ILC august the 02 of 2006

ILC august the 02 of 2006 :

A dossier of weekly information published by the International Liaison Committee of Workers and Peoples Issue 194 August 2, 2006 Price 0.50 Euros

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INTRODUCTION:

In this issue we are continuing with the report on the Geneva ILC Conference, which took place last June 11, 2006. You will find the speeches of Tol� Sagnon (Burkina Faso) and Jean-Charles Marquiset (France).

We are also continuing with the publication of the preparatory documents for the International Tribunal on Katrina, which will take place in New Orleans. We are publishing below an interview with Kali Akuno, one of the event's organizers.

GREAT BRITAIN: On the eve of the TUC and Labour Party congresses, many initiatives have been taken to demand that Blair and his policies must go.

MEXICO: We are publishing an interview about the struggle against the electoral fraud.

BOLIVIA: You will find below an article on stakes of the Consbreastuent buttembly, which will begin in Bolivia in the city of Sucre, on August 6.

PALESTINE: We are publishing a new letter from Louisa Hanoune to the Dialogue Editorial Board in relation to the preparation of the International Conference in Solidarity with Palestinian Women.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1: Introduction p. 2: ILC Geneva Conference p. 3: United States: Tribunal on Katrina p. 4-5: Great Britain: On the eve of the Labour Party and TUC congresses p. 7: Mexico: Interview with R.A. Brindis, candidate of the PTDI p. 7: Bolivia: On the eve of the Consbreastuent buttembly p. 8: Preparation for the International Conference in Solidarity with Palestinian Women

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Contact: Informations internationales Entente internationale des travailleurs et des peuples, 87, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis -75010 Paris -- France Site: www.eit-ilc.org

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13TH CONFERENCE IN DEFENSE OF THE ILO CONVENTIONS AND TRADE UNION INDEPENDENCE

Tol� Sagnon (Burkina Faso)

National Secretary of the General Confederation of Labor of Burkina Faso (CGTB)

I am the National Secretary of the General Confederation of Labor of Burkina Faso. I would like to speak about the life and struggle of the workers of Burkina. The situation in my country is not very different from the majority of African countries.

Our countries are subjected to the Structural Adjustment Plans (SAP), which are presented as "strategic frameworks in the struggle against poverty."

The results of these plans and frameworks are clear: Billions of dollars are funneled into these programs, which only spread more and more misery among the people.

In Burkina, for example, the percentage of the population living under the poverty line rose from 43% in 1998 to over 46% in 2003, according to the official statistics.

There is a small minority of the population who have become millionaires -- particularly the government officials and their lackeys -- by enriching themselves through the misery of the great majority. The people get poorer and poorer. In these conditions, social and popular struggles naturally arise.

Initiated by the CGTB, in the framework of the workers� movement, we have reached unity in trade union actions around all the very concrete social demands concerning better wages, pensions, advancements, lower prices for oil, water, electricity, grain, the end of the liquidation of the public enterprises, and the distribution of unemployment benefits.

All these struggles resulted in powerful struggles in 2005 and 2006. The government faced stronger and stronger mobilizations against a reform of the labor code, which would restrict the right to strike.

It is a restrictive definition even in comparison with the Consbreastution of Burkina Faso. It would only allow strikes for professional demands that were rejected by the bosses.

Thus, the trade union regroupment decided to mobilize the workers for a strike to defend the right to strike; we have the right and the duty to strike to fight for trade union liberties. We organized the mobilization. Last May 23 and 24, the trade union movement organized a general strike and, yesterday, June 10, while we were here, the workers were in the streets fighting for their demands.

That is why we registered a complaint to the Committee on Trade Union Liberties of the ILO, for the violation of Convention 87.

I mention all this to explain that that the point raised in the introduction concerning the drive to destroy confederations seems very pertinent to me. In the proposed reform, a confederation would not be able to call on all its members to fight for a demand presented to the government. The employer says, for example, in relation to our demand for lower taxes on oil, that it cannot fulfill this demand because the demand is addressed to the government.

Thus the possibility for the confederations to exercise their rights and duties as trade union organizations and regroupments.

We are still struggling today, and we think that international trade union solidarity -- like we are trying to develop here today -- can allow us to advance in the defense of our trade unions, which allow the working clbutt to defend some of its demands. And the defense of union rights is an integral part of our struggles. We are certain that this is the path needed to impose the independence of the trade union movement.

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Jean-Charles Marquiset (France)

Trade Unionist

Today, the norms and conventions of the ILO are being attacked. These conventions, 20 to 30 years ago, were far below the gains that had been won by workers in their own countries.

Today, however, with all the counter-reforms pbutted in various countries, we see that even in the countries with a more favorable situation, the norms and conventions of the ILO are an important point of leverage to conserve rights for the whole working clbutt of the concerned countries.

What is the root of this offensive aiming to integrate the trade unions? The root is the resistance of the working clbutt, which exists everywhere. Without a doubt, in all countries there are important struggles taking place. We recently saw this in France, where the workers with their trade unions smashed the attempts to destroy their collective guarantees.

There is this offensive, but things are not simple. For example, in France, there is a clear difference in perspectives between the confederate leadership of the CGT and the mid-level cadres, who called for the NO vote in the referendum of May 29 on the European Consbreastution. But the National Confederal Committee, as well as the ETUC -- an apparatus of the European Union -- had already called for the YES and organized forums in France for the YES. But the workers said NO, and the trade unionists mandated the CGT leadership to reject the Consbreastution.

Concerning the question of the new international, we should not be tricked by words. This is not a new trade union international. It is a framework like the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). In my opinion, the ETUC is not a trade union confederation. It does not defend the interests of workers. It co-legislates with the European Union the destruction in all countries of our collective guarantees. It is not a trade union organization.

When we read the draft statues of the "world confederation" it becomes clear that it will participate in the framework of the "new governance", under the aegis of the U.N., with regional divisions in Asia, Europe, America, and Africa, based on the U.N. zones.

This organization will not have the mandate to defend the ILO conventions or any of the conquests won by the workers.

In his last declaration, Bernald Thibault, the General Secretary of the CGT, said: "All the discussions in the trade union movement take place in the context of the emergence of a diverse international social movement that brings together trade unions, environmental movements, womens� movements, anti-globalization movements, and NGOs." This is not the role of a trade union organization, which must defend the specific interests of the workers movement.

Trade unionists exist to defend the interests and rights of the wage earners they represent -- that is, clbutt interests, which are in contradiction with the capitalists' interests.

Thus, a real discussion exists. I agree that we need a large discussion in all the trade unions, to discuss how to defend our collective guarantees.

A comrade told me that another CGT federation, the energy federation, will hold its congress in a few months, at a moment when the government is trying to privatize electricity, gas, etc. There is a proposal to modify the federation�s statutes. There is a proposal to replace the phrase "collective guarantees are the base of the federation" with the phrase "collective guarantees were the base of the federation." In other words, it is not necessary to continue to defend collective guarantees. This drive is against the existence of trade unions and collective guarantees. The framework of a trade union is to defend the specific interests of the clbutt.

Thus, in all countries we should discuss the draft statutes of this "world federation" on all levels. This is not a task for specialists. This concerns all those who see what the ETUC is doing today, who are angry about the damage done against our rights by this organization in all countries. This is what is on the agenda.

The CGT in France must take a position on this theme on September 27. I hope that, just as occurred in relation to May 29, the majority will oblige the leaders to reject participating in this world organization, which is only being built to destroy the workers, their rights, and the trade unions in all countries.

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UNITED STATES

International Tribunal on Katrina

We are publishing an interview, sent to us by a correspondent from the United States, with Kali Akuno, Outreach Coordinator for the Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund and Oversight Coalition (PHRF-OC), which is based in New Orleans.

QUESTION: August 29, 2006 marks the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. There will be a big official celebration at the time, organized by New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin. Tell us about this celebration.

KALI AKUNO: There are three aspects to this celebration that needed to be pointed out: (1) the overall intent, (2) the financing of the celebration, and (3) the logistics.

The intent of Mayor Nagin and his financial backers is to demonstrate to the world that New Orleans, the Big Easy, is back in business as a hot spot for tourists.

And the message to the Black majority and the poor is that we need only a small fraction of you to service the tourist industry -- mainly the Black performers and musicians, to show that the legacy of Black culture (jazz, blues, Creole culture) is still alive in the Big Easy. The rest of you are not needed.

What they're saying is that they can operate the city for the tourists based on ethnic cleansing, and using Latino immigrant labor, whose undocumented status leaves them wide open to super-exploitation. The Black majority has been excluded totally from the multi-billion dollar reconstruction effort. No-bid contracts to Bush's cronies and the elimination of affirmative action, labor and environmental requirements are the order of the day. This is what they call "reconstruction." It is based on the total exclusion of the Black majority.

Everywhere you look there are immigrant workers, mainly from Central America, who've been dumped on the streets as day laborers, working on a project-by-project basis, with no rights and less-than-minimum wages. They sleep under trees or in tents throughout the city. And if these workers protest their horrible working conditions and wages, they are detained, jailed, and deported.

In fact, anyone who resists this "reconstruction" scam is detained. The National Guard's main job is containment and repression of the Black majority in the city -- at quite a cost to the public, I should add: $500,000 per day. Last month the rate of incarceration was three times higher than at any time before Katrina.

QUESTION: You mentioned the financing of the official celebration. ...

K.A.: The financing tells the whole story. The platinum sponsor is Harrah's Casino. The next-level sponsor is Coca-Cola. The whole thing is a corporate bash aimed at telling the world that New Orleans is back as a hot spot for tourism.

There will be a big event August 29 at the Convention Center with Wynton Marsalis, among others. It's a high-ticket affair. All the main restaurants will have booths. And then they'll place a wreath at one of the canals, but they're not saying which, as they know there will be a mbuttive protest by the Black community wherever they go. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat like Nagin, is one of the official celebration sponsors. She has invited President Bush to come to Louisiana to attend the festivities and lead the nation in a National Day of Prayer for New Orleans. Talk about rubbing salt into the gaping wound! They will be stuffing their faces and "praying" for New Orleans while they continue to rob and pillage the people.

All the politicians, Democrats and Republicans, are behind this operation. Even elements in the Congressional Black Caucus are behind it.

QUESTION: What is the status of the people who've been displaced from their homes and have been unable to return?

K.A.: Mayor Nagin and the City Council have told these folks they must have their properties gutted out and boarded up by August 29, an arbitrary date -- or else their properties will be seized under eminent domain. There are upward of 60,000 properties targeted.

But how can folks return to their homes and businesses, how can they fix up their properties, if they have no resources? Their insurance claims have not been awarded. Their FEMA grants have not come through. Government funding has dried up. It's highway robbery. It's ethnic cleansing, pure and simple.

QUESTION: Tell us about the International Tribunal on Katrina and what it will be doing to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Katrina.

K.A.: The Tribunal emerged from the Survivors buttembly, held last December in Jackson, Mississippi. It was the first major event organized by the survivors -- with more than 5,000 in attendance -- to make their voices heard.

The idea that grew out of the buttembly was to hold the Tribunal at the end of August 2006, but time was too short to organize it properly. It now has been called for March 2007. But as a building block to the Tribunal, we are organizing an International Commission of Inquiry that will travel to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region from August 25 to September 3 to survey the region one year later and to gather evidence that will serve as a preliminary buttessment and will report to the Tribunal next March.

The Commission of Inquiry will include high-profile unionists, activists, human rights advocates, engineers and others from the United States, Azania (South Africa), Venezuela, Algeria, Brazil, France, and countries in the Caribbean.

Their presence in New Orleans will coincide with a commemoration protest organized by the PHRF and many other organizations involved in building a genuine Reconstruction movement rooted in the movement of the survivors themselves. There will be all sorts of meetings and actions from August 25 to 29 involving the survivors, many of whom will be returning from all across the country for the first time since they were forced to flee.

Immediately prior to August 25, we have issued a Call for a Week of Return -- for people to come home, reclaim their properties and stop the land grab. The fight for the Right to Return is at the heart of the Reconstruction movement.

QUESTION: In a recent article on "The Struggle for Reconstruction in the Gulf Coast of the U.S. South," Brother Saladin Muhammad, also a leader of PHRF-OC, argues that the Reconstruction movement that is being built in the Gulf Coast needs a political arm -- a Reconstruction Party -- if the Black mbuttes in the Gulf Coast and throughout the U.S. South are to achieve self-determination.

Brother Muhammad argues that a precondition for this is to break with, and become independent of, the Democrats and Republicans. "The Democratic Party," he argues, "is clearly trying to co-opt the Gulf Coast struggle to rebuild its base throughout the African American community, especially in the South."

And he continues: "A Reconstruction movement must not be subordinated to the priorities of the corporate-controlled Democratic and Republican parties or even to more progressive organizations like the Green Party. An independent Reconstruction Party is needed as the political arm of the Reconstruction movement."

What do you think of this proposal, and do you think it will be possible to run independent Black candidates on a Reconstruction platform in the local and state elections in 2007 to get the ball rolling for this Reconstruction Party?

K.A.: I support this perspective of a Reconstruction Party wholeheartedly. It might be possible, in fact, to begin this process before 2007. There are folks in the Reconstruction movement who are seriously considering running for the state legislature in November 2006 on a clear Reconstruction platform. The idea, still at the discussion stage, is to use this arena -- coming on the heels of the commemoration protests and Commission of Inquiry -- as a preliminary poll for our Reconstruction platform. This may not be possible given the short time before this election and all the legal requirements to get on the ballot.

But our aim is to develop this Radical Reconstruction platform and party -- with our own independent candidates -- within the next year or so. This is a political necessity for the movement. It must have its political arm to challenge all the parties and politicians that are financing or otherwise supporting the ethnic cleansing of the Black majority in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

QUESTION: Is there anything else you would like to add?

K.A.: Yes. This struggle needs broad national and international support. It needs human resources -- that is, volunteers willing to offer their expertise, time and energy. And it desperately needs financial resources.

We urge all unionists and activists across the United States to start a Survivors Solidarity Committee in your city. This can be done internationally as well. We also need unions and community-based organizations nationally and internationally to endorse the International Tribunal on Katrina and support its efforts. We need everyone's support urgently.

Funds for PHRF-OC can be sent to us care of the Vanguard Foundation, 383 Rhode Island St. #301, San Francisco, CA 94103. Checks should be made payable to PHRF-OC.

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GREAT BRITAIN

Blair Must Go NOW! His policies must go with him!

In Great Britain, July is traditionally a month of intense political activity. The national unions just held their annual congress, in preparation for the two important congresses of the month of September: the national congress of the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) followed, fifteen days later, by that of the Labour Party. Let's look at the major developments in the political situation.

In a context marked by the sale of seats to the House of Lords by Blair to the heads of enterprises that benefited from the privatization of public services, the situation is above all marked by the general strike, on last March 28, against the reform of the pensions that the European Union wants to impose. A millions workers struck, on the appeal of their unions, to say no to the extension of the retirement age.

This strike, the most mbuttive since the 1926 general strike, concentrated the anger accumulated in relation to the unprecedented measures imposed by the British Labour Party government headed by Tony Blair.

Through this strike, the British working clbutt showed that it doesn't accept the the systematic privatisation of all public services, the handing over of the education system to private companies, faith groups and NGO's, over the recent invitation to big companies to take hold of the NHS, the systematic attacks on pensions whereas over two million pensioners live below the poverty line, and the delocation of all major industries with the active help of the European Union.

This unprecedented offensive to destroy all the gains won by the British labour movement was launched by the government that was put in place by the working clbutt.

Meanwhile, the government -- under the pressure of the EU -- is determined to go further and faster through the agenda drawn up by Brussels.

When cabinet minister Hilary Armstrong explains that they intend to attack pensions again she predicted that "the unions would accuse the government of reneging on the deal struck on pensions by the former minister." She "I have no doubt that this measure will be unpopular with the civil service trade unions and there is a risk of industrial action."

Everybody is conscious of where these policies are leading the Labour Party and the country.

Most of the trade unions in their national conferences either demanded Blair to quit now or demanded that a date be set for his departure. According to a recent poll two thirds of the Labour Party members want Blair to step down now.

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The members of the Labour Party and unionists who publish the bulletin The Link have launched an appeal

On the eve of the TUC and Labour Party congresses, the national trade unions have just made public their proposals to save the country and the party. They are right! They express the powerful and profound will of the whole British working clbutt.

In this situation of intense mobilization, the comrades of The Link have published an appeal breastled "Blair must go and his policies must go with him!"

We are publishing below a summary of the demands of the national trade unions.

GMB members said "take back what is ours, return the water system to the public sector."The rail workers said "the railways should be renationalised."Teachers and parents said education must be public: private sector, church groups, charities must remain out of schools!

Most of the trade unions in their national conferences either demanded Blair to quit now or demanded that a date be set for his departure.

According to a recent poll two thirds of the Labour Party members want Blair to step down now.

Yes, definitely, Blair must go and his policies must go with him.

We are now only a few weeks from the Labour Party conference .

Who will stand up and say enough is enough, it is not acceptable any longer, the course must be reversed?

Meanwhile, the government -- under the pressure of the EU -- is determined to go further and faster through the agenda drawn up by Brussels.

When cabinet minister Hilary Armstrong explains that they intend to attack pensions again she predicted that "the unions would accuse the government of reneging on the deal struck on pensions by the former minister." She "I have no doubt that this measure will be unpopular with the civil service trade unions and there is a risk of industrial action."

Everybody is conscious of where these policies are heading the Labour Party and the country.

Former New Labour minister Michael Meacher declared "the Party has reached a watershed with members, trade unions and MP's clamouring for a change of direction. There is a widespread feeling in the Party -- which I share -- that if we continue like this we are not going to win the next elections."

Amicus general secretary Derek Simpson warned that, "Labour will lose unless it recognises the deep concern of its core supporters." He added: "Without a serious change in direction, drawing away from the business agenda toward an agenda that recognises people's desire to be safe and secure and to be able to have a good quality of life, we will definitively lose."

UNISON's general secretary, Dave Prentis declared recently: "I give a message to those waiting in the wings to succeed Prime Minister Tony Blair; do not take this union' support for granted; you'll have to earn it." A new party leader will need to to abandon the ideological attacks on public services I do not want the Tories back I want a labour government, a real labour government but Labour will not be re elected unless it changes direction, restores trust and reconnects with his core voters."

They are right, that is what the population of this country is expecting. The trade union national conferences spell out what should be done to save the Party.

GMB members said "take back what is ours, return the water system to the public sector." The rail workers said "the railways should be renationalised."

Teachers and parents said education must be public: private sector, church groups, charities must remain out of schools!

Students and parents say no to tuition fees.

The T&GWU said trade union rights should be restored in compliance with ILO conventions.

At UCATT's conference, the president warned "that elements within Labour are intent on breaking the link between trade unions and the party."

He added: "Trade unions are intrinsically connected to the Labour Party, were are affiliates, were are part of the structure, were part of the of the rules. The Labour Party traditionally is the voice of the working clbutt movement and if you take all the trade union away from the Labour Party, we have nothing."

Who will make a stand and take take up these words along with Tony Woodley's warning that " the link between the Labour Party and the Union is not up for negotiation?."

Who will take up their responsibilities and say "I am a candidate to replace Blair and to campaign in this direction, to take up the mandate of the trade unions to act in favour of people's interests for peace, sovereignty and democracy?."

That's what people are waiting for. Who will take the responsibility for this campaign? They are right. This is what is needed to get " a real labour government that restores trust and reconnects with his core voters."

This is the only way to reconnect our Party with its core voters. This is the mandate the Labour Party should receive from the unions.

Who will stand up to say "I stand up to defend what has been built by our predecessors, to reconquer all the 1945 gains which have been destroyed and return to the public sector what has been privatised. I stand up for genuine Labour government policies?"

Derek Simpson said that "The argument that a flexible labour market attracts greater employment and investment is pie in the sky." He is right.

Who will stand up to say that this "pie in the sky" is caused everyday by European Union directives that must be implemented by every government?

TGWU general secretary Tony Woodley issues an open plea for direct government intervention to support Britain's remaining industry. He said that the government should "face their responsibility."

Who will stand up to say "that it is high time this country and its government ceases to be shackled by the European Union insbreastutions, it is high time its sovereignty was restored?."

UCATT's conference was absolutely right to denounce "the European Union service directive which makes it possible to hire foreign workers under the social conditions of their country of origin."UCATT'S President added that "This directive will create and empty social Europe."

UCATT's conference pointed out -- and rightly so -- that "health and safety provisions must apply on all building sites and that all workers must be hired without undermining national term conditions agreements."

That is a clear position of defence of the unity of the working clbutt. One of the delegates said it was a "disgrace that the Labour government should be supporting the country of origin principle." The general secretary added that, "the directive is part of an offensive against labour across the EU."

This is again absolutely right. With the European directives, which can replace the decisions taken by the national elected Parliament, the basic principles of political democracy, of Parliamentary sovereignty, here in Britain are under threat.

Who will stand up to say "that the role of the European insbreastutions, as they have been built by the Maastricht treaty is precisely to destroy all the insbreastutions of political democracy, to destroy national sovereignty, in Britain as well as in other countries?"

Who will stand up and put the trade unions and the Labour Party back on the road of sovereignty and independence, which implies to break the ties with the policies dictated by the European Union?

Millions of workers and their unions say stop the war against Iraq.Who will stand up and say the troops will be withdrawn now?

The Link's appeal concludes: "Who will stand up and say let's take the mandate of the unions and change course?"

This is what millions of unionists and Labour voters are waiting for.

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