Open
World Conference of Workers
In Defense of Trade Union Independence & Democratic Rights
Communique from the ILC on the Emergency International Conference
Paris January 11th 2003
The International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples decided to
convene an Emergency International Conference to be held on January 23rd
and 24th in Paris to state:
No to war! No to impending slaughter!
Right when the threats of war against Iraq are becoming more and more
precise and when the Bush administration has just mobilised 200,000
reservist soldiers, working class activists, trade unionists, leaders of
political and antiwar organisations around the world are responding to the
International Liaison Committee's Appeal, informing us they will attend
the Emergency Conference against war and exploitation.
From the United States shop steward delegates will attend the conference.
Among them is Clarence Thomas (outgoing secretary-treasurer, ILWU Local
10), who thus explains why he will participate:
"It is important for representatives from the U.S. labor movement to
be present in Paris at the Emergency International Antiwar Conference to
let working people around the world know that the politicians in the
United States who are preparing a bloody war against the people of Iraq do
not speak in our name. We refuse to allow Bush and the warmongers to use
our grief resulting from 9/11 as a cry for war.
"It is also important for workers everywhere to know that those in
the U.S. labor movement -- including the leadership of the AFL-CIO -- who
have not taken a stand against this war do not speak in the name of the
entire U labor movement.
"Since last summer there has been steady growth in labor opposition
to war against Iraq from local unions, central labor councils, state
federations and other groups, and a few high-ranking labor leaders have
also spoken out individually. Even the 21,000-member Teamsters local in
Chicago voted recently to oppose the war, despite the fact that the top
Teamsters' leadership is openly supporting Bush's policies toward Iraq.
"Still, though things are changing, there are still too many people
in the U.S. labor movement who -- in the aftermath of the unfortunate
events of 9/11 -- are reluctant to take a stand against the war for fear
of being labeled "unpatriotic."
"Though many do understand that the "War on Terrorism" is
being used to attack our collective-bargaining power, they fail to see
that the same thing is true of the war against Iraq and U.S. foreign
policy in general. Gene Bruskin, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO's Food
and Allied Trades department, put it well in his Oct. 7 letter to AFL-CIO
President John Sweeney, when he wrote:
"'I do not believe, however, that Bush's War policies are designed to
increase domestic security. They are, rather, a Trojan Horse for his
pro-corporate domestic and international agenda. His War of Terror and War
on Iraq have little to do with promoting security for the U.S. citizenry.
Rather, his foreign policy is designed to serve the same corporate
interests that drive his domestic policy, making the world safe for U.S.
multinationals. In the era of globalization, the two cannot be separated'."
"As a longshore worker who has been involved in a protracted struggle
against the Pacific Maritime Association, the Bush administration and a
whole array of multinational corporations such as Walmart (all members of
the West Coast Waterfront Coalition), I want to let the international
labor movement know that all of these forces tried to break our union --
and that none of this would have been possible without the "War on
Terrorism" and the impending war on Iraq.
"Both the USA Patriot Act and the war on Iraq are moves by the Bush
administration to take away not only our civil and human rights -- but
also our trade union rights, in the name of national security interests.
To attack unions, which represent a fundamental democratic institution in
any society, is to move in the direction of a totalitarian society.
"I will be in Paris to tell the story of our struggle for a decent
contract and to explain how everything that was thrown at us in the ILWU
-- indeed, everything today that's happening to our unions -- has
everything to do with the war effort.
"I feel it is important to speak about these issues, even though our
own International, the ILWU, has not yet taken a position against the war.
"We in ILWU Local 10 have a long history of being in the vanguard on
a whole number of issues, such as the anti-apartheid movement. It was a
rank-and-file action that led to the refusal by Local 10 to unload cargo
emanating from South Africa. Subsequent to that, the International got on
board.
"Local 10 is the local of Harry Bridges, the militant founder of the
ILWU. I will be in Paris at this international antiwar conference to let
working people know that the legacy of Harry Bridges and the fighting
tradition of the ILWU are alive and standing tall."
***
In Pakistan: The All Pakistan Trade Union Federation announces that they
intend to prepare new demonstrations against war in the days to come. They
say:
"We circulated the appeal to the Emergency International Conference
convened in Paris on January 23rd and 24th. We shall gather endorsements
before it is convened as a token of our steadfast support to that appeal.
We wish to appeal to rallies and we wish to invite other trade unions, in
Lahore and other towns in Pakistan to reassert our opposition to a war
against Iraq's innocent people" A delegate will attend the Paris
conference.
***
In Bangladesh, when American multinationals are trying to extend their
control over gas production, when the martial law is, in fact enacted in
Dacca the country's capital, on December 27th, the Workers Democratic
Party organised a rally against the war the Bush intends to unleash
against the Iraqi people.
The rally called on all the trade unions, the people's parties and,
peasant organisations, women's intellectuals' young people's organisations,
of India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka to unite in the struggle against
this unjust war. A delegate from Bangladesh will be present in Paris on
January 23rd and 24th
A delegate from India will be present; It was in Bombay that the
initiative to launch an appeal against war, for peace among the peoples of
India and Pakistan for the sovereignty of nations was taken. "Despite
its democratic proclamations, U.S. imperialism has a long history of
support to dictatorships, as long as they serve its greed for profit. The
People of Bangladesh experienced that in 1971; Today, India, Pakistan and
Bangladesh would sooner or later be preyed on by American imperialism if
it reaches its goal", says one of the union activists.
***
Trade unionists from the Philippines and Australia forwarded their
endorsements.
In China, right when the war is looming, the Liaoyang activists who have
been jailed for 10 months, are being tried, two of them, if convicted, may
incur the death penalty. The Hong-Kong anti-war coalition decided to send
a representative to the conference.
A leader of the metalworkers union of Korea will participate in the
conference. He states: "We decided to participate in the conference.
My comrades totally agree with the pre-requisites of the conference,
because they bear a close relationship with the issue of North Korea".
Right when the Ivory Coast is threatened with collapse, trade unionists,
representatives from numerous African countries will attend (Ivory Coast,
South Africa, Togo, Chad); they intend to say NO to war, NO to the ruin of
our continent.
In Mexico, a conference is being prepared, it will give a mandate to a
delegation to the emergency conference.
In Chile, a CUT leader will attend. An anti-war campaign is under way. In
a first stage, an appeal was countersigned by 900 endorsers who gave their
names to be published, among them many union leaders. A delegation to the
President of the Republic is being prepared: it will state: "no money
for war"
Union members of Brazil's CUT, members of parliament, leaders of the
Workers' Party will be with us.
In Romania, union leaders, rank and file are circulating an appeal "against
the United States aggression policy across the world, against the war in
Iraq and against Rumania joining NATO." They will send a delegate.
In Spain, a delegation will be present. It is supported by a letter to the
president of the Spanish government Jose Maria Aznar, launched by union
members that says: " not one Euro, not one soldier for the war in
Iraq". That letter supports the appeal of the San Francisco AFL-CIO
to the January 18th day of mobilisation against war.
Trade unionists from Great Britain are preparing a delegation to Tony
Blair. A delegation from Britain will be present in Paris.
German trade unionists, member of the SPD will participate in the
emergency conference. An appeal to SPD Bundestag deputies is being
circulated: "It is not too late: maintain a firm final NO to war".
The appeal concludes with: "Take a public stand. You will thus join
the resistance movement throughout the world, and especially among the
American people against the Bush administration. We gave you a majority
vote. You have the power to forbid German approval of the war! The tide
can turn. Without any wavering, and heeding the determination of German
people: NO to war! German soldiers participating in interventions abroad
must be withdrawn! The treasury must recover the 1.6 billion Euros
expenses they cost."
To date, delegates from more than 30 countries have confirmed they will
participate in this Emergency International Conference Against War and
Exploitation.
They will participate in the January 24th internationalist public rally at
the Mutualite Hall in Paris.
The international emergency conference against war will begin on January
23rd at 10 a.m. in Paris. It will close on Friday 24th by the end of
afternoon.
A report meeting will take place in the evening.
For application and all questions of organisation, contact the
International Liaison Committee.
Entente Internationale des Travailleurs et des Peuples - 87
rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis 75010 Paris France
Tel: (33 1) 48 01 88 28 E-mail eit.ilc@wanadoo.fr