Polaroid Officials Suspend Blacks Leading Boycott

Polaroid Corporation's South African operations yesterday came under continued attack by two black employees who were suspended Wednesday for supporting a boycott of the company's products.

Caroline Hunter and Clyde Walton said at a press conference that they intended to file a civil suit against Polaroid on the grounds that their suspension was an infringement of free speech. The American Civil Liberties Union is now preparing the suit.

The two also said that they would continue to support an international boycott of Polaroid products until the company ceases all trade with South Africa.

In identical letters to Hunter and Walton, Polaroid informed them that "you have been involved in a deliberate campaign calculated to damage the well-being of a company which represents the interests and commitments of thousands of employees and stockholders." Polaroid yesterday refused to comment on the suspensions.

The suspensions of Hunter and Walton are the most recent phase of controversy between Polaroid and a group of black employees the two helped organize, the Polaroid Revolutionary Workers Movement (PRWM).

In response to a PRWM demand that the company withdraw completely from South Africa. Polaroid last month initiated a one-year "Experiment in South Africa."

Yesterday Hunter termed the experiment- which involves increased wages for non- whites, scholarships and more position of responsibility for non- whites in Polaroid's South African business- "an insult, and a racist response to the demands of the PRWM."

Last January, Robert Palmer, Polaroid manager in charge of community affairs, said the company considered it wrong to either withdraw completely or do nothing.

He said the company preferred to try to do something in South Africa to improve the conditions of non- whites, and that Polaroid condemned the apartheid policy.