USA: Coca-Cola; KFC; CALTEX; Macdonald's

Japan: NISSAN; TOYOTA, National Panasonic

Malaysia: Investing in hotels and telecommunications. Will also be investing a local petroleum company - ENGEN.

Taiwan: Mainly in relatively small clothing and plastics companies.

South Korea: SAMSUNG; Daewoo; Hyundai (plant in Botswana - a neighbouring country)

A noticeable tendency for investors into South Africa is to have joint ventures with local companies.

Numerous foreign service companies from the USA have also started operating in S.A. particularly in the banking sector where specific services are outsourced to them. For example, processing of cheques or home-loans.

Our group also felt that perhaps the key question under this section should perhaps be rephrased to "To what extent have trade unions won rights at these companies ?" The issue is really that any company does not automatically respect workers rights, these are won in struggle historically by the working class in that country and by the extent of a specific group of workers continually push to improve these rights. What tends to happen is that the average or minimum built by this tradition of struggle and compromise eventually becomes embodied in law, which in turn changes from time to time.

What are the main issues which they lobby government around ?

• The promise of job-creation.
• The promise of more revenue for the government through taxes.
• The promise of sub-contracts through outsourcing for local companies.

There is no investment code for companies investing into South Africa. Previously under the Apartheid government there were. However, this is slowly changing. The government and capitalists are talking about creating a "favourable investment climate" The government has already adopted new incentives for attracting foreign investment: ie. tax-concessions, profit repatriation and special industrial facilities.

Certain major cities are also competing along these lines to attract companies to locate in their areas. For example, DAEWOO is being offered special concessions by the local governments/councils of Pretoria, Port Elizabeth and Richards Bay.

COSATU, the trade union federation has already started to oppose the formation of Export Processing Zones in one of the country's provinces, the Eastern Cape.

SA Breweries into Europe, Asia and Africa. Recently opened a brewery in Kenya. Currently the third largest brewing company in the world.

Rembrandt (cigarettes); Pick and Pay, Shoprite, Seven-Eleven - all retail stores extend their interests mainly into Africa. Similarly, the major South African mining companies are doing likewise.

Our assessment of this section: We tended to know more about TNC's investing and operating in South Africa. We therefore see it as a challenge for us to find out more about South African TNC's.

President Mandela also consults regularly with the top businessmen on key political issues before the government decides.

We are impressed by the commitment of the Peruvian comrades to the project , spending so much of their time and travelling so far. This kind of commitment seems to dwindling in South Africa. However, the Peruvians have made us more determined.
Together with them and looking at groups in other countries meeting during the day, we are more determined to fight for paid time-off from work for this kind of education.