Appeal for
a World Conference in Paris of Rail Workers
Against
Privatisation
Appeal
for a World Conference in Paris of Rail Workers Against Privatisation
Document
from Railroad Workers Union in Brazil on the state of the Brazilian
transportation system
World
Conference of Rail Workers Bulletin- Issue 1 (document in PDF)
Privatisation of the railways, like other public services
(telecommunications, energy, water distribution), is on the agenda
throughout Europe.
By use of a series of directives, beginning with directive 91-440 that
introduced the separation of the rail infrastructure from the rest of
the network, the European Union has entered the final stage of the total
privatisation of the rail networks.
March 2003 will see the introduction of competition for freight traffic
on the Trans-European network. The year 2006 will see the introduction
of competition throughout the European network for freight and passenger
traffic. The last European Summit, held in Barcelona on 15-16 March
2002, confirmed this objective: "actively take into
consideration the "second railway package" aimed at phasing in
competition in service delivery, based on an assessment of the first
one."
In France, the setting up of RFF in line with directive 91-440
marked the start of privatisation, introducing toll charges and making
them payable, for the moment, only to SNCF.
But privatisation also began with the setting up of subsidiaries and
European GIEs Groupings of Economic Interests. The results can be seen
with the disappearance of Sernam and the setting up of Eurostar
(Paris-London), Thalys (Paris-Brussels), and the France-Switzerland and
France-Italy sleeper train service.
We can also point to the setting up of Télécom Développement, the
subsidiary of Vivendi and SNCF. Another instrument of privatisation is
the introduction of regionalisation, which through Gayssot's Solidarity
and Urban Renewal law gives the regions absolute power with respect to
organising regional transport.
As a first consequence of this law, as shown in the agreements signed
between SNCF and the regions, the right to strike is brought into
question. The newspaper La Voix du Nord said as much to its
readers when it commented (24 January 2002) on the agreement reached
between the General Council of the Nord Pas de Calais and SNCF: "the
agreement with SNCF stipulates a minimum service".
The consequences of privatising the railways have unfortunately been
demonstrated in Great Britain with various disasters. The consequences
also include an increase in tariffs for rail-users and an increase in
flexibility for employees. We want none of that, and we are pleased to
note that our Belgian, Italian, Spanish, German and other colleagues are
also resisting against the same privatisation and deregulation. Our
Russian colleagues are facing the same problems. At a conference held in
Saint Petersburg in November 2001, organised by Russian rail trade
unionists and with the participation of railworkers from France and
Germany, a common balance-sheet was drawn up. The European Union is
simply implementing the decisions of the IMF and the World Bank, whose
only aim is to privatise and deregulate all public services.
At a conference against privatisation and deregulation held in Berlin in
February 2002, which brought together trade unionists from 51 countries
and every continent of the world, railworkers from France, Russia,
Germany and Brazil met up again.
The Brazilian colleague told us about the situation on the railways in
Brazil, which is the same throughout Latin America and the United States
too. Privatisation has led to the complete disappearance of passenger
traffic in Brazil and Argentina. Railworkers from Pakistan pointed out
to us that their government also intended to privatise the railways.
Following discussion and debate, the French railworkers who attended the
Berlin Conference have made the proposal to organise a world conference
of railworkers against privatisation of the railways and in defence of
the status of railworkers, to be held in France in February 2003.
Faced with the destructive plans of the IMF, the World Bank and the
European Union, only united resistance by the workers can force them
back. Considering that defending the railways is an integral part of
defending civilisation, in the same way as defending health, education,
energy.
Considering that the Russian, German, Brazilian an French delegates at
Saint Petersburg agree to call for a world conference;
Considering that at the Berlin Conference contact was made with
railworker delegates from Korea, Bangladesh, Italy, Greece, Switzerland,
Great Britain, Slovenia, Portugal and the United States;
We the undersigned support the proposal to organise a world conference
of railworkers in France in February 2003.
First signatories:
DEWASME Bertrand (Achères); VILPASTEUR Vincent (Achères); FERTE Loïc
(Amiens); REMANDE Jean Louis (Argentan); LE GUEN Michel (Argenteuil);
AMAROUCHE Jean Louis (Centraux); DENIS Henri (Centraux); GRILLET
Christiane (Centraux); IKONOMOV Michel (Centraux); LAINE Jean René (Centraux);
MERAUD Philippe (Centraux); RENARD Gilbert (Centraux); ROBERT Thierry (Centraux);
STACHOWIACK Tony (Centraux); LAMINETTE Gérard (Chambéry); MICHELLAND
Marie Louise (Chambéry); ROUGE Jacques (Chambéry); RUIZ Jean Michel (Chambéry);
WINDERBERGER Guy (Chambéry); COLLIN Daniel (Conflans Ste Honorine);
MAINON André (Conflans Ste Honorine); LE NORMAND David (Dijon); CORRIZI
Pierre André (Epinal); JACQUOT Nicolas (Epinal); JAMMES Gérard (Grenoble);
TIRMARCHE Joël (Grenoble); CARPENTIER Jean Michel (Hellemmes);
BOUILLONEC Jean Michel (Le Bourget); BOVAL Gilles (Le Bourget); GAUDEL
Grégory (Le Landy); FOUCHE Didier (Le Mans); FOUCHARD Dominique (Lyon
Part Dieu); HASSANI Mourad (Lyon Perrache); BESSE Pierre (Mantes la
Jolie); GOSSELIN Christophe (Mantes la Jolie); MEHAULT Yannick (Mantes
la Jolie); AGUEDAL Haddou (Marly le Roi); DELCLOS Nicolas (Marseille
Blancarde); HOURS Rémy (Marseille Blancarde); JOLET Christophe
(Marseille Blancarde); ROUVIERE Jacky (Marseille Blancarde); SAINT
SERNIN Robert (Marseille Blancarde); MARTI Joachim (Marseille St
Charles); TRIBOUT Jean Marie (Marseille St Charles); LOZENGUEZ Jean Marc
(Montpellier); BOISSELET Alain (Nancy); BOUIS André (Nevers); DERBAL
Omar (Noisy le Sec); PASSAT Claude (Orléans); GATARD Claude (Paris
Austerlitz); JAURIBERRY Christian (Paris Austerlitz); ACCART Richard
(Paris Nord); DELMOTTE Daniel (Paris Nord); FERTE Daniel (Paris Nord);
GAFFEZ Jean Pierre (Paris Nord); GRASA François (Paris Nord); HERMINE
Fred (Paris Nord); MIGNOT Stéphane (Paris Nord); REMI Lucien (Paris
Nord); SERENELLI Claudio (Paris Nord); TIDDA Jean Marc (Pais Rive
Gauche); ASCOET Jean Luc (Paris Saint Lazare); AUFERIL Alain (Paris
Saint Lazare): BLIVET Daniel (Paris Saint Lazare); BRIFFAUD Jacky (Paris
Saint Lazare); CATRIX Patrick (Paris Saint Lazare); CLAYETTTE Laurent
(Paris Saint Lazare); CLEDO Jean Paul (PSL Paris Saint Lazare);
COUTINEAU Joël (Paris Saint Lazare); DELAPORTE Michel (Paris Saint
Lazare); GILLAN Jean Marie (Paris Saint Lazare); LAMBERT Jacky (Paris
Saint Lazare); HERVIEUX Philippe (Rennes); HAOND Laurent (Roanne); SAINT
ANDRE Alain (Roanne); KERMICHE Michel (Rouen); LAPERT Patrick (Rouen);
BRUNO Claude (Saint Dié); BOISSINOT Claude (Saintes); BOUILLYER Régis
(Saintes); DESHAYES Michel (Saintes); POITOU Guy (Saintes); HARANT
Didier (Soissons); CALIPPE Gabriel (Sotteville); DEVEAUX Patrick (Sotteville);
LEMASLE Arnaud (Sotteville); PESNEL Didier (Sotteville); BREANT Philippe
(Saint Cloud); GILLES Sébastien (Saint Cloud); LE QUEFFINEC François
(Saint Cloud); LEGRAND Georges (Saint Cloud); PRIEZ Fabien (Saint
Cloud); SOLAS Jean Yves (Saint Cloud); SPARFEL Jean Pierre (Saint
Cloud); MEDINA José (Tours); ROS Joël (Tours); KADDOURI Ahmed
(Versailles Rive Droite); GOURVENEC Antoine (Villeneuve Saint Georges);
DONIN France (Ermont).
Name
Address
Signature
Donation
Please contact: Entente Internationale. Commission Cheminots, 87,
rue fu Fbg. St-Denis 75010 Paris. France
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