While the STWC /SWP demo was occurring, over 50,000 people from all over Europe including many contingents from Eastern Europe were marching against the Bolkenstein directive as well as Neo-Liberalism and the War,

The Bolkenstein EU directive, if agreed, would allow open competion into public sectors across Europe: health, education, etc. The European Social Forum (ESF) saw this as extremely worrying and decided to highlight this by a Europe wide demo in Brussels on March 19. All roads would lead to Brussels as it were

The SWP/STWC were the only large organisation to oppose it and hijacked it by calling another A/W demo in London, (just as they did at the ESF last autumn) thus denying many people the chance to hear about it and oppose the B/D.

as someone asked on Urban75 why do we tolerate such behaviour?

 http://www.indymedia.be/news/2005/03/94781.php

 http://www.stopbolkestein.org/



'The Bolkenstein EU directive, if agreed, would allow open competion into public sectors across Europe: health, education, etc.

'If adopted, this European directive would result in the merchandisation of all services within the Union. This would mean that essential sectors such as culture, education, health care and all services relating to national social welfare systems could be exposed to the same forms of economic competition as commercial goods.

This merchandisation would inevitably lead to the deterioration of pension systems, social welfare and health care cover in favour of private insurance. It would also entail the deregulation of our education systems and the end of any kind of cultural excellence'

 http://www.stopbolkestein.org/index...Content_ID=3000