy and Resolutions of National Congresses since the founding of the union. In pursuit of our broad international objectives emphasis will, of necessity, vary from time to time depending on the dictates of class struggle internationally and nationally. There is no doubt that Cuba, Palestine, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Western Sahara, Burma-Myanmar, Congress of South African Trade Unions, International Transport Workers’ Federation and Union Network International work, Mining and Maritime Initiative campaigns, SATAWU-NATAU-STAWU Capacity-building Project and the campaign for workers’ rights in Iran, including fighting for the release of the leaders of a bus drivers union in that country, will preoccupy most of our efforts for the forseeable future.

Introduction:

These are key developments around SATAWU’s international and campaigns work over the past few months.Zimbabwe andSwaziland remain the key area of focus on international work by both COSATU and SATAWU. Notwithstanding this, SATAWU’s international work is also expanding onto other interesting terrains. Last, principles and policies informing SATAWU’s international work are not included here as they are captured separately, but could be posted onto the website as a separate piece. 

1. Zimbabwe and Swaziland

This year saw COSATU stepping up international working class solidarity work with the masses ofZimbabwe andSwaziland in three ways. First, COSATU held a quadrilateral meeting with the ZCTU, SFTU and SFL which took an unprecedented Resolution of calling workers’ sanctions against the regimes ofZimbabwe andSwaziland. The meeting further called for an International Solidarity Conference around the two countries with the aim of developing a comprehensive programme of action for thorough democratization, including free and fair. There was also a call for mass action to co-incide with the then impending Elections in the two countries. Elections.