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ILC INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER NO. 85
A dossier of weekly information published by the International
Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples
June 29, 2004
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To contact us:
ILC International Newsletter
International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples
87, rue du Faubourg Saint Denis 75010 Paris, France
PRESENTATION:
The coalition of US Labor Against the War (USLAW) and the
International Campaign Against the Occupation and For Labor Rights in
Iraq delegation that was received by the Workers' Group of the ILO on
June 11, 2004, published a declaration by the Veterans' Committee and
the families of U.S. military workers hired in Iraq. We publish several
excerpts from the campaign "Against the Occupation and For Labor
Rights in Iraq" as well as the proposal from the representatives of
Turkish trade unions for solidarity with Iraq recorded at the time of
the XIth Conference for the Defense of ILO conventions (see page 2).
All union activists supporting the defense of labor rights in Iraq and
the end of the occupation will understand the importance of this other
information: 4,000 delegates meeting in San Francisco for the National
convention of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the
largest union in the United States (1.6 million members) unanimously
adopted a resolution demanding the withdrawal of United States troops
and calling for a date be set for an end to the occupation in Iraq. (see
page 8).
In the framework of the European Conference on June 12, 2004 in Geneva
we publish a follow-up on the results:
- The letter addressed to the European Bureau as well as to the
signatories to the "Appeal for United Action Against the European
Constitution," This letter reviews the results of the European
elections held on June 13 and the significance of the adoption of the
"European Constitutional Treaty" at the summit of European
heads of state and the government of the European Union (June 18).
- In addition, various documents and information, as well as a first
list of signatories to the appeal. (see pages 3 and 4).
- From Great Britain, Tony Richardson's speech and the motion lodged
against the project of the European Constitution at the time of the
convention held by the bakers' trade union. (see page 5)
- The introductory report by Roberto Giarrocco, Belgian trade unionist,
to the Geneva conference. (see page 6).
Whereas serious threats weigh on Venezuela and its people and because
the immense petroleum riches of this country are highly coveted, we
publish on page 7 the unified appeal launched by trade unionists and
personalities from Peru and Ecuador: "Stop the U.S. Government
Intervention in Venezuela!"
Support and spread the word about the ILC struggle
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
p. 1: Presentation
p. 2: Campaign Against the Occupation and for Labor Rights in Iraq
* Declaration by veterans and families of soldiers for the withdrawal of
the troops
* Proposed solidarity with Iraq pp. 3 to 6: European Bulletin
p. 3, 4 , 5, 6: European Conference of June 12, 2004 in Geneva:
3 - Address to the signatories of the appeal for "United Action
Against the European Constitution"
4 - Information and documents, signatures
5 - A report in the magazine Reflexions on the conference
6 - Report from Giarrocco (Belgium) to the conference
p. 7: Appeal from the trade unionists of Peru and Ecuador against United
States of America's interference in Venezuela
p. 8: The largest trade union in the United States of America demands
that a date be set for the end of the occupation in Iraq and demands the
return of the troops.
Subscriptions
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UNITED STATES
On May 28, US Labor Against the War published a statement by its
Veterans and Military Families Committee titled, "Veterans and
Military Family Members in the Labor Movement Talk Sense about
Supporting the Troops." We publish below excerpts from this
statement.
USLAW was part of the of the delegation that was received on June 11,
2004, in Geneva by representatives of the Workers Group of the ILO and
whose purpose was to support the Complaint filed by Iraqi unions
regarding the need for the authorities to recognize the right to
independent union organizing in Iraq.
Before the attack on Iraq, people said we should trust the
government.
When the invasion started, people said we should shut up and support the
troops. The President declared "victory", and people said,
"It's over. Let's just move on."
New troops are deployed to Iraq daily and rotations home are deferred or
cancelled. One or two Americans die just about every day. ... They all
volunteered, though most are really economic conscripts from
working-class, minority and immigrant communities where good jobs are
scarce and education is a luxury. Military recruiters promise these
young people money for college, health care, a chance to serve their
country, maybe some travel and adventure too, and most of all a steady,
decent job. What they get is training in instant obedience and a narrow
range of military skills, forfeiture of many civil and constitutional
rights, and the only job we know where you can't quit without going to
jail. What's worse - their Commander-in-Chief has diverted them from
defending our country and instead sent them to secure strategic oil
reserves.
Sometimes it seems like our government's real target is working people
like us. Inflated military expenditures plus tax cuts for the rich
equals ballooning federal deficits and cuts in social spending - from
child nutrition to education to housing to health care and other social
services. The Bush administration stripped union representation from
thousands of defense department and homeland security employees.
When the owners locked out the Longshore Workers Union on the West
Coast, the Attorney General declared commercial shipping a matter of
national security, and went to court for an injunction so the President
could send troops to work the docks. And when the President's corporate
cronies got the contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq, we could see
why he plans to privatize more than half a million unionized federal
jobs, including much of the U.S. Postal Service.
War is not an adventure and combat is always traumatic. Every survivor
wants to know that the sacrifice is worth the cost. Our family and
friends in uniform should not be sacrificed to make the world safe for
profiteering, or to distract the public from a faltering economy.
In the end, the best way to support our troops is to make sure they do
not fight wars that should not be fought, wars for oil and empire, wars
that do not serve the interests of working people in the U.S. or
anywhere else. America's sons and daughters should not die for partisan
political agendas or special economic interests.
We are trade unionists. We are military veterans and family members of
active and reserve military personnel. We say we must repudiate our
militarized foreign policy, dismantle our worldwide network of military
bases prepositioned for intervention and renounce preventive and
preemptive wars. Otherwise we will only send more of our loved ones to
die for no good reason, in a world made more dangerous for them and for
us by the arrogance and ignorance of our own government.
The best way to support our troops is to bring them back alive and well,
and to bring them home now.
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For peace, democracy and labor rights
For the free and democratic union of the free nations of Europe
European Conference, June 12, 2004 in Geneva
References:
- The European Meeting for "Peace, democracy and labor rights,
for the free and democratic union of the free nations of Europe"
was convened on the occasion of the meeting "For the Defense of ILO
conventions and the Independence of trade union organizations" that
met on June 15, 2004 in Geneva at the initiative of the International
Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples (ILC).
- The European Meeting was held on September 20 and 21, 2003 with
delegations from the following countries: Albania, Germany, Belgium,
Spain, France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Serbia,
Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine.
- The European Meeting decided on the creation of a liaison bureau on
the basis of the declaration submitted to the European Meeting. This
European Bureau constituted a correspondence committee, that will
publish every fifteen days a 4-page supplement in the ILC International
Newsletter a weekly publication of the International Liaison Committee
of Workers and Peoples, information on European institutions and
information set by correspondents from each country.
- A new European Meeting was held on June 12, 2004 in Geneva. 80
delegates from 11 European countries launched an appeal calling for
united action against the "European Constitution." The project
of the European Constitution is contradictory to democracy. It aims to
destroy all social policies in our countries. The following countries
were represented at this meeting: Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Great
Britain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland and
Ukraine.
The following persons make up the liaison bureau of the European
meeting:
Germany: Becker Henrich; Hening Frey; Belgium: Larsimont Philippe;
Spain: Luis Gonzalez; Manuel Arroyo Martin; France: Pierre Besse; Michèle
Delaine; Clarisse Delalondre; Olivier Doriane; Marc Gauquelin; Daniel
Gluckstein; Luc Lamy; Denis Langlet; Jean-Claude Loew; Jean-Charles
Marquiset; Véronique Pépers; Joachim Salamero; Aimé Savy;
Marie-Claude Schidlower; Gérard Schivardi; Daniel Shapira; Michèle
Simonnin; Great Britain: Charalambus Charlie; Cholewka Stefan; Greece: Hélène
Astériou; Italy: Lorenzo Varaldo ; Ugo Croce ; Portugal: Carmelinda
Pereira ; Romania: Constantin Cretan ; Marian Tudor ; Serbia: Pavluvsko
Imsirovic ; Jacim Milunovic ; Modrag Perovic ; Switzerland: Alexandre
Anor ; Luc Deley; Grazziano Pestoni ; Michel Guillot; Sweden: Sixto
Iturra ; Robert Johansson ; Ukraine: Vitaly Koulik.
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To the European Bureau
To the signatories of the "Appeal for United Action Against the
European Constitution"
Dear friends, dear comrades,
As you are aware, on Friday, June 18 the summit of the heads of state
and governments of the European Union finally reached an agreement on
the "European Constitutional Treaty."
This "Constitutional Treaty" comes a few days after the
European Parliament's elections of June 13: "An unprecedented
defeat for the governments in office, with a background of a record
abstention," said the AFP, while the British daily Financial
Times spokesperson for the financial capital of Great Britain,
alarmed at the rejection of European Union institutions said:
"Europe was swept by a wave of protests Sunday evening, the voters
having inflicted a verdict without appeal to the national leaders and to
the European Union itself at the time of the European elections."
In Germany, Gerhard Schröder's social democrats received the worst
score since after the war, 21.5%, while Tony Blair, after his defeat in
the local elections received another upset. In France, with abstentions
of 57.3%, the UMP of President Jacques Chirac was trumped again
following the March elections. Berlusconi, in Italy, received its worst
scores with 20.5% of voters. Six weeks after the increase of the
European Union, the abstention was greatest in the newly integrated
countries: 80% of Poles abstained, as did 84% of SlovaksŠ
A veritable rejection by all the people under the yoke of the European
Union's straitjacket, the European directives and the governments that
set these policies in motion.
These are the results that explain the manner in which the heads of
state and governments of the European Union finally reached an
agreement, on Friday, June 18 on the "European Constitutional
Treaty."
The divergences of the different governments were concentrated exactly
on the same points as in December 2003, when the Spanish and Polish
governments at the time, caused the failure of the conclusion of the
treaty.
As we indicated in the appeal cosigned at the time of the European
Conference of June 12 in Geneva (see No. 83 of the ILC International
Newsletter): "We note that year after year in all countries, the
policies driven by the European Union, in application of the treaties,
in particular that of the Maastricht Treaty, through directives and
policies dictated by the Commission, have led to an increasing
destruction of our social rights, our public services and even of our
democratic rights." All governments, all heads of state, drive this
policy dictated by the European Union, apply European directives and the
Treaty of Maastricht.
What is the nature of these divergences?
Up until this time the institutions of the Union generally adopted the
big decisions by unanimous consent.
The constitutional treaty has the tendency to generalize the criteria of
"qualified majority"; the discussion on the percentage of this
majority concentrated the differences. The agreement was reached on the
basis that the votes should be obtained 55% from the states and 65% from
the population. What does this mean? That the French and German
governments, the axis on which the institutions operated up until now,
no longer have the possibility to control without sharing the reins of
the Union (this, by the way, interests the government of the United
States of America). For example, it allows four Mediterranean countries
to block the Commission's measures.
That is to say that this agreement forced through circumstances because
the governments could not do without it after the massive rejection of
June 13, is an extremely fragile agreement, which could fall to pieces
any day.
This led Prime Minister of Luxemburg, Jean-Claude Juncker to say:
"I am not capable of taking this treaty to a referendum. I wish
those that will good luck."
What is the calendar for ratification?
In December 2004, the constitutional treaty will be officially signed in
Rome by all governments. From there on, a process is opened up to
December 2006, of ratification by each country, including Bulgaria and
Romania that are not yet members of the European Union.
A series of countries have already announced a referendum: Great
Britain, Belgium Denmark and Ireland. Other governments are hesitating
between a referendum or a parliamentary procedures: Poland, Spain,
Italy, Czech Republic, the Netherlands and others who have not as yet
decided.
It is necessary to add, that according to the treaty, ratification must
be unanimous. This question will mark the evolution of the class
struggle in every country at the time when we note the acceleration of
counter-reforms in every country on all levels.
In this situation, the appeal of the June 12, 2004 Conference "For
United Action Against the European Constitution" is especially
important. (See No. 83 of the ILC International Newsletter). The first
list of signatories appears on page 4 of this issue. Please send us new
signatures.
We have in the course of preparing for the European Conference published
(in our previous issues), analysis made by our correspondents on the
real content of the European Constitution project. Later we will publish
a study on the "Constitutional Treaty."
Throughout the summer we will publish speeches given at the time of the
conference in the ILC International Newsletter.
We have been informed by many of you that the first reports on the
conference must be given or will be given in the next few days what
initiatives have been taken, what declarations have been adopted after
the results of the June 13 elections. We won't fail to publish the
documents that reach us.
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DOCUMENTS - INFORMATION
The European Summit decided on June 17 and 18:
Parallel to the adoption of the draft of the European Constitution,
the European summit of 25 heads of state and government met on June 17
and 18 and adopted a list of findings on 82 points.
Restructures
Concerning the guidelines for employment, one reads in the
recommendations common to the 25 member states: "The concept of
security of employment must be modernized and enlargedŠfavoring a
better anticipation and management of restructure."
The "new" security of European employment is layoffs and
reclassification managed initially in an anticipated manner.
Pensions
"Define the global strategies of active ageing, including the
bias of measures encouraging or others, allowing workers to delay
retirement." "Active ageing?" It had to be invented!
Clearly, the states must pursue their counter-reforms of destruction of
retirement regimes.
Training
Concerning training one reads this requirement: "Share the
costs and the responsibilities between public powers, the companies and
the individuals." This means, initial training will be more and
more under the supervision of companies and as far as training for
adults is concerned, it should be more and more the responsibility of
"salaried individuals", that means outside working hours.
For example, this is precisely the logic followed in the
inter-professional agreement signed last fall in France.
Integration of trade unions
Last of the four recommendations addressed to all countries:
"Ensure the setting in place of reforms by a better governance.
Build partnerships for the reform, in order to mobilize the support and
the participation of the social partners." Clearly, the size of the
assault on social conquests demanded by the European Union is such that
it requires the cooperation of trade union organizations.
Summary: the principal points of the "European
Constitution" draft
1. The pre-eminence of European directives, renamed "European
laws," that couldn't be stronger than if they were transcribed into
national right: "The Constitution and the right adopted by the
institutions of the Union in the exercise of competency attributed to
it, have priority over the rights of member states." (Article
I-10). "European law is an act of general range. It is obligatory
in all its elements and directly applicable in all member states."
(Article I-32).
2. The dismantling of all public monopolies and all protective
regulations in the name of respect for the absolute principle of
competition: "The member states and the Union act with respect of
an open market economy, where the competition is free." (Article
III-70).
3. The integration into this "Constitution" of all previous
treaties (Article IV-3) in which the Treaty of Maastricht that imposes
the opening to competition and privatization of all public services, and
the stability pact, integrated in Article III-76, that authorizes the
Brussels Commission to pursue member states for "excessive
deficits" with fines. It is in the name of the stability pact that
the Commission requires France "to stop the spiral of health care
expenses."
4. The institution of trade union organizations as official instruments
to set up the European directives (Articles III-104, 105 and 106).
5. The submission, on the diplomatic and military plane, to NATO to
match "the engagement and progressively improve military
capacities." (Article I-40).
------
Campaign around the appeal for united action against the
"European Constitution" launched at the June 12, 2004
conference in Geneva
First signatories to the appeal:
Germany: H.-W. Schuster, Ver.di, president AfA Düsseldorf; Karl
Heinz Gerhold, Ver.di, president AfA Halle; Klaus Schüller, SPD, member
of the workers commission of the SPD; H. Becker, GEW, management
Frankfort - Belgium: Paul Wattiez, delegate of the commission for No to
the European Constitution; Henri-Jean Ruttiens, trade unionist; Philippe
Larsimont, coordinator of the Movement in defense of workers; Roberto
Giarrocco, trade unionist, former representative of Socialist Youth at
the national bureau of the PS; Spain: Koldo Mendez, municipal councilor
of the PSE-EE-PSOE of Biscaya ; Jose Manuel Toledo, municipal councilor
of the PSE-EE-PSOE of Biscaya ; Gumersindo Benitez, trade unionist, UGT
Transport ; Carmelo Pascual, militant of PSE-EE-PSOE in Alava ; Roberto
Tornamira and Alberto de Miguel, of the Collective for Socialist workers
in Madrid ; Jesus Bejar, trade unionist, Workers' Commissions, Madrid ;
Rafael Aguilera, trade unionist, UGT, Public function, Barcelona ;
Rafael Palmer, vice-president of AEDDEM-Medical practice in the name of
this association. France: Luc Lamy, trade unionist, Transport Paris;
Marie-Claude Schidlower, Women's Commission of the International Liaison
Committee of Workers and Peoples; Marie-Edmonde Brunet, teachers' trade
union; Michèle Simonnin, trade unionist; Didier Zeau, teachers' trade
union; Franck Arnold, Workers Party; Georges Hoffmann, Réflexions;
Jacques Paris, teachers trade union; Gérard Schivardi, mayor of Mailhac,
councilor general of the canton of Ginestas (Aude); François Grasa,
railroad trade union; Clarisse Delalondre, trade unionist EDF ;
Jean-Charles Marquiset, Manifesto of 500 ; Véronique Pépers, trade
unionist ; Aimé Savy, trade unionist and associate mayor of MRC d'Ivry
; François Chaintron, trade unionist ; Olivier Doriane, International
Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples; ; Daniel Gluckstein,
coordinator of the International Liaison Committee of Workers and
Peoples; Dominique Vincenot, International Liaison Committee of Workers
and Peoples ; Jean Pierre Barrois, International Liaison Committee of
Workers and Peoples; Guadeloupe : Raymond Gauthierot, in the name of the
trade union council of the UGTG ; Great Britain: (in my name): Stefan
Cholewka, member of the TGWU, editor of The Link ; Charlie Charalambus,
president of the Union local of the TUC of Torbay, president of the
section TGWU of South Devon; Steve Burke, member of GMB, representing
the youth of the Labor Party of Rochedale ; Tony Richardson, member of
BFAWU, president of the Union local of the TUC of Wakefield ; Christine
Taylor, member of the TGWU, representing of Women, of the Labor Party of
Rochedale; Italy: : Lorenzo Varaldo, trade union delegate UIL-school,
Turin ; Rita Defeudis, teachers trade union, ICFTU Magenta Milan school
; Antonella Chieffa, trade unionist delegate Magenta Milan school;
Serbia : Pavlusko Imsirovic, Workers political alliance, Jacim Milunovic,
trade unionist Nezavisnost (food, agro-food, hotel and tourism);
Switzerland : Sylviane Herranz, journalist ; Michel Gindrat, UCPO ; Max
Robert, teachers trade union ; Daniel Hofer, member of the PSS,
Alexandre Anor, member of the Socialist Party ; Catherine Anor, trade
unionist SSP ; Jacques Robert, trade unionist, Geneva ; Michel Guillot,
trade unionist ; Graziano Pestoni, deputy of the PS Tessin and trade
union representative of the SSP ; Françoise Schenk Gottret, deputy of
the Grand Council, Geneva ; Luc Deley, member of the PS, trade unionist,
Geneva ; Rudi Jaussi, trade unionist of the SSP, militant PSS ; Simone
Girodo, trade unionist of public services of the SSP, member of the PS ;
Alain Charbonnier, deputy PS, Geneva; Czech Republic: Jan Tesar,
correspondent of the ILC International Newsletter; Turkey : Pinar Erol,
trade unionist Aviation; Ukraine : Vitaly Kulik, Union Borotba ; Andrej
Mishyn, Union Borotba.
This appeal was published in issue No. 74 of the ILC International
Newsletter dated April 13, 2004.
[ ] Personal Endorsement [ ] Organizational Endorsement
NAME :
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ADDRESS :
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ORGANIZATION:
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TITLE..................................................................................................................
COUNTRY :
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Tel : ................................Fax : ...................e-mail :
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RETURN TO : Entente internationale des travailleurs et des peuples
87, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis 75010 Paris
*******************
EU CONSTITUTION
BFAWU CONFERENCE 2004
CONFERENCE
WHEN I INITIATED THE DEBATE ON THIS SUBJECT AT OUR BRANCH MEETING SOME
MEMBERS ASKED WHY SHOULD WE CONCERN OURSELVES AS A UNION WITH THE EU
CONSTITUTION, MY ANSWER TO THAT WAS THAT AT PRESENT THE POSSIBILITY OF
THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CONSTITUTION IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGES THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT EUROPE WIDE HAS FACED IN MANY
DECADES.
FOR IT IS NOT ONLY ABOUT MANAGING AN ENLARGED EUROPE, BUT IT ALSO VERY
MUCH ABOUT FINANCE, BIG BUSINESS, AND THE PROTECTION OF GLOBAL
CAPITALISM USING MECHANISMS TO SHACKLE TRADE UNIONS AND REDUCE THE POWER
OF THE WORKER.
THE BRUSSELS EUROPEAN COUNCIL MEETING HELD IN MARCH 2003 FORMULATED THE
LATEST PLANS FOR MORE FLEXIBLE LABOUR, FOR A DIFFERED RETIREMENT AGE,
FOR DISMANTLING OF HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEMS, FOR SPEEDING
UP THE PRIVATISATION OF POWER PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION AND MUCH MORE.
ALL THESE PROPOSALS HAVING A PROFOUND EFFECT WORKING PEOPLE
THE POINT BEING THAT UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES PROPOSALS LIKE THESE CAN
BE DEBATED AND CHALLENGED BY NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS BUT AN EU CONSTITUTION
IF APPROVED (BY THE SAME GOVERNMENTS THAT CAME UP WITH THE PROPOSALS)
WOULD ESTABLISH THE PRECEDENT OF EUROPEAN LAWS AND DIRECTIVES OVER OUR
NATIONAL LAWSŠ.
AND ARTICLES CONTAINED WITHIN THE CONSTITUTION ARE QUITE CLEAR ABOUT
THIS POINT.
TO FURTHER EMPHASIS THE POINT, IF A LABOUR GOVT ACTED TO RENATIONALISE
THE RAILWAYS (SOMETHING I WOULD SUGGEST MOST IN HALL SUPPORT) THEN IT
WILL BE ILLEGAL UNDER THE NEW EU CONSTITUTION BECAUSE IT IS FORBIDDEN ON
EU DIRECTIVE ON TRANSPORT,
IF A LABOUR GOVT DECIDES TO ACT TO REVERSE THE INTRODUCTION OF
FOUNDATION HOSPITALS THEN AGAIN IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL UNDER THE NEW EU
CONSTITUTION BECAUSE THEY ARE IMPOSED BY THE EUROPEAN GREEN BOOK
RECOMMENDING THAT PUBLIC SERVICES BE REPLACED BY SERVICES OF GENERAL
INTEREST OR PRIVATE COMPANIES
SO UNDER THE EU CONSTITUTION A PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY THAT MAY HAVE BEEN
ELECTED WITH A MANDATE FROM WORKING PEOPLE IN BRITAIN WOULD HAVE NO
POWER OVER WHAT TONY WOODLEY (T&G) CALLS "KEY ISSUES"
THE DIFFERENCE I WISH TO POINT OUT TO DELEGATES IS THAT THESE MOVES BY
ANY FUTURE LABOUR GOVT UNDER AN EU CONSTITUTION WOULD NOT SIMPLY BE IN
BREACH OF EU DIRECTIVES THEY WOULD BE ILLEGAL.
THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL AT ITS MEETING HELD ON 19TH - 20TH JUNE 2002
APPROVED THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION PROJECT, THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION
INCLUDES ARTICLES ON FOREIGN POLICY AND SECURITY OF THE POLITICALLY
UNIFIED EUROPEAN UNION. THE EU CONSTITUTION WE BELIEVE IS SET AGAINST
ALL WORKERS OF EUROPE IT IS AN INSTRUMENT FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF
DEMOCRACY AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF PEOPLES. IT ALSO OPENS THE DOOR TO THE
ELIMINATION OF EUROPEAN NATIONS
THE DRAFT EU CONSTITUTION WOULD BRING INTO BEING A TOTAL MODIFICATION OF
EUROPEAN AND NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION AND THE
RULE OF LAW WOULD HAVE PRIMACY OVER THE RIGHTS OF THE MEMBERS STATES
AND ARTICLES CONTAINED MAKE IT CLEAR THAT MEMBER STATES MUST TAKE ALL
APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO FULFIL OBLIGATIONS RESULTING FORM THOSE LAWS
THE ACTS OR LAWS WILL BE BINDING ON MEMBER STATES WITHOUT ANY
REQUIREMENT FOR FORMAL RATIFICATION BY NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS.
EU INSTITUTIONS ARE LISTED AS:
THE EU PARLIAMENT
THE EU COUNCIL
THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
THE EU COMMISSION AND
THE EU COURT OF JUSTICE
UNION LAW IS DEFINED AS
EU LAWS
EU FRAMEWORK LAWS
EU DECISIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND OPINIONS
THIS MEANS EU INSTITUTIONS SETTING UNION LAW WITH ABSOLUTE PRIMACY OVER
NATIONAL LEGISLATION
ONE INSTITUTION IS CONSPICUOUS BY ITS ABSENCE:
THE EU CENTRAL BANK,ŠŠ.
THIS ALONG WITH OTHER NATIONAL CENTRAL BANKS WILL REMAIN AUTONOMOUS FROM
POLITICAL CONTROL AND HAVE THE FREEDOM UNDER THE CONSTITUTION TO DICTATE
AND DETERMINE MONETARY POLICY,Š WITH THE AIM OF DRIVING ECONOMIC GROWTH
THROUGH THE SOCIAL MARKET USING:
DEREGULATION, LIBERALISATION OF MARKETS, ELIMINATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES,
& FURTHER PRIVATISATIONS CREATING A "FLEXIBLE LABOUR
MARKET"
ONCE AGAIN CAPITAL FREE TO PLUNDER, BUT,
LABOUR REGULATED BY UNION LAWŠŠ..
CONFERENCE THE CONCLUSIONS TO BE DRAWN MUST BE
1 THE CONSTITUTION IS FUNDAMENTALLY ANTI DEMOCRATIC AS HAS BEEN SHOWN A
BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT HAVE POWER OVER ITS OWN DECISIONS
2 AS THERE IS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN THE PRIVATISATION AGENDA AND
ADOPTION OF THE EURO THE CONSTITUTIONS GOES AGAINST OUR UNION POLICIES
3 THE RACE TO A FREE MARKET AND LIBERALISATION OF THE LABOUR MARKET WILL
MAKE ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION VERY DANGEROUS AND DIAMETRICALLY
OPPOSED TO THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE
AND THEREFORE DELEGATES WE ASK THAT WE IN THE BAKERS UNION OPPOSE THE
PROPOSED EU CONSTITUTION AND LOBBY AGAINST IT IN ALL FORUMS
********************
Speech given in the name ofReflexions, the French socialist
magazine at the conference on June 12, 2004 in Geneva
First, I bring the greetings and support of the French socialist
magazine, Reflexions, to the conference and to the Swiss
socialists who call to "preserve the social state, the social
conquests and public services." The conquests, as their appeal
indicates, have been "undermined through the bias of different
European directives of liberalization and privatization.
I was already delighted that a socialist party, with trade union
headquarters, calls to reject and succeeds in rejecting the
privatization of electric power that they want to impose in France, as
in the rest of Europe. I was also happy at the time that I published in
my newspaper Reflexions all communiqués and declarations
emanating from Swiss socialists concerning these questions and am ready
to continue to do so, for example, on the question of the referendum on
pensions.
I am a socialist, formerly representing Strasburg that refused to bow
before the most 'maastrichtan' of all, Jacques Delors, who at the
beginning was instituting austerity, flexibility, precariousness,
-de-industrialization, attacks against Social Security. In fact,
alternatively they would like a U.S. system. It is already a U.S.
society bound to Bush who hangs the posters in practically all first
party European elections and they would like to control all socialist
militants on the subject of the European Constitution.
Numerous voices in the PS have been raised to say that the project the
European Constitution proposes, and I mention "the denial of two
centuries of democratic and social conquests after the French
Revolution." In reality what we need, is a real discussion, of a
real left that is not in agreement in essence with the right and doesn't
pretend to be in disagreement with it.
In Lisbon I also signed at the head of one list in France and two other
lists in the European elections of the ILC, the one in Portugal and the
one in Spain, an appeal for an independent discussion against
Maastricht, its pseudo-parliament and the totalitarian directives of its
non-elected Commission.
Of course one can have less entrenched opinion on this question but what
is certain, is that the solution can only come from a free discussion
within the labor movement.
For me, a died in the wool socialist, I believe socialism is not the
recognition of the free circulation of goods, I believe that rupture
with the laws of capitalism that permitted the reconstitution of the
French PS was and remains a just principle, and I oppose the false
internationalism of Maastricht and its anti-social Constitution, the
real internationalism, for the victory of democracy and socialism that
is expressed here. I thank my Swiss comrades and the ILC.
-- George Hoffmann
**********
European Conference of June 12, 2004 in Geneva
We need a fight on a European level against the project of the
"European Constitution"
Roberto Giarrocco, trade unionist and former representative of
socialist youth at the national headquarters of the Socialist Party in
Belgium, was along with Luc Deley (for the Swiss Welcome Committee) and
Daniel Gluckstein (coordinator of the ILC), one of the three reporters
of this Conference. We publish his introductory report.
Dear comrades, dear friends,
I am part of a delegation of four members, that was elected by a
conference that took place on May 29, 2004, convened on the basis of an
open letter to the officials and representatives of the two socialist
parties of Belgium, a letter that indicated that in Belgium, there were
anti-social plans, notably the one concerning the reduction of the
rights to unemployment benefits, resulting from the application of
European directives.
This conference on May 29 concluded: today, we have on the table, a
draft of a European Constitution that is sets in concrete-almost
indestructible-the present directives and all the policies that ensue
from it.
At the reporters' table of this conference, Jean-Marie Dehousse, a
European deputy member of the European Socialist group was present, who
is one of four socialist deputies that were against the draft of the
European Constitution, which had been presented for consultation last
autumn.
What Jean-Marie Dehousse said in explanation of why he had voted against
it and why he rallied to the proposal that was adopted at this
conference of May 29, to constitute a Belgian committee to say "No
to the European Constitution", for the following reason: this
European Constitution puts an end to public services and if only one
reason is necessary to be against it, that one is sufficient to say
"no". There are other reasons to say "no" to the
Constitution, but that is the most important.
I thank the organizers to have given this fight an important place. You
were perhaps aware of an issue that was raised in Belgium that begins to
be a bit dated. It is a contribution to the debate, it is a document
that merits being enriched and answer other questions. (1)
I will not lecture you on the draft of the Constitution. Suffice it to
say that it is composed of three parts: the third part is the resumption
of the existing treaties in particular that of the Treaty of Maastricht
completed by the Treaty of Amsterdam, that means the treaties that went
into the minutest details of the European policies are to be found in a
Constitution, that leads many to say this is not a constitution. Indeed,
a constitution is logically a text limited in scope that gives the
rights and duties that constitute a nation. In this case, the European
Constitution is an extremely detailed text making it a political
declaration; therefore, this Constitution is an abuse of language.
It is important to mention that by integrating the treaties into the
European Constitution, it makes these treaties untouchable,
un-amendable, and un-modifiable. The objective is therefore to
perpetuate these treaties and to prevent their being questioned again.
The second part of the draft of the Constitution is the integration and
inclusion of the Charter of Fundamental Rights that was adopted at the
Nice Summit in 2000. It is necessary to insist on the following aspect:
it is that this draft gives an important judicial strength, perhaps
coercive, to the preamble that was adopted at the Nice Summit that up to
the present was only indicative. But when one reads in detail the
preamble adopted at the Nice Summit that is not found in the text of the
Constitution (there is a reference to it but not written in the text),
one sees that all fundamental rights are joined to the application of
the European directives that are extremely destructive in regard to
social rights. One thinks of the age of retirement, of the problematic
of child labor, about flexibility, etc.
This Charter of Fundamental Rights is considered by many trade unionists
in Belgium as reactionary, capable of leading to spin-offs and
applications to reduce social legislation in every country.
The first part of the Constitution-it is important to state-says that
the European Union is an institution whose objective is set off a highly
competitive economy on a European level. That means that the European
Union, its objective, its goal, and its nature are to promote the
disappearance of social conquests that are obstacles to the high
competitivity of a market economy.
There is a discussion: can one amend it, or improve it? Some propose
solutions, other options. I think that all this is a false debate
because certainly, at the present time, there isn't an agreement on
everything and so the question is what will happen at the European
summit that will take place after the European elections?
But at the bottom line, on the big orientations, along the grand lines
of the draft of the Constitution, there is one agreement and we must
position ourselves in relation to it.
One of the important agreements that reaches consensus is the
disappearance of public services. The debate that should take place and
must be clarified-because it is one of the obstacles to the
discussion-is the confusion between public services and services of
general interest. This confusion merits being raised since the European
Commission has just published a White Paper in which it clearly defines
that the services of general interest are not public services.
We have therefore constituted in Belgium a Committee for saying
"no" to the] European Constitution with a European socialist
deputy included in it. The goal of my speech is to enlarge the fight, to
carry it to the European level, to lead it to each one of the countries
so that the maximum information is distributed so that there can be a
real debate.
On the Belgian level, some propose to hold a popular consultation like a
referendum for or against the Constitution but our prime minister says
that this popular consultation must be held quickly as he doesn't want a
debate to take place. However, one must take the time to hold a debate;
if is necessary that arguments be exchanged, that organizations are
involved in this debate so that one knows on what one positions oneself,
that the debate is not reserved only for specialists, who know how to
make their views known through modern information services.
Another aspect that is worth mentioning is that in Belgium, one joins
the fight against the draft of the European Constitution along with the
Bolkenstein directive that has taken up the application of the Treaty of
Maastricht, in its chapter on "the rights of establishment."
It wants to impose the principles of respect, in particular, for the
social legislation in the country of origin. The legislation of a
country that welcomes a European company of another member state will no
longer be applied. The national collective conventions are threatened.
The trade unions have just organized a demonstration in Brussels against
this measure. And I believe it is important to retake the proposals of
Jean-Marie Dehousse, who says that it is necessary to widen the fight
against the Bolkesnstein directive with the fight against the European
Constitution, because, and I quote from memory, it's no good breaking
the egg if the machine that lays them is intact.
What is at stake in this conference is to see by what means one can
agree on a call to fight at the European level against the draft of the
European Constitution while attracting the attention of all labor
organizations on the dangers of this Constitution project, where the
stakes are very important for the future of our European social system.
In Belgium we say that the European Constitution is the end of the
Belgian social model.
It is the end in fact of the national sovereignty of Belgium, the end of
its national social conquests and I believe that what we say at the
Belgian level must apply to each of the countries as it would apply to
Switzerland that, although not a member of the European Union, will
undoubtedly be influenced by the policies and institutions of the Union.
I believe a proposal will be made in the course of these debates.
---
(1) Published in issue NO. 74 of the ILC International Newsletter of
April 13, 2003.
**********
VENEZUELA APPEAL
- IN DEFENSE OF THE VENEZUELAN PEOPLE AND THEIR SOVEREIGNTY
- STOP U.S. INTERVENTION IN VENEZUELA!
We -- trade unionists and activists across the Americas who are
committed to the ongoing struggle for the sovereignty of the peoples,
for democracy and for social progress -- issue this solemn appeal.
At a time when the most serious threats, hateful provocations and
attempts of subversion are carried out daily against our sister nation
of Venezuela, against its sovereignty and against the Venezuelan people,
we call for:
- Unconditional support for the Venezuelan people, its workers and its
youth!
- Unconditional support for a free and sovereign Venezuela!
- The Venezuelan people, and only the Venezuelan people, have the right
to determine their government!
- Venezuela's oil belongs to the Venezuelan people, not to anyone else!
Nations are not for sale! Oil must be defended!
Since Hugo Chavez was elected in 1998 as the legitimate president of
Venezuela, the people and nation of Venezuela have been hounded by
provocations, threats and attempts at coup d'etat -- all aimed at
overthrowing the government which the Venezuelan people elected freely.
The main objective of those behind these acts of subversion is to take
over the immense oil riches that belong to the Venezuelan people and
nation.
2001-2002: Four so-called "general strikes" were set in motion
and financed by Venezuela's powerful employers' association, the
Fedecamara.
April 11-14, 2002: First attempt at a coup d'etat. The New York Times,
one of the leading newspapers in the United States, revealed that the
U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela, who had arrived only a few days before the
coup d'etat, was the first and one of the few diplomats to visit the
"government" of Carmona Estanga, who was installed in power by
the perpetrators of the coup. During his visit, the U.S. Ambassador was
accompanied by two high-ranking U.S. military officers. This followed on
the heels of a barely camouflaged intervention over many months by U.S.
agents in Venezuela oriented toward preparing the coup d'etat. The New
York Times also mentioned the close and open relations between the
so-called "opposition" and the U.S. State Department,
especially Secretary Otto Reich.
December 2002-February 2003: Another so-called "general
strike" -- again instigated by Fedecamara, the employers'
association, sent the country into chaos, with multiple violent
confrontations that resulted in the deaths of dozens of people. These
violent demonstrations were staged by the "opposition" forces
-- that is, by the large landlords and big business owners, by the
powerful, all of whom came down from the wealthy neighborhoods of
Caracas to express their rejection of the Chávez government.
Why this commitment by the champions of the old order to remove the Chávez
government? It is because the people of Venezuela, the downtrodden and
dispossessed, have decided to take their destiny into their own hands.
The millions of Venezuelans who work for meager wages or who are part of
the large army of unemployed in the crowded shantytowns have made it
known they wish to live freely and to have a job at a living wage so
that their families can live decently. They want to rise out of their
squalor and to get their country out from under its submission to the
IMF debt and Washington's orders.
Venezuela has been targeted by the U.S. government because of its
tremendous oil wealth. It is the third largest supplier of oil to the
United States and one of the principal members of OPEC alongside another
major oil-producing country, Iraq, which has been ransacked and
devastated by a heinous war and occupation unleashed by Bush and the
U.S. government.
The fate of our sister nation of Venezuela, of our sisters and brothers
in Venezuela, is bound up with the fate of our entire continent, from
north to south, from Alaska to Patagonia!
Through the open veins of our American continent, submitted to plunder
over decades by imperialism, flows the blood of workers and youth of the
whole continent, of the landless peasants in Brazil, of the miners in
Bolivia, of the enslaved workers in maquiladoras in every country.
Either by force, by coup d'etats or by devastating dictates from the IMF,
the World Bank and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), the U.S.
government wants to impose its protectorate as the only alternative for
the workers and for all the peoples.
We the undersigned say: Enough is Enough!
- Stop the U.S. intervention in Venezuela!
- Stop all attempts at a coup d'etat, stop all attempts at subverting
the will of the people!
- Only the peoples have the right to choose their destiny!
We call upon all workers, youth, and supporters of democratic rights and
self-determination, from north to south, to endorse this appeal and to
take whatever initiatives are deemed necessary to make these common
demands prevail.
- Unconditional support for the people, the workers and the youth of
Venezuela!
- Unconditional support for a free and sovereign Venezuela! The
Venezuelan people, and only the Venezuelan people, have the right to
determine their government!
- Venezuela's oil belongs to the Venezuelan people, not to anyone else!
Chiclayo, Lambayeque (Peru), June 12, 2004
PERU: Segundo Castillo Linares, Association of Unemployed
Workers, Chiclayo ; Juan Marin Leyva, teachers' trade union (SUTEP),
Chiclayo ; Luis Guevara Santa Cruz, trade union of sugar cane workers,
Cayalti, Chiclayo ; Elias Avellan Obregon, Secretary General of the milk
trade union UPA, Lima ; Emilio Barreto Vizcarra, university professor,
Arequipa ; Erwin Salazar Vasquez, President, CGTP Lambayeque, Chiclayo ;
Guillermo Bolaños, sculptor, Lima ; Juan Quiñones Miranda, Federation
of Popular Associations, Chiclayo ; Luis Arturo R. Tapia, CGTP
Lambayeque, Chiclayo ; Genaro Rodriguez, univesity professor, ADUNI,
Lima ; Hector Delfin Tapia Alvarado, farmers' community, San Jose,
Chiclayo ; Paul Martinez Mundaca, President, ACHONPE, Chiclayo ; Walter
Becerra Hernandez, SUT-MDL V, Chiclayo ; Daniel Vasquez Alcantara,
Federation of Popular Associations of Lambayeque, Chiclayo.
ECUADOR: Guillermo Santana, OSRT, Quito; Jaime Novillo Romero,
committee of veterans and pensioners of power companies EMELEC,
Guayaquil; Agustin Ramon Aviles, Treasurer, committee of veterans and
pensioners of power companies EMELEC, Guayaquil; Justo Lima Mendoza,
committee of veterans and pensioners of power companies EMELEC,
Guayaquil; Yolanda Añazco, permanent committee for the defense of women
workers rights; Kruskaya Sánchez, international commission of women
workers, AIT-Ecuador; Etza Jara, Associations of Contemporary Writers;
German Huayamave, committee of veterans and pensioners of the E.E.E. ;
Kleber Arevalo Miñan, President of ENLACE ; Jose Limaico, President of
the artistic and industrial society of Pichincha ; Ernesto Marchan,
Secretary General of the committee of power company workers, EMELEC ;
Emilio Bowen, committee of the power company EMELEC.
Lambayeque, Peru, June 12, 2004
**********
IRAQ
The lartest trade union in the United States calls for an end to the
occupation of Iraq and the return home of all U.S. troops.
Nearly 4000 delegates of Service Employees International Union (SEIU),
the nation's largest with 1.6 million members, voted unanimously at the
union's national convention in San Francisco today to end U.S.
occupation of Iraq and to bring U.S. troops stationed there home.
The strongly worded resolution pointed to military intervention aboard
and attacks on workers at home. The resolution charged the Bush
administration (backed by a majority in Congress) with responsibility
for declining wages and benefits, deunionization, cuts in public
services, crumbling health care and educational systems, cuts in
veterans benefits, escalating public debt, and eroding economic, social
and personal security.
The union proclaimed, "We cannot solve these economic and social
problems without addressing U.S. foreign policy and its
consequences."
It accused the Bush administration of using "deception, lies
and false promises to the American people and the world" to launch
a "unilateral, preemptive war" in Iraq, causing the death of
thousands of Iraqis and hundreds of U.S. soldiers, and costing taxpayers
hundreds of billions of dollars.
The resolution aligned SEIU with the principles contained in the Mission
Statement of U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW), a national network of
labor organizations founded in 2003 to oppose war in Iraq and the Bush
administration's foreign policies of unilateralism, militarism and
preemptive war. USLAW has more than 70 affiliated labor organizations,
including a dozen SEIU's largest local unions.
Those principles include
a just foreign policy based on international law and global justice;
an end to U.S. occupation of Iraq;
redirecting the nation's resources from "inflated military
spending" to meeting human needs;
supporting U.S. troops by bringing them safely home;
protecting labor, civil and immigrant rights and civil liberties; and
solidarity with workers around the world struggling for labor and human
rights, and those in the U.S. who support U.S. foreign and domestic
policies that "reflect our nation's highest ideals."
The union resolved to work with all religious, community, political and
foreign policy groups (such as USLAW) that are committed to a set of
principles delineated by SEIU President Andy Stern in a letter to
President Bush in January 2003, which include: war as a last option, not
first resort; peaceful multilateral solutions to international disputes;
a foreign policy that prioritizes improving the lives of people around
the world; and protecting at home those rights and freedoms the
administration claims it seeks for people abroad.
The resolution was adopted without dissent after a half dozen or more
local union leaders rose to passionately advocate its passage. The
resolution had been submitted by the SEIU International Executive Board
for convention action based on resolutions submitted by Locals 49, 250,
535, 615, 715, 790, 1199NE, 1199P, and 1199NW.
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