From: obu-AT-teleport.com
Date: Sat, 14 Jun 1997 08:37:00 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Sierra Leone IWW needs help


Sierra  Leone Solidarity Bulletin #1
Support IWW unionists in West Africa!
June 13, 1997

Forced into exile by a military coup, members of the Industrial Workers of
the World (IWW) union need your support. the IWW has been organizing in
Sierra Leone for a year now, and has a reported base of several thousand
miners in Sierra Leone's eastern diamond mines.

These open pit mines are owned by several (mainly Canadian)
multi-nationals. The IWW is organizing in Sierra Leone to prevent the
widespread cheating and blatant theft practiced by the mine owners.  For
example workers [often sub-contracted rather than employed labor] are paid
by weight but the workers have long held that the employers underweighed
the product of their labor and therefore underpaid them.  The IWW is
establishing an office and providing worker controlled scales to ensure
that proper weighing is undertaken.

The IWW has found favor with workers in Sierra Leone for specific reasons:

1.      Its adherence to industrial unionism, particularly important in the
cut-throat diamond mining industry;

and

2.      Its international One Big Union structure, again important given the
isolation of Sierra Leone and its recent troubles.

Just before the military coup members of the IWW had decided to mount a
fund raising drive among other unionists and other activists.  The military
coup has prompted us to take matters forward a bit earlier than we had
anticipated.  One of the first casualties in any coup is freedom and we
certainly consider our organization in Sierra Leone under some threat.

At this point in time we are limiting our activities to fund raising.  If
you can make a donation, either individually or through your union please
do so. No amount will be considered too small.

Please send money in the form of a cheque or postal order made payable to the
IWW to:

Industrial Workers of the World
75 Humberstone Gate
Leicester   LE1 1WB
UK

or:

Industrial Workers of the World
POBox 4814
Seattle, WA 98104-0814
USA

A receipt will be issued and an announcement made in due course about the
amount of money raised.




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