International news briefs
Wits University occupied
JOHANNESBURG — Members of the South African Students Congress, the Postgraduate Students Association and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union on June 20 occupied of the office of the vice-chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).
The action is in protest at the Wits administration's neo-liberal restructuring plan, dubbed "Wits 2001". The occupiers said the plan — which will see 620 university workers lose their jobs and their services outsourced — disregards the interests of students, workers, and democracy. Students who cannot afford rent for their residences will be evicted and the non-profitable arts and education faculties downsized.
Protest letters can be sent to Wits vice-chancellor Colin Bundy, fax +27 11 339 8215 or email <160CJB@atlas.wits.ac.za>. Send copies to <kgaugelo@nehawu.org.za>, <tebogo@nehawu.org.za> and <resist@africamail.com>. For regular email updates on the Wits struggle, send a blank message to <Resist_Wits2001-subscribe@onelist.com>.
Black consciousness parties form alliance
PRETORIA — The Pan Africanist Congress on June 9 announced the formation of an alliance between the PAC, the Socialist Party of Azania and the Azanian People's Organisation. PAC secretary general Thami ka Plaatjie told a joint press conference that there was an urgent need to strengthen and consolidate parties "to the left" of the ruling African National Congress.
"We cannot allow opportunist parties such as the Democratic Party and the New National Party to represent and articulate the concerns of our people", Plaatjie said. If an new party was achieved, its form would be decided by members of the three founding parties, he said.
"The PAC needs co-operation based on action. We need joint commemoration of national events and press statements, including undivided leadership of the people in a move to create an alternative to the African National Congress", Plaatjie said.
On June 16, PAC deputy president Motsoko Pheko and SOPA president Lybon Mabaso addressed a jointly organised commemoration of 1976 youth uprising in Soweto. More than 3000 people were present.
UN corporate partnership scheme abandoned
After a year-long campaign by environmentalists, human rights group and trade unions, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has abandoned plans to create a Global Sustainable Development Facility (GSDF) in partnership with about 15 corporations.
The UNDP planned to sell the corporations — including Rio Tinto, Dow Chemical and Novartis — access to its international network of offices, high-level government contacts and reputation.
Opponents of the GSDF said the scheme would have allow corporations to "blue-wash" their bad records and promote the free-market as a way to develop the Third World. The executive director of the New York-based Transnational Resource and Action Center, Joshua Karliner, stated: "The GSDF was fatally flawed and deserved to die."
NZ workers strike
AUCKLAND — Around 1100 workers at the Glenbrook steel mill, 58 kilometres from of Auckland, are on strike.
A spokesperson for the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, which represents 1000 of the workers, said slow progress was being made in the pay negotiations with mill management.
The union said the company recorded a record profit of about NZ$56 million after tax this year.
Messages of solidarity can be faxed to Mike Sweeney at +64 9 307 6531 or emailed to <mike.sweeney@epmunion.org.nz>.