(The following article is from the February 15-28, 2009, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

In a historic development, South African dock workers have refused to offload a ship from Israel scheduled to dock at the port of Durban on February 8. This follows the decision by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) to strengthen the campaign for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Apartheid Israel.

     COSATU says that "The pledge by Satawu (South African Transport and Allied Workers Union) members in Durban reflects the commitment by South African workers to refuse to support oppression and exploitation across the globe."

     Satawu's action is part of a history of worker resistance against apartheid. In 1963, four years after the Anti-Apartheid Movement was formed, Danish dock workers refused to offload a ship with South African goods. When the ship docked in Sweden, Swedish workers followed suit. Dock workers in Liverpool and, later, in the San Francisco Bay Area also refused to offload South African goods.    Backing this new international campaign, Western Australian members of the Maritime Union of Australia resolved in late January to boycott Israeli vessels and all vessels bearing goods arriving from or going to Israel.

     COSATU and a coalition of solidarity groups has called on the South African government to sever diplomatic and trade relations with Israel. The coalition held a week of action starting Feb. 6, building on marches and rallies held throughout the country over the past month involving tens of thousands of South Africans.

     On Feb. 6, participating groups protested outside the offices of the South African Zionist Federation and the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, which fully supported the Israeli attacks against Gaza. The rally was addressed by Satawu General Secretary Randall Howard, and former cabinet minister Ronnie Kasrils, a prominent veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle.

     Other actions included a picket outside parliament in Cape Town joined by a number of MPs, and mass rallies with speakers including Cosatu General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and South African Council of Churches General Secretary Eddie Makue.