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British trade unionists picketed South Africa House on May 11 1982 calling for the release of three leaders of the South African Agricultural Workers Union detained without trial. Left to right: Roger Ward from the draughtsmen’s union TASS, Muriel Turner from the clerical union ASTMS and ASTMS General Secretary, Clive Jenkins.

SATIS-ACTION was a scheme that alerted subscribers to new political trials and death sentences in South Africa and Namibia. Supporters were asked to send letters and telegrams to the South African government and to ask the British government to intervene.

In 1982, the AAM and British trade unionists campaigned for support for striking South African workers at Wilson-Rowntrees, a subsidiary of the British confectionery maker Rowntree- Mackintosh. Southampton AA Group distributed this leaflet asking supporters to protest to the company’s managing director about the treatment of its black workers.

In February 1981, 500 workers at Wilson-Rowntree’s East London factory were sacked for striking in protest at the dismissal of three colleagues. Wilson-Rowntree was a subsidiary of the British company Rowntree-Mackintosh. The AAM campaigned with the British unions GMWU, USDAW and TGWU  to make the company reinstate the sacked workers and recognise the South African Allied Workers Union (SAAWU). This leaflet publicised a march in York, where the company had its headquarters.

Anti-apartheid supporters marched through York on 3 July 1982 in solidarity with workers sacked for going on strike at York-based Rowntree-Mackintosh’s South African subsidiary. The demonstration was part of a long-running campaign by British trade unions and the AAM to make the company reinstate the sacked workers and recognise the South African Allied Workers Union.

Agenda and registration form for the annual NUS/AAM student conference held at City University, London in June 1982.

This Action Programme was adopted by the annual NUS/AAM conference held at City University, London in June 1982. It called attention to military action by SWAPO in northern Namibia and Umkhonto we Sizwe in South Africa and to anti-apartheid protests by workers, students and churches. The conference was attended by 50 delegates, fewer than in previous years.

Merseyside AA Group ran a long-running campaign for support for independent trade unions in South Africa. This factsheet highlighted the refusal of the British rubber manufacturer Dunlop to negotiate with the South African Allied Workers Union at its plant in East London.