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A dossier of weekly information published by the ----- Introduction: Pakistan: We are publishing a declaration by the All Pakistan Trade Union Federation (APTUF). "APTUF calls upon national trade unions, organizations, human rights lawyers, journalists to urge the government to lift the emergency rule, respect human rights and allow the people to exercise their right to elect their representatives. Workers demand: - Anti labor amendments should abolished. Belgium: The crisis continues. "The country is slipping towards a precipice. We cannot wait until it is too late. Everything is at stake now. In the social history of our country the FGTB alone has taken on great responsibilities when faced with inadmissible policies for the workers in order to defend their interests. All the social gains that we have we owe to their determination and this fight." Denmark: The People's Movement against the European Union is calling for a referendum to be held on the Reform Treaty. Romania : Marian Tudor is a candidate on the slate presented by the Party of Socialist Alliance (PAS) and declared: "I am a candidate to say: Romania out of the EU!" Moldavia: The privatizing government welcomes the European Left Party. Germany: Since the SPD congress, "the discussion has begun and nobody can put a lid on it." Mexico: The state of Tabasco remains victimized after the floods that took place in the last weeks. The state authorities estimate the damage to be close to 2 billion dollars. In the agricultural sector, the costs rise to 480 million dollars; all the crops were lost. The victims raise the same accusations that were raised in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005: "Nothing was done to warn us." The relief squads replied: "We lacked all the means to give help to the people." Romania: We a publishing a letter from Mrs. Ileana Cretan to the labor organizations of the world. Contribute to the Workers' Solidarity Fund for the Imprisoned Mineworkers! Subscribe to the ILC International Newsletter! ----- CONTACT Informations internationales ------ Table of Contents p.1: Introduction ************************
After the SPD congress: The discussion got off the ground and we can no longer put a lid on it The SPD congress ended a week ago and the country is in shock. The fragile balance established by the government of the "grand coalition" seems to be weakening. The consequences of what happened at the SPD congress are being evaluated. All eyes are on the meeting to be held this Sunday by the heads of the CDU-CSU/SPD coalition that has been in power for two years in order to guess what will happen. The boss of the German industry federation, Hans Olaf Henkel, has summed up the situation. According to him many in Germany are demonstrating their desire for a return to the "provider state" He fears that even the CDU will bow to this demand. "The chain is toppling not only in the heart of the SPD, but within Germany society in general," he declared. Let us see what happened at the SPD congress on October 26, 27 and 28 in Hamburg. A delegate summed it up: "The discussion started up. We can no longer put a lid on it", saying he was pleased to have been heard by his party, the SPD, for the first time since the Schroeder years. Even if numerous delegates hoped that the congress would go further than the correction to the 2010 Agenda (1) announced by the party leaders, they all intended to support this shift in order to later formulate their demands to see the SPD finally respond to their demands that arise from the base of their social tradition. A significant fact: the heads of the party that favored the privatization of the Deutsche Bahn, fell back before the visible opposition of the party and the congress on a motion of a 'compromise' proposal to open 25.1% to popular shares in the company in order to counterbalance the big private shareholders. This provoked a general uproar. Former deputy Peter Conrad spoke in opposition to this motion: "I am against a partial privatization. The railroads belong to the federal state. We will not privatize the railroads no the prisons, nor the financial administration. We must stop this." He was cheered on. Beck, the president of the party , understood that it would not pass. He then opted for being mandated in order to negotiate with the CDU within the government, conceding to the congress that any decision of the SPD on the subject should be taken by an extraordinary congress of the party. Another significant fact: if the delegates had heartily approved the continuation of unemployment insurance of those over 50 from 12 months to 24 months (reduced in 2004 in the framework of measures of Schroeder's 2010 Agenda) as proposed by Beck many who were encouraged by this decision, asked the leaders of their party: "What will happen to the unemployed at the end of the 24 months if the Hartz law continues to be applied? Will they be forced to accept social benefits and jobs at one euro an hour? Is this possible? What about the younger ones? Is there another way out than the return to the protection which unemployment insurance covered after the war?" Another immediate problem arose on the eve of the opening in December of collective bargaining in the public service. No delegate was insensitive to the will affirmed to the tribune of the congress to put an end to the pressure exerted by the bosses against employees in several branches especially the postal service. But the unionists that favored a minimum wage could not avoid asking: "Does the leadership of the SPD expect to plug for long time with a minimum wage the breaches opened by the segmentation of collective bargaining of the branch following the privatization demanded by the directives of liberalization of the postal sector promulgated by the European Union?" The example of the disaster of Deutsche Telecom is there to set us on guard. The question of renationalization, of the return to the public of collective bargaining (2), that guarantees the rights of these employees was asked. Why stop on the way? Because the European Union does not permit it? The discussion began and it will be continued. Correspondent (1) It is the counter-reform presented by Schroeder and implemented by the present government. (2) Civil servants in Germany are covered by collective bargaining and not by statute. *************************
Marian Tudor, candidate on the list presented by the social alliance party of Romania (PAS) to the European elections (November 25, 2007): "I am the candidate who says: Romania, out of the European Union!" The European elections will be held in Romania on November 25. Marian Tudor is the candidate for the PAS and published the following declaration: Declaration Three weeks ago the Brussels Commission demanded the liquidation of the Tractorul factory in Brasov and nobody is discussing it! On September 25 the European Commission opened a formal enquiry by virtue of the regulations of the CE treaty relative to state aid that had been given in the framework of the privatization of the tractor manufacturer Tractorul and its transfer to Flavius Investments SRL in July 2007. The Commission also demanded that Romania suspend the granting of all illegal aid until it had ruled on the compatibility of the aid. The Romanian authorities have placed certain conditions on the privatization, particularly the maintenance of activities in course for ten years and the reintegration of the former workers at Tractorul. The Commission must verify if these conditions led to a lower sale price than would have applied if the privatization had not been conditioned in which case the operation could contain an element of state aid." What does this mean? This means that the European Commission is contesting that following privatization, the state demands that the workers maintain their employment for ten years. They have liquidated the mines, jailed the miners' union leaders and now it is these jewels in the crown of our country's industry which must be contested! If the European Commission considers that imposing on Flavius Investments the condition of preserving thousands of jobs for ten years is incompatible with the regulations and European institutions based on 'free competition' we on the other hand consider that the lives and futures of thousands of Romanian workers is incompatible with the European Union! Free competition that once again appears in the 'new European treaty' negotiated by governments including the Romanian government, is that they want to impose-after the French and Dutch people courageously rejected the European Constitution in 2005. "Workers, peasants and youth of Romania: I am the candidate on the PAS list for the European elections in order to say: European Commission, get your paws off the workers at Tractorul! In order to save the thousands of jobs at Tractorul, European Commission, get out of Romania! Romania, out of the European Union! No to the 'new European treaty'! Down with the European parliament,, the chamber where the privatisers of the European Commission are registered! For the free union with all the brothers of the Balkans and the Danube! For the free union of the free peoples of Europe!" ***********************
The privatizing Moldavian government welcomes the party of the European left At a time when 40 worker activists from nine countries in Eastern Europe are meeting in Cacak (Serbia, October 27 and 28)--(Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldavia, Czech Republic, Romania, Russia Serbia and Ukraine)-the president of the Republic of Moldavia, Voronine, welcomed at Chisinau a plenary meeting of the leftist European party (1). It underlined in a report: "For the first time, it is a government that organizes an initiative of the European left. And is pleased that the work of the PGE meeting was opened with a speech by the head of state, Vladimir Voronine, besides the leader of the Communist Party of Moldavia (PKRM). (See our issue No. 260.) An activist worker who attended the meeting in Cacak sent us the following report. "Our so-called communist government adopted a decree No. 945 on August 20, 2007 that announced the sale of over 260 state companies, among them our leading industries such as Karmez, Farmaco, Bessarabia, Nord, Vibropripor, and Orhei Vit still the government's central department store, and many others. The government is in the hands of a political party whose electoral program in 2001 declared that the party is against privatization-pillage. As for its foreign policy, the Communist Party was among the first to decide on sending troops to Iraq alongside with the United States in 2003. In December 2006 its government adopted a decree on the implementation of a national program for the realization of an individualized plan of action and partnership (IPAP) with NATO for 2006-2009. It was about preparing the entry of Moldavia in NATO. This year the government of the PKRM inaugurated a new partnership program with NATO-titled Medcaoeur 2007-despite the principle of neutrality that is carried in our constitution. At the same time the government is seeking an agreement with the European Union." Such is the policy of the first government to welcome a meeting with the European left as the leaders of the PGE are pleased to announce on the Internet site. (1) Composed of ex-communist parties and 'refounded' parties. *************************
-The proposal to hold a European workers conference was put forward at the end of September by the initiators of the appeal "No to the new European treaty." -The purpose is to gather activists workers from all trends that, on the basis of a poll taken in all countries on the consequences of the European Union's policy, fight in their country against the imposition on the peoples of a 'new' and improved draft of the European Constitution which was rejected two years ago by the workers and the peoples. -This appeal has already been signed by 252 worker activists from 16 countries: Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Moldavia, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. -The European Workers Conference will be held in Paris on February 2 and 3, 2008 -A bulletin is being published each month as a special issue of the ILC International Newsletter (International Liaison Committee of Workers and peoples). The first issue has already appeared. You can obtain it by subscribing to the ILC Newsletter, International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples, 87 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010 Paris or write to entente-europeenne-des-travailaeurs@orange.fr. *************************
The People's Movement against the European Union is calling for a referendum to be held on the Reform Treaty, "We want to vote ! And we want to vote No !" The 27 and 28th October 2007, the People' Movement against the European Union (MPCUE) held its annual Congress in Rodovre, in the suburbs of Copenhagen. In the six referendums on the European Union, that have taken place in Denmark over the last 30 years , a clear No vote has emerged each time in this working class district. The People's Movement against the European Union was founded on the initiative of Danish Communist Party activists and trade unionists at the end of the 70s, at the time the first referendum countered the European Union's predecessor. Comprised of activists with different sensibilities , the MPCUE has met with an important echo in the working class and its organisations. Trade unions, like the building construction Union, for instance, play a significant part in the People's Movement. A representative of the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples was invited to the Congress and was able to take the floor in order to present the European Conference which will take place in Paris at the beginning of February 2008, against the new European Reform Treaty: four Danish delegates have already announced that they will participate. In the coming months , the fight for a referendum and the No victory will be the axis of the efforts of the People's Movement against the European Union. At the Lisbon Summit , heads of government finished negotiations behind closed doors. They are trying to get us to swallow this Reform Treaty as a guarantee for opening up and democracy. But in fact it is quite the opposite. Certain people tend to qualify it as a "light " Constitution. The People's Movement against the European Union does not agree with this "light" qualification. The so-called new Reform Treaty has nothing "light" about it. On the contrary it constitutes a brutal attack on democracy and the right to national sovereignty. If it is adopted , Member States will lose their right to vote in more than 60 fields. The European Union will have a Foreign Affairs Minister in common and even a sort of President. As a result , the EU will be able to widen the boundaries of centralised power, without asking for the peoples' or parliaments' authorisation. The People's Movement against the European Union , understands what is at stake in the combat we are envisaging. We are in no doubt as to the importance of the forces we are faced with, which want their so called Reform Treaty to win the day without asking for the people' opinion. Experience has taught us that if we want a referendum, a big effort is necessary , a well targeted campaign. Up till now we have collected more than 17 000 endorsements demanding a referendum , which is an indication of the efforts we need to deploy to ensure a referendum and afterwards a No victory. But it is not a question of winning alone on this. When the Danish voted against Maastricht, and later against the Euro, we were able to build a large alliance with other activists, other forces that had no intention either, of ceding their sovereignty to the EU. That is why our Annual Congress invites everybody to make an issue of this in the legislative electoral campaign. In all electoral meetings , we should ask candidates if they demand or not a referendum, and as candidates what their choice is. Let all Danes that want democracy continue to campaign for support in favour of the demand for a referendum. Only pressure from the people will ensure success. We call for all attention to be concentrated on the two tasks ahead of us: * to ensure that a referendum is held Copenhagen 28th October 2007 ( Correspondent) ************************
Crisis of the regime Belgium is in crisis. On November 7 the internal affairs commission of the chamber of Flemish deputies voted (in the absence of their francophone colleagues who were not present at the time) the scission of the sub-division of Brussels-Hal-Vivorde (BHV). The following day the Flemish daily het Laatse Niews editorialized: "For the Belgian federation November 7 is a sad day. Belgium has two large communities and can only be governed by consensus. What is unique about Belgium is that the majority and the minority have given power to cooperation and not to the name of the law. For this reason, Belgium has drawn admiration abroad. Yesterday, the burgomaster of Aalter (the president of the commission) brought an end to this." The Flemish leftist daily De Morgen that the same day the Flemish and Francophone negotiators had agreed on when the vote would take place in order to dramatize the situation, postpone the 'community' negotiations for later and rapidly place a new violently antisocial government demanded by the employers. The next day, two Francophone dailies declared that the vote on the BHV was a coup mounted by the CD&V (Flemish Christian party) and the president of the MR (liberal Francophone), Reynders. A scandal broke out regarding the fact that these two parties would radicalize their positions in order to avoid criticism. No one knew the outcome. Under these circumstances, the meeting called by the FGTB for November 16 gained political importance. Therefore the committee for unity (formed by francophone and Flemish unionists who defend the federal social conquests) decided to address the leaders of the FGTB. This is their appeal: Committee for unity - Enheidscomite Dear comrades, We congratulate you on having called for a meeting on November 16. At a time when the negotiators of the orange-blue are tearing themselves apart and pushing the country into a community confrontation without an exit, the FGTB demonstrated that the labor class throughout the country is united through its union organization. A step has been taken. Belgium is in crisis. They want us to believe that is the result of a community confrontation, but we know that behind this confrontation there are only employer demands to set back all those who oppose these profits (wages, social security, fiscalization of companies). On these subjects imposed by the European Commission the orange-blue negotiators were in agreement. What opposes them is the choice of means to pass this policy which we don't want. That is why those who want to divide us and that the regionalization of our federal social conquests is the order of the day. Dear comrades, The country is slipping towards a precipice. We cannot wait until it is too late. Everything is at stake now. In the social history of our country the FGTB alone has taken on great responsibilities when faced with inadmissible policies for the workers in order to defend their interests. All the social gains that we have we owe to their determination and this fight. Dear comrades, FOR A LARGE UNITED NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION To meet in Brussels, the workers of Flanders, Walloon, and Brussels and the entire country (asking the CSC to join them under the slogan that unites us today: -Defense and re-evaluation of purchasing power of the workers and social security beneficiaries, defense of public services, defense of the labor contract, the right to strike, and all our social gains; -Defense of a strong social security, of collective bargaining and common labor legislation for all the workers of the country. Committee for unity-Eenheidscomite
Declaration of the Independent Democratic Workers Party (PTDI) From New Orleans to Villahermosa: The Policy of Imperialism Condemns the Peoples of the World Social Catastrophe: The State of Tabasco faces the worst catastrophe in its history The state of Tabasco remains victimized after the floods that took place in the last weeks. The state authorities estimate the damage to be close to 2 billion dollars. In the agricultural sector, the costs rise to 480 million dollars; all the crops were lost. The victims raise the same accusations that were raised in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005: "Nothing was done to warn us." The relief squads replied: "We lacked all the means to give help to the people." Below we are publishing a correspondence on the situation, as well as a declaration by the PTDI. Tabasco and its capital, Villhermosa, are confronted with the worst catastrophe in its history. From 500,000 to perhaps 1,000,000 citizens (out of 2.2 million) have been affected by this phenomenon - which is not natural, but which is rather the policies of barbarism imposed by Capital on us. The flooding of the seven rivers has put 80% of the land of the state underwater; the water usually only covers 34%. Andrés Granier Melo, the governor, explained that the devastation of the capital is "similar to New Orleans" following Hurricane Katrina. Nevertheless, the government aims to limit the comparison between the two social events. Mr. Granier told the illegitimate president Calderon (who goes every day to Tabasco for a photo-op transporting the sandbags with the military): "President, we could give you statistics, but we want (the hydro-electrical plant Peñitas) to generate electricity and resources for Mexico." Granier poses the root problem, though in a limited way. The governor noted he feared "a social explosion." The response of Calderon was cold and brutal: Nature was responsible for everything! He argued, "The origin and the cause of this catastrophe is precisely the enormous climatic warming. Š It rained in a few days more than we have ever before seen. Š This explains the crisis we are facing." Thus Calderon tried to mask the criminal responsibility of the federal governments that preceded him, particularly of Salinas, Zedillio, and Fox. He hides the responsibilities of the governors who spent the Pemex funds for flooding on political campaigns and corruption. He "forgets" the responsibility of Madrazo and Manuel Andrade. For his part, the engineer Antonio Gershenson, ex-leader of the United Union of Workers of Nuclear Energy (SUTIN), noted two things: First, "The levies on the Grijalva river broke in the spot next to the center of Villahermosa Š In Chiapas, all along the Grijalva river, there are four hydroelectrical factories with their respective dams. They were only told to produce electricity and did not deal with the problems such as flooding, even once it began." Second, "The National Energy Center (Cenance) systematically gives preference to the factories of natural gas of foreign companies, while saving the factories of the Federal Electricity Commission for moments when they are indispensable. And they limit the use of the hydroelectrical centers for key hours, leaving them off afterwards. This caused the fact that when the rains arrived, the reservoirs were full; which would not have happened if the water had been permanently used to produce electricity." Lopez Obrador said it more clearly: "The federal government is obliged to buy 20% of the national consumption of the private electricity producers; the commission could have reduced its production capacity but instead rose the amount of water. The emergency measures were done with little caution, without taking the adequate measures. They brutally let the water flood Villahermosa." This policy of the federal and state governments was completely criminal. But it is necessary to go even further. The country has seen in recent years, particularly under Fox, the highest oil profits in its history. As one journalist asked, "What happened to the river of money produced by the gas, electricity, and oil during all these years?" This money, which belongs to the people and the nation, went to bail out the banks, to pay the foreign debt, and to the enormous governmental corruption. Even today, Calderon is going to spend 1,500 million dollars for his police plan called "Merida Alternative" (Plan Mexico), to allow the imperialist police to watch over our country. As the Engineering Professor Guillermo Velez has explained, even a fraction of these enormous sums of money would be enough to allow "the Secretariat of Hydraulic Resource to build more than 10 dams on the Usumacinta river, which would benefit Guatemala as much as Mexico." As Gershenson adds, these dams would enable the production of electricity and control floods. But what prevents this is the submission of the governments to the interests of the imperialist multinational corporations. Breaking with NAFTA and its prolongations (ASPAN, Plan Mexico) is vital for the survival of the Mexican nation. Without this, there will be new catastrophes - which, for the usurper president, are "natural" and, thus, inevitable. We who are fighting to build a Independent Democratic Workers Party (PTDI), together with comrades from the Front of Mexicans Abroad (FME) and Luis Magaña, an independent candidate from the state of Michoacán, invite you to the November 17 meeting in Mexico. The purpose of this meeting is to prepare for the third assembly of the National Democratic Convention, which will take place the next day. We will participate and call for the need to deepen the mobilization for the country to break with the policies of NAFTA and to recuperate the full control of its natural resources and enterprises, which today are in the hands of foreign capital. ------ Who Are We? The Committee of the National Democratic Convention of the UAM-X is a coordination that aims to promote the agreements of the CND meeting of September 16, particularly the struggle for democracy, sovereignty, and the respect for the popular will. In our committee there are students, workers, and professors with and without political affiliations, with different ways of thinking, but with common goals that unite us. We meet every Wednesday at 3pm in room B008 to analyze the national political situation and to openly and democratically decide on actions to take. We are an independent group and receive no subsidies from parties, the state, or the church. We run off the donations of each of the members and off of the fundraisers we organize. Join the CND committee and fight for a better future! Contact us: comite@uamlo.org *************************
PROTEST DECLARATION All Pakistan Trade Union Federation (APTUF) On Nov. 3, the government of Pakistani military dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule, suspended the constitution and imposed a Provisional Constitutional Order. Musharraf cited "rising Islamist militancy" and "growing judicial interference in government functioning" as the reasons for the effective martial law. He also dismissed the entire Supreme Court. Among the judges removed was Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, a judge that Musharraf had sacked earlier in this year, only to be forced to reinstate him in response to large protests. Military forces quickly surrounded the Supreme Court and detained the judges. They have been held under house arrest with their communications cut off. Pakistan's security forces ruthlessly attacked demonstrators, led by lawyers protesting the imposition of martial law. Thousands of lawyers, activists, trade unionists, human right advocates, opposition party figures and others have been detained. The military government placed severe restrictions on the press. A dozen news stations were taken off the air. Even broadcasters from imperialist countries like the BBC and CNN were cut off. The day before the imposition of martial law, engineers of Pakistan International Airlines went on strike, demanding a wage increase and an improvement in working conditions. The strike caused the cancellation of 92 flights, both local and international. There is an upsurge in labor struggles, particularly among the workers of water and power, telecommunications, railways, the garment industry and others. In recent months, different segments of the Pakistani population have been in motion in opposing the dictatorship, a most worrisome prospect for Musharraf and his U.S. backers. Pakistan has a history as a client state since the formation of the country in 1947; its rulers have been an indispensable part of imperialist policy in the region. Privatizations and downsizing have lost Pakistani workers thousands of jobs and plunged them deeper into poverty. Indicating his priorities, in his proclamation of the necessity of emergency rule, Musharraf made reference to: "constant interference in _ economic policy, price controls, the downsizing of corporations." The situation is critical. APTUF decided to launch a campaign against the brutal act of the ruling government and on November 14, 2007 APTUF observed "Black Day" all over the Pakistan and held protest gate meetings. Workers wore black badges and bands, shouted slogans against the government: No martial law!, Go Dictator Go!, Restore constitutional rights!, Release the judges, lawyers, political activists, labor leaders and human rights activists! Workers wanted to hold protests outside the factory gates, but heavy contingents of police and intelligence agents stopped the workers from coming out from the factories. Police also threatened to go inside the factories, charging with batons and throwing tear gas. To prevent confrontations, the office bearers of the trade unions told workers to hold meeting inside the factory premises. Some employers in different provinces issued charge sheets to the office bearers who held protest meetings in the factory premises. APTUF contacted all the affiliated unions requesting that they send the names of workers who had been charge sheeted so that the federation could take proper remedy to redress the workers' grievances. Police threatened union office bearers not to hold meetings in the future, otherwise the cases under 16 MPO would be registered. Police officials said that due to the emergency rule no meetings could be allowed. GR, RJ, and others spoke on this occasion and strongly condemned the emergency rule that suspended the constitution and imposed a Provisional Constitutional Order that dismissed the entire Supreme Court. Speakers also condemned the government for its actions to arrest judges, lawyers, trade unionists and human right activists, political leaders, and to ban freedom of speech and expression. Speakers stated that Our struggle is a Just struggle for the people and for social liberation against the Musharraf regime and US Imperialism. Speakers said that it is a shameful act of management to charge-sheet workers who participated in the protest; they also said that our struggle will continue till the acceptance of our demands. APTUF calls on all members of the society to strongly condemn the brutal act of the government against lawyers, trade unionists, journalists, human right activists, and called to show solidarity with those who are experiencing repression. APTUF calls upon national trade unions, organizations, human rights lawyers, journalists to urge the government to lift the emergency rule, respect human rights and allow the people to exercise their right to elect their representatives. Workers demand: - Worker should give all the facilities to workers such as workers' education funds, or marriage grants for workers' daughters. - Anti labor amendments should abolished. - Release all the arrested judges and reinstate them in their jobs. - Released all the lawyers, trade unionists and political activists. - Lift the ban on TV channels, which is immoral and illegal; it is a denial of freedom of expression. - Immediate restoration of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the judges of the Supreme and High Courts who have not signed Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO). in this critical situation, Pakistan Workers Confederation-Punjab called its Executive Body meeting on November 18th at 4:00 PM. -----
(Signatures gathered as of Nov. 15, 2007 Join us in expanding this protest campaign. Afghanistan: Bangladesh: Brazil: Burundi: Cameroon: France: Great-Britain: Germany: Guadeloupe: India: Italy: Mauritius: Philippines: Sénégal: Spain : Switzerland : Sri Lanka: United-States: International ---- Please fill out and return ASAP your protest letters to <ilcinfo@earthlink.net>. We will fax them to the Government Office in Islamabad, Pakistan, and to the Pakistani Embassy in Washington. We also will send copies to the ILC office in Paris at <eit.ilc@fr.oleane.com>. You can also send protest appeals to the Pakistani embassy in your own country, and/or to the president of Pakistan : <secretary@cabinet.gov.pk> or <CE@pak.gov.pk>. Please send copy to: ILC: 87, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis, 75010 Paris, France Tel : 33 01 48 01 88 28 - Fax : 33 01 48 01 88 36 - e-mail: <eit.ilc@fr.oleane.com>. *****************
Workers Solidarity Fund for the imprisoned mineworkers in Romania and their families - Issue Number 10 of the bi-monthly informational newsletter, November 9, 2007 Dear Friends, My name is Ilean Cretan. I am the wife of the mineworkers' union leader, Constantin Cretan. Since September 28, 2005, my husband has been in prison, sentenced for "subverting state power" following the mineworkers' protests in 1999. They sentenced my husband to a 5-year sentence based on a article from the era of Ceausescu. He was sentenced despite the fact that he did nothing other than lead the protest of the mineworkers of his union, who were demanding better wages and who were protesting against the closure of the mines. Currently, my husband is seriously ill from several afflictions. This was observed by prison doctors since 2006, who recommended he be temporarily released for treatment. After several trials, his temporary release was obtained; he remained out of prison for two months, for medical treatment. During this period, my husband was not insured, because he had no job, and we had to pay all the medical expenses. This was only possible because of the aid our family received through the international workers' solidarity fund. In 2007, a medical commission in France visited the union leaders in prison. The commission visited Miron Cozma, Dorin Lois, Vasile Lupu and my husband, Constantin Cretan. The commission was unable to visit Ionel Ciontu, a union leader who died in prison on January 2007, due to inadequate treatment for his illnesses. The French doctors observed new illnesses that cannot be treated by the medical units inside the prisons. Dear friends, An unfair sentence has been leveled against my husband, causing much pain for our family and for himself. Despite his health, he remains in prison. I want to underline one thing. Those who today lead Romania have no right to transform this sentence against my husband into a death sentence. Recently, I tried in a personal capacity to push for a pardon for my husband. The presidential administration rejected my request without even analyzing it. We aim to take all the necessary legal measures to obtain the medical release of my husband. This must be done through the courts; but we cannot afford to pay for a lawyer. I must raise two children, on a wage of 200 Euros. Growing children need enough food to grow and they need clothes. In the European Union in the 21st century, it is very difficult to raise a family with this money.
Ileana Cretan, Rovinari, November 5 2007 ----- Contribute to the Workers Solidarity Fund! The Fund was constituted a workers' conference in Berlin in February 2006. It is administered by Henning Frey, unionist, Germany; Jacques Girod, unionist, France ; Jacim Milunovic, unionist, Serbia ; Yannick Sybelin, syndicaliste, France ; Dominique Vincenot, ILC. Three payments of 500 Euros to each family have already been made. To contribute: In France, you can send your checks (CMO) to Fonds de solidarité (Roumanie), c/o Entente internationale, 87, rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75 010 Paris. In other countries, you can make a contribution by bank transfer: Please inform the ILC of your contribution by writing to eit.ilc@fr.oleane.com
(or via fax, + 33 1 48 01 88 36) if you would like a receipt or if you
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