Africa. TheworkofboththeCommission andthetradeunionshasledanimportant numberofItalian manufacturers totakestepstoobtaintheirgoldsupplies from countries otherthAnSouthAfrir-a. Inaddition, negotiations areunderwaywith thoseItalian bankswhichactasintermediaries inthegoldtradeandarethemain suppliers oftheindustry. TheCommission hasprovided inputforaninitiative in theUnitedStatesCongress, ledbySenator EdwardKennedy, toimplement aboycott ofSouthAfrican gold. Aspartofthisinitiative, ate~fromtheUnitedStates Government Accounting Officeheldconsultations inLondoninMarch1989with representatives oftheCommission andofvarious L')ndonfhmsthatfixthedaily goldprice.lil 162.Ataconsultation convened byANCinLondoninJuly1989,reprosentatives of anti-~g movements, churchorganizations anddevelopment agencies from 16countries, including allofSouthAfrica's creditor countries, agreedtolaunch amajorcampaign fortheimposition offinancial sanctions against SouthAfricaond tofocusattention onactions thatwillprevent therescheduling ofSouthAfrica's foreign debtrepayment. Thecampaign includes world-wide co-ordinated actions against thebanksoftheco-ordinating committee inFrance, theFederal RepUblic uC Germany, Switlerland, theUnitedKinqdom andtheUnited 6tat~s. Theconsultation waspartofANCefforts towards theimposition ofcomprehensive andmandatory san~tions against ther~gime.ill 163.Following itsmee~in9 a~HarareinNovember 1988,ICFTUlaunched aworld-wide campaign toboycott SouthAfrican coalandannounced itsdecision toestablish a -42-working partyonthecoalembar90. AttheNametime,Beveral Italian tradeuniol' agreedtodenyenergy oompa~ies therossibJ1Jty ofimporting coalfrom SouthAfrica. InFebruary 1989,ataSocialist International (SI)conference attended byfront-line States andtheRouthern African national liberation movements, SIandICFTUmadeajointappealtoGovernments andEEC,8Swellasto individual localauthodties,tostopSouthAfrican coal(ro;nentering through NorthSeaandMediterranean ports. TheLabourPartyintheNetherlands, theSocial DAmocratic PartyintheFederal Republic ofGermany andtheSocialist Partyin Belgium plc.ntoholdaconference of10<.:alauthorities todevelop 8co~ordinotoel policytoprevent individual portsCromviolating thecoalboycott. 164.Tradeunions fromseveral countries started ~campaign inNovember 1980to opposeSouthAfrica's LabourRelations Amendment Actonthegroundthatit. contravenes internationally recognized labourstandards andcurtails further the activities ofthenon-racial tradeunionmovement int~atcountry. Thecampaign focused onthesubsidiaries ofthosetransnational corporations inSouthAfriCll whichareuGingthoActtounderminE! theactivities oftrad~unions anelare refusing tonegotiate withtradeunions onthetermsofdisinvestment. In March1989,efforts inthiu re9~r~resulled ~ntheagreement bythathreelargest transnationul aut~nobi1e manufacturing corporations (basedintheFederal R~pub1ic ofGermany) toabidebyasetoC14minimum labourstandards inSouthAfdca. The standards, whichwere davi~ed jointly bytheIGMetalltradeunionoftheFederal RepUblic ofGermany andtheSouthAfrican Co-ordinating Cvuncil ofthe International MetalworkAfs' Federation, whosemostpowerful memberisthe COSAW··affiliated Nation.\l UnionofMetalWorkatl-i ofSout.hAfrica(NUMSA), arean attempt t.ofightprovision6 ofthe:!Act.Notwithstanding theagreement, the application ofthestandards hasproceeded withsomedifficulties. 93/ 165.Theacquittal fromcharges oftreason ofMoses May~kiso, theNUMSAGeneral Secretary, andfourotherdefendants on24April1989wasapartial victory for international tradeunionsolidarity. Duringthetwo-year trial,theInternational Metalworker~' Federation, ICFTUandnational metalworkers' unionsthroughout the worldcampaigned fOl'therelease (.,CMayekiso andthefourotheraccused. 2.4/Along similar linos,theJointCampaign against theRepression olTradeUnionists in SouthAfrica andNamibia, organized bytheBritish Anti-~_tb~tQ Movement Trade tluionCommittee andthegroupSouthern Africa .theImpdsoned Society, continued togather ~trength. Atpresent, 39national unionsareinvolved intheCampaign, themainobjectivo otwhichistomobilize pUblicsupport fortherelease otall tradeunionists imprisoned fortheirpolitical activities.
**Analysis**
The text primarily discusses the economic and political actions taken by international organizations, trade unions, and governments to address the human rights violations and apartheid regime in South Africa. It highlights the efforts to boycott South African goods, impose economic sanctions, and support the trade union movement in the country. The text also touches on the labor standards and the acquittal of Moses Mayekiso, the NUMSA General Secretary, who was accused of treason.

**Category**
International trade, Employment