Trabajadores de Coca Cola – 75 horas de huelga de hambre

Ante la gravedad de la problemática que estamos atravesando los trabajadores de la multinacional Coca Cola - INDEGA S.A. – COCA COLA FEMSA, el pasado 31 de octubre de 2016, cuatro (4) trabajadores iniciaron una huelga de hambre como respuesta a la permanente violación de nuestros derechos. En la misma fecha fue entregado a la empresa y al Ministerio de Trabajo un memorial con sesenta (60) violaciones cometidas por Coca Cola a la ley y a la convención colectiva de trabajo.
La Huelga de Hambre tuvo lugar hasta el 4 de noviembre de 2016 y se levantó previo acuerdo entre la empresa y Sinaltrainal con el Ministerio de Trabajo como garante. La empresa suspende dos (2) llamados a descargos disciplinarios, se instalan mesas de trabajo que conduzcan a resolver la problemática y no habrá represalias contra los trabajadores.
Una vez levantada la huelga de hambre, la empresa suspendió los dos llamados a descargos, pero a cambio citó a descargos a CUATRO (4) dirigentes sindicales como retaliación por la protesta realizada (ALVARO NAVARRO, LUIS JAVIER CORREA SUÁREZ, ALEXANDER RINCÓN Y JUAN MANUEL CONCHA). Ya fue despedido ALVARO NAVARRO, se está a la espera que el Ministerio de Trabajo autorice el levantamiento del fuero por estabilidad laboral reforzada.
Lo anterior condujo a SINALTRAINAL a reiniciar la jornada de exigibilidad de los derechos de los trabajadores, de la cual hace parte que DOS (2) dirigentes sindicales, LUIS JAVIER CORREA SUÁREZ y ALEXANDER RINCÓN, reiniciaron la huelga de hambre el pasado 21 de noviembre desde las 5.30 a.m. a la entrada de la Planta de Bucaramanga, a la fecha llevan más de 75 horas sin consumir alimentos viendo seriamente comprometida su salud.
En las primeras horas del 23 de noviembre, otros trabajadores de la planta de Cúcuta se sumaron a la Huelga de Hambre y hoy jueves 24 lo hicieron trabajadores de la planta de Medellín.
En las demás embotelladoras de Coca Cola, los trabajadores de la multinacional afiliados a Sinaltrainal desarrollamos los mítines de apoyo y otros compañeros se prepararan para sumarse a esta importante tarea.

A la problemática que se vive en la empresa, ahora se suma la revocatoria del despido, la suspensión de los llamados a descargos y el cumplimiento del acuerdo a que llegamos en el Ministerio de Trabajo.
A las 10:40 a.m. del 22 de noviembre, a solicitud de la empresa Coca Cola un grupo de policías dirigido por el Subintendente Julio Sánchez y el Teniente Harry Serrano hizo presencia en el sitio donde se desarrolla la huelga de hambre en Bucaramanga para proceder a incautar las carpas, el sonido y demás implementos, intimidando a los huelguistas con llamar al ESMAD para que nos desalojaran. Coca Cola utiliza todo su poder para que el estado reprima nuestras reclamaciones.
Desde la declaración de la huelga de hambre se han realizado dos (2) reuniones con la Viceministra de Trabajo, Doctora Mariela Barragán, quien está buscando que la empresa se siente nuevamente y se concrete la búsqueda de salidas a la grave situación laboral.
Hemos comunicado a las autoridades nacionales, embajadas de los Estados Unidos y México nuestra petición para que intervengan para que Coca Cola no continúe agrediendo a los trabajadores y al pueblo de Colombia.

Solicitamos la solidaridad inmediata enviado notas a: Señor CARLOS DUEÑAS, Vicepresidente de Recursos Humanos de Coca Cola FEMSA, carlos.duenas@kof.com.mx – Señora LINA MARÍA SENDOYA, Gerente Nacional de Relaciones Laborales, lina.sendoya@kof.com.mx Con copia a Sinaltrainal, secretarianacional@sinaltrainal.org

Sinaltrainal Presente

Bogotá, 24 de noviembre de 2016.
Visítenos. www.sinaltrainal.org

WFTU Extends its Solidarity to the Pilots of Lufthansa

23 Nov 2016

EUROPE, GERMANY

The World Federation of Trade Unions representing 92 million workers in every country of the world stands in solidarity with the pilots of Lufthansa in Germany and their fair demands for salary increase according to the modern day needs.

The pilots’ trade union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) demands 3,7% salary raise, while the company is trying to reduce the “operational cost” without giving real wage increase. On the occasion of the two day strike, on the 23th and 24th of November 2016, we extend our solidarity to their struggle.

THE SECRETARIAT

CTB: Criminalization of social movements and public system dismantlement

The Brazilian right-wing parties engendered a coup and impeached the elected President Dilma Rousseff, to implement a political project that was defeated at the polls in 2014. The first measures criminalize the social movements and undermine the public education and health system.
On November 4, 2016 the civil police of Sao Paulo invaded the National School of Florestan
Fernandes (ENFF), an educational entity that belongs to the Landless Workers Movement (MST), in Guararema, São Paulo State. According to the Landless Workers Movement, the police raid left two wounded. One of them
had a broken rib. Two members were arrested. “We are living in a State of exception,” one of the LWM said. “Just like the violence they are using against the schools occupations”.
A project approved in the Senate, withdrew the obligatory participation of Petrobras, Brazilian state owned company, in the exploration of the pre-salt oil deposit and therefore cancelled the 75% of the royalties for education and 25% for health, as it was previously expected. The new Minister of education, Mendonça Filho wants the implementation of the project called “school without party”.
This project seeks to censor the teachers in the classroom, forbidding them to comment the content taught, with the argument that teachers are promoting a “Marxist indoctrination” in schools. Moreover, the federal Government had sent to Congress the interim measure 746, that reforms high school programs, by putting an end to subjects such as Philosophy, Sociology, Arts and physical education.
And to make matters worse the members have already approved the bill and sent to the Senate a Proposal of amendment to the Constitution that freezes for 20 years the investments in education and public health. The response of the young people was immediate: There are currently more than 200 universities and about 600 secondary schools occupied all around the country and the movement keeps on growing.
The repression against the students occupying their schools has been particularly violent and unlawful: In Brasilia, judge Alex Costa de Oliveira authorized the use of torture against adolescents to vacate a school. He allowed military police to surrounded schools, cut the supply of water, electricity and gas, as well as to prevent the entry of food and visitors. He allowed in his court order the use of noise at night to prevent student from sleeping. The high school student Ana Júlia Ribeiro, 16 in a historic speech in the Legislative Assembly of Parana state said that students know what they are fighting for. “We’re not fooling around. Our banner is education. We are movement that worries about future generations, about society and about the future of the country, “she said, visibly emotionally moved.
“In addition, they want to prevent the discussion of gender issues in schools, preventing a healthy discussion about sex education and gender equality” claimed Camila Lanes, President of the high school trade unions. With the the slogan “occupy and Resist”, students from all corners of Brazil reaffirmed the hope of better days in the country and even under the heel of institutionalized violence in post-coup Brazil, promise to defend public education until the end.
São Paulo, 21 November 2016

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Strike is Settled

(PHOTO: New York Times)

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra settled a 55-day strike on Wednesday, just in time for Thanksgiving. The strike was resolved after its musicians agreed to freeze their defined benefit pensions and management settled for an initial 7.5 percent wage cut, half of what it had been seeking.

The five-year contract, which was ratified on Wednesday, paves the way for the orchestra — a major ensemble that is scheduled to perform this summer at the prestigious Salzburg and Lucerne festivals in Europe — to return to work next week. The orchestra will play a pair of free “The Music Has Returned!” concerts on Dec. 2 and 4 with its music director, Manfred Honeck.

The Pittsburgh strike on Sept. 30 sent shock waves through the classical music world. The smaller Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in Texas had gone on strike earlier that month (and remains out of work), and, also on Sept. 30, the storied Philadelphia Orchestra began a strike that lasted 48 hours, raising new questions about how symphony orchestras are adapting to their 21st-century challenges.

Pittsburgh’s management, warning that the orchestra was running out of cash, called for freezing the musicians’ pensions, cutting their pay by 15 percent in the first year and temporarily reducing the size of the ensemble. The union expressed openness to moving from a defined benefit pension plan to a defined contribution plan, provided there were provisions to help those most adversely affected — but they balked at the large pay cut. They went on strike.

The new contract calls for a 7.5 percent cut in the first year, which the orchestra said would have been 10.5 percent had an anonymous donor not stepped in. The contract calls for the players to be restored to their current base salary — approximately $107,000 — in the fifth year. The orchestra accepted a new defined contribution retirement plan, and management agreed to additional contributions to the musicians who would suffer the most. And the ensemble, which has a current complement of 99 musicians and two librarians, will retain that size but keep three open positions unfilled.

“These were painful and substantial concessions,” said Micah Howard, the chairman of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Committee. “But we agreed to work with management to face our financial challenges head-on.”

(Story courtesy of New York Times)

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El Super campaign continues...One day longer, one day stronger!

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Delores Huerta visits El Super Picket in Los Angeles

¡Si Se Puede! 

Meeting of NUM, AITUC and the WFTU in the Central Offices of WFTU

21 Nov 2016

AITUC, GREECE, NUM

Delegates from NUM, Kolekile David Sipunzi and Patrick Mathebane, and AITUC B.V.Vijayalakshmi, visited the Central Offices of WFTU in Athens Greece. During their visit they met the WFTU President Michael Mzwandile Makwayiba, the WFTU General Secretary George Mavrikos and the member of the WFTU Secretariat Alberto Reyes from Panama.

For failure of Coca-Cola, Workers Restarted the Hunger Strike

From 5:30 A. M. of the 21st of November 2016, workers of Coca-Cola affiliated to Sinaltrainal, went on hunger strike, in the bottling plant of the multinational company in the city of Bucaramanga, department of Santander in Colombia.

On November 4, the workers who were on Hunger Strike in Bucaramanga and Medellin, by believing in the word of the representatives of the administration of Coca-Cola, which pledged before the Deputy minister of Labour to give samples of good-will for the labour dispute of workers of Coca Cola, ended the Hunger Strike that had started on 31 October 2016, as the multinational company is committed to meet with Sinaltrainal on the 11th of the same month and year, to agree the methodology of the national and regional meetings where they would discuss the agenda of the problem job presented by the trade union organization and thus to give a definitive solution, the same! orally committed to protect the life and integrity of the workers, respect the right of association and freedom of association, in addition and at the request of the same Ministry, the company undertook to erect two releases which at that time were in the process of Santa Marta and Bucaramanga. But to the surprise of all, at the end of the hunger strike, Coca Cola called disclaimers to the workers and leaders of Sinaltrainal Juan Manuel Concha, Alvaro Navarro, Alexander Corner, and Javier Correa, for taking part in the protest in front of the Coca Cola bottling plant in Bucaramanga, the 3rd day of November in support of the workers who were on a hunger strike. 

Additional to the coup treacherous done to the workers after ending the hunger strike, the multinational Coca Cola and their front men, are in violation of the due process established in the CCTV to effects of called upon to discharge and before the rush to make such notifications of these disciplinary procedures to employees within the legal terms, reported, and left sealed envelopes with documents in stores, they looked to the workers in their houses, placed to the company's employees as witnesses to fabricate testimony, to justify their black intentions of punishing the workers through layoffs and thus suppress the right to protest, even to the extent of having  finished the diligence of disclaimers worker Alvaro Navarro, without having accepted the witnesses of the worker, subsequently, and outside of legal terms, Coca-Cola cited by separate witnesses to sign the minutes of his testimony.

To the list of things to you, Coca-Cola commits another violation of due process, as it attempted to deliver to Leonardo Castro, a worker at the multinational company in Cucuta and leader of Sinaltrainal, the letter of dismissal of the worker Alvaro Navarro, will be effective if it manages to remove the legal protection that has the worker for their health problems. 

We demand the intervention of the competent authorities to stop the abuses of the Multinational Coca Cola in Colombia, is obliged to respect the right of Association, freedom of association, to cease its policy of persecution of trade unionists and their workers, which is required to protect the life and integrity of workers and their families under threat of death, to revoke the illegal disciplinary proceedings and denying their intentions to lift the immunity law and did not dismiss the worker Alvaro Navarro, which penalizes the violation of the CCTV and the right to due process, that respects the Rights of workers who are sick of diabetes and allows them to consume natural juices and maintain a healthy diet within the restaurant that works to the interior of Coca-Cola, we demand that you take responsibility to ensure all medical attention necessary to the worker! Andrés Olivar, a leader of Sinaltrainal in Bogotá, who is seriously ill and do not continue pressing to accept to renounce his employment contract in exchange of bad economic agreements, which will solve the problems of environmental pollution generated by the company, and in particular the smells stinker that they should support the workers when they consume the food within the Coca Cola bottling plant in Bucaramanga, which is repaid in a timely fashion the wages of all workers, pay correctly the inabilities of the workers who are sick, among others.

We ask for the solidarity immediately sent notes to: Mr. CARLOS DUEÑAS, Vice president of Human Resources of Coca-Cola FEMSA, carlos.duenas@kof.com.mx - with a copy to Sinaltrainal galvisgalvis@yahoo.es 

4 th Congress Of PAME Concluded With Great Success

On Sunday afternoon, November 20, concluded with great success the 4th National Congress of PAME. In the Congress took part 1226 delegates and observers, representing 13 National
Federations, 15 Regional Labour Centers, 451 first level unions and 52 Workers’ Committees. As was stated in the introduction, “…these organizations are the force that makes PAME the trade union front, which for 17 years has established itself in the minds of the workers as the representative of the class oriented trade union movement of Greece, the All Workers Militant Front, PAME.”
The Congress opened with the introduction of the Executive Secretariat and the Greetings by
 The President of the World Federation of Trade Unions, Michael Mzwandile Makwayiba (Video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhqWx4ffpLA )
 The General Secretary of the International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions, Ghassan Ghosn ( Video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H1S_M2fKjU )
 The General Secretary of the Pancyprian Labour Federation, PEO, and Head of the
European Regional Office of WFTU, Pambis Kyritsis ( Video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb2Hs2H60u0
And Greetings from representatives of the Social Alliance in Greece, from the National Federation of Women, Farmers Unions, Self-employed Associations and the Students Militant Front. The floor opened for the National Delegates.
The 1st day of the Congress concluded with the International Seminar, where international delegations took the floor and transferred information from their countries, solidarity messages and presented mementos of friendship. The 2nd day of the Congress continued with speeches from National Delegates and more than 80 speakers transferred their experience, proposals and criticism. The Congress concluded with the Elections for new National Committee, Executive Secretariat and Finance Committee.
Photos at: https://plus.google.com/+PamehellasGr/posts
Athens, November 21, 2016

Speech of B.V.Vijayalakshmi at the International Seminar on “The Trade Unions against anti workers policies, imperialiast interventions and wars” at Athens

19 Nov 2016

AITUC, ASIA, EUROPE, GREECE, INDIA

Dear Comrades and Friends,
Good evening to all.

At the outset I would like to express my proud pleasure to be a part of this most important seminar. Most important it is in the prevailing grim state of affairs around the world. A seminar to perceive the immeasurable sway of imperialism across the globe and the portending dangerous wars is imminent for the international trade union movement, particularly the class oriented revolutionary trade unions like us. For, it is the working class that are the ‘grave diggers’ of capitalism and history now beckons us to advance ahead to demolish the system of barbarism to usher in an era of peace and equality.
Our topic for the seminar is so thoroughly thought out that it lays down the matrix of the socio political and economic constrictions that imperialism employs to strangulate its subservient nations in order to establish its political hegemony. To approach this topic it is only the most appropriate to turn to Comrade V I Lenin who has given the most precise and the fullest ever definition of imperialism as, “Imperialism is a specific historic stage of capitalism. The imperialist epoch of capitalism of the 19th and the early 20th century has now grown into gargantuan proportions as humanity never had witnessed before. We are here to perceive the draconian dimension of the 21st century imperialism characterized by the twin onslaughts of economic repression and military aggression exercised by the gripping political influence that the imperialist power of the day, the USA has over the growing economies of the world.
One of the most visible successes of imperialism in the post cold war period was the defeat of the Soviet Union and the destruction of the post-capitalist property relations in the former Eastern Bloc states as well as in China and Vietnam. The planned economies implemented here had brought not only social progress but also had successfully restricted the scope of operation of the global capital. But the resurgence of capitalism in the later part of the 20th century came with revengeful vigour. The bourgeoisie succeeded in an enormous geographical expansion after it had been excluded from these regions for decades and strengthened itself internationally in relation to the working class and oppressed people in the third world.
At the beginning of the 1980s, the imperialist bourgeoisie began a concerted offensive against the social and political gains of the working class and the oppressed peoples that were made during the years of economic boom which lasted till the 70s. The rise of the East Asian economy, the Greek economic miracle, the Italian economic miracle, the economic growth stories of Japan, West Germany, France had experienced the unprecedented jolt with the collapse of the Bretton Woods monetary system in 1971 followed by the oil crisis in 1973, 1973-74 crash of the stock market and the worst economic recession of the 1970s. The growing economies were brought down to their knees for further structural adjustment dictated by the dominant power of USA. United States of America used its political and economic superiority to weild its power through the World Bank – IMF and the WTO. Debt trapped developing nations like walked willingly into the contrivance of the Structural Adjustment Programmes that came as the dictates of the financial masters. Capitalism began to hit back with more vehemence thereafter.
Economic repression of imperialism
Growth of monopoly capital is the quintessence of imperialism. USA moved decisively in this direction to monopolise and weild its power to influence the political and economic spheres of the beneficiary nations. Lenin saw the growth of monopolies as the most fundamental defining feature of imperialism. This process of monopolisation is advanced dramatically in the period of capitalist globalisation. Through the dictated philosophies of neo liberal economic globalization in the last two to three decades USA holds its grip over the political and economic spheres. This has caused untold miseries and enormous hardships to workers across the world.
In India as anywhere else in the rest of the world, capitalism plays havoc into the lives of the people. The Welfare state character of our country is given a go by to summarily adopt a full fledged laissez faire concept. Market liberalization and privatization has choked the economy rendering several crores of workers jobless. Unemployment, wage cut, wage freeze, retrenchments, layoffs, closures all at once have made the lives of workers absolutely miserable. Laying seize over the fertile middle class market of over 450 million, the MNCs and TNCs have captured the Indian market thereby killing the indigenous market. The consecutive governments since the 80s, paying obeisance to the imperialist powers have been making policies that cater to the needs of the super powers. FDI in the banks, insurance, defence, retail trade, real estate, pharmacy, farming etc,. have spelt the worst disaster on the Indian market and the Indian worker in turn. To cap it all, the present government at the center with its lenience towards extreme right is all set to amend the labour legislations in favour of the capital.
This, I am sure is the onslaught of capital in all the other parts of the world as well. In India, we have the trade union unity emerging and concretising against the policies of the government. But politicalisation of the workers is in a pace not in resonance to the spiralling speed of the capital. Politicalisation of the workers is the most imperative task, for the workers are the battalions to fight and finish the barbaric advance of the capitalists.
Finance capital is a new form of capital, in which the owners of capital in the form of stocks own not only banks and other financial institutions but industrial corporations as well. Even more remarkable however, has been the increased importance of multinational corporations, that is, globally active monopolies. Today, these firms, together with their affiliates, control two thirds of world trade. The 300 biggest companies own one quarter of all productive assets worldwide and control more than half of the world market in consumer durables, steel, airlines, electronics, oil, computers, media, aerospace and cars.
Such is the scale of accumulation of capital. The theory of imperialism attributes these asymmetries to the systematic transfer of the value created in the dominated regions to the dominating capitalists. This transfer is concretised through the deterioration of the terms of trade, the extraction of financial resources and the transfer of industrial profits. The net political effect of this drainage is the loss of the political autonomy of the ruling classes and the increasing level of US military intervention. This is the concerted and calculated economic imperialism of the US exercised on the nations.
Economic imperialism of more sophistication and surrogacy is evident in the movement of around 4 trillion US dollars as foot loose fictitious capital that is involved in the speculative market. This gargantuan amount used for economic maneuvering is deprived to the world for industrial capital. India is no exception to such economic imperialism.
Understanding such as this economic imperialism is imperative for us to comprehend the historic thirst of the United States of America for global power. American foreign policy is governed by the doctrine of “full-spectrum dominance”, which means .that the US should control military, economic and political development worldwide. Fullest expression of this dogma is expressively illustrated in the divergent form of US imperialism during the past three decades: military driven intervention, occupation and domination; and economic expansion and exploitation of resources, markets and labor should be understood as a ‘unified whole’ in which the two basic components, military and economic are always complimentary.
Full spectrum dominance of the US imperialism encompasses not only the illegal domination it exercises over the nations but also the dominance over planets and satellites. Amazing growth of Information and communication technology during the past decade is best appropriated by the US imperialism to serve its purpose. This is media imperialism which is used to manufacture consents and manipulate the conflicts. Media engineers the consent of the people for the capitalist barbarism and manipulates to glorify the US wars in the name of peace.
Self proclaimed economic might of the US justifies its right to exercise military control over the other nations. US stamp its boots in any part of the world with utter disregard to the UN charter and violate the international laws with unparalleled arrogance. This is done in absolute impunity to expropriate the land, labor, capital, natural resources, commerce, and markets of that other country.
Military aggression of Imperialism
Permanent war is the official US policy.US has a complex economy termed as the ‘War Economy’.. Economists even opine that US economy is essentially needs a war every four years to sustain and grow. US imperial state invested trillions of dollars in military expenditures, hundreds of thousands of military personnel into wars in the Middle East -Iraq, Yemen, and Syria; North and East Africa Libya, Somalia;, Afghanistan in South Asia. Etc,. Comprising only just 5% of the world population, the US accounts for 40% of total military spending. US’ war history is notorious to the fact that US instigates wars between neighboring countries and sells its arms and ammunition to both the combatants. We experience it in India where the US provokes war like situation between India and Pakistan and sells its arms and missiles to both. Defence budget of India is so huge that to that extent growth is deprived.
The war mongering USA tramples upon all the UN restrictions but wages war not only with impunity but also scores the support of the other nations. Typical ‘His Master Voice’ subservience is at display on the global stage.
Washington has continuously draped its predatory policies in the Middle East in the false banners of “human rights” and “democracy.” The “Operation desert fox” in December 1998, the indiscriminate bombing of civilian sites for four consecutive days to the most naked war on humanity under the falsehood that Iraq was possessing “weapons of mass destruction” were blatant lies that US held out to the comity of nations.
The bombing on Libya ‘to protect the people and restore peace’ was a blatant crime carried over by a group of nations, the merceneries of the USA. Libya under the rule of Gaddafi was peaceful and growing. There was no credible reason for NATO bombing Libya. US just did not like Gaffafi nationalizing the oil wealth lest it would be difficult for them to lay their free hands upon.
Imperialism can be the nastiest in its pursuit for political power is evident in the fact that USA time and again engages itself in creating and nurturing groups like Al quaeda and ISIS which spread terror across the globe. US has now implanted the venom of ‘Islamophobia’ to justify its ‘war on terror’. This is institutionally manipulated as ‘clash of civilisations’ to alienate a section of humanity. This simultaneously nurtures religious divide and antagonism. This is most dangerous. Divide and rule is the fundamental gospel of imperialism from its birth. We feel its ramifications in India, a pluralistic and secular country. International trade unions should take a serious view of this dangerous phenomenon.
It is the US imperialism that deprives the legal rights of the Palestinians. Palestine issue itself is the epitome and embodiment of imperialist aggression. The Israeli occupation of Palestine land, the Gaza and the west bank indisputably belong to Palestine. Israeli occupation is illegal and violative of the UN resolution. But the US supports Israel and therefore Palestinians continue to suffer the worst of human tragedies. Without the huge economic and military assistance provided by the United States and to a lesser extent from certain European governments, there can be no doubt that Israel would not be able to maintain indefinitely its aggressive and uncompromising policy towards the Palestinians, and would be forced in time to negotiate a more favourable settlement with them.
Latin America has always been the other eye sore of the US imperialism. In 1974 the democratically elected President and socialist leader Salvador Allande of Chile was overthrown by the armed forces and the national police. This was operated by the then US President Richard Nixon. After paying heavy toll to the economic imperialism for more than three decades the Bolivarian revolution has installed strong left regimes in the region. Emergence of socialist blocs in Latin America are seen with contempt and fear. The recent coup against the Brazilian President Dilma Rousuff is deliberately engineered by the US. Brazil has joined the list of successful coups in Honduras, and Paraguay in the recent past.
Emergence of BRICS is viewed with hostility by the imperialist powers. The development in Brazil with installation of its puppet regime is to be seen together with the game plan of the US to destroy the BRICS.
But the developing world have been coming closer to create regional economic integration too. While BRICS has formed the BRICS development bank, ALBA the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas on December 14, 2004 between Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez has thrown a real challenge to the growing US imperialism that preys on the human squalour. ALBA is based on the idea of regional integration based on the principles of solidarity, social justice, complementarity, and cooperation aimed at transforming geopolitical relations in the western hemisphere. Many governments in Latin America have come to the conclusion that they have a chance to eradicate poverty, reduce the existing gross inequalities, expand and consolidate democracy, develop a participating and conscious citizenry, grow economically, and strengthen national sovereignty only if they do it collectively. In this regard the ongoing process of regional integration is central. Impressive steps have also been taken to eliminate racism, bigotry, gender and sex discrimination, and intolerance towards sexual diversity. In all these regards Latin America shows not only that another world is possible but is being built right now.
Another World is possible where there are no wars but only peace. No discrimination only equality. This is the alternative to imperialism. The alternative is Socialism. Socialism has to be built. History has proved that it is the working class that can build that alternative society. Workers organized under the class oriented trade unions have to rise up to build the socialist world.
Workers have done it. Now history beckons them to play the role destined to them. It is only the working class that can overthrow capitalism and reconstitute society on socialist lines. The trade unions are an expression of the organised working class. This is why the unions are a key consideration in the perspectives for changing society. Trade unions are the weapons and the class oriented ideology is the strength. Winning workers to the ideas of socialism by politicalising them is the immediate task before us. Building, expanding and strengthening left wing, class oriented trade unions with a clear socialist programme to overthrow capitalism and establish a socialist state is our objective. Workers should be politicalised. There is no other short cut. Class oriented trade unions should do it, starting the process now. Fight the global enemy locally and internationally should be our guideline. Economic expropriation, political recolonisation and military interventionism are the three pillars of the current imperialism that have to be demolished. Trade unions should prepare the workers to do it.

LONG LIVE PEACE – NO TO WAR
LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY-UNITE FOR PEACEFUL WORLD
LONG LIVE WORKERS UNITY
LONG LIVE SOCIALISM

The WFTU President addressed the 4th Congress of PAME in Greece

The WFTU President cde Michael Mzwandile Makwayiba addressed a greeting speech in the 4th Congress of PAME in Greece. “Struggle, unity and solidarity regardless of our color, belief and language is the only way to defeat capitalism” underlined during his speech.

WFTU in Solidarity with SAG-AFTRA Union

Photo Courtesy SAG-AFTRA union

19 Nov 2016

USA

The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing 92 million workers in every corner of the globe, sends its strong message of solidarity to the members of the SAG-AFTRA union of performing artists striking to achieve their just demands against the video game industry.

SAG-AFTRA members picketed Insomniac Games, Inc. in Burbank, CA. on Thursday. It was the union’s third picket since it began striking 11 video game corporations Oct. 21. SAG-AFTRA’s pickets of WB Games, Inc. and Voiceworks Productions, Inc. on Nov. 3 and EA on Oct. 24 drew some 700 members and supporters combined.

Momentum from SAG-AFTRA’s largest picket of the month-old video game strike will help raise awareness in the gaming community as the holiday season approaches.
“Each picket has brought out more members than the last.” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “SAG-AFTRA members and our allies support this action and are continually raising the pressure on the video game companies to come back to the bargaining table with fair proposals so we can reach a deal.”

SAG-AFTRA is planning additional virtual actions during the holiday season to raise awareness in the gaming community of the video game corporations’ unfair treatment of SAG-AFTRA performers.

Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra Christmas Concert

NYC transit workers contract rally

Greeting the new era of the ultra right wing trump presidential period, transport Workers Union local 100 rallied 5,000 of its 42,000 members to tell their boss, the MTA  that they are the working class we want a strong contract with significant wage increases and better health and pension benefits.  President John Samuelson paid homage to the 13 transit killed in the line of duty since 2002.  Also Pete Foley and fellow union activist Mike Jerome.  Both dying from work related illnesses.  Reducing and eliminating diesel fumes would a major contract demand. The contract deadline is January 15 2017 just 5 days prior to the Washington ceremony for trump.  ( which will be greeted with massive street demonstrations on the 20Th and a Million Women March on the 21st)

President Maduro launches 44 new routes of public transport within the national territory

The president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, inaugurated 44 new routes of public transport to ensure the mobilisation of the venezuelan people within the national territory.

“We are going to inaugurate 44 new routes for public buses Yutong first level. Until the day of today, we have opened 517 routes, with these we arrive at 561 routes”, said the venezuelan President.

He highlighted that the new routes involving 5 thousand 800 workers, “employment generation, stable, useful, good, and are activated in these moments 3 thousand 895 units of transport on public roads socialist,” and added that that figure would have to take it to 20 thousand in the work plan for the next two years.

He explained that the new units of transport run through 31 thousand kilometers every day. “More than 6 million users are mobilizing every day,” he said.

Among the new routes is the City Tiuna, the route of the old road Caracas - La Guaira; the path to Windward – Higuerote and Guarenas – Guatire, “until park Miranda. We're going to include 5 new buses,” said President workman.

Also the route of the Great Mission Housing Venezuela, The Alameda – the Flags and the route distance Caracas – Barcelona – Maturin.

T/Ana Maneiro
F/PresidencialVen

LABOR TODAY: A Young Working-Class Leader Speaks: WFTU, Durban,...

LABOR TODAY: A Young Working-Class Leader Speaks: WFTU, Durban,...: The speech below by Emil Olsen was delivered at the recent 17th WFTU Congress in Durban. Olsen is a tile setter and bricklayer from Denma...

LABOR TODAY: WFTU denouncement on the corruption scandal in Sou...

LABOR TODAY: WFTU denouncement on the corruption scandal in Sou...: 14 Nov 2016 ASIA ,  SOUTH KOREA The demonstrations organized by trade unions, opposition parties and organizations, demanding the resignatio...

LABOR TODAY: South Africa: NUM pans AMCU wage deal

LABOR TODAY: South Africa: NUM pans AMCU wage deal: http://www.num.org.za/ 14 Nov 2016 AFRICA ,  NUM ,  SOUTH AFRICA The National Union of Miners in South Africa has taken a d...

A Young Working-Class Leader Speaks: WFTU, Durban, South Africa

The speech below by Emil Olsen was delivered at the recent 17th WFTU Congress in Durban. Olsen is a tile setter and bricklayer from Denmark and a recognized leader of young trade unionists in the WFTU.

First of all I'd like to say thanks for this fine and well-managed Congress It is a great honour for me to be here together with comrades from all parts of the world to look back upon the enormous and great work the WFTU has accomplished and the enormous progress that has been made.

We must also look forward, because all over the planet the working class has a lot on its hands – in fact, it has its hands full. From every direction, monopoly capitalism is showering the working class with attacks. From East to West, from South to North, the working class is paying a huge price for monopoly capitalism's insatiable pursuit of profit.

Even in the so-called affluent countries one reform after another forces through cutbacks and worsened working and living conditions for the working class.

In many countries, politicians hold up the Danish welfare system as an ideal in order to gain votes in parliamentary elections. We hear that tune from politicians in Europe as well as in the USA. It is true that ordinary people in Denmark until now have enjoyed a certain measure of social welfare. This was the result of the struggles of the working class.

But it is equally true that this is now a thing of the past. Through repeated reforms, all of our fought-for social benefits – be it unemployment benefits, sickness benefits (paid sick leave), or social security – have been downgraded to such a degree that people depending on such income can only be described by the German expression, ”arm trotz Arbeit”, literally "poor despite work," that is, ”working poor”.

Our early retirement system has been abolished, and the retirement age has been raised to 72 years for people of my generation. A large number of part-time jobs have appeared in the retail and cleaning trades and in the public sector – and in industry too, we see a rising number of temporary jobs.

The aim of these policies is to create a supply of labour that exceeds the demand because this will break down the standards of wage and working conditions safegurded until now through our collective agreements. Whatever cutbacks and reductions monopoly capitalism forces upon us, our unions just adapt themselves to the new situation and try to make the best of it – and what they hold on to is far from good enough.

To give you an exmple, our traditional ”tripartite negotiations” have just been concluded. This is a forum where our government, the employers' association and the Danish trade unions negotiate. They make proposals, and what they can agree upon becomes an agreement.

To the government and the employers, the refugees were the main question. They wanted to let the refugees be absorbed into the labour market at ridiculously low wages. The trade unions were asked to ”shoulder their responsibility” – which they did. An agreement was drawn up according to which the many refugees – who had fled from bombs dropped on them from Danish fighter aircraft – can gain access to the labour market by way of a two-year basic vocational training at wages not even a third of what we normally get in the building trades. We were told that these wages were based on collective agreements, and it was up to us to negotiate for a better deal.

But no-one charged the past and present governments with their NATO-supporting offensive war politics which actually creates refugees. It was universally accepted that Denmark should shoulder its responsibilities by letting the working class pay the price of ”absorbing” a group of people who would become wage dumpers.

What could have been concluded instead was that in Denmark we already have an excellent model for integrating people into the labour market, namely our apprenticeship system. If skilled workers are in short supply why don't we just train some more apprentices? This road, however, was not taken – even though it was made clear during the negotiations just mentioned that there is an enormous shortage of apprenticeship/training positions. Thousands of young people in our countries are barred from training and education.

An agreement was made with the government and the employers, specifying that 10,000 training positions (apprenticeship positions) be created by 2025. But only last week it became known that as of right now 14,000 young persons are unable to get training positions and because of this cannot complete their education. Experience shows that the trade unions in the Nordic countries will accept whatever frames the bourgoisie sets. They only work within the interests of the ruling system. This is the reason why change is needed in the established trade unions in countries like Denmark, and we have indeed tried various things.

One fact is abundantly clear: from Tokyo to Los Angeles, from Sydney to Copenhagen, only the WFTU has unequivocally taken sides with the working class. But in some places in the world it is nevertheless still hard to implement the WFTU line and its many initiatives in our trade unions.

A practical example could be seen last year when an initiative was proposed to organize an ”Action Day” in the European trade unions on April 4 against privatization and outsourcing. There was agreement on the political agenda and the proposal was taken up in a meeting in Nordic collaboration section of the EPSU, the European Federation of Public Service Unions, which is a part of the ETUC, the European Trade Union Confederation.

But the ETUC rejected the proposal solely on the grounds that the initiative had come from the WFTU unions. This shows us that sooner or later we shall have to draw the obvious conclusion: that today breaking away from the dictatorship of Capital is the only solution for the working class in its struggle for a life where all our basic needs are met, both in the short and in the long run.

Here we are not talking about some pleasant vision for the future. No, this breaking away is urgently needed for humanity already today, for nature already today, and for the coexistence of the two today and in the future!

It is crucial that we within the trade union network find the way to guide the working class to free itself from its fetters. As an old friend of ours once said, we have nothing to lose but our chains, comrades! The WFTU must be strengthened in the whole world, but there is an enormous need for it to be strengthened particularly in Europe and the so-called affluent countries.

WFTU denouncement on the corruption scandal in South Korea

14 Nov 2016

ASIA, SOUTH KOREA

The demonstrations organized by trade unions, opposition parties and organizations, demanding the resignation of the President Park Geun-hye, are still ongoing. Until today, many tens of thousands of protesters have gathered at the demonstrations, making them some of the biggest ones since the demonstrations in 2008 against U.S. beef imports.

Park Geun-hye has been rocked by a scandal involving an old friend of hers who is alleged to have used her friendship with the president to meddle in state affairs. Park has pledged to cooperate with prosecutors in an investigation.

The WFTU denounces the reportedly scandal, the corruption in general and the buying of governmental authorities and officers so as they act in favor of the monopoly groups. We demand the independent investigation of the scandal and exemplary punishment of the culprits. The WFTU supports the struggle of the North Korean people for transparentness.

The Secretariat

South Africa: NUM pans AMCU wage deal

http://www.num.org.za/

14 Nov 2016

AFRICA, NUM, SOUTH AFRICA

The National Union of Miners in South Africa has taken a dim view of a wage deal signed between Anglo American Platinum and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), which broke away from the Congress of South African Trade Unions in 1998.

In a statement, the NUM says it “took a conscious and deliberate decision not to sign the wage agreement with Anglo American Platinum because it does not benefit the mineworkers in the platinum belt. The NUM believes that even in the current signed 3-year wage agreement the underground workers would still have not achieved the R12,500 [$920 US] wage increase; instead, they will only get R11,500.

“The R12,500 wage increase should have been achieved way back in 2012 by those who were campaigning for it. They are still lying to the poor mineworkers, It has still not been achieved. The NUM believes that mineworkers deserve better salaries and benefits, but not lies.” said William Mabapa, NUM Deputy General Secretary. “The entire wage agreement is a big loss to poor mineworkers who are being made to believe they have achieved a lot. The benefits arecalculated from a lower base below their basic salaries and that is where the problem is. Workers are highly ripped off in this agreement.”

The NUM also says the deal violates an agreement signed by several unions in the industry to conduct joint collective bargaining on substantive issues.

source: PEOPLE’S VOICE • NOVEMBER 16-30, 2016

Unions Defeat Right-To-Work Amendment In Virginia

The labor movement wins one battle in a larger war with Republicans and business groups.

Dave Jamieson  Labor Reporter, The Huffington Post

In a bit of good news for labor unions, Virginians voted down a ballot initiative Tuesday that would have enshrined the state’s right-to-work status in the state constitution.

Unions in Virginia campaigned hard against the proposal, which was supported by business groups and Republican lawmakers. Virginia has had a right-to-work law on the books for decades, but the ballot measure would have effectively made it permanent.

Right-to-work laws forbid contracts between unions and employers that require all employees in a workplace to pay the union for bargaining on their behalf. Under U.S. labor law, unions have to represent all employees in a particular bargaining unit, even those who want nothing to do with a union. Unions say it’s only fair that everyone chip in to cover the costs of representation.

In states with right-to-work laws, employees in unionized workplaces aren’t obligated to pay any fees to the union, allowing them to opt out completely. Conservatives refer to this as “workplace freedom,” but unions call it “free riding.” Whatever you want to call it, it’s been the reality in Virginia since 1947, whenchanges in federal law first allowed states to pursue right-to-work laws. It’s one reason union membership is so low in Virginia when compared with other states.

But the prevailing state of affairs in Virginia wasn’t sufficient for backers of what was called Constitutional Amendment Question 1 on the ballot. If approved, the measure would have amended the state constitution so that Virginia could nevernot be a right-to-work state, save for another change to the constitution. Terry McAuliffe, the state’s Democratic governor, would not be able to veto it.

Those who pushed the amendment claimed it would make Virginia more attractive to employers, who wouldn’t have to worry about the state repealing its right-to-work law (if they ever worried about that in the first place). Typifying this argument, the head of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce claimed that cementing right-to-work in the constitution would make Virginia a more “competitive and attractive place for business and job creation.”

Backers of the amendment may have feared that, as Virginia creeps bluer and bluer, a Democratic-controlled statehouse could one day repeal its right-to-work status. But that seems unlikely. When he was Virginia’s Democratic governor, even Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s running mate, said the state’s right-to-work law was something he “strongly supports.” And once a state goes right-to-work, it tends to stay that way ― especially when it’s the long-standing tradition in a place like Virginia. Besides, right-to-work laws are now more popular than ever, to the great detriment of unions.

It used to be that right-to-work laws were confined to the South and parts of the West. But in the past four and a half years, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and West Virginia have all gone right-to-work. After West Virginia passed its law in February, a majority of states ― 26 ― were right-to-work for the first time ever, making it the norm in the U.S.  

The fight in Virginia says a lot about where organized labor finds itself right now. With the help of state Republicans, business groups around the country have been pushing laws that restrict collective bargaining and deplete the labor movement. A case in point is Wisconsin, where in 2011, Republicans stripped most public sector workers of their bargaining rights. When these conservative groups succeed, unions lose out. When they fail, unions don’t make any gains.

In the case of Virginia, unions there were able to mobilize and defeat a constitutional amendment that posed a threat to them. But all their victory accomplished was preserving the status quo.