Colombia: May Day greetings from SINTRAEMCALI
internationalist | 02.05.2002 12:56
1st of May 2002
Victorious and Combative
173 YEARS OF MEMORY AND REBELLION OF THE WORKING AND POPULAR CLASSES
Comrades, friends, workers of SINTRAEMCALI, and national and
international working classes. This year there are many reasons to get
out on the streets to celebrate International Workers Day. The struggle
that ended in victory for the workers of SINTRAEMCALI, the Cali
community and the national and international social organizations on
January 30th, 2002, after the 36 day occupation of the Central
Administration, imposes today a bigger objective: Continue the social
protest, defend the gains, struggle for the realisation of the integral
human rights of Colombians and of humanity, and remember all those
comrades who with dignity have given up their lives in the defence of
truth, social justice and dignity.
It has not been easy for the working classes in the world to gain their
rights, above all they have had to break the chains imposed on us by the
owners of the means of production. In 1829, manufacturing workers in the
United States, the majority of whom were immigrants, organised to begin
a historic struggle against 18 hour day, building the 8 hour leagues.
57 years later 19 states in the US had laws calling for an 8 hour day.
Paradoxically, on the 4th of July 1776 in the declaration of
independence of the new nation, which gave birth to the United States of
North America it affirmed:" We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of
these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and
to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles
and organising its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most
likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.".
The 1st of may 1886 US workers took to the streets in a general strike
to celebrate their newly won working hours, and during this day one of
the worst crimes was committed, known world-wide as the Crime of
Chicago. The official story doesn't tell us how many people died or
were detained in the second biggest city in the United States. This
lead to a strike of 200,000 workers, with an equal number threatening to
strike. Despite an order to fire on workers and capture the leaders by
the end of that year 300, 000 workers gained their rights, while 8 were
condemned to death.
We must never forget Louis Lingg, who whilst hearing his sentence said
"I repeat that I am the enemy of the order of the day, and repeat that
whilst I still can breathe I will resist. I reject your order, your
laws, your authority based on force. At the same time August Spies said
" if death is the punishment for speaking the truth then I will pay with
pride and defy this price. " August Spies, Michael Schwab, Samuel
Fielden, Albert R. Parsons, Adolf Fischer, George Engel, Louis Lingg and
Oscar Neebe gained dignity for humanity with the reduction in working
hours.
However today as yesterday, the working classes, indigenous people,
students peasants continue to be persecuted and massacred. The crimes of
Chicago have engulfed thousands of workers world-wide. In Colombia 3800
workers affiliated to the CUT, Central Unified Workers Union, have been
assassinated in the last 15 years in their defence of national
sovereignty, the self determination of peoples, the right to solidarity,
free association, free thought and expression They have been
assassinated, disappeared, detained and accused of terrorism for
resisting the mandates of the New World Economic Order: the IMF, the
World Bank, the WTO. Crimes which form part of a systematic policy in
the world, directed against all types of organised resistance.
As if we were few in Colombia we ended 2001 with 2,836,000 unemployed,
and 6,474.000 underemployed, many living in subhuman conditions. In
case you need more reasons to descend massively on the streets to
struggle for peace and social justice and commemorate May the 1st we
invite you to carry on struggling so that future generations do not
become slaves.
Workers of the world and the unemployed united need to exercise the
right of solidarity, social protest and resistance. Thanks to that
SINTRAEMCALI and workers across the world continue with their actions of
protest and we can go out on the streets with a new triumph of the
working classes against the oppression of capital, corruption and
privatisation. We can shout again " Struggle and solidarity are the
paths of unity and the paths of unity are the paths of victory "
"The cannot drink the seas,
nor fasten down the winds
that spread the voices and struggles
to join lands together and forge the dreams
of the new human beings"
R.F.M.
LUIS HERNÁNDEZ MONROY
PRESIDENT
JUNTA DIRECTIVA SINTRAEMCALI
1st of MAY 2002
FOR SOCIAL WELFARE AND THE DIGNITY OF THE COMMUNITY
WE WILL NOT BE PRIVATISED!
SINTRAEMCALI PRESENTE, PRESENTE, PRESENTE!
Victorious and Combative
173 YEARS OF MEMORY AND REBELLION OF THE WORKING AND POPULAR CLASSES
Comrades, friends, workers of SINTRAEMCALI, and national and
international working classes. This year there are many reasons to get
out on the streets to celebrate International Workers Day. The struggle
that ended in victory for the workers of SINTRAEMCALI, the Cali
community and the national and international social organizations on
January 30th, 2002, after the 36 day occupation of the Central
Administration, imposes today a bigger objective: Continue the social
protest, defend the gains, struggle for the realisation of the integral
human rights of Colombians and of humanity, and remember all those
comrades who with dignity have given up their lives in the defence of
truth, social justice and dignity.
It has not been easy for the working classes in the world to gain their
rights, above all they have had to break the chains imposed on us by the
owners of the means of production. In 1829, manufacturing workers in the
United States, the majority of whom were immigrants, organised to begin
a historic struggle against 18 hour day, building the 8 hour leagues.
57 years later 19 states in the US had laws calling for an 8 hour day.
Paradoxically, on the 4th of July 1776 in the declaration of
independence of the new nation, which gave birth to the United States of
North America it affirmed:" We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of
these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and
to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles
and organising its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most
likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.".
The 1st of may 1886 US workers took to the streets in a general strike
to celebrate their newly won working hours, and during this day one of
the worst crimes was committed, known world-wide as the Crime of
Chicago. The official story doesn't tell us how many people died or
were detained in the second biggest city in the United States. This
lead to a strike of 200,000 workers, with an equal number threatening to
strike. Despite an order to fire on workers and capture the leaders by
the end of that year 300, 000 workers gained their rights, while 8 were
condemned to death.
We must never forget Louis Lingg, who whilst hearing his sentence said
"I repeat that I am the enemy of the order of the day, and repeat that
whilst I still can breathe I will resist. I reject your order, your
laws, your authority based on force. At the same time August Spies said
" if death is the punishment for speaking the truth then I will pay with
pride and defy this price. " August Spies, Michael Schwab, Samuel
Fielden, Albert R. Parsons, Adolf Fischer, George Engel, Louis Lingg and
Oscar Neebe gained dignity for humanity with the reduction in working
hours.
However today as yesterday, the working classes, indigenous people,
students peasants continue to be persecuted and massacred. The crimes of
Chicago have engulfed thousands of workers world-wide. In Colombia 3800
workers affiliated to the CUT, Central Unified Workers Union, have been
assassinated in the last 15 years in their defence of national
sovereignty, the self determination of peoples, the right to solidarity,
free association, free thought and expression They have been
assassinated, disappeared, detained and accused of terrorism for
resisting the mandates of the New World Economic Order: the IMF, the
World Bank, the WTO. Crimes which form part of a systematic policy in
the world, directed against all types of organised resistance.
As if we were few in Colombia we ended 2001 with 2,836,000 unemployed,
and 6,474.000 underemployed, many living in subhuman conditions. In
case you need more reasons to descend massively on the streets to
struggle for peace and social justice and commemorate May the 1st we
invite you to carry on struggling so that future generations do not
become slaves.
Workers of the world and the unemployed united need to exercise the
right of solidarity, social protest and resistance. Thanks to that
SINTRAEMCALI and workers across the world continue with their actions of
protest and we can go out on the streets with a new triumph of the
working classes against the oppression of capital, corruption and
privatisation. We can shout again " Struggle and solidarity are the
paths of unity and the paths of unity are the paths of victory "
"The cannot drink the seas,
nor fasten down the winds
that spread the voices and struggles
to join lands together and forge the dreams
of the new human beings"
R.F.M.
LUIS HERNÁNDEZ MONROY
PRESIDENT
JUNTA DIRECTIVA SINTRAEMCALI
1st of MAY 2002
FOR SOCIAL WELFARE AND THE DIGNITY OF THE COMMUNITY
WE WILL NOT BE PRIVATISED!
SINTRAEMCALI PRESENTE, PRESENTE, PRESENTE!
internationalist
Comments
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+ appeal for funds from CSC
02.05.2002 13:59
year. In that time we have alerted the progressive movement in Britain
to US intervention through Plan Colombia and the reality of Colombia's
dirty war, we have taken a trade union human rights delegation and a
study group to Cali, we have provided hands on practical solidarity that
helped the SINTRAEMCALI occupation gain victory, and we have launched a
campaign against BP's mistreatment of peasants in the areas it operates.
We are currently bringing Carlos Gonzalez from SINTRAUNICOL and
SINTRAEMCALI leaders to Britain, in co-operation with 'Justice for
Colombia'.
All this costs money and we are very short of it. If you support the
work of the Campaign please make us a special donation this May Day.
Cheques payable to "Colombia Solidarity Campaign".
For more information:
Post: PO Box 8446, London N17 6NZ
internationalist
Coca-Cola and the War on Unions in Colombia
02.05.2002 20:35
** Coca-Cola and the War on Unions in Colombia
As a part of a campaign to support union organizing in Colombia, Campaign for Labor Rights (in coalition with other groups) gathered student endorsements for a letter to the Coca-Cola Company. This letter was delivered to Coke during their annual shareholder meeting in Mid-April, and in it students demanded that Coke take responsibility for the assassinations of the trade union leaders at the bottling plants it buys from in Colombia. In the mid-80's, Coke took this responsibility with its bottlers in then-war-torn Guatemala and was able to stop a string of murders of Coke union leaders. The student letter was one step in this campaign, which is a coordinated effort among unions and labor rights organizations in Colombia and here in the U.S. The groups involved include the biggest Colombian Coke union, SINALTRAINAL, US/LEAP, the International Labor Rights Fund, the United Steelworkers of America, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The campaign is built around a lawsuit against Coke to take responsibility for its bottlers in Colombia - and the hope is that pressure on different fronts - corporate and governmental - will slow the militarism in Colombia and to create political space for worker and other civil society organizing.
The civil war in Colombia is no doubt getting worse and is compounded by continued military aid from the U.S. and the recent congressional decision to give the country even more military aid to fight "terrorism" in the country. Now the Bush Administration is considering not imposing any conditionality on the money sent - no way to ensure that human rights are respected. And, though Colombia is by far the most dangerous country in which to be a union supporter (with more union murders there than the rest of the world combined) Colin Powell recently certified Colombia as in compliance with the human rights guidelines. Colombian union members are targets because unions there are one of the few civil society movements supporting the peace process and speaking out against civil war. In the past few years, since the granting of US military aid to Colombia, the assassinations of trade unionists in Colombia have skyrocketed.
TAKE ACTION NOW! This campaign to force Coca-Cola to take responsibility for the murders in their plants is one important way to support workers in Colombia. Write a letter to Douglas Daft, Chairman of Coke. Tell him that Coke has a responsibility to ensure the rights and safety of all workers who produce, bottle and distribute Coke products. Demand that Coke take immediate action to address the violence that has devastated Coca-Cola bottling plant workers in Colombia and negotiate an enforceable global agreement that with Coke unions and worker representatives that will protect the rights and safety of workers. Send your letter to
~ For more information, check www.summersault.com/~agj/clr , www.usleap.org , Carin Zelenko, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, (202) 624-8700.
d'artagnon