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A dossier of weekly information published by the ----- Introduction On Saturday June 6, 2009, there will take place the 16th international meeting "In Defense of ILO Conventions and Trade Union Independence." We are publishing a contribution to the discussion by Roger Sandri. United States: "The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal for a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal." You will find a petition to the new Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder, demanding justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal. France: On May 15 and 16 a national conference of delegates for a united march for the Prohibition of Layoffs took place, bringing together activists from the POI, the PS, PCF, the Left Party, the NPA, LO. The conference adopted a call. China: We are publishing a correspondence corresponding the deep movement that led to the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. Guadeloupe: You will find a call from the ILC: "Stop the repression against the UGTG!" ----- Table of Contents p. 1: Introduction. ----- Contact Informations internationales ******************************
On April 6, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal for a new trial for Mumia Abu Jamal - the well-known Black journalist who has been wrongly imprisoned for 27 years for allegedly killing a cop. The appeal was based on evidence of racist jury selection on the part of the prosecutor during the original 1982 trial in Philadelphia and was based on the 1986 U.S. Supreme Court "Batson decision", a legal decision that says that prospective jurors cannot be selected based on their race. This issue was considered the strongest basis for overturning Mumia's conviction, though certainly not the only one. According to Amnesty International's detailed review of the case, Mumia was denied at his trial in 1982 the right to a fair judge and unbiased jury, the right to represent himself and the right to adequate resources to prepare his defense. At the very least, this evidence indicates serious misconduct on the part of the prosecution and judiciary. It was precisely this kind of misconduct that led to the overturning, just two weeks earlier, of the conviction of Alaskan Republican Senator Ted Stevens. Moreover, the court left open the possibility that it might consider Pennsylvania prosecutors' cross appeal to re-instate the death penalty for Mumia. Civil rights organizations and activists are now currently calling on Attorney General Eric Holder - recently appointed by Barack Obama - to conduct a civil rights investigation of this case based on the ongoing conspiracy to deny Mumia his constitutional rights. Solidarity from workers' and democratic organizations throughout the world is needed to say to the U.S. government: Free Mumia! Colia Clark and Alan Benjamin -----
To Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General: We call on you and the Justice Department to immediately commence a
civil rights investigation to examine the many examples of egregious
and racist prosecutorial and judicial misconduct dating back to the
original trial in 1982 and continuing through to the current inaction
of the U.S. Supreme Court. The statute of limitations should not be
a factor in this case as there is very strong evidence of an ongoing
conspiracy to deny Abu-Jamal his constitutional rights. Mumia Abu-Jamal, though not a U.S. senator of great wealth and power, is a Black man revered around the world for his courage, clarity, and commitment and deserves no less than Senator Stevens. Cordially, ENDORSEMENT COUPON NAME ORG & TITLE (for id. only) CITY STATE COUNTRY PLEASE RETURN TO: FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL, PO BOX 16, COLLEGE STATION, NEW YORK, NY, 10030, (212) 330-8029 www.freemumia.com. **************************
What is hidden behind the Global Compact for Jobs? The annual conference of the International Labor Organization (ILO) will be held in Geneva from June 3 to 19. For the record, remember that the conference is made up of representatives of U.N. member states, by employers' organizations and workers' organizations around the world. The importance of this conference, in the context of crisis and destruction of social gains, is significant. Like every year, the ILC will be holdings its Conference in Defense of ILO Conventions and Trade Union Independence. This meeting will be held in Geneva on June 6, 2009. This 98th session of the ILO is marked by the report of the Director General, Juan Somavia, which focuses "on the situation of employment in the world." According to the Director of the ILO, thousands of women and men have lost their jobs and bankruptcies of companies, including small businesses, are increasing at a breakneck pace. Thus, the rise in unemployment will continue at least until the end of 2010 and probably until 2011. Poverty and informal employment continue to grow, reversing recent progress on this front, while, according to the ILO, the middle classes are weakened. According to Juan Somavia, in the meantime, 45 million people, mainly young women and men entering the labor market in 2009, will be looking for their first job. The IMF predicts a recovery in global growth in the middle of 2010, but only if the adopted plans for the countries and measures to restore a functioning financial system bear fruit. We are therefore in the face of deep uncertainty, which is the least we can say. Quite rightly, the Director of the ILO points out that past crises have taught us that even if growth returns, employment can not return to the pre-crisis levels until only four or five years later on average. If one refers to the crisis of the 1930s, the return to economic normality was only reached after 1945-1946, with the tragic interval that we know. In his view, the Director of the ILO, after criticizing the "Washington consensus", concludes: "The crises of prolonged unemployment carry a high risk for social and political instability. " When the ILO followed the "Washington consensus" by implementing the speech of Bill Clinton, who in 1998 at the rostrum of the ILO, demanded and obtained the end of the regime in favor of a platonic charter of so-called "fundamental rights", the ILC denounced the policy initiated by Reagan and Thatcher, who, with the support of the Chicago Boys of Milton Friedman, was set to cut apart the national economies. In this context, the African continent continues to pay a heavy price, aggravating the impoverishment of its people. In its report, the Director of the ILO refers to the action to be taken today to address the concerns of the people. To do this, he welcomed the statement by the G20, on April 2, 2009, in which "they outline the elements of a plan to revive the world." The chairman of the board of the International Labor Office said that "the ILO will have the response to the crisis as the central theme of the International Labor Conference in 2009 to deepen the concept of a Global Pact for Jobs for discussions with its tripartite constituents in the world economy." A change to the initial agenda covers the issue of the Global Compact for Jobs, placing it as a priority. The days of June 15 and 16 are retained, with the presence of many heads of state. Indeed, the ILO is mandated to organize a tripartite corporatist management of the global crisis. The fear of a social explosion is becoming widespread in international institutions. They people to support and accompany the crisis. That is not our view. Hence the importance of the meeting of June 6, 2009 in Geneva, organized by the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples. ***************************
On Friday May 15, at 7 pm hours, in Puteaux (Hauts-de-Seine), will begin the second national conference for unity for the Prohibition of Layoffs. Its work will continue Saturday morning. Since the first conference on December7, 2008in Limeil Brevannes-(Val-de-Marne), which launched a call for a united march for the Prohibition of Layoffs, and which collected 66,000 signatures, hundreds of committees were formed throughout the country, bringing together activists, youth and workers of all stripes. In the afternoon of May 15, at the request of the POI, delegations of workers were received by branches of the French Communist Party, the Socialist Party and the Left Party to express the urgency of achieving unity in the call to mobilize for a ban on layoffs. Activists of the PCF, the PS, POI, the NPA, the Left Party, trade unionists, politicians, young people, all committed to forge unity for the Prohibition of Layoffs, had come from across the country. ----- Hundreds of public meetings and 66,000 signatories of the appeal National conference of delegates for a united march for the Prohibition of Layoffs Puteaux - May 15 &16, 2009 APPEAL We, workers, delegates at the conference called by militants of all
stripes present at the meeting of the POI in Marseilles, endorse the
new approach to the leaderships of the PS, PCF, PG, and NPA, which have
been asked to receive a delegation to their headquarters on May 15. Hundreds of thousands of workers in this country are ready to respond immediately to a call that said simply: "The destruction of 138,000 jobs in three months is enough! Not one more layoff! Do not touch the Caterpillar workers! Prohibition of layoffs! " The PCF and PG advocate a ban on financial layoffs and in all companies that received state aid and which are making profits. They submitted a bill to that effect to the National Assembly. The PS said, through the voice of Martine Aubry April 25 in Toulouse: "If we were in government (...) we would have taken steps to prevent financial redundancies, making them very expensive. A company that makes profits and lays off should be required to invest in reindustrialization. " Caterpillar is making profits and carrying out layoffs: What are you waiting for to come together and "compel" Caterpillar to cancel its plan? Do it! Call together, decide to appeal to workers and the people of this country to participate in a united march for the Prohibition of Layoffs. This would be the greatest encouragement for all workers at risk of losing their jobs throughout the country, for workers from Continental, Sony, Heuliez... This May 15, a delegation of our conference was received by the PS, PCF and PG. The national conference of delegates welcomes the fact that that a meeting with the representatives of the leadership of the PCF drew up a statement in common: "The meeting identified the following common demands: the situation, which sees multiply layoff plans, leads the political parties who raise the banner of the workers' movement to take initiatives for the Prohibition of Layoffs. Initiatives have been taken on the issue of employment. This weekend there will be held a national conference of delegates from the committees for a united march for the Prohibition of Layoffs. If the conference decides to call for a united meeting of all parties of the labor movement to discuss a call for a united march for the Prohibition of dismissal, the CPF will respond positively. This meeting should take place rapidly in any case, immediately after the May 28 rally called by the PCF during the days of filing its bill for the Prohibition of Layoffs. This May 28 is a step forward for the construction workers' unity for the Prohibition of Layoffs. " The Conference considers that this proposal is a step in the right direction. The conference takes the responsibility for immediately organizing after May 28 a joint meeting of the POI and the PCF, to which are invited the PS, PG, LO and the NPA. Deeply convinced of the urgency to fight for the prohibition of any layoffs, the conference calls for action to remove barriers and to build across the country committees for unity for the Prohibition of Layoffs, grouping workers and activists of all stripes, creating the necessary political power to organize the mobilization that will realize the unity for the Prohibition of Layoffs. First signatories: Jean Markun, Daniel Gluckstein, GÈrard Schivardi, Claude Jenet, national secretaries of the POI, Jean-Jacques Karman, a member of the national executive of the PCF; Dauja Michel, Paris PS Patrick Halchager, Sony (40); Gerard Buttin, Caterpillar (38), Gerard Luiggi, Equipment (83), Maurice Marchand, Sacred St Lubinc (28); Jocelyne FranÁois, West-Injection Dreux (28), Dominique Maillot, unionist (28), Pierre Vercruysse, Sanofi Aventis Vitry (94 ); Alain Aucouturier, Metallurgy (77); Sale RenÈ, Aix-hospital (13), Lydia Frentzel, PCF, areas north of Marseille (13), Dominique Laurent, Peugeot Vesoul (70) Marie-HÈlËne Veneroni, hospital Aix ( 13); Rarabea Lizot, care assistant hospital Edouard-Toulouse Marseille (13), Damien Cardon, La Seyne Bregaillon dockworker (83) Michael Fourneau, dockworker La Seyne Bregaillon (83). ------ Gerard Buttin, a worker at Caterpillar, Grenoble "It is time to unite, to support workers that are in the process of breaking their backs " I've been on strike for nine weeks. We met with the PCF, the PS, the Left Party. They all say the same thing: "We have a line of conduct. Your demand is too narrow. You can not adapt to what we want to do." And we answer: "But the employees, workers, people who are starving, who will be transferred, you offer them what solution? " No response. We will think. We will discuss with our bodies. I find it really unusual. What is expected is answers from political parties who say they left. You need to have slogans, representatives to help us raise and move together to fight against what is happening in all businesses. Caterpillar has seen nine weeks of fighting. It was all done. We burned tires. We took the factory first, the bosses were kidnapped, we took over the site Echirolles, it was occupied for three days, we went to Bercy discuss an alleged protocol. Our colleagues who went to negotiate have been custody for 9 hours and emerged with a protocol for end of conflict which nobody wanted. The proposal from the management, what is it? Provided that you accept work schedules that involve rotating schedule, worked 15 Saturdays a year, and the elimination of bonuses, you will have 600 job cuts. If you do not, you will get 733. We put it to a referendum and rejected the proposal. What is management saying? They said: "It is clear, you go back and there will be 600 job cuts, provided they have signed an agreement by October 1. If there is no signature, it returns to 733." This is blackmail pure and simple. It was all done. Now it is at the end. Unions do not know what to do. The enterprise committee was sued. 19 of our colleagues will be transferred. Simply because they fought for their rights, their families and those of all workers. They will make us vote how many times? We voted No. When will we see the political will to say: now, it is time to unite and move forward to support the workers who are breaking their backs ? No, we hear, gentlemen "think of Europe," "we will see perhaps, but it is too strict." So what can you do? I said at the meeting of Venissieux that soon we could no longer buy potatoes. The fridge is dead. Since December 17, I worked 3 days. Partial unemployment, that is 980 euros per month. Enough! We will continue to fight until the end! So, enough is enough, gentlemen left-wing parties, you should take your responsibilities. You have powers you must take the lead. But not in six months. Not in ten. Immediately. Now is the time. ----- Saturday May 16, 2009 On Saturday May 16 at 2 pm, Place de la Republique in Paris, thousands of workers and young people participated in the gathering called by the POI for the Prohibition of dismissal, the break with the European Union, the union of free peoples of Europe. Militant workers across Europe involved in the struggle for unity for the Prohibition of dismissal took the floor to speak: Lorenzo Varaldo (Italy), Miguel Gonzalez Campuzano (Spain), Heinz Werner Schuster (Germany), Claude Jenet (France); Hachaguer Patrick (France), Marian Tudor (Romania), Adelaide (Australia); Arsne Schmitt (France), Jean Karman-Jacques (France); Mazza Veronique (France). Extract of Labor News (France) n ƒ May 21 to 27 ------ Report (excerpts) Europe, the real on, that of workers and peoples, had an march this
Saturday May 16, at 2pm, at place de la Republique in Paris. In the rostrum (...), were militants workers from Germany, Italy, Romania, Poland, Spain, a young Parisian student of AJR, French union of Sony, Caterpillar, Social Security, the national secretaries of the POI and a leader of the Communist Party. In turn, these worker activists spoke. Jean Markun, national secretary of the POI, gave the signal the beginning of the gathering by launching "138 000 jobs have been destroyed in France in the first quarter of 2009, plus those in all of 2008! " This downward spiral must stop! Jean Markun gave a brief account of the discussion held the day before and the morning during the second conference for unity. We publish two interventions, others will follow. Zbigniew Stefanski member of the Solidarity trade union in the Gdansk shipyards "The European Commission wants to liquidate Polish shipyards in Gdansk " We came to see you today to talk about our struggle for the defense of our workplaces. For several years, the European Commission and the Commissioner of Competition, Nelly Kroes, have done everything they can to try to liquidate the shipyards in Gdansk, the shipyards that gave birth to the union Solidarnosc. We refuse to accept that European bureaucrats, who earn millions, decide
our fate! This is not true that they have absolute power! It is not
true that they can know everything and decide everything! From there, we, the workers, took to the streets (...) on 29 April.
We demonstrated outside the conference of the European People's Party. Here in Paris, today, we say this loud and clear, despite what we're told by the governments across Europe. On April 29, in Warsaw, the police beat us and sprayed us with chemicals with water cannons as we protested peacefully. But we will not stop our struggle. We will fight on our workplaces throughout Europe. We ask for your assistance in this common struggle. Just after our arrival in Paris, we learned with amazement of the mass layoffs of workers in France. The media, as usual, we have hidden this fact. If we unite the forces of workers across Europe (...), we can impose the preservation of our jobs and allow all those who lost their jobs to get their jobs back! We are mobilized at this rally for our rights, our jobs, our future and our children! ----- Daniel Gluckstein a national secretary of the POI at the end of the rally "Massive abstention in the European elections. Should we be surprised?" A survey announces 66% of abstentions for the next European elections. Should we be surprised? In our country, there were in 2006 eight million workers below the poverty line. How many in 2009? 10, 11, 12 million? Should we be surprised that workers see the link between the European Union and the wave of destruction of jobs? When we call to ban or even limit layoffs, we hear one argument: It is illegal, because it is against the principle of free and undistorted competition enshrined in the treaties of Maastricht and of Amsterdam (...). In the conference delegates who came to meet, activists of all stripes from the POI and for others, the PCF, the PS, the Left Party, the NPA. They have said publicly, on the same podium: "Because the right to work is an inalienable right, we are committed to fighting tirelessly for unity to prevent layoffs." This conference represents a new framework (...). Delegations met with the parties (...). Some of these leaders have expressed their agreement with the ban on layoffs, others said: "We can not raise this demand because we are a party of government" (...). Where is it written that a party of government, a government may not prohibit layoffs? It depends on the class that sees its interests represented by the government (...). Without doubt, the leaders of these parties are reluctant because they are reluctant to break with the capitalist class and the European Union (...). We tell them: "With your party activists in the committees for the Prohibition of dismissal, we want to do everything for you lead to break the link that connects you to the European Union, the capitalist class and to say with us: Prohibition of layoffs." The Prime Minister, Francois Fillon, said: "We must face the challenge of abstaining." We, at the POI, are supporters of political democracy and universal suffrage. However not its caricature. When workers are called Caterpillar to take a shameful vote, "You can choose 600 or 733 redundancies," it is called a caricature vote by placing workers in a trap without a way out (...). We are asked to vote in European elections, but didn't we vote overwhelmingly on May 29, 2005, to say no to the European Union, its constitution and the Maastricht Treaty? (...) We do not believe there is conflict between those who have to vote for this or that party and those who believe we should abstain. We will not come out of this situation without the mobilization of millions and millions in the class struggle, in strikes, strikes that become generalized sweeping all institutions, because we need to respond to the call by the Comrade at Caterpillar: How to fill the fridge, to feed the children? The answer to this question will come from the class struggle. We contribute by fighting for unity, organizing tirelessly and at all levels for unity committees for the Prohibition of Layoffs. Yes, the goal is to prepare the overall movement to sweep away the decay of this old broken world. And the bigger the abstention, the greater the rejection, the greater and faster will be the wave that will sweep it away. Down with the European Union, long live the working class! ***************************
Excerpts from "The China Newsletter" published in France China in April-May-June 1989: "Long live democracy, down with corruption! " "Committee for workers rights in China" In issue of 337, we informed readers of the call of the "Committee for workers rights in China" (freedom of organization - the right to strike - bargaining). It states: " Chinese activists testify that not a day passes without strikes and demonstrations, with strikers in Chongqing and Guangdong in the south to conflicts in business or in Linfen in Hebei in the north... Anywhere in the world, workers must be able to organize freely, to
act in the class terrain that is theirs, and negotiate contracts. This
right to the organization knows no borders; workers have to act freely
and to have access of traditional means of action such as the strike
and demonstrations. Workers throughout the world cannot be indifferent
to the fate of their Chinese brothers and sisters, the fate of 350 million
workers; It is not in competition with any other organization. It will act on the basis of strict respect for the traditions of the international labor movement, which means mutual support and solidarity across borders. " Since then, support has increased throughout the world. In a few days, the world press in its own way commemorated the Peking Spring, the great popular movement which, in China twenty years ago, for a month and a half brought a challenge to the power of the Chinese Communist Party Dietr before it decided to crush, notably by the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Peking on the night of June 3 to 4 1989. Press articles and television reports will show you these images and archives where you can see the Goddess of Democracy built by students on the square, opposite the residence of the Chinese leadership, the tents for the occupation of the place night and day, the armored tanks and the man armed with a bag that stops a column of tanks. You talk about this great "student movement" and move on to something else... All these pictures and articles do take into account the richness of
this powerful movement: a revolution was under way, millions of Chinese
citizens, students, intellectuals, workers, craftsmen (even the police
demonstrated!) rose up for democracy, to end corruption and inflation
to dispel the oppressors, those who had forfeited their rights and freedoms:
the right to decide the country's affairs, to choose their own representatives,
to have freedom of the press, to demonstrate, to form parties and trade
unions. And this revolution threatened to shake the world. On April 15, 1989 Hu Yaobang died suddenly. He was the former Secretary General of the CP, who was sacked for failing to suppress demonstrations by students in the winter of 1986, which demanded freedom of the press, of association and candidacy in local elections. On April 16, thousands of students came up to Tiananmen to bring wreaths to pay tribute to Hu, and on April 21, at the funeral, nearly 200,000 young people, workers, retirees protested in spite of a ban of demonstration. Demonstrations were held in all major cities. The day of the funeral, demonstrators shouted: "Tremble, corrupt! The people woke up, "Long live democracy, long live freedom! " It is these problems that plague the Chinese people: a regime of oppression, corruption, economic reforms accompanied by rampant inflation and the first mass layoffs, and the bureaucratic parasitism. A Chinese worker said: "Without democracy, we cannot eliminate corruption." This corruption has developed very quickly in relation to the reform and opening, i.e. the introduction of market mechanisms in an economy governed by the social property. It was Deng Xiaoping, who began in late 1978 to launch the policy. Since 1984, there were already fourteen cities in the coastal area with special economic zones to attract foreign investors, in fact, to constitute an area of private property within the system of collective ownership of means of production. Again, no regulation, no labor, no law. The proliferation of special zones and other zones for the benefit of foreign investors fueled a social stratum of political and administrative framework that has since become fattened. At the same time there began an experimental self-management of state enterprises, which meant not returning all revenues to the central government, which favored embezzlement and corruption on a large scale. At the end of 1979, there were thousands of firms that benefited from this system of independent management. This reform, which gave emphasis to market mechanisms in a series of regulations until 1988, caused massive layoffs in state enterprises. That was the requirement of the International Monetary Fund for loans: "implement a coherent program of structural reforms aimed at making the economy more sensitive to market forces." There was already then a surplus of 2 to 3 million young people awaiting employment. As for inflation, the CCP had decided in August 1988 to liberalize all prices in five years despite a rise in retail prices of 11% in the first quarter. All these are problems that led to the emergence of youth and the masses on the scene in April-May-June 1989. "Reform and openness have not accomplished anything. Of course, our salaries have increased over the past ten years, but not enough to catch up with inflation. In addition, we are forced to buy bonds to replenish the coffers of the state, while the speculators to bring the full pockets and do not pay taxes, "said one worker. Parasitism is the object of hatred of this great popular movement that emerged. Point 7 of the Charter issued on April 21,1989 by the organizing committee of university students in Peking demanded "that the leaders of the State publicly state to the people and the entire country the status of their income and their heritage, including that of their families. That investigation be undertaken concerning the embezzlement with publication of all details. " On April 22, students went on strike and a union of independent students in Peking was formed, but this movement and student unions spread to other major cities. On April 26, Deng Xiaoping, who ruled China since 1977 but has no more positions in the CP except the Military Commission, declared: "The unrest has now a national dimension and we must not underestimate it (...). We must prepare for this fight on a national scale without weakness and crush the unrest. Otherwise, quiet days will be finished forever. I told Bush [Editor's note: George Bush Sr., then President of the United States and former U.S. Ambassador to China]: "If China allowed major protests, how could we talk about stability?" Without stability, we cannot succeed. " On April 27, the people of Peking demonstrated in a protest of 300,000 to support students, singing the Internationale. On May 4, which is an important national holiday for the Chinese, they are still hundreds of thousands of Pekinese who protests all day, the police withdrew after having first prohibited the protest. On May 15, Gorbachev was on an official visit to Peking and he was obliged pass in front of the door of the Palace of the People as Tiananmen Square was occupied by 150,000 demonstrators who came to support the 2,000 students who began a hunger strike. The next day and the following days, workers joined students and massive processions of 500,000 to 1 million workers marched, carrying red flags and white banners; they arrived by car, bus, taxi free; the official trade union leaders sometimes took the lead, calling for the independence of the union in relation to the CP. Hundreds of journalists from the "People's Daily, the organ of the CP, chanted:"Enough of censorship! Freedom of thought! Peking was on a general strike. On May 18, "the People's Daily" had as its headline: "One million people demonstrate in support of hunger strikers." All the forces of the CP that were not in the ruling fraction demanded open negotiations with representatives of students on their claims. Deng Xiaoping, the father of reform and openness, and Li Peng, Prime Minister, tried to stay the course and preserve the interests of the ruling layer, with Zhao Ziyang, secretary of the CP. We read on banners: "Deng Xiaoping, your time has come!" A Russian diplomat explodes: "There is more government in China." Four of the five most senior leaders of the CP visited hunger strikers hospitalized on May 19, but martial law was proclaimed by Li Peng. Again, the people rose. Soldiers arriving by truck at night to hunt students in Tiananmen. Instead, they were pushed back to the cries of "You are the People's Army and we are the people!" Detachments of police also blocked the army; the population of Peking was on the streets at night, workers, employees and managers came across in waves, we read on buses, trucks, homes,"Down with the corrupt ","The government is afraid of the people," "Peking Workers protect students." On May 25 has been formed the Autonomous Association of Workers Peking. Such independent unions appeared in other major cities. After this period of great confusion at the head of the CP and the government, Deng Xiaoping won the agreement of the majority of military and political office for the PC:"Crush the unrest without weakness". This irruption of the working class on the stage that determined Deng Xiaoping and Li Peng's decision to remove the secretary of the CP and start the slaughter of Tiananmen and the fierce crackdown, with the summary executions and imprisonment, first against the workers, who paid the heaviest price. World leaders tell Peking: "Stand firm on the reforms! " The blood of the carnage was not dry, when on June 9, Deng Xiaoping reassured political leaders and the worried international business community that it reaffirmed the policy of openness and reform would be maintained. The United States President, George Bush Sr., said on June 5: "This is not the time for an emotional response to the events of the Tiananmen Square" because the relationship with China "are vital to the interests of America. " And former U.S. Secretary of State Kissinger June 7 stated: "We must ensure that the ongoing process [in China] is not a failure." This was the Goal that Gorbachev restated on June 15: "We are all very anxious about the events in China. I believe we must ensure that this process of reforms and the changes that take place in this huge country is not a failure (...). This led us to take a very measured stance on the latest events, though we regret what has happened." The ancestor of the European Union, the EEC, was no exception: it called "deeply for Peking to resume the path of reform"... Japanese Prime Minister Uno said on June 7: "Turning guns against the people is serious (...) but I prefer not to give a black and white judgement " after stating that the "revision of the cooperation [with China]" should not be interpreted as "a political condemnation of the massacres of demonstrators calling for democracy." ------ Public Inquiry of the Independent Association - How much of is spent by son of Deng Xiaoping on horse racing in Hong
Kong? Where does the money come from?
Stop the repression against the UGTG! The UGTG was at the initiative of the creation of the LKP collective which established a platform of 146 demands and organized 45 days of a general strike, is today facing an offensive of the French state and the government expressed through legal proceedings against its leaders and activists. In an appeal to the international workers and democratic movement, Elie Domota, general secretary of the UGTG, posed the question: "Why this pattern of repression against the workers, youth, people of Guadeloupe? Because workers with their unions are not capitulating to the attacks that are coming down from all sides: they have organized strikes and massive demonstrations of striking employees to enforce the Bino agreement, against threats and the blackmail of layoffs... ;Because on May 1, 2009 there were more than 30,000 demonstrators in Petit Canal. Because the LKP continues to make gains in the negotiations on the platform of 146 points that are ongoing with the support of the population. Because thousands of youth, unemployed, workers, retirees, participate in meetings in the municipalities in response to the call of LKP. It is thanks to the determination of workers and the people of Guadeloupe, through the general strike of 44 days, the mobilization of the population, including one with 100,000 demonstrators, that we were able to obtain satisfaction of the demands. It is also thanks to your international solidarity." The ILC associates itself with this appeal and believes that the defense of the Guadeloupean workers and their organizations is one of the major tasks of the French working class and its organizations. The ILC calls and the militants and activists that participate in its activities to send messages of solidarity with the LKP and UGTG and protest the repression against its activists. Send messages of protest to: Prefect of Guadeloupe Yves Jego, Secretary of State for the Overseas Tribunal de Grande Instance de Pointe à Pitre Guadeloupe Tribunal de Grande Instance de Basse-Terre Guadeloupe Copies to:
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Open World Conference of Workers