From a Striking French Oil Worker:
We've spent the last three days going from road block to road block,
together with teachers, railroad workers, truckers, nurses, etc.
As a result, all the petrol stations in a radius of 70 kms (50 miles)
are closed, completely out of gas.
Today, we got the main Teachers' Union to call on all striking teachers to come and
help block all the remaining fuel depots. The police can't intervene, because the
truckers have established road blocks on the major roads leading to the oil depot.
All 12 French oil refineries are on strike until next Friday. Many depots are
blocked. Half the train stations (including major ones) are closed. Truckers have
blocked the roads leading to the main production areas, and factories cannot
function because they lack raw material and pieces (they don't have any stocks of
materials stored because they believe storage costs money).
What is incredible is that despite the fact that there is no more oil
available, and therefore that people are blocked at home, a resounding
71% of the population approves of the strike (according to today's polls).
The movement is set to last at least another week. I spent the whole of
Sunday night with transport (railway and truckers) workers playing cards
and drinking beer. It was quite cold (2°C) around 4 AM, but the railroad
workers brought several truck-loads of "palettes" (empty wooden
containers) and we lit a mighty bonfire.
Workers are determined to fight until the bitter end. Workers who chose
not to go on strike are being encouraged to donate part of their salary
to the workers of the most "strategic" sectors, especially the Donges refinery.
Personally, this is my 6th day of Strike. The consensus now being that "revolving"
strikes (15% of the workforce on strike on a given day) would enable us to hold out
longer.
The support from "ordinary people" is astounding. When we block a
freeway, drivers often honk to support us, give us money, hand us daily
newspapers, even though we are effectively blocking them.
Anyway, the mood is indescribable. Workers from every sector are united
and determined, and for the first time, many workers can chat with
people employed in other industries knowing that they share a common
goal.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Victories for Progressives
PROGRESSIVES' PROGRESS
by William Floyd
On October 2nd, the One Nation Rally in Washington DC unified organized
Labor and hundreds of PROGRESSIVE, Peace and Justice groups from
around the country. There is no stronger force in the America than
by William Floyd
On October 2nd, the One Nation Rally in Washington DC unified organized
Labor and hundreds of PROGRESSIVE, Peace and Justice groups from
around the country. There is no stronger force in the America than
organized Labor, and our Progressive grass roots community movement.
Evidence: 200,000+/- Union and Progressive Protestors achieved:
Many Permanent War Machine and Wall Street Puppets Resign:
Rahm Emanuel (Obama's Gatekeeper excluding all Progressives)
Permanent War Gen. James Jones (Obama's National Security Advisor #1)
Permanent War leader Defense hawk Robert Gates will resign April 2011
Larry Summers, author of the Wall St. Crash via derivatives and swaps
Peter Orzag, key Budget advisor to Obama administration
Treasury Sec'y Geithner's 2 fresh appointees refused to work for him
David Axelrod, Obama Team's chief 2008 Election Advisor
There were no such widespread resignations from either the Bush-Cheney
crime regime, nor the Nixon-Kissinger international criminal syndicate.
Local Progress:
The Santa Monica Peace Club and national PDWA sent 75 Letters to Progressive Caucus
members at their home state offices. These letters concerned the waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer funds by the H. Clinton State Department trying to overthrow another democratic election in Venezuela.
Result:
Secretary of State Clinton did an about face and supported Equador's President Rafael Correa after the Police/Air Force coup d'etat.
Contrast this with Clinton's support for the S.O.A. murderers in the Honduran coup.
Also, Bob (Watergate) Woodward said that the White House wants to "Switch" H. Clinton with VP Joe Biden for the 2012 Election. Obama thinks he needs Clinton's supporters to win the Presidential race in 2012. And Joe Biden admits he always wanted to be an international player.
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC WORKERS for AMERICA (PDWA)
www . pdwamerica . blogspot . com
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
EQUADOR COUP D'ETAT
EQUADOR COUP D'ETAT
by Lisa Sullivan, Presente
A School of the Americas (SOA)graduate has been charged for last Thursday's unsuccessful Coup d'Etat attempt in Ecuador. His name, Colonel Manuel E. Rivadeneira Tello.
He is a graduate of the SOA's combat arms training course. He is one of three police officials being investigated for negligence, rebellion and attempted assassination of Equador's President,
Rafael CORREA.
Rivadeneira was the Commander of the barracks where President Correa was attacked by protesting police. The injured Correa was taken to a police hospital were he held hostage by police who threatened to kill him if he tried to escape.
After 12 hours, 500 elite Army forces stormed the hospital and organized a fiery rescue.
By the end of the day 4 people lay dead, and over 200 wounded.
This is the second Coup attempt led by SOA graduates in a little over a year. The June 2009 Coup in Honduras was led by SOA graduates General Vasquez Velasquez and General Prince Suazo. That Coup was successful in overthrowing President Manuel Zelaya.
At the time, President Correa expressed concern that this opened the possibility of future Coups on the continent. He acknowledged that he might be a possible target....
The defense of Ecuador's democracy was achieved by its citizens, who poured into the streets in defense of their popular President. These Citizen voices were joined by an international chorus of support for Correa, including the OAS, UNASUR and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Ecuadorians, however, were not convinced that the U.S. was an innocent bystander. A poll indicated that over 50% of Ecuadorians felt that the U.S. had some involvement in the Coup.
This was based, perhaps, on experience in their country, where evidence has pointed to past U.S. involvement in Coups and Presidential deaths.
Both Presidents of Honduras and Ecuador had recently challenged the use of their Military bases by the U.S. Pentagon. President Correa ended a lease by the U.S. to use it's Manta base in 2009, and President Zelaya had indicated his support for turning the Palmerola, Honduras base U.S. base into a civilian airport, shortly before he was overthrown.
Likewise, both countries were members of ALBA (the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas) when the Coups were attempted. A third ALBA country, Venezuela, was the target of the third Latin American Coup of the past decade, in April 2002, also led by SOA graduates.
SOA Presente!
http://www.soaw.org/presente/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=328&Itemid=74
by Lisa Sullivan, Presente
A School of the Americas (SOA)graduate has been charged for last Thursday's unsuccessful Coup d'Etat attempt in Ecuador. His name, Colonel Manuel E. Rivadeneira Tello.
He is a graduate of the SOA's combat arms training course. He is one of three police officials being investigated for negligence, rebellion and attempted assassination of Equador's President,
Rafael CORREA.
Rivadeneira was the Commander of the barracks where President Correa was attacked by protesting police. The injured Correa was taken to a police hospital were he held hostage by police who threatened to kill him if he tried to escape.
After 12 hours, 500 elite Army forces stormed the hospital and organized a fiery rescue.
By the end of the day 4 people lay dead, and over 200 wounded.
This is the second Coup attempt led by SOA graduates in a little over a year. The June 2009 Coup in Honduras was led by SOA graduates General Vasquez Velasquez and General Prince Suazo. That Coup was successful in overthrowing President Manuel Zelaya.
At the time, President Correa expressed concern that this opened the possibility of future Coups on the continent. He acknowledged that he might be a possible target....
The defense of Ecuador's democracy was achieved by its citizens, who poured into the streets in defense of their popular President. These Citizen voices were joined by an international chorus of support for Correa, including the OAS, UNASUR and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Ecuadorians, however, were not convinced that the U.S. was an innocent bystander. A poll indicated that over 50% of Ecuadorians felt that the U.S. had some involvement in the Coup.
This was based, perhaps, on experience in their country, where evidence has pointed to past U.S. involvement in Coups and Presidential deaths.
Both Presidents of Honduras and Ecuador had recently challenged the use of their Military bases by the U.S. Pentagon. President Correa ended a lease by the U.S. to use it's Manta base in 2009, and President Zelaya had indicated his support for turning the Palmerola, Honduras base U.S. base into a civilian airport, shortly before he was overthrown.
Likewise, both countries were members of ALBA (the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas) when the Coups were attempted. A third ALBA country, Venezuela, was the target of the third Latin American Coup of the past decade, in April 2002, also led by SOA graduates.
SOA Presente!
http://www.soaw.org/presente/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=328&Itemid=74
Saturday, October 2, 2010
More Euro Unions Fight Corp Cuts
A EUROPEAN UNION OF PROTESTS KICKS OFF AGAINST AUSTERITY MEASURES
Mass protests and strikes have broken out across the whole of Europe this week as the reality of already imposed and still pending austerity cuts becomes clear. Across the EU, rallies were held in thirteen capital cities, and in Spain a general strike saw millions take action. On Wednesday (29th) around 100,000 representatives of the European trade union movement, including German miners and Polish shipbuilders, brought Brussels to a standstill to protest against the forthcoming savage spending cuts.
The message “We will not pay for their crisis” is now resounding across Europe. Despite trade union claims that the event passed off entirely peacefully, the anti-capitalist bloc on the demonstration clashed with police. Their numbers swelled by visiting No Borders activists (see SchNEWS 740), local anti-capitalists joined the main demo. However they were isolated and surrounded by plain-clothes police. Over a hundred were arrested ‘preventatively’ and many others injured. There was a heavy police presence outside the No Borders campsite all day. As the day of action - called by trade union umbrella organisation ETUC - took place outside, the EU Commission announced a package of proposals to crack down on hard-pressed member states, threatening them with huge fines if they failed to run their economies “efficiently.”
There can be no doubt that the Commissions idea of ‘efficiency’ will closely mirror the IMF prescriptions for failing economies - privatise everything in sight, cut benefits and drive down public sector wages. Banks of course, will still profit healthily having receiving life support from the public sector. Meanwhile in Greece, where the financial crisis hit first and hardest in a country that was already in open revolt (see SchNEWS 711, 720, 733), new laws were introduced criminalising trade union activity.
The government has completely removed the protective mechanisms within previous anti-terror legislation which previously prevented it from applying to trade unions or political activity ‘in defence of freedom’. Simultaneously the law now punishes more severely (with 10 years imprisonment) anyone who gives “substantial” information to terrorist organizations to facilitate their work, or gives them material or “immaterial” support even if the “terrorist acts” were not finally carried out. With these changes, the prosecuting authorities are basically given a free hand. Even minor offences (such as property damage or disruption of transport, etc) carried out by an organized team of demonstrators can now be arbitrarily characterised as terrorist activity. Coupled with this is new legislation allowing state’s witnesses to be anonymous. Can the rest of Europe expect similar draconian legislation as unrest spreads?
PolandTrade unionists threw petards and blew whistles as they marched through Warsaw demanding an end to ‘abuse by economic elites’. SpainUnions claimed ten million workers stayed at home for the nationwide strike. There were 11 reported injuries and 65 arrests during clashes with police.
GreeceRail workers and doctors walked out yesterday in protest at deep cuts into workers’ allowances, which are designed to reduce the national deficit. SloveniaAbout half of public-sector workers remained on strike for the third day against a planned wage freeze. IrelandOne man blocked the entrance to the Dail, the Irish parliament, with a cement truck in a protest against the country’s enormous bank bailouts. Written across the back of the lorry was: “All politicians should be sacked.” - finally a concrete answer we can all agree with.* For more from Brussels see http://bxl.indymedia.org
Mass protests and strikes have broken out across the whole of Europe this week as the reality of already imposed and still pending austerity cuts becomes clear. Across the EU, rallies were held in thirteen capital cities, and in Spain a general strike saw millions take action. On Wednesday (29th) around 100,000 representatives of the European trade union movement, including German miners and Polish shipbuilders, brought Brussels to a standstill to protest against the forthcoming savage spending cuts.
The message “We will not pay for their crisis” is now resounding across Europe. Despite trade union claims that the event passed off entirely peacefully, the anti-capitalist bloc on the demonstration clashed with police. Their numbers swelled by visiting No Borders activists (see SchNEWS 740), local anti-capitalists joined the main demo. However they were isolated and surrounded by plain-clothes police. Over a hundred were arrested ‘preventatively’ and many others injured. There was a heavy police presence outside the No Borders campsite all day. As the day of action - called by trade union umbrella organisation ETUC - took place outside, the EU Commission announced a package of proposals to crack down on hard-pressed member states, threatening them with huge fines if they failed to run their economies “efficiently.”
There can be no doubt that the Commissions idea of ‘efficiency’ will closely mirror the IMF prescriptions for failing economies - privatise everything in sight, cut benefits and drive down public sector wages. Banks of course, will still profit healthily having receiving life support from the public sector. Meanwhile in Greece, where the financial crisis hit first and hardest in a country that was already in open revolt (see SchNEWS 711, 720, 733), new laws were introduced criminalising trade union activity.
The government has completely removed the protective mechanisms within previous anti-terror legislation which previously prevented it from applying to trade unions or political activity ‘in defence of freedom’. Simultaneously the law now punishes more severely (with 10 years imprisonment) anyone who gives “substantial” information to terrorist organizations to facilitate their work, or gives them material or “immaterial” support even if the “terrorist acts” were not finally carried out. With these changes, the prosecuting authorities are basically given a free hand. Even minor offences (such as property damage or disruption of transport, etc) carried out by an organized team of demonstrators can now be arbitrarily characterised as terrorist activity. Coupled with this is new legislation allowing state’s witnesses to be anonymous. Can the rest of Europe expect similar draconian legislation as unrest spreads?
PolandTrade unionists threw petards and blew whistles as they marched through Warsaw demanding an end to ‘abuse by economic elites’. SpainUnions claimed ten million workers stayed at home for the nationwide strike. There were 11 reported injuries and 65 arrests during clashes with police.
GreeceRail workers and doctors walked out yesterday in protest at deep cuts into workers’ allowances, which are designed to reduce the national deficit. SloveniaAbout half of public-sector workers remained on strike for the third day against a planned wage freeze. IrelandOne man blocked the entrance to the Dail, the Irish parliament, with a cement truck in a protest against the country’s enormous bank bailouts. Written across the back of the lorry was: “All politicians should be sacked.” - finally a concrete answer we can all agree with.* For more from Brussels see http://bxl.indymedia.org
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