Spain: CGT calls 24-hr General Strike against the war
. | 03.04.2003 04:11
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
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http://ainfos.ca/index24.html
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In its national plenary today, 28th March, the Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) decided to call a 24-HOUR GENERAL STRIKE on the 10th April next to protest the present government's policies in favour of the war and against the socio-economic consequences which this participation brings.
The CGT has decided to call this 24-hour strike as a result of the opposition of the many social and workers' collectives and platforms, and in order to give an adequate reply to the government's policies which is so damaging for the whole working class.
The CGT calls on all union organizations and social movements who are against the war to support this 24-hour strike.
The CGT will call a meeting next week of all unions, collectives, associations and organizations which are opposed to the war in order that we may work together and, if possible, produce a single manifesto. Those wishing to join the call for the strike or request further information can do so by contacting guerrano@huelgageneral.info
Madrid, 28th Marzo 2003.
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Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
Too bad British Unions are a joke!
03.04.2003 09:18
But the union hierachy are a bunch of careerists who don't want to upset the Conservative Party, oh sorry i mean New Labour but what's the difference anyway!
Please Unions use your power and do something useful!!!
Miss Point
Nah...
03.04.2003 09:37
Vashti
outlawed anyway
03.04.2003 11:09
Of course we should have no illusions in the cowardly trade union leaders, even those who talked the talk but failed to call any meaningful action when the invasion actually started. However no trade union leaders actually want a general strike - they seriously threaten their cosy relationship with the bosses. Even in Spain it was pressure from below, from the rank and file where 90% are opposed to the war that brought about the General Strike. So we need to do the same in Britain. Obviously it's not going to be easy, we have to win the arguements about the war first, but Mayday represents a tremendous opportunity. Firstly because it is international workers day and many unions will be planning stuff anyway, and also because it will be an international day of action against the war and gives a real possibility for winning strike action against the war.
sly
organise + agitate
03.04.2003 12:34
Pressure from union members has forced individual unions to adopt anti-war policies (some stronger than others).
This in turn has forced the TUC to at least declare its opposition to the war, even if the leadership have managed to block united action against it.
Also, recent years have seen more radical leaders elected in many unions, and many of them (most visibly Bob Crow of the RMT, but not only him) have been speaking out against the war and calling for stronger union action.
The thing is, unions aren't one-person shows. They aren't as democratic as they should be but they are more so than most public institutions. The upside of this is, as I say, they have had to reflect the anti-war mood. The downside is that leaders like Bob Crow can't just call their members out on strike.
The argument for strike action has to be won at every level of the union; at national conferences, on the national executives, in regions and branches, and finally in ballots of all members.
So us union members and activists against this war have to get organised. We need anti-war motions passed in local branches and sent to national conferences, we need to support anti-war candidates in national leadership elections, and most imortantly, we need to win the case for striking against war with colleagues in our own workplaces.
If we can do all that, the TUC leaders will have to come along, or be swept aside.
kurious oranj
Homepage: http://www.labournet.net