History

International Solidarity Committee of the Norwegian Labor Movement, AIS [Arbeiderbevegelsens Internasjonale Støttekomité]

Type of organization: A solidarity committee organized under the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions - LO. Supporting and working with international solidarity and union issues.

Basic Information:
The Norwegian Trade Union movement was one of the key movements in Norway supporting the liberation struggle in Southern Africa. The Trade Union movement's first direct involvement in campaigns against South Africa was a call for a consumer boycott of South African goods in 1959.

From the 1970s the Trade Union movement participated in larger campaigns against South Africa in cooperation with political parties (Labor Party), Norwegian People's Aid and other Social Democratic organizations.

AIS and LO worked closely with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), which again worked with the emerging trade union movement inside South Africa during the 1970s and 1980s. LO and AIS also gave direct financial support to the liberation movements and the unions, and regularly met with ANC, although the "bulk of the labor movement's assistance for ANC was handled by the humanitarian organization Norwegian People's Aid" (Vetlsen).

Secondary reading: Vesla Vetlesen: "Trade Union Support to the Struggle against Apartheid: The Role of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions" in Eriksen (2000) "Norway and National Liberation in Southern Africa".

Access

The archive has been catalogued and organised by "Arbeiderbevegelsens arkiv og bibliotek", AAB. Research permits to the archive are given by AAB. Original archive registry key in Norwegian can be found at AAB, a translated version has been given to NAI.

Repository

Labour movements archives and library [Arbeiderbevegelsens arkiv], AAB
Folkets Hus
Youngsgate 11
N-0181 Oslo
NORWAY
Norway
e-mail: lesesal@arbark.no
http://www.arbark.no External link.

Address

Can be accssed at:
Arbeiderbevegelsens arkiv
og bibliotek
Folkets Hus
Youngsgate 11
N-0181 Oslo
Tel: +47 95 36 90 62
Website: http://www.arbark.no/ External link.