ILC International Newsletter No. 133
May 24, 2005
Weekly dossier published under the responsibility of the
International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples
Introduction:
On June 12, 2005, the Twelfth Conference of the ILC "In
Defense of the ILO Conventions and Union Independence" will take
place in Geneva.
A large part of this issue is devoted to the publication of texts that
are part of the preparation of this conference - a conference, as you
can judge for yourself, that has a very particular importance.
You will find in this issue:
- A contribution from Roger Sandri, "The ILO at the
Crossroads";
- A letter from Julio Turra, member of the Executive Commission of the
CUT trade union federation in Brazil, in which the CUT reaffirms its
support for the National Workers Union (UNT) of Venezuela;
- An interview with Tafazzul Hussain, president of the National
Federation of Workers of Bangladesh, concerning the catastrophe that
took place at the Spectrum Sweater factory titled "We will file our
complaint with the ILO" ;
- A letter from the APTUF (All Pakistan Trade Union Federation) - which
is currently facing the new labor laws - calling for the respect of the
ILO conventions.
- After the defeat suffered by the SPD in North Rhenanie-Westphalia,
Germany, and right before the referendum of May 29 in France on the
Constitutional Treaty, we think it would be useful to publish a
declaration from the National Bureau of the Workers Party (PT) of France
as well as a press review concerning the May 22 elections in Germany.
Send out this issue!
Subscribe!
Send us contributions, documents, and correspondence!
********************
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
p. 1: Introduction
p. 2 - Venezuela: The Brazilian CUT reaffirms its support for the
Venezuelan UNT
p. 3-4 - The ILO at the crossroads, a contribution from R. Sandri for
the Twelfth ILC Geneva conference
p. 5 - Bangladesh: The NGO's "Codes of Conduct" and the
accusations of the corporations
p. 6 - Pakistan: Labor laws against the ILO conventions, a letter from
the APTUF
p. 7 - Germany: After the German elections and the defeat of Schröder
in North Rhenanie-Westphalia- a declaration of the PT of France.
p. 8 - Germany: Press Review after the elections in Germany
- Subscriptions
For all contact:
International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples (ILC),
87, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis -75010 Paris - France
Tel: (33 1) 48 01 88 28 - E.mail: <?color><?param
0000,0000,00FF>eit.ilc@fr.oleane.com
*******************
<?/color>VENEZUELA
The CUT Reaffirms its Support to the National Workers Union (UNT) of
Venezuela
On May 10-13 there took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the eleventh
national plenary assembly of the CUT, with 550 delegates from all over
Brazil. Other than the national congress, it is the most important
decision-making body of the union.
At this assembly of the CUT there was a debate on Venezuela, following
the resolution adopted at the sixteenth Congress of the ORIT (the
continental branch in the Americas of the ICFTU), which took place
recently in Brasilia, from April 20 to April 22.
At that congress, the representative of the CUT, Rafael Freire,
collaborated on and approved a resolution of support to the Complaint
submitted to the ILO by Fedecamaras, the Venezuelan bosses'
organization, and the CTV. [Rafael Freire is a member of the Socialist
Democracy (DS) current of the Workers Party, a current to which the
Agrarian Reform Minister Miguel Rossetto also belongs. - Ed.]
The Complaint was officially registered against the Venezuelan
government, but in reality it would deny Venezuelan workers the right to
freely organize unions of their choice.
This vote by a CUT leader for a proposal attacking the interests of a
neighboring people constituted a flagrant violation of the position
adopted only a few months earlier by the highest body of the CUT, its
National Executive Board, which had publicly and firmly rejected the
Complaint of Fedecamaras. This break with his mandate, came at a moment
when Condoleezza Rice, in her tour of Brazil and Latin America,
multiplied her threats against Venezuela.
In a letter addressed to the ILC, Julio Turra, summarizes the debates
and conclusions of the plenary assembly of the CUT on this subject. See
the letter below. - ILC Ed.
----------
LETTER FROM JULIO TURRA
On the eve of the conference of trade unionists that the ILC
organizes each year during the month of June in Geneva on the occasion
of the International Labor Conference of the ILO, I send you the
following information, which is key to re-igniting the campaign in
defense of Venezuela and the UNT against the provocations of the allies
of the Bush government.
The first day of debates in the plenary assembly of the CUT, the morning
of May 11, an open letter was distributed to the delegates with the
title "The Place of the CUT is at the side of the workers and
people of Venezuela!" It explains:
'The CUT cannot turn its back on the workers and people of Venezuela and
their organizations, which are fighting the policies of Bush! During the
recent visit to Brazil by Condoleezza Rice, U.S. imperialism's goal of
isolating the Chavez government was reaffirmed, paving the way for
attacks against the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people.
"The CUT must reaffirm, in its national plenary assembly, its
support to the workers and peoples of Venezuela and to their government
in the face of the threat of an intervention by imperialism; this
requires reaffirming the CUT's policy against supporting any and all
attempts to condemn Venezuela in the international institutions for
supposed attacks on union rights.
"These attacks coming from Fedecamaras and the CTV have the goal of
covering up their active role, in alliance with the U.S. government, in
the attempts to destabilize the Chavez government.
"The position of our representatives in the international union
forums and in the ORIT must be to reject the Complaints of the
Venezuelan bosses and their allies in the CTV!"
This resolution received the support of more than 50 delegates. A short
resolution was then put forward by the International Relations
Secretariat of the CUT to reaffirm the position of the National
Executive of the CUT rejecting the Fedecamaras' Complaint against the
Venezuelan government.
Three amendments were presented, all of which were accepted unanimously
(see below).
This resolution shows that the battle against Fedecamaras' attempts to
register a complaint vis-ą-vis union rights in Venezuela (at the
meeting of the administrative council of the ILO in November 2005) must
be continued.
At the conference of the ILC on June 12, in Geneva, at which I will be
present, we will certainly have the opportunity to re-launch this
campaign, side by side with the comrades from the UNT, who will find an
even greater echo amongst the unionists and unions throughout the
world."
signed, Julio Turra,
Member of the National Executive Committee of the United Workers Central
(CUT)
------------
EXCERPTS from the motion adopted unanimously by the plenary assembly
of the CUT- Sao Paulo, May 12, 2005
"Rejection of the Complaints registered by Fedecamaras and the
CTV"
"The plenary assembly of the CUT declares itself for:
"The full-out rejection of any intervention on the part of the U.S.
government against the inalienable sovereignty of our peoples to choose
the paths that they wish to follow.
"The defense of union rights in the Venezuelan political process.
(...)
"The rejection of the Complaints recently presented by Fedecamaras
and the CTV to the ILO.
The CUT is following with interest the growth of the new union
federation the UNT, which is regrouping a wide range of Venezuelan union
traditions. The plenary assembly mandates the National Executive
Committee to develop an exchange and solidarity program with this
federation and all of the union sectors that express a democratic
position in Venezuela."
********************
International Liaison Committee
of Workers and Peoples
12th Conference For the Defence of ILO Conventions and
the Independence of Trade Union Organisations
Geneva June 12
The ILO at the crossroads
As happens every year, the International Labour Organisation will
hold its General Assembly in Geneva next June, from 31 May to 16 June
2005.
This will be the 93rd Session.
On the occasion of previous Assemblies, we have kept you informed on the
evolution and the progressive transformation of the role and function of
the ILO since it was set up in 1919, and then confirmed in 1945 after
the war.
On Sunday, 12 June, in Geneva, a meeting of activists called by the
International Liaison Committee of the Workers and Peoples will examine
the world situation, particularly the situation regarding the procedure
governing Conventions.
Acting as a specialised institution of the United Nations Organisation,
the ILO had seen itself given responsibility for drafting tripartite
conventions of a social character, with a view to obliging the Member
States to set up a social network, a factor for peace, aimed at
improving the fate of the workers throughout the world.
From 1989 onwards, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, symbol of the
collapse of the Stalinist systems, the arrival and development of "globalisation"
on the basis of a "global economy" was accompanied by the
declien of the nation-states as a political and economic framework,
opening the way to an unbridled "liberalism" transcending all
borders, and prioritising the "individual" over the
"collective" .
This orientation led to the destruction of any constraint that could put
a brake on economic liberalism and the functioning of the global
economy, to a point where the the transnational companies, henceforth
acting within a global framework, became the superstructure acting over
the head of the state.
Thus, the system of ILO Conventions, which had formed the primary
function of the ILO since its creation, became a constraining force for
the institutions of globalisation and of the economic agents that
together formed its foundation.
This is why, under pressure from globalisation, the ILO has
progressively aligned itself with this new deal.
From 1998 onwards, the constraining aspect of the system of Conventions
was to give way to the construction of the so-called "Charter of
Fundamental Rights" , containing just seven rights which
synthesised a number of "Conventions" into the form of a
simple, non-coercive "recommendation" .
It must be remembered that the United States President, Bill Clinton,
personally went to Geneva, an unprecedented event, in order to defend
from the platform of the General Assembly the new orientation that the
ILO was to undertake.
It is certain that the big multinational companies, predominantly
American, used their considerable weight to ensure the setting-up of
this new procedure.
For good measure, it was said that the recommendation regarding
"fundamental rights" could be guaranteed by a form of "labelling"
that would tend to demonstrate the good faith of the producers in
relation to social protection and non-exploitation of women's and child
labour.
As we drew up a balance-sheet of the last seven years since 1998, we are
pretty certain that the planned good intentions have, as forecast,
become a dead letter, and that the exploitation of labour-power is still
just as importantly, if not more, the lever for the action that a
"convention" reduced to the expression of well-meaning
sentiments could represent.
*
* *
A document published by the International Labour Office on world
employment trends in 2004 concluded: "Record unemployment - but
signs of improvement" . However, the document says that despite the
economic recovery recorded during the second quarter of 2003,
unemployment has continued to increase worldwide, reaching a new record
level of 185 million men and women and particularly affecting the youth.
What is more, its says that the number of poor workers, around 550
million, which is the highest figure ever recorded, has not changed.
In comparison to 2004 the situation has not changed, and if anything has
got worse, including in the industrialised countries. Institutional
steps taken, like the ending of import quotas in the textiles industry,
are worsening the job situation, mainly in the developing countries.
At the World Summit held in Copenhagen in 1995, the UN Secretary-General
at that time, Mr Boutros-Ghali, stated to world leaders before the
Summit: "If you can't find any solutions to the problems of
unemployment, the disintegration of the social fabric and globalised
poverty, you shall see new revolutions and extremely serious
destabilisation."
*
* *
As everyone knows, Mr Boutros-Ghali has never been a revolutionary. This
makes his comment even more significant.
In response to that forecast, one could have expected a radical change
in the orientation of the institutions of golbalisation, what the ILO
calls the multilateral system, namely: the IMF, World Bank, WTO, OECD
and all the organisations flowing from these.
In fact, with a view towards a more rational adaptation to globalisation,
without controling its disastrous effects on the social level, under the
leadership of the UNO, a reform of the institutional structures is being
envisaged, with the aim of setting up a political framework for
globalisation and the global economy in preparation for a "new
world governance" .
A recent report dealing with the project of reforming the UN should lead
that institution to broaden its area of operations.
The Security Council is due to be enlarged to admit new members, taking
into account the geopolitical and strategic changes that have occurred
since the Second World War.
Moreover, the organisations representing "civil society"
(NGOs) would be integrated progressively, due to, according to the UNO,
the increasingly important weight that they represent, in inverse
proportion to that of the nation-states, whose role continues to fatally
diminish (sic).
The representation and functioning of the Economic and Social Council
would be strengthened, in order henceforth to make it into a permanent
body, a kind of Economic Security Council along the same lines as the
Security Council itself.
*
* *
In 2002, the ILO proceeded to put in place a commission charged with the
task of examining "the social dimension of globalisation" .
In the report published by this commission, a report which was to create
quite a stir, we find the identical orientation that was outlined by the
UNO with regard to inviting the active participation of the
organisations of civil society, in other words the NGOs.
Without it being formally expressed in this report, it is likely that
the transnational companies could be admitted on an equal footing, to
sit on this commission as a political entity to be defined.
As far as the ILO is concerned, carrying out its historic function as an
institution of the League of Nations, then after 1945 of the United
Nations Organisation, it is therefore directly affected by this
development and by the transformations being currently undertaken and
those still to come.
The budget questions relating to the functioning of the ILO must be
included in the analysis.
As a result, does not the setting-up of a permanent Economic and Social
Council within the UNO itself risk duplicating the work of the ILO?
Moving on to a merger of the two institutions would be a means of making
economies. This hypothesis cannot be discounted.
Something that confirms this worry is the noticeable fact that, for the
first time in the existence of the ILO and its General Assemblies, apart
from a specifc report on "promoting youth employment" and
another on "pathways to decent work" , there is no
"political" report presented by the Director-General to the
International Labour Office. The participants will have to be content
with the "Director-General's introduction to the International
Labour Conference: Consolidating progress and moving ahead" .
In this eight-page introduction, the ILO's Director-General explains:
"In talking to many of you, I sensed a desire for a moment of
active reflection - of thinking ahead but keeping our feet on the
ground, recognizing that changes are swirling around us in the world of
work. That excluded a new lengthy report to chew on and, rather, I felt
that it might be more useful to take the time to digest fully where the
discussions of my previous reports have brought us. We should seize the
moment to think together as we prepare ourselves for the future."
*
* *
In a passage from this "Introduction to the discussion" , the
Director-General outlines a few courses of action regarding the future
functioning of the ILO.
Thus, in order to avoid the cumbersome nature of the General Assemblies,
interactivity could be developed, including by means of the internet,
with a view towards a permanent dialogue.
The less cumbersome General Assemblies could also become decentralised,
in other words, as far as we can see, towards an orientation comparable
to forums that would be open to all. Moreover, the Director-General
opens the way by advocating a forum on globalisation. What about funding
for this?
If we follow through a bit further with this line of thought, would it
not be easy to imagine a convergence with the Porto Alegre and Davos
Forums?
In fact, and we have had this feeling for a long time now, we are
plainly engaged on the path of profound transformations affecting the
role and functioning of the ILO. In parallel with this, and there is
nothing coincidental about it, the planned merger between the ICFTU and
the WCL assumes its true role.
The end of 2005, with the UN General Assembly, and 2006, with the merger
conference of international trade unionism, have assumed a real
importance to which the labour organisations should already be giving
their full attention.
Roger Sandri
********************
Bulletin of the Women's Commission of the Seine-Saint-Denis Federation
"What woman could resign herself to such a future?"
What woman could resign herself to a future of poverty that the
government, acting on the orders of the European Union, would like to
inflict on her children, on all children and youth? Not one, and
certainly not the women members of the Workers Party.
Every mother, every woman is facing the same situation: agony to find a
maternity hospital, then nursery facilities and a place at nursery
school, destruction of public services and jobs, and so on... And every
one of them has had enough and is willing to fight against injustice and
barbarism.
However, a number of members in our federation had not had the
opportunity to express that feeling of revolt, and the discussion of the
13th National Congress of the Workers Party allowed us to make some
progress on this issue.
In preparing for International Women's Day on 8 March, the federal
office sent a letter to all women members of the federation, proposing
that they speak - and write - about the concrete questions facing them,
and that they play an active part in the whole policy of the Workers
Party against exploitation and barbarism.
Can we hold meetings? Yes, taking into account our particular
constraints. This is how the Workers Party Women's Commission was set
up, with members who up to now could only meet rarely, but also with
completely new members of the Workers Party: 12 comrades from eight
branches attended the first meeting.
Five meetings were held, with new branches participating. Comrades from
other branches sent articles and contributions. Our aim is to have at
least one correspondent in each branch.
The idea of a bulletin of the Commission came up naturally: analyses,
information and snippets of news, testimony and practical initiatives
were all put in it, so that everyone could familiarise herself with it,
be inspired by it, and discuss around it: more than 25 comrades
participated in the first two bulletins.
The setting-up of this Women's Commission in our Federation has clearly
answered a need among many members. And the Federal Committee has agreed
to the proposal to bring together 80 women, Workers Party members or
not, in a meeting-debate next 4 June.
Sabine Jeanjean
---
Appearing in this bulletin:
- The Borloo Law: dequalification and deregulation, and the
practical consequences in the hospitals. "I am a nurse in a
fulltime psychological hospitalisation unit, within a structure which
takes care of autistic children and regressive psychotics. (...) These
patients cannot be treated outside of a hospital environment (...). This
is why they need a lot of qualified staff. And this is where they are
threatening to cut back today!"
- Primary school teachers are raising the alarm! The state should fulfil
its obligations: it should guarantee all substitutes! "We are
primary school teachers in Aubervilliers. Here is what is happening: for
the beginning of the 2005 school year, out of lack of places, one class
will only be able to start back around All Saints Day (...). Pupils in
great difficulty are just left to cope in ordinary classes (...). There
are fewer and fewer substitute teachers (...). Everything that is vital
for the population is, we are told, too expensive!"
- "What kind of world do they want to make us live in? The
public healthcare system is in grave danger. If they close the beds,
what will become of the patients? What will become of us?"
International Liaison Committee Meeting in Geneva
June 12, 2005 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
********************
BANGLADESH
A textile factory collapses, resulting in the deaths of dozens of
workers
Tafazzul Hussain, president of the National Federation of Workers of
Bangladesh: "We are going to file a complaint to the ILO in
Geneva"
ILO Conventions and the "codes of conduct"
Isn't is clear, in light of the facts, that what took place on April 12
in Bangladesh was not an accident but a murder committed in the name of
market competition. However, the corporations responsible were engaged
in respecting a "code of conduct." What should we make of this
fact?
The "Declaration of tri-partite principles concerning multinational
companies and social policy," which was written in the context of
the current changes in the ILO, invites the multinationals, in the
framework of the "social responsibility of business" to
"apply where possible" the conventions recommended by the ILO.
This is contradictory with what ILO conventions really are.
Let us remember that the ILO system, developed after the ILO creation in
1919, includes 183 conventions. When a convention is ratified, it holds
for the workers' group, the employees' group, and the representatives of
the governments. When a government ratifies a convention of the ILO, it
becomes impossible to circumvent. All workers can appeal to the ILO
conventions if they have been written into law. No boss can flaunt them.
This is the ILO's system of conventions: norms that are precise,
detailed, and binding on all parties, the government included.
But when a corporation gets involved with "codes of conduct"
and then ignores them, there are no concrete consequences. If a worker
or a group of workers consider that a labor law is not being respected,
they have a recourse.
On April 12, 2005, at one in the morning in a suburb of Dacca, the
capital of Bangladesh, a nine-story building collapsed like a house of
cards. In this building, there was a textile factory. Hundreds of
workers were working at that late hour. We interview Taffazul Hussein,
the president of the National Federation of Workers of Bangladesh.
ILC International Newsletter: One month after the catastrophe, the
media in Bangladesh report that 73 bodies have been recovered from the
remnants of the factory. Is this accurate?
Tafazzul Hussain: Tragically, the human cost resulting from the
events of that night is much heavier. Not only are there many people
with serious injuries who are handicapped for life, not only have at
least 20 workers died in the hospital, but there are dozens, if not a
hundred, of disappeared.
At the moment when the building collapsed, there were 470 workers
inside. The fact that a large number of bodies have still not been found
a month later points to one of the causes of the catastrophe: the
building was built on swampy ground, which has swallowed up the debris
and the bodies.
The landlord and the government blame each other for the responsibility
concerning the construction permits. In any case, one thing is certain:
the laws of Bangladesh were not being respected. There is a Factory Act,
in place since 1940, that establishes the guidelines and conditions for
building a factory: It was ignored.
IN: Was this an isolated incident?
T.H.: No. The working and safety conditions in the textile industry
are frightening. Fatal accident follows fatal accident. Recently,
in March, a textile factory caught fire: 50 workers were burned alive.
That said, it is a unique case, due to the number of deaths and the
systematic manner in which they flaunted the labor laws of Bangladesh,
the conventions and norms of the ILO, and the direct responsibilities of
the multinationals. The following example tragically illustrates the
consequences of "adapting to the necessities of the market
competition," and looking to always find the cheapest cost of
labor.
Since January 1st, 1,900 factories have closed, causing unemployment for
thousands in thousands, the majority of whom are women.
IN: You mentioned the responsibilities of the multinationals
T.H.: Yes, the main clients of Spectrum Sweater are Zara,
Carrefour, Karstadt, Quelle and Cotton Group. These companies send their
orders there because the selling prices are low; the prices are low
because the wages paid are not event close to minimum wage and because
the safety norms are ignored.
IN: Can you be more specific?
T.H.: The minimum wage in Bangladesh - which is scandalously low and
which hasn't been raised since 1995 - is 930 takas. The wages paid were
700 takas, which is around 10 Euros.
The laws of Bangladesh require one day of rest per week. The employees
of Spectrum Sweater worked seven days a week. One of the victims was a
fifteen-year-old boy who had just gotten hired. He had not even received
his first paycheck.
Three months earlier, a worker was electrocuted when his clothes got
stuck in the electrical wires. Neither the norms of the ILO nor the
labor laws of Bangladesh were respected.
IN: What are the demands of the workers?
T.H.: The immediate demands are for the punishment of those
responsible, and that all of those responsible be tried: the landlord,
the government officials, the officials from the multinationals.
Another demand is the immediate payment of indemnities. Of course,
nothing can compensate for a death. But at the very least the bosses
responsible for this tragedy should ensure that the stricken families
have the means to survive. For the moment, the owner of Spectrum has
announced the payment of 30,000 dollars total - this is a complete
insult. This means only 100 dollars per family! At least twenty times
this is necessary for a family to be able to deal with this tragedy.
But the main demand of the workers of the factory and of the unions is
that this tragedy is never repeated! This demand directly concerns
thousands of textile workers throughout Bangladesh; indeed, it effects
all Bangladeshi workers. This demand poses the question the question of
safety and security.
II: What actions are being taken?
T.H.: My union is going to register a complaint with the ILO. We
will demonstrate that numerous ILO norms and conventions were flaunted,
for example, convention 81 concerning workplace inspections,
convention 155 concerning the health and safety of workers, convention
134 concerning the prevention of major industrial accidents, etc. This
is, for us, the point of departure for a campaign in Bangladesh and on
an international scale that can fight back against the death machine of
unlimited exploitation.
It is a campaign in which all of the unions in Bangladesh, regardless of
their other political positions, can join together around.
It is a question that concerns all of the international labor movement.
Sometimes workers in Europe are told that it is workers in countries
like ours that are taking their jobs. In reality, in the name of free
trade, the multinationals are destroying jobs. And, in Bangladesh, the
same multinationals are destroying the lives of workers.
I will be in Geneva at the assembly of the ILO. I will participate in
the conference organized by the ILC to call for an international
fightback against deregulation in all countries and continents.
********************
PAKISTAN
Labor Laws in Contradiction with the ILO
The APTUF (All Pakistan Trade Union Federation) addresses the director
of the International Labor Bureau concerning the respect of the ILO
conventions in Pakistan
APTUF
May 19
Dear sir,
I am addressing you in the name of the APTUF. Under the mandate of the
Federation, I studied the new ordinance concerning industrial relations
in 2002, and I believe that that ordinance contains several measures
that are contradictory with the rights expressed in the Pakistan
Constitution as well as the international agreements based on the
ratifications of the ILO conventions 87, 98, 29, 100, 105, and 11. It
has created a great deal of agitation amongst the workers and it is
consequently necessary to dwell on this question and to write to the
government of Pakistan for violating the ILO conventions.
The ordinance concerning industrial relations imposes in section 4-(1)
restrictions on union rights. These restriction are in contradiction
with the freedom to associate established by ILO convention 87 and 98,
which were ratified by the government of Pakistan.
The new laws prohibit workers from appealing to the National Commission
of Industrial Relations (NIRC) against unfair labor practices. The new
measures prohibit workers from finding a legal solution through the
medium of the NIRC or the Labor Justice Court. This measure is also in
contradiction with convention 98, which obligates governments to provide
adequate protection to workers against all unfair practices in the
workplace.
The old laws mentioned the participation of workers in the control of
the workplace through the medium of a union in charge of collective
bargaining in sections 23/B and 23/C. The old laws said that the
employer had to consult the workplace committee. The workplace
committee, established on a bilateral basis, deals with the following
questions: promotitions of workers, improvements in production and
productivity, health and safety issues, job training, etc. These clauses
were omitted and a new clause was added into section 24 through the
creation of Joint Labor Councils, which don't have the same authority,
in sections 23/B and 23/C.
In section 46-(5) the labor courts has received the right to
-pay an indemnity of 12 to 30 months of work to workers wrongfully
fired, as opposed to reinstating them. This measure is a direct attack
against workers and would prevent them from returning to work.
Consequently it allows the bosses to attack unionists, who now won't be
guaranteed to be allowed to return to work
The Right to Strike is Threatened Under the New Law
Hence, the CBA union must give strike notice at least 15 days in
advance. Failure to comply can lead a union to be banned altogether,
whereas the failure of the employer to abide by the same Section 64 of
the law has no penalties.
These sanctions are much more severe for the workers than they are for
the employers in the case of action by the commission on unfair
practices by the workers or the boss: this is contradictory with the
principles of "freedom of association" for workers.
Millions of workers in governmental or semi-governmental institutions
are now being prohibited from addressing their demands to the Labor
Justice Court or the NIRC. They must register their petitions for
wrongdoing with a civil service tribunal, where the procedures are very
long; this goes against all of the ILO conventions.
The Punjab government has imposed a new industrial policy to block
workplace inspections, has cut the budget for education (which has a
very negative impact on the working class) and lets the employers to
flaunt all of the demands of the working class. In Pakistan, although
the government has ratified convention 34 of the ILO, the essence of the
policies of the government is in contradiction with the law. The
executive order of the Punjab government is a clear violation of ILO
convention 81 on workplace inspections.
The juridical procedures for addressing the complaints of the workers
are so long that poor workers do not have the means to receive justice.
There is a law abolishing forced labor, but it is not implemented. Child
labor is also prohibited, but, in practice, it is growing every day due
to poverty and other social ills.
The government adopted an amendment to the 1997 law concerning the
banking sector in which Section 27 B restricts union rights, which is in
contradiction with Article 17-(1)-3 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The government has introduced an ordinance that says that any workers
for the government can be fired without reason.
For the reasons expressed above, we are forcefully appealing to the
leading bodies of the ILO, so that they demand that the government
immediately modifies its laws to conform with the ILO conventions.
Counting on your help,
Yours truly,
Gulzar Ahmed Chaudhary
General Secretary
Copy to the Director of the ILO in Pakistan
********************
GERMANY
Election in North Rhine-Westphalia: a crushing defeat for the SPD
The German workers did not vote for the right, they were led by Schröder
to not vote SPD
The cause of this situation is the so-called
"alternation." What is this?
A Declaration from the National Bureau of the Workers Party (France)
According to the media, the results of the German elections and the
referendum campaign concerning the European "Constitution" are
causing a storm in all of Europe.
These are, according to observers, the "two pillars of the European
Union" that are in crisis. All of this at a time when the budget of
the EU is being discussed.
In this situation, the National Bureau of the Workers Party (France)
wrote the following declaration.
Nobody can celebrate the results of the elections in Germany that saw
the defeat of the SPD.
Workers, activists, youth, the National Bureau of the Workers Party
addresses itself to you after the crushing defeat of the SPD on May 22
in the elections in North Rhine-Westphalia - the most industrialized and
populated region, a bastion of the SPD, where the party has held power
since 1966.
When Franēois Hollande, the General Secretary of the Socialist Party,
concedes on the night of the defeat "that at certain moments, it is
necessary to move towards the "alternation" it is necessary to
pose a question. We have lived and continue to live through in France
what is called the "alternation," a term that has been used
both by Schröder and the president of the SPD.
Let us examine a little more closely what has gone on in Germany, what
is going on in France, just as in other countries. The workers and youth
have placed their confidence in those who they consider their
representatives, those who are supposed to defend their interests and
their demands. How have the leaders of the Socialist Party in France and
Germany responded? The answer: by loyally applying the dictates of the
bosses, the international institutions, and the European Commission.
The workers are refusing to support the consequences of these policies:
unemployment, wage cuts, over-exploitation, the destruction of the
education system, hospitals, and social security.
Nevertheless, the leaders of the PS and the PCF called to vote for
Chirac, on April 21, 2002, under the pretext of the
"alternation." We have also seen these leaders in governmental
power loyally applying the dictates of bosses in the name of the EU and
the European Commission.
Isn't this the explanation for the abstentionism of the workers and the
traditional voters of the SPD in Germany?
No, the German workers didn't vote for the CDU, for the right. Many of
them were led by Schroder to not vote SPD. Isn't it necessary to fight
this policy of capitulation, which under the name of
"alternation" is leading both the right and "the
left" to implement the same anti-worker policies. Nevertheless, we
have seen in Germany that the workers have refused to vote for the CDU.
Shouldn't those who suffer demand that their organizations break with
these policies dictated by the EU? Shouldn't they unite to win for
themselves what they need to live and survive?
Should we wait for the bosses and those who defend them to give us what
we need to live and survive?
The evidence: Schroder's policies of implementing the EU's directives
has led to over 5 million unemployed. The policies that put into
question the independence of class organizations is threatening the
existence of the SPD itself, as well as the unions.
The interests of the haves are diametrically opposed to the interests to
the have-nots. Who can argue otherwise? We must pose the question: who
can be opposed to the unity of the workers and their organizations?
It is necessary, while respecting the independence of the unions, that
the unions play their role in defense of the interests of the workers
and denounce the leaders of "the left" who, in the name of
"alternation", implement the policies of the right and pave
the way for its victory.
The right is claiming a victory? It could be a fragile victory. Let us
repeat: the organizations must defend the interests of the workers and
the youth. Shouldn't those who, like Schroder, consistently implement
the dictates of the bosses be kicked out?
The CDU mobilized 100% of its electorate, while the SPD only mobilized
70%. The right is victorious because Schroder and Holland have accepted
all of the bosses' dictates.
In France, don't we have the right to, on May 29, win a victory for the
"NO" and a defeat for the "Yes."?
We know like the German workers, youth, and activists that humanity can
escape from the scourge that chains the world only by breaking with the
rotten system based on the private ownership of the means of production.
Thus, isn't it necessary to unite and organize? The Workers Party has
set itself this mission - a mission directly linked with the cause of
humanity.
The National Bureau of the PT,
May 23, 2005
Results from North-Rhine
The electoral turnout reached 63%, versus 56.7% in 2000. (Over 900,000
ballots were cast.)
The SPD won 3,059,000 votes (-83,000.)
The CDU won 3,696,00 votes (+1 million.)
The FDP (liberal party) lost 213,000 votes to the CDU.
The Greens won 509,00 (-9,000.)
The WASG (1) won 182 000 votes.
The PDS (2) won 72 000 votes (- 9 000).
The NDP (3) won 140 000 votes (+ 55 000).
The German press has noted that the CDU mobilized100% of its electorate
who, after the defeat of Kohl in 1998, partially abstained in 2000. The
press also underlined the fact that the SPD, which has been in power in
Rhénanie since 1966, only mobilized 70% of its electorate, which
already was abstaining in large numbers in 2000 in order to demonstrate
its opposition to Schroder's policies.
(1) WASG: electoral alternative built around ATTAC, the alter-globalizers
and the ex-SPD.
(2) PDS: inheritor of the SED of the East German bureaucracy.
(3) NPD: Neo-nazi party of the extreme right.
"An Earthquake"
Press Review
The election in Germany has provoked reactions throughout the world
concerning the situation of the European Union.
AFP (France-May 22)
"Brussels - The European Ministers of Foreign Affairs took the
initiative on Sunday night to attempt to find an agreement before the
end of June of the future budget of the European Union."
AFP (France-May 22)
" The economic reforms of Schroder are not popular with the German
"Berlin - One reform in particular is crystallizing discontent: the
Hartz-IV law.
The majority of the people who receive government aid are, since the
beginning of the year, categorized as unemployed - this was different
than the old system. For many, this reform has resulted in a lowering of
their aid received.
The new legislation forces the unemployed to accept any job offer -
regardless of lack of compatibility or a loss in wages.
In the health insurance sector, the government has also decided to
create "mini-jobs" by developing jobs that pay one euro an
hour."
"Die Welt" (Germany May 23)
"The earthquake reaches Berlin"
"The combination of the defeat plus the criticism of the Hartz-IV
law aids all those who see in the policies of the Agenda (the program of
Schroder) the cause of all of the SPD's problems and who have been
demanding for months a radical change of course and a return to the old
social-democracy, meaning higher social spending and a rise in taxes of
the rich.
"Die Welt" (Germany May 23)
"The defeat of the SPD was due to the lack of mobilization of its
electorate "
"The CDU was able to bring out 100% of its voters, while the SPD
only brought out 70%. Discontent and unemployment weigh on the political
situation. The loss in votes for the SPD rose amongst workers (9% less
votes), although the SPD did best with 48% of workers.
"Leipziger Volkszeitung" (Germany May 23)
"The existence of the SPD is in danger "
"A rapid electoral campaign (due to the expected general elections
in 2006) is not a guarantee that the SPD will rally behind Schroder ()
For the SPD, there is more at stake than the government. Its existence
as a popular party with a rich tradition is in danger.
The "Financial Times" (Great Britain May 23)
"The SPD's defeat means death for the present reforms "
«The loss of more German Länder means the death of the reforms begun
in 2003. Schroder and his government have lost their opportunity to
return the German economy to growth and prosperity with their policies
favorable to bussiness.
"International Herald Tribune" (Great Britain, May 24)
"The European Union asks whether the events in Germany will lead to
a block "
"In Brussels, the "The European Union is asking whether the
events in Germany will lead to a block. The European Commission
underlined that the prospect of elections in Germany should not stop the
negotiations currently under way concerning the EU's 2007-2013 budget. ()
Germany, the power that contributes most to the finances to the EU, is
facing the demands of the poorer countries that they pay even more. The
president of the EU in Luxemburg is looking for a compromise. But before
the elections, it is unlikely that Schroder will put himself in a
position where he can be accused of neglecting German interests.
Due to his electoral weaknesses, the German government will adopt,
undoubtedly, a tougher attitude and policy, which will make an agreement
on the budget impossible before next year."
Back to Home Back to
ILC Newsletter Index
|
Open World Conference of Workers