WEST BENGAL


Royal Dutch/Shell is one of the biggest multinationals in the world and it has the capacity of a big monopolist in resisting these pressures. At the same time, Shell is uncomfortable with the current campaign and has already begun its counter offensive It does not rule out disinvestment, especially since there is the possibility of continuing to maintain control over the company in the kind of constructions adopted by IBM and General Motors. (They have sold to their South African managers, but retain their licensing agreements for the sale of their products and have even included repurchase clauses in their sale agreements.) But apparently, even to do that, for Shell the situation will have to become much worse. As John R Wilson, chairman of Shell South Africa said on October 19, 1986, "If the bottomline of Royal Dutch/Shell is adversely affected internationally, the shareholders will have to consider their position in South Africa, but it will have to get really bad before shareholders decide to pull out!' It is on this question of whether it would