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A dossier of weekly information published by the ------ Introduction We publish contributions from France and Germany in preparation for the European Workers Conference on February, 7 and 8, 2009 in Paris (we published in our last issue a contribution from unionists in Spain). France: Delegates from the Independent Workers' Party (POI) send a letter to the committee organizing the conference and all delegates. Germany: We are publishing a contribution from H. W. Schuster, who is Chairman of the workers committee of the SPD Düsseldorf. Guadeloupe: Since January 20, the country has been paralyzed by a general strike in unity in response to the call by collective of 47 organizations formed at the initiative of the UGTG, which has established a platform of demands. On 24 January, 25 000 demonstrated in the streets in Pointe à Pitre.
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Independent Workers' Party (Parti Ouvrier Indépendant ) To the members of the organizing Committee of the February 7th and 8th European Workers Conference To the delegates to the February 7th and 8th European Workers Conference Dear friend(s), Dear comrade(s), We have been mandated by the structures of the Independent Workers' Party to tell you about the situation we are facing in our country. Since October 2008, in the name of so-called " plans to kick start"
the economy, 428 billion Euros have been forked out to bankers and speculators.
80% of that amount has been cashed in to the banks. We were told this
was the way to help firms maintain jobs. Well, in 2008, the three major
banks lumped together have made profits amounting to almost 9 billion
Euros. Which prompts Les Echos, a daily linked to the employers, to
write that "banks think more about boosting their balance sheets
than satisfying firms' demands." Actually, these "plans to kick start" the economy only get speculation and redundancies going again, in public as well as private sectors. So, as whole industrial sectors are being written off, 20.000 jobs are under threat in public hospitals with Health Minister Bachelot's bill, 13.500 jobs are scheduled to be axed in National Education and tens of thousands in postal services! Since the windfall for speculators must be filled to the brim! The European Commission predicts a steep increase in unemployment in France. Thus, the rate of unemployment should soar from 7.8% in 2008 to 9.8% in 2009 and 10.6% in 2010 (1) For our part, we consider that the 428 billion Euros do not rescue
the economy, quite the reverse! Their only purpose is to bail out speculators
at the expense of workers. It is to be pointed out that 428 billion
Euros represent in fact, 7 years payment of a 1 500 Euros net wage per
month (after social contribution has been paid for) for 2 million workers
! It should be added that the Sarkozy government demands that trade unions take part, not only in planning the restructuring process for liquidating jobs but also in managing the funds that fuel speculation. A declaration, issued on January 13th 2009 right after a meeting between Sarkozy and trade unions about "preventing and dealing with restructuring", was to the effect that "At national level, a series of meetings, one for each sector of activity, will be organized between the government and representative of trade union confederations (.) These meetings will also be the opportunity for assessing the measures aimed at ensuring the social accompaniment and the revitalizing of stricken sectors and the steps to be taken in order to anticipate medium and long term economic changes, in particular through management projection of employment and skills at branch level as well as at labor market area level.." This raises a fundamental issue. Isn't this determination to co-opt trade unions into the process of destroying jobs a response to the November 28th 2008 European Commission communication which encourages States to "promote employment and facilitate transitions within the labor market" "to speedily strengthen activation plans in the framework of flexicurity strategies" and which recommends that: "Member States should actively associate social partners" ? Are trade unions at their place taking part in " management projection of employment and skills"? in other words, in the organizing of lay-offs ? On the contrary should not every effort be made to fight for the independence of working class organizations , whose key slogan should be "Ban lay-offs"? It appears that we are not the only ones in Europe faced with these problems. You will find attached, the contributions of Spanish and German trade unionists which were sent to the European Liaison Committee of Workers and which raise the same question. We consider these questions to be worthy of discussion at this European Conference. We all face the same problems, as these different government "kick start plans" are just each country's version of the 2 000 billion Euro plan decided by the European Union. It is the European Union that organizes these bail-out plans and that opposes any ban on lay-offs in compliance with the Maastricht Treaty and "free and unfettered competition". Without brandishing it as a preliminary condition, this is what justifies our position whereby we seek the bases of unity for a break with EU institutions , which are more than ever, instruments serving the interests of the capitalist class against workers conquests and the existence of nations. Because internationalism is not just an empty word, we believe that the true Europe of workers and democracy is founded on the common fight to defend democracy and the rights and gains won over in the framework of every nation. It implies the fraternal co-operation of peoples, the free union of Europe's free peoples. We believe that the February 7th and 8th European Workers Conference can be a step towards that common fight. That is the meaning of our presence at this Conference. In Fraternity __ ----- A ban on lay-offs and redundancies, no wage cuts Today, January 13th, all political forces are busy examining the "kick start package" that the Grand Coalition parties (SPD/CDU/CSU) agreed on last night. Last November, we members of the SPD Workers Commission demanded "measures to protect working people from the crisis!" For two months we consistently raised the following questions : "What measures are needed to protect jobs, wages and production from the crisis?(.) Any power to make decisions , ending or off shoring production and shedding jobs should be taken out of the hands of large company managers, of shareholders and investors. Is there any other way of achieving protection than that of placing production and jobs under State protection?" Can it be achieved in any other way than forcing the State to reinvest in production the capital heaped up by speculators ? Can it be achieved without placing loan distribution, as well as the
bulk of production under the democratic control of trade unions and
shop stewards? Let us examine our demands in the light of recent developments and decisions. Schroder was encouraged by financial capital to fling the doors wide open to speculation in Germany by adopting legislation on financial markets (as well as with the privatization of retirement pension funds under the form of Riester retirement funds). It was also Schroder who launched massive attacks against trade unions through (corporatist) "Alliance for Jobs" and thus imposed the whittling away of collective agreements and job contracts with ensuing unprecedented wage cuts in Europe, as casual and temporary jobs were increased and job security decreased etc. The world economic crisis however, demands even further ruthless attacks on workers and their organizations. Capital, especially financial capital, has to make a clean sweep. They have to put an end to what they used to call "social partnership". And "kick start packages " are based on guaranteeing profits. What is the objective of the 500 billion package for banks and speculators? With its 18.2 billion hand-out, the Grand Coalition make it possible for Commerzbank to take over the Dresdnerbank - made final as of today - for 5 billion Euros. 18.2 billion amounts to 10 times the 25% share taken up by the State. Is this supposed to be "nationalization" ? Indeed! This measure makes one thing possible: the insurance company "Allianz" will be freed from the toxic loans of the Dresdnerbank. This meets the request the Union of German banks urged the government to agree to, i.e. to create a "Bad Bank" that would draw the toxic assets from the banks' balance sheets and turn them over to the State. Such clearing of bad loans funded by government money will cost 9 000 fellow-workers' jobs (on August 1st, "only" 6 500 jobs were to be shed). On January 9th, Ver.di declared "It would be paradoxical and harmful that, taxpayers' money be used to prop up a firm and that this burden on taxpayers then create a still heavier social burden through unemployment" On December 29th, Ver.di asked the government for "a law devising a ruling to ban lay-offs" in order to protect the 250,000 bank-sector workers. The government gave no response. Should not Ver.di and the other DGB unions organize the broadest mobilization in defense of every single job so as to win over such a "ruling" , making illegal all lay-offs and redundancies ? Can Müntefering, Steinmeier and Steinbrück be allowed to pump billion after billion, that belong to laboring people into funding more profit-making conditions for speculation for private banks and in this way immediately lay-off 9,000 employees ? The future "deal" is already being drafted: the Post Office will take up shares amounting to 10% in the Deutsche Bank and in this way will fund the latter's take over of the Postal bank with an initial pay-out of 2.8 billion. Across Europe, public budgets are looted to guarantee profits that will come at a high cost, at the expense of the people. We asked for the nationalization of all private banks with all their assets. And we are being told the fairy tale that, across Europe, governments have effectively "nationalized". We should energetically denounce such a misrepresentation of the idea of nationalization. What is it all about and who benefits from this so called "nationalization"? Of course, all those for whom these "safety nets" have been devised. These programmes are not directly funded by public budgets but by State-guaranteed loans. And to make sure that these loans show maximum profit, the EU- and its member States- have devised "safety nets", making loans taken by States more expensive. Here now are rating agencies such as Standard & Poor: last week Standard & Poor announced that Ireland and Greece came up with lower ratings, and now, it is the turn of Portugal and Spain. A lower "rating" makes it more expensive for States to borrow, to fund the "safety nets" that are put up for banks. So the banks exact a royal fee for the loans they are granted. But that is not the end of it: the parties of the Grand coalition have now put up a new 100 billion "safety net", this time for big companies. That is another contribution of the Grand Coalition to guaranteeing speculative capital profits, whose losses will be footed entirely by the laboring population. But who, in Germany gave the social-democrat leadership round Münterfering a mandate to follow such a course? That is why, in November, we said No to the government's emergency bank and speculator bail-out programme! The DGB chairman today asks on Radiodeutschland: "Why is another guarantee programme needed, enabling companies to get loans when there is already a safety net for banks whose purpose is not to bail out banks but to make sure the economy can draw on loans?" Doesn't Mr. Sommer answer that question himself? Therefore, isn't it the duty of trade unions to take an immediate stand, demanding the withdrawal of these "safety nets", these concoctions that simply increase bank profits and plunder public budgets? Such a parasitic system can be tolerated no longer. This issue is not raised in Germany alone. Don't we need a campaign all over Europe calling for nationalization of private banks with all their assets in order to ban financial speculation? Should the delegates at the European Conference not seize the opportunity of putting their heads together to devise ways of promoting such a campaign? The "bail-out packages" meet the recommendations of the European Union. Shortly before Christmas, the EU Commission requested governments to produce a European kick start plan. Member States committed themselves to underwriting 170 billion Euros out of the 200 billion. In the meantime 17 countries have decided on such programmes. In Spain and in Britain for 25 billion, followed by France and Germany with respectively 16 billion and Italy 6 billion etc. Other countries such as Latvia and Hungary are teetering on the verge of bankruptcy and need to be propped up by the IMF and the EU. At the beginning of this year, the Commission based its reckoning on the forecast that other East European States will find themselves in a similar situation. And now, things are piling up, Brown's labor government announces that it will increase the kick start package threefold. The French Parliament has decided on adding 26 billion to its kick start package while the Grand coalition government has now added 50 billion to its own package. The second package announced by the Grand Coalition government announced reduced contribution to public health insurance - a measure widely applauded. In 2009, the State will hand out a 9 billion compensation, but as of 2010, it will be reduced to 6 billion. In this way, as from July, the contribution will decrease by 0.6% and be down from 15.5% to 14.6%. We are being told that employers and employees are on equal terms. But in fact, both the State budget as well as the healthcare budget will miss that money. The reduction of the employer's contribution - the share of deferred wage - is an additional direct measure aimed at lowering the cost of labor. The Left and O. Lafontaine barely gave lip service to a terse criticism of these measures, dispelling them as "lacking social balance". On January 12th, Müntefering, SPD chairman, declared to Bild: "In a situation like this fraught with danger we must have a responsible attitude and keep a strict eye on money. (.) As a rule, we should come to an urgent agreement, in Germany as well as in Europe, on legislative measures to restrict debts". Waigel, former budget minister of the Kohl government, most candidly expressed what lies in store for the laboring population: "I'll tighten my belt" That is valid for the European programme! The deficit criteria noose (stability and growth pact) stemming from European treaties since Maastricht (1992) must be tightened round the necks of all European countries. The amount of huge debt heaped up in every country can serve as a yardstick to gauge the range and depth of the attacks prepared by the EU and the governments. That is why resolution 14 of the kick start package is called : "Resolution on introducing new rules to limit debt". It conceals a declaration of war by the EU and the Grand Coalition government on the laboring population, on the unemployed and retired. "The new rules on debt should be decided during this legislature and implemented .... by 2015 ...; at the latest. Other consolidation efforts may have to be undertaken - after the financial and world crisis conjuncture has been overcome, in conformity with the European stability and growth pact." Steinbrück speaks more clearly than anyone when he tells people that, while the kick start plan is in operation, debt-running will be reduced as planned by law. As for Struck who chairs the SPD parliamentary group, he declares that the work of modifying the fundamental law on limiting debt will become reality within the coming 3 or 4 months. "Horrendous"- "hair-raising" figures As early as October/November, the National Institute of Information observed a 22.4% drop in new industrial contracts compared with the previous year. With the loss of 2.6 million jobs in the USA in 2008, the highest figure since 1945, the way lies open to ongoing destruction of production and productive forces. During the sole month of December, 500,000 workers were laid off. Every single day across every European country, firms close down. The more cautious forecasts predict that by the end of the year, an additional 1.1 million workers will have lost their jobs in Britain, bringing the number of unemployed up to a total of 3 million. The figures of unemployment in Ireland are rocketing sky-high and have reached a 15 year high with 300,000 unemployed (8.3%). January 12th Handelsbatt writes: "The Celtic tiger is at the end of its tether." In Germany, the National Employment Office predicts that 4 million will be out of a job. At the moment, its top executive does not yet consider 5 million as likely (DLF Jan. 11th 2009). But the figures of the Office do not tell the same tale: From November to December, unemployment soared by 114,000 amounting to 3.8% reaching 3,102,000 unemployed. The number of working age people on various sorts of benefits (unemployment benefits, social benefits, income support) amounts to 5,571,000. And 1.64 people are on skill-raising contracts... January 12th Die Welt writes "According to the analysts of the Nord LB, the latest information, published last week on the economic situation in Germany, in Europe and in the USA is horrendous. In Germany, contracts have dwindled to practically nil in industrial production during the month of November; this is hair-raising." Last November, in Germany, there were 164,000 ads for part time jobs, in December, the figure had jumped to 400,000 which means an additional 390,000 part time job offers from December 2007. 400,000 people have to live on 60% of their net wages, on 67% if they have one child. For the sole region of Stuttgart, 45,000 people are in this situation. Daimler going it alone, wants to put 40,000 of its workers on part time work, on its Singelfinden, Untertürkheim, Rastatt, Berlin, Ludswigsfelde and Hamburg sites, which amounts to about half its staff. In the truck-making industry, the average work-week should drop from 35 to 30 hours - without any pay compensation! Thyssen-Krupp Steel announced that it would generalize part time as from February 1st. All branches of the group comprising the 20,000 employees are concerned. According to figures given by Ver.di, out of the 750,000 part time workers, 100,000 have already been laid-off. Masses of fellow-workers have to take mandatory holidays, trim overtime etc. Here again, the government helps major firms: when they impose part time, they will receive compensation, from the National Agency of Employment, for half their social contributions for the years 2009 and 2010 . As for workers, they pay twice: once with their unemployment benefits, and second with as high as 40% wage cuts when they are forced into part time. Colleagues are massively laid off in the framework of State help, which is granted with "restructuring" strings attached by the EU. And each time "restructuring" is announced, the stock exchange leaps up. The crisis cannot be solved for workers in the framework of conditions dictated by financial circles. In preparation for the EU Parliament elections, the ETUC has devised a plan for action with demonstrations in various European cities from March to May. The ETUC is happy to talk about social Europe, but, on November 26th, didn't it welcome with "satisfaction the fact that the Commission has worked out a plan (.) What is important - it added - is the speedy implementation of the plan (.) What is important is social dialogue and the participation of social partners in a series of well-balanced measures" ? What is that plan? Bail-out plans for bankers and speculators are the only existing plans? Social Europe would amount in fact, to making trade union leaders take part in the implementation of these plans for plunder ? In Germany, Ver.di has fallen in step with this initiative and has been preparing demos with various NGOs, religious and social charities etc. Meanwhile, in a declaration by the December 5th Trade Union Bureau, Ver.di leaders request "an initiative by which the social State be restored in its national and European rights." So far so good, but how can this be done in the framework of the bail out plans instituted in Germany with EU blessing ? There is a contradiction here. . Ver.di cannot on the one hand consider the 500 billion bank bail-out plan to be "correct" giving bankers a free hand, and, on the other , demand - quite rightly - a law to rule out lay-offs. As for us, we unconditionally endorse the second proposal and do our utmost for Ver.di to mobilize all available forces along this line. In a Forsa opinion poll by the end of October 2008, an overwhelming majority said they were in favor of nationalization of key industries in Germany: 77% for the nationalization of power and gas utilities, 64% for the nationalization of banks and insurance companies, for the nationalization or non privatization of air and railway transports and of Postal Services. None of this is echoed in the calls that have, up to now, been issued by the ETUC and Ver.di. The nationalization of private banks with their assets, the nationalization of production, State guaranteed protection of jobs are irreconcilable with European Union laws, treaties and the European Court of Justice rulings. EU recommendations to meet the world economic crisis, its plans and those of the governments that comply with it, the announcements of increasingly brutal cuts in order to meet the deficit criteria, once more show that it is the EU institutions in the service of capital that are responsible for the attacks on our rights and our gains. Why should European workers try to fit into this framework? Of course, none of us questions the need for social policy in our countries. But many of us, justifiably so, have misgivings, founded on whether such policy is possible without breaking with the EU - even if all the delegates who have decided to attend the Workers Conference do not see eye to eye with me on this point. We know that the future of the working class in our countries is tightly linked to the common fight we are be able to wage together, in order, to break free from the supranational institutions that hack away at our gains. For that reason, many of us agree on the free union of Europe's free peoples and nations, as a pre-condition to take a first step towards a true Europe for workers, for peace and progress.. Isn't it urgent that the European Conference launch an appeal to all
workers and their organizations in EU Member States: Could this not be the basis for inviting our fellow-workers and the trade unions in our respective countries to a common intervention ? Finally, isn't this the framework in which the fight for the repeal of the Viking-line, Laval/Vaxholm, Rüffert and Luxemburg rulings can and should be continued? January 13th 2009 *********************************
United general strike since January 20 A collective of 47 organizations constituted at the initiative of the UGTG union confederation has established a platform of 120 demands Since January 20, 2009, Guadeloupe has been paralyzed by a general strike called by a collective of 47 organizations constituted at the initiative of the UGTG (the biggest union confederation), which has brought together all the workers and peasants unions, as well as political parties. This collective has established a platform of 120 demands "against over-exploitation." Guadeloupe has been ravaged by the capitalist crisis, which is aggravated by the colonial domination of the French state. To give one example: A liter of gasoline is 50% more expensive than in the mainland because of the special taxes established by the French state, which implements the EU directives. On December 16 and 17, 2008, mobilizations took place. It was after this that the collective called for a general strike beginning on January 20 because the demands were not met. Obviously, the strike has tapped into the aspirations of the workers faced with the same policies and offers the path of struggle for unity around this platform of demands. This mobilization in a Caribbean island on the American continent joined the deep movement of workers and peasant masses of Latin America and the Caribbean in their struggle against the neo-colonial oppression. It is no coincidence that, at the rally held on Saturday January 24 in the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre, one of the most applauded messages was sent by the union and political organizations of Haiti, including the Autonomous Confederation of Haitian Workers (CATH), which said: "We give our support to the fight you are organizing in your country for change, for the decline in the price of gasoline at the pump and against the precariousness of wages. This struggle is that of all the peoples of the Caribbean and that of our country, Haiti, a country ravaged by American capitalism and French colonialism... " As stated by the Secretary General of the UGTG, Elie Domota "the UGTG is not the only organization involved. We felt it necessary to go all the way by inviting all political and cultural organizations to struggle alongside the workers. " 25 000 demonstrators in the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre, January 24 On Saturday January 24 at the invitation of the Collective against overexploitation, 25,000 protesters gathered in the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre, despite the scarcity of gas that limits travel. Indeed, the 115 service stations in the island have been closed because of the strike. All stores, malls and schools are closed, and utilities are no longer guaranteed, including road transport of passengers. On Sunday evening, January 25, thousands of demonstrators, again, marched on the streets of Pointe-à-Pitre in response to the appeal of cultural associations that have supported the strike. The immediate mobilization imposed the opening of negotiations. Thus, a first meeting took place on January 25 between representatives of the community, supported by thousands of protesters, the prefect, Mr. Nicolas Desforges, representatives of employers and local politicians. The group presented its platform of demands. The meeting lasted until midnight. There were still about 2,000 workers present outside of the building. But neither the bosses nor the prefect had anything to offer, apart from the demand to stop the movement. Local elected officials have tried to deflect the demands of the strikers by suggesting that the regional council discuss possible measures. The news was announced that the prefect had sent in two Airbuses with hundreds of mobile guards, who are being held on the tarmac of the airport, ready to intervene immediately. Old union activists recalled that in 1967, during the building workers strike, the French Government had sent in mobile guards who fired on the crowd of strikers, killing dozens of them. The memory of this repression remains vivid in the consciousness of
the population. Negotiations should begin again on Monday the 26th. In the meantime, employers and local elected officials have announced that it is impossible to satisfy the demands such as increased wages of 200 Euros, or the increase in minimum social benefits. On Sunday evening, following the first meeting, the group affirmed its determination to continue the fight until the demands are met, and as of Monday 26, the strike remains total on the island. ---- The platform of the collective of 47 organizations formed at the initiative of the UGTG (excerpts) - The immediate drop of 50 cents in fuel prices. ADIM - AFOC - AGPIHM - Akiyo - AN BOUT'AY - ANG - ANKA - ASSE - ASS. Farmers in northern Basse-Terre - Ass. Liberty, Equality, Justice - CFTC - CGTG - CNL - Combat ouvrier - Water Committee - Convention for a new Guadeloupe - COPAGUA - CSFG - CTU - Espérance environment - Faena SNCL - FOR - FSU - GIE SBT - Kamodjaka - KAP Gwadloup - The Greens - MADIC - MAS KA KLE - Mouvman NONM - PCG - SGEP / SNEC / CFTC - SOS Low-Earth environment - SPEG - SUD PTT GWA - SUNICAG - SYMPA CFDT - travay é Peyizan - UDCLCV - UIR CFDT - UNSA - UGTG - UPG - UPLG - UMPG - VOUKOUM. ----- The call of the UGTG to the international democratic and workers' movements Dear comrades, dear friends, The French colonial power is preparing to punish the workers, youth, and people of Guadeloupe and their organizations. In response to the call of 47 trade unions, political organizations, consumer associations, associations and popular culture, a general strike began on January 20, 2009 (...), and the march was attended by more than 25,000 people in streets of Pointe-à-Pitre. In the platform of demands to the employers, the elected representatives
of the State, the workers and people demand, among other things: The bosses and elected officials have already expressed their desire not to meet the demands even before opening negotiations. They want the workers to "be reasonable and to return to work." The employers will start a lockout, aiming to push people towards confrontations and then ask the colonial power to suppress these. Thus, several hundred members of law enforcement arrived in Guadeloupe a few days ago, armed to the teeth. Dear comrades, dear friends, On behalf of the rights of workers and the people of Guadeloupe to
fight for their legitimate demands, we call for international solidarity. The Secretary-General of CGTG, Elie Domota ----- Urgent Message from the ILC Support workers on strike in Guadeloupe with their organizations The French authorities continue to obstruct the negotiations and refuse to meet the strikers' demands Paris, January 29, 2009 For ten days, the workers, the working population and the youth of Guadeloupe have been engaged in a general strike in unity with their organizations, including all organizations, for emergency measures facing the crisis. They demand in particular an increase of 200 Euros of the minimum wage, an increase of all the minimum social protections and over one hundred other demands defined by the working population itself through the 47 organizations that comprise the Strike Collective. The ILC, which from the beginning has supported and supported their demand to open real negotiations, shall inform all workers and all democratic organizations of workers of the real news concerning the strike: Yesterday, on January 28, while negotiations had been initiated for two days, the prefect of Guadeloupe read to the delegates of 47 organizations a letter from the Secretary of State for Overseas, Mr. Yves Jego, a letter which deeply shocked the representatives of unions and organizations present, as well as tens of thousands of Guadeloupeans listening live on radio and on television to the ongoing negotiations. Threatening the strikers and the organizations with legal sanctions, demanding the cessation of the strike before the opening a dialogue period (the prefect of Guadeloupe who read this letter set the duration to be four months), the Secretary of State Jego outlined the proposals of the French government for this "dialogue": In response to the demand of an increased minimum wage of 200 Euros, Mr. Jego offers "a subsidy of 200 Euros in April (valid for the whole year) to 40,000 Guadeloupian households, affecting the poorest families." In response to the demand for contracts for precarious workers, on the contrary he offered employers "8,284 aid contracts, which is 1550 higher than in 2008." In response to the demand for a general increase in wages and social protections, Mr. Jego offered "the assurance given to all businesses in Guadeloupe they pay no payroll tax on all wages up to 1.4 SMIC (minimum wage) and even up to 1.6 for certain sectors such as tourism." On this basis, which marks a refusal of all of the demands made by the striking workers and their organizations, the prefect decided to leave the negotiating session, while mobile police reinforcements arrived in two planes at Guadeloupe Transal from Guyana. The proposal was immediately rejected by the delegates present and
described as "unacceptable" by the SP delegate, Mr. Jalton
and by the President of the General Council of Guadeloupe. The only solution for the general strike is first and foremost today the resumption of meaningful negotiations, the return of the Prefect of Guadeloupe and other representatives of the French government to the negotiating table. The ILC calls on all workers, activists, and democratic organizations of workers to support the workers and organizations in Guadeloupe and demand that the French authorities end their obstruction of negotiations and satisfy the demands of the strikers. Daniel Gluckstein Collectif des 47 organizations With a copy to: Préfet de Guadeloupe M. Yves Jego Secrétaire d'Etat chargé de l'Outre-Mer
Whereas, the San Francisco Labor Council delegates' meeting on Jan. 12, 2009, adopted a resolution on the situation in Gaza in which it first notes that "the U.N. Security Council ... has called for the opening of border crossings," and then goes on to support "the call of the U.N. Security Council ... to address the serious humanitarian and economic needs of the people of Gaza," including the opening of borders; and Whereas, the Israeli government announced on Jan. 23, following the ceasefire agreement, that it would not open the border crossings into the Gaza Strip "in the near future" (source: Financial Times, Jan. 23, 2009); and Whereas, the three-week bombing and ground invasion of Gaza by the Israeli armed forces left 1,337 dead, according to U.N. officials, 40% of whom were women and children under the age of 18, with an additional 5,000 civilians injured, many of them maimed for life; and Whereas, according to the New York Times (Jan. 17, 2009), an estimated 35% of all the infrastructure of Gaza was destroyed (with damages estimated at US$2 billion) during this military attack, leaving two-thirds of the country with little to no electricity, more than 500,000 people with no access to potable water, while sewage is running in the streets throughout the Gaza Strip, and hospitals cannot function for lack of electricity and lack of spare parts for their generators; and Whereas, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has not abated with the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, but is only getting worse by the day, with the risk of thousands of more deaths due to the unsanitary conditions and the lack of basic infrastructure to attend to the needs of the population; and Whereas, there can be no relief from this humanitarian emergency in Gaza without opening all border crossings into Gaza, as "'[l]ifting the Israeli closure of the Gaza Strip is necessary for the reconstruction and relief effort; much of the territory's civilian infrastructure has been destroyed during the three-week Israeli offensive and without building materials and supplies, there is little hope of rebuilding the water, sewage and power networks, as well as private homes and key government buildings (source: Tobias Buck, "Israel Warns It Will Keep Gaza Crossings Closed," Financial Times, Jan. 23, 2009); and Whereas, governments the world over, as well as international human rights organizations -- from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), to Amnesty International, to major human rights organizations in Israel itself -- are calling for the immediate opening of Israel's borders to Gaza to allow the reconstruction and relief efforts to proceed post-haste. Therefore be it resolved, that the San Francisco Labor Council reaffirms its call on the Israeli government to open immediately its border crossings into Gaza so that urgently needed humanitarian and reconstruction assistance can avert further pain and suffering by the Palestinian people in Gaza; and
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Open World Conference of Workers