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A dossier of weekly information published by the International Liaison
Committee of Workers and Peoples ----- Introduction Guadeloupe: We are publishing a declaration of Travay é Peyizan, "To the workers, youth, people of Guadeloupe." Germany: "I have two unemployed sons at home! And what if I too am laid-off? What are we to become?" Trade unionists and SPD activists are campaigning for a ban on layoffs.
Russia: You will find news about the campaign for the release of union organizer Urusov, who was sentenced to six years in prison. The ILC calls for solidarity from the international labor movement to increase protests and letters of support. Philippines: We are reprinting a statement of working women from the Partido ng Manggagawa for International Women's Day on March 8, 2009. United States: On March 21, 2009, the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, demonstrations against the war took place in Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco. ----- Table of Contents p. 1: Introduction. ------ Contact Informations internationales ******************************
Travay é peyizan TO THE WORKERS, YOUTH AND PEOPLE OF GUADELOUPE: Since January 20 our country has undergone an unprecedented upheaval that everyone describes as an historic movement. In response to the call of 49 organizations -- unions, political, cultural associations, consumer protection groups, and organizations representing environmental activists, workers, youth, persons with disabilities, retirees, artists and creators, farmers and peasants, fishermen, artisans and small businesses - the people burst onto the political scene, showing that Guadeloupe is ours.
Today, the mobilization continues, though the general strike has been suspended. The mobilization forced the French government and local officials to sign, on February 26, an agreement increasing the minimum wage by 200 euros. The mobilization went on to impose the signing of a general memorandum of agreement, on March 4. The goal is to promote new social relations, which is expressed in the preamble to the Jacques BINO agreement: "Considering that the economic and social conditions existing in Guadeloupe follow the model of the plantation economy. Considering that this economy is based on the abuse of dominant positions, which generates injustice. Considering that these injustices affect both the workers and internal economic growth. ...
Nothing will be like before Everyone acknowledges that nothing will be like before, nothing can be like before. This feeling, this liyannaj, finds its origin in the struggle that workers in Guadeloupe with the support of the population have been driven to take to maintain the independence of trade unions, to resist the anti-union repression, the racial discrimination, the lay-offs .... This resistance was manifested in particular by: - The struggle for the independence of the working class, the unions in particular, against the social dialogue of compromise, against class collaboration through the social forums;
LKP: PLIS KI LIYANNAJ, ON LESPWI
And they continue to do everything like before. Do they not understand the message? Do they have short memories? What right do they have to do this? Who has given them a mandate for that? But how can they do otherwise, they are subordinated to the colonial institutions. It is the RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE of Guadeloupe to decide their own future! The militants of Travay é Peyizan argue that what has been happening since January 20 is a genuine movement of class struggle. The platform of demands developed by the LKP collective with the masses expresses the will of the people of Guadeloupe to end social oppression and national oppression.
They submit this proposal for discussion. (Abymes, Guadeloupe -- March 23, 2009)
Militant workers speak out Sixty-two thousand jobs, or 17% of the 440,000 jobs of the steel industry in Europe, have been affected by the slowdown in production (1). This means that one employee in six in this sector has lost their jobs or seen their working hours cut or had their salary reduced. All sectors are affected. Plans of massive job cuts are increasing in all European countries. Faced with this onslaught, the German Continental employees, like their French colleagues, demonstrated last week against the closure of their Stocken factory, near Hanover, which resulted in the cutting of 780 jobs by 2010. In Germany, a thousand employees of ThyssenKrupp demonstrated in early March against the plan for layoffs. In Britain, unions of three railway lines in the suburbs of London will be called to strike against the 800 planned job cuts in the sector. A Zaragoza, in February, then in Barcelona on March 14, tens of thousands of Spanish workers demonstrated against plans for layoffs. Everywhere the demand is to put a stop to this growing wave of layoffs. Militants from Hungary, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, and England responded to the call of the European Workers Conference on February 7 and 8 and signed a petition demanding: "Unite to fight in each of our countries the demand for a ban on layoffs (...) and to make this the central axis of unity of workers and their organizations." ----- Endnotes (1) Associated Press Dispatch, 20 March 2009. **************************
"I have at home two unemployed sons! What happens if I also lose my job? What are we becoming? That's why I am signing." The colleague who said these words is a worker at Deutz AG, Cologne. Dozens of other workers, union members, respond like him at the table we set up to collect signatures around the Open Letter to the leadership of the DGB and its unions. His company is particularly threatened. In many others, it's the same situation. Another worker said: "I was employed at Ford, as an interim worker of the big temp work business Adecco. I was glad to have this job. Beginning in December, we were no longer needed at Ford. A month later I was dismissed from Adecco." A colleague who went to the table and signed justified his actions: "I work in a large insurance company, the HUK. Because of the crisis, they'll send me into early retirement beginning on April 1." The German delegates to the European Workers Conference on February 7 and 8 in Paris took the initiative for this open letter because the DGB called for a central rally of all the unions on May 16 in Berlin, at the seat of government. This open letter is addressed to union officials and calls on them to: "Make the ban on layoffs and job cuts the central objective of any industrial action! Put this demand at the center of the preparation for the mobilization of the protest of the DGB on May 16 in Berlin! Call on the SPD deputies in the Bundestag to take the initiative for a law to do this! " In several German cities, there were echoes of this demand for a ban on layoffs. That was natural, since a wave of layoffs and company closures is sweeping across the country. Thus in Saxony, the plant Qimonda Semiconductor, which was part of big enterprise Robotron is set to close. That is why the ban of layoffs is increasingly taken up and supported by the unions. At the regional conference of the union Ver.di for the health sector in North Rhine-Westphalia, peers have tabled a motion calling for the prohibition of layoffs; it was supported by about half the delegates. But the leadership of the conference did not want to support this and proposed to replace "prohibition" with "prevention" of layoffs. This angered many delegates: "It is necessary to go to the union members and mobilize them. We can only do this through the radical demand of 'prohibition' of layoffs. 'Prevention' perhaps sounds prettier, or "more realistic", but we, trade unionists, we must dare to put forward the demands of the workers." Clearly, workers want to fight. In the SPD, many members seek ways and means to respond to the crisis and to protect workers and their families. Social Democrats in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Bochum and other cities have sent in a proposal for discussion, to officials of the workers' commissions and the SPD Members of the Bundestag who had taken some time ago an initiative, very noticeable in the SPD, to request a "correction of social injustices." This initiative was came to be known by the name of the "Call of 60." The signatories of the petition addressed the authors of this Call of 60 : "There is certainly a range of views on measures to protect people from the crisis. But isn't the prohibition of layoffs the most urgent need, to protect from the crisis hundreds of thousands of people?" Lothar Hesse, former union secretary of Cer.di summed up in few words the need for this campaign: "The measures taken so far by the state have helped those responsible for the crisis, not its victims, our action must seek to change it from top to bottom. ... That's why we demand ban on layoffs now!" Workers in Germany who support the campaign to ban layoffs now have called for a national conference on April 18 and 19 in Berlin. ******************************
"All together, Hungarians, Roma [Gypsies]!" "Let's group together us to save working people from devastation" A Call by Hungarian delegates to the European Workers Conference Workers, farmers, pensioners, unemployed, and young people! Hungary, like all other countries of Europe and the world, has entered into crisis. Already, millions of us suffer the consequences in our lives. Economists are alarmed to officially register that in addition to the 460,000 unemployed (of which only 300,000 paid) there will be added 100,000 layoffs in the coming months. Entire regions already are devastated and the areas where mining and steel industry have been liquidated are at risk of falling into total disqualification. Multinational companies have, for the past 15 years, come to take advantage of our low wages, have banned unions in their factories, and are now massively laying off workers, like they are doing at Suzuki, where1200 workers are losing their jobs. The prices of essential goods are increasing, while the forint is in free fall. All strata of the population are affected: the peasants, youth, teachers, and doctors. This wave of layoffs and unemployment, deprives workers of their most basic rights (housing and the ability to feed their family) and has deadly consequences. Pensions are reduced sharply with the loss of the 13th month. More than 120 people died of cold this winter! And 17 citizens of Gypsy origin, including women and children, have died in pogroms. What does mean? They seek to divide us between workers and seek to pit us against each other, while a handful of multinational profiteers who, having plundered the country, are now trying to destroy the foundations of its industry and agriculture as they no longer are needed! Organizing pogroms against the Roma is an attempt to divert the anger of the workers away from actually responsible for this tragic situation! The international press writes every day: "Struck by the crisis and forced to meet the requirements of the European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund, several European countries have sought to reduce the salaries of civil servants. This is the case in Hungary. (...) Jean-Claude Trichet, the ECB president encourages this to raise the competitiveness of countries. Similarly, the IMF conditions its aid on the reduction of the public services." Who are the real culprits of the tragedy that affects us? Who are those who want to hide their responsibility by pitting us against each other? They are the looters, the multinationals, who throw workers out of factories, after having worked for years! They are the European Central Bank and the IMF, which demand, in addition to layoffs, lower wages for civil servants, declining public budgets, further privatizations! The government accepts these murderous dictates of the IMF, the European Central Bank and the multinationals against the people and the working class! We appeal to everyone! To all the workers, the unemployed, farmers, pensioners, young people: Do not divide us! All together, Hungarians and Gypsies! Let us group together to find a solution to the crisis! This solution requires immediate action to be taken by a government truly for working people: Guarantee all jobs in factories, offices and public services! No layoffs, ban on layoffs! Renationalization of all the businesses - especially large multinational companies who have looted Hungary - that layoff workers or are threaten with bankruptcy, allegedly to save jobs! Restoration of state control on prices of basic necessities: food, gas, electricity, transport, and housing! We call on workers, youth, peasants, citizens, union members, whatever your party or your union, to unite around this call to save working people. **************************
The ILC has received a call from ten organizations in Russia On January 22, 2008, the All-Russian Confederation of Labor (VKT), the Confederation of Labor of Russia (KTR), Sotsprof, the Federation of Trade Unions of Russia (RPF), the Union of Workers' Zachita Truda , and independent trade union of Stevedores, sailors, students, minors (NPG), addressed President Medvedev to protest against the arrest of the Russian union Urusov Valentin, who has been imprisoned since December 2,2008 on a false charge of possession of drugs. The arrest was made on September 3, 2008, while the union Profsvoboda (at ALROSA, Yakutia), which was founded in July 2008, took the initiative of several protest actions (rallies and a hunger strike) in July-August to obtain higher wages and improved working conditions. The union had quickly attracted more than 1000 workers. The ILC calls for the solidarity of the international labor movement, for increased protests and letters of support. An international campaign for his release: Freedom for union leader Urusov, sentenced to six years in prison ----- It is necessary to put an end to repression against union employees at ALROSA We are publishing a call by ten unions of Russia for the release of trade unionist Vantini UrusovIl and to "put an end to repression" In Russia, the global crisis threatens to result in the coming months in a wave of tens of thousands of layoffs. The ILC has received an appeal from ten organizations. On January 22, 2008, the All-Russian Confederation of Labor (VKT), the Confederation of Labor of Russia (KTR), Sotsprof, the Federation of Trade Unions of Russia, RPF, the Union of Workers' Zachita Truda, and Independent trade unions of dockworkers, sailors, students, mineworkers (NPG), addressed President Medvedev solemnly to protest against the arrest of the Russian union activist Urusov Valentin, who has been imprisoned since December 2, 2008 on a false charge of possession of drugs. The arrest occurred on September 3, 2008, while the union of Profsvoboda (at the diamond company ALROSA, Yakutia), founded in July 2008, took the initiative of several protest actions (rallies and hunger strikes) in July-August to obtain higher wages and improved working conditions. The union had quickly attracted more than 1,000 workers. The ILC calls for the solidarity of the international labor movement, to increase the protests and declarations of support. Open letter sent to President Medvedev on January 22, 2009 On December 26, 2008 the District Court of Mirny in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) condemned Valentine Urusov -- electrical fitter in the Almazenergoremont workshop at the ALROSA company, and leader of the union Profsvoboda (Sotsprof union federation) -- to six years in prison for "possession of drugs." Peers and parents of Urusov are convinced that Valentine did not consume or possess drugs. They have no doubt that the drug was slipped into his pockets by the anti-drug police that came to arrest him on September 3, 2008. The lawyer for Valentin Urusov claims that the trial did not take sufficient account of the exculpatory evidence of the accused and only heard testimonies from police officers and executives of the company, testifying against him. The principal witness in the indictment and the discovery of drugs (70 grams) was found to be the assistant director of security service for ALROSA. According to Urusov's statements in court, his arrest was accompanied by a physical assault and death threats. In this way, we have every reason to believe that the arrest and conviction of Urusov Valentin is an act of retaliation against his union activity at the ALROSA company and is an attempt to intimidate workers of the company. We also know that a number of trade unionists have been subjected to repressive methods: unfair layoffs, threats, and cancellation of benefits. These actions constitute a dangerous precedent and may significantly worsen the social situation in the near future. ----- We ask you to take the necessary measures to put an end to repression against union employees at ALROSA. Send messages of protest to demand the release of trade unionist Vantini Urusov Russian activists suggest to send messages of protest to the CEO of ALROSA Sergey Vybornov and the President of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Viacheslav Shtyrov. Send a copy to the ILC (eit.ilc @ fr.oleane.com), which will forward these messages. Valentin Urusov is currently detained in a Yakutsk prison. According to his mother, his kidney disease has worsened and he is not receiving care. The family (his mother, retired, cared for Urusov) needs support. Also, activists of the Institute of Collective Action (IKD) are organizing a fundraiser to pay a lawyer. By email: @ eit.ilc fr.oleane.com (double info@ikd.ru) Fax: + 33 1 48 01 88 36 By Mail: International Settlement Workers (Valentin Urusov Campaign) 87 rue du Faubourg St-Denis, 75 010 Paris. ----- Activists of the Institute "Collective Action" (IKD) are organizing a fundraiser to pay for a lawyer, which requires as a first step 25,000 rubles (about 715 dollars). If your organization wishes to fund, contact the International workers who pass. Any organization will receive a receipt. In France, CMO checks can be sent to: Entente internationale des travailleurs (Campagne Valentin Urusov), 87 rue du Faubourg-St-Denis, 75 010 Paris. *****************************
Women Workers' Statement on Women's Day 2009 Social protection not double burden Women workers are disproportionately affected by the ongoing mass layoffs, work rotation and other flexibility schemes. In the two industries that have been greatly affected by the global crisis-electronics and garments-women workers are the overwhelming majority. The country's top two exports are electronics and, apparel and clothing accessories, accounting respectively for $2.6 billion and $181 million in revenues as of September 2008 according to the National Statistics Office. About 18% of exports are sent to the US and then 14% to Japan, both of which are in recession. With the crisis getting deeper, the double burden of women workers becomes heavier. The traditional coping mechanism of the workers and the poor is the safety net of family relations but this unduly relies on the unpaid work of women. The double burden means women are exploited as cheap labor in the factories and then utilized as unpaid workers in the home. The government must provide the safety net of social protection so that workers and the poor do not rely exclusively on the coping mechanism of family relations and women are not weighed down by the heavier double burden. A pro-labor and pro-women bailout package is needed is to alleviate the burden of the crisis on the feminine shoulders of women workers. Pilar (women) still trailing Pepe (men) Yet the government is deaf and blind to these demands. In fact it is making big fuzz out of its false claim that Pilar has overtaken Pepe, that Filipino women have overtaken men in terms of development. A presumptuous government study claims that women have surpassed men in health, education, and income, and that sooner or later it is Filipino men who will clamor for equality and demand its own "National Men's Month." This study asserts women have gained higher achievements than men in all three dimensions as indicated by the higher than one levels of Gender Equality Ratio or GER for health (1.0248), education (1.0583) and income (1.2299) in 2003. In fact, the advantage of women in the income dimension grew bigger as the GER in income increased from 1.1170 to 1.2299. This is probably one of the reasons why the theme of the government's commemoration of Women's Month is "Babae, Yaman ka ng Bayan!" (Women, You are the Wealth of the Nation!) The truth is that the study merely highlights women achievements in those areas but it hides the bigger picture of the state of inequality between men and women in the Philippines. It also contains chauvinist innuendos, or a sexist joke at its worst, by challenging the egos of men that they are outperformed by women. This exposes the fact that the government hardly understands the essence of women's struggle for equality. The awful truth is that around 51.4 percent (or 15 million) of Filipino women are not active in the labor force compared to the 78.9 percent (22.9 million) labor force participation rate for men. Assuming that 4 million of these women aged 15-19 are still studying and the 2.5 million aged 60-80 above have retired, there remains 8.5 million women aged 20-59 who are not active in the labor force. These women are a big chunk of the labor force that are doing fulltime household work-unrecognized by society because the value of what they do remains invisible in the country's income accounts. Likewise, they are not counted in unemployment statistics. There are only 929,000 unemployed women accounted for in October 2008. These numbers indicate that more than half of Filipino women aged 15 and above are without their own income. So how can these invisible women be considered "yaman ng bayan" (wealth of the nation) when in fact they are without their own source of income. Moreover, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), women are paid lower wages compared to men, and this is the trend worldwide. Despite the fact that there is no discrimination on women in terms of wages policies in the country, majority of women workers are found in the service sector, education, finance, health and social work where wages are more often than not below minimum, without benefits, with worse working conditions and the type of work are mere extensions of their household chores. To add up to these is the recent lay off of around 40,000 workers, mostly women, due to the global economic crisis. The same goes in the health aspect. While it is true that women live longer than men, there are also 11 women who die in childbirth everyday according to the recent study by the United Nations Children's Fund. Pregnancy and childbirth complications remain in the top 10 killers of women in the country. In relation with this, it is estimated that 800 women die yearly due to complications of unsafe abortion. Around 3,000 women yearly are reported raped and the trend is going up. Another 3,000 women die of breast cancer yearly, and another 2,000 of cervical cancer. Working class women demands Thus women workers demand a (1) subsidy for displaced workers from the government; (2) tax refund for all wage earners; (3) expansion and reform of the public employment program; (4) extension of health care coverage for displaced workers; and (5) moratorium on demolitions and evictions. Aside from these, we demand the passage of the Reproductive Health bill. The Reproductive Health bill answers the problem of high maternal mortality that is bound to escalate in times of crisis. Without the Reproductive Health bill, reproductive health services will remain beyond the reach of poor working women. To fund this vastly expanded social program, the entire PhP700 billion (USD14 billion) debt servicing budget must be reallocated. Furthermore we demand the reversal of the policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization that is at the root of high prices of goods and the deterioration of public services. Partido ng Manggagawa (Labor Party-Philippines) **********************
Demonstrations against the war in Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco March 20, 2009 was the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by the armed coalition under U.S. command This day of March 21 was marked in the United States by major demonstrations in Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The various groups and organizations that have been fighting the invasion and occupation of Iraq since 2003 -- including USLAW (U.S. Labor Against the War) -- called for demonstrations to raise the demand of the majority of the American people: peace, the end of the occupation, the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Several thousand people also demonstrated in Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the police brutally attacked the marchers, stopping many protesters. The marchers once again expressed the need for the immediate withdrawal of troops. That's why millions voted for Obama. The need for the troop withdrawal is being felt increasingly. The antiwar movement has begun to mobilize again. Under what conditions? President Obama presented a plan for withdrawal, which was hailed as "positive" by John McCain, his former Republican opponent. There is good reason for McCain to support this plan: the plan is to bring the number of U.S. military troops stationed in Iraq down to 55,000 ... in 2011. For these 55,000, which will constitute a stable occupying force, withdrawal dates are more hazy. At the same time, Obama announced the deployment of 17,000 troops reinforcements to Afghanistan. Eric Sommer, one of the correspondents of the publication The Organizer (1), wrote "Obama has now decisively abandoned the peace rhetoric that attracted the antiwar millions in the U.S. to help vote him into office. His just-announced extended time-table for troop withdrawals from Iraq, and the stipulation that tens of thousands of troops will then continue their presence there, is little different than the Bush policies. As a presidential candidate, Obama argued that the Iraq war 'should never have been authorized and never been waged.' Now that he is president, however, he has reversed his position. Š "Without an end to wars of aggression and occupations, no real progress on meeting people's needs at home or abroad can be made. With the bulk of government money -- most of it derived from workers' work and taxes -- going to armaments, wars, and the big banks, there will in reality be little left for health, housing, or other social needs." ------ Endnotes (1) The newspaper published the militants linked to the ILC in the United States
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Open World Conference of Workers