General Secretary, COMMUNICATION Nº 6,
July and August 2014
CONTENTS:
Comrades, I explain our work since COMMUNICATION nº 5:
WORK OF GENERAL SECRETARY (SG).-
1.- We have reminded all the members of the Direction the necessity of presenting their written work plan. For the moment, only the Secretariats of Propaganda and Finances have done so. This must be done as soon as possible, since we were elected members of the Direction of the TUI to make it work.
2.- It has been sent to all the members of the Technical and Investigation Commission the letter (see ANNEX nº 1) stating that until the reunion beginning 2.015 at Bahrein, comrade Palmos Panagiotis will coordinate its work. Es necesario que esta Comisión empiece a trabajar colectivamente y elabore los estudios que le corresponden según establecen nuestros estatutos.
3.- We have distributed a letter (see ANNEX nº 2) from the President of the TUI and its 5 Vice-presidents, so, as P&R, we are present specifically at the actions of the WFTU on October 3rd. Compromises from USA and India have arrived for this. Now it is necessary to widen this, still short, list of compromises. THE ACTION OF OCTOBER 3rd IS A GREAT AIM FOR ALL THE WFTU.
4.- As TUI we have protested strongly against the genocide suffered by the People of Palestine. (see ANNEX nº 3). We have known of the solidary activities carried by organizations of P&R of the new TUI of the WFTU, like is the case of Colombia.
5.- As TUI, and thanks to the good work of the Secretary of Propaganda (coordinated with the General Secretary), we have appeared publically and solidary with the XIII Congress of the TUI of Transports. (see ANNEX nº 4).
6.- It has been spread the la account , for all organizations affiliated to the TUI, to pay the quotas of the TUI of P&R corresponding to 2014, according to the approved statutes. For the moment there are scarce organizations that have compromised to pay its quota, so we remind all organizations their will and obligation to fulfill this congress accord. The account where each Syndicate must send the money is:
Titular: Central Sindical Unitaria
Entity: La Caixa
Nº account: 2100 0856 98 0200529700
IBAN: ES20 2100 0856 9802 0052 9700
BIC/CODIGO SWIFT: CAIXESBBXXX
7.- We have a new affiliation to the TUI of the WFTU, that of the P&R of trade union SYNAR of the RDC (Democratic Republic of Congo).
B) WORK OF OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DIRECTION.-
First a rectification of point 1 of COMMUNICATION Nº 5
There was an error in the oral translation or interpretation of the words of the delegate of Bahrein. What took place in Bahrein last April was not the Regional Conference of Middle East, but the creation of the Syndicate of P&R of their country. I sent by e-mail all the information that finally arrived from them.
1.- Comrade Martha Hervás, Vice-President for America, with the help of the Direction of the CTE of Equator and the Regional Office of America of the FSM, has set forth the First Regional Conference of the TUI of P&R, corresponding to the American continent. We rely on all the class organizations of this region will help to the success of this important Conference, specially the persons of America that are members of the world management of the TUI.
2.- We remind Vice-presidents corresponding to other Regions (Africa, Asia, Europe and Middle East) that they must, AS AGREEMENT OF FOUNDING CONGRESS OF P&R OF THE UIS AT BARCELONA, to prepare and convoke soon the respective Regional Conferences, communicating all the details (as soon as they are clear) to the Genera Secretariat.
3.- We cheer the documents that we receive regularly from the P&R of Argentina. They show they are carrying an important class fight, week after week, (they have been more than 1.170 weeks fighting at squares and streets) to get the fair rights for the P&R of their country.
4.- We also cheer the work of the P&R of Australia. Its monthly bulletin shows the advances of the fight.
5.- Also we must thank the PAME syndicate of Greece all the support it gives to its P&R organization. We have remarked their activities of great diffusion for the important fight of the P&R of Greece, specially the last June 19th, referenced at COMMUNICATION nº 5.
6.- From Pakistan we have received the compromise of carrying an important meeting of P&R in September. We wish them success and we wait information from their results.
ANNEX nº 1
LETTER TO THE MEMBERS
OF THE TECHNICAL & INVESTIGATION COMMISSION
OF THE TUI OF P&R OF THE WTFU
Comrades:
In the meeting we have held today as first responsible of the Direction of the TUI of P&R of the WTFU, we have observed that the Technical Commission and of Investigation that we elected at the Congress of Barcelona has an adequate and important composition but its members don’t communicate between them.
To promote the collective work of this important Commission of the TUI, and to unload tasks from the General Secretary, that will continue following this work, along with the rest of direction jobs, we have demanded comrade Palmos Panagiotis that, until we collectively ratify collectively at the Bahrein reunion (beginning 2015), to coordinate the work of the Technical and Investigation Commissions of the TUI.
We demand you to collaborate with comrade Palmos Panagiotis that will next contact all of you, with copy to the General Secretary.
Receive a cordial salutation from:
Dimos Koumpouris Quim Boix
President General Secretary
Athens 19/07/2014
ANNEX nº 2
Text of TUI of pensioners of the FSM for the action on 3-10-14.
Dear comrades,
The presidential committee of the FSM has decided, in its last reunion on 15.2.14 in Rome, under the framework of the decisions of the last congress, that the 3.10.14 will be a day of action against unemployment.
Under this framework, activities by trade unions were discussed and organized against this big problem with extensive dimensions in the world. This problem is a deep and unsolved problem of capitalism taking extensive dimensions during the period of capitalist crisis.
The pensioner’s organizations, members of the TUI of pensioner which is part of the FSM have to participate in all the actions of the popular movement against unemployment, poverty and anti-popular measures taken by the exploitative system whose gains are increasing. Pensioners are veterans of labor but not veterans of the struggle; it is crucial considering our struggle as dynamic part of the working-popular movement.
In this context, we urge all pensioner’s organization in the whole world to participate in cooperation with working trade unions, to organize their actions in the beginning of October and continue this path of struggle highlighting all our problems we are facing, until October next year, when the FSM completes 70 years of its foundation.
The types of actions and protests will take place in cooperation with trade unions but also independently with pensioner’s organizations. To use all forms of protests rallies, meetings, lectures, protests in governmental departments, parliaments, international organizations. To utilize culture to organize concerts, theatrical performances, excursions to historical places. Our requests have to promote the necessity of struggle and the demand of a better live compared to the wealth we produce and not with the scrubs capitalists and governments give to us.
In our requests it is important to demand that all benefits have to be given to unemployed during their whole duration of unemployment, free medicine, doctors, hospitals, and medical exams. Demanding pensions and wages, health that will allow us to live with dignity. Programs of school buildings, social housing, clean water. Defend peace, against wars that imperialist unleash to obtain new resources of wealth and profit.
To promote, (especially we older) who have the knowledge and experience of how these problems and which were solved for many years in countries which the working class had the power.
Condemning the Nazi, Fascist, groups that are developing. The exploitative nature of the unjust and destructive barbaric capitalist system of impasses. That today with the opportunities technology gives us the production we can live better if it serves the needs of the people and not the profits of monopoly groups.
To make known the necessity of social alliance of the working class with small self-employed farmers. The need of the socialized economy and power of the people for the economy to serve the interests of the people and not the profits of monopoly groups.
This work and action has to be promoted in every country because it is very useful for our TUI and for the FSM to exchange experience which will help us having objective opinions and useful conclusions which are necessary tools in our work.
President: Dimos Koumpouris Vice-president for Africa: Lázaro Kimankata Vice-president for América: Martha Hervas Vice-president for Asia: Mohan Bahadur Vice-president for
Europe: Vladimir Kapuralin Vice-president for Mettle East: Abbas Abdul
ANNEX nº 3
Solidarity of the Trade Union International of the Pensioners and Retired
(TUI of P&R) of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) to the Palestinian workers and to the Palestinian people.
On the name of the millions of members whom it represents, the TUI of P&R of the WFTU announces its total solidarity with the Palestinian people and its profound indignation in front of murderous bombardments of Israel on Gaza.
The TUI of the P&R condemns the criminal state of Israel , responsible of scenes of horrors with their procession of broken lives, of women’s and children’s bodies, burned and ripped, illustrating the horrible crimes committed by the Israeli army, more than 700 dead people, thousands of wounded persons, hundreds of destroyed houses.
The TUI denounces the United States and the European Union which support, even encourage the murderers of Palestinian people.
We denounce the genocide of the Palestinian people.
The TUI of the P&R demands:
f a Palestinian state, with Jerusalem for capital
The TUI of P&R expresses its solidarity and its support to the Palestinian workers and to the
Palestinian people.
July 24th, 2014
ANNEX nº 4
Greeting to the XIIIth Congress f the TUI of the transport workers of the WFTU
Comrades,
In the name of the millions of members it represents, the TUI of the P&R (Pensioners and Retired) of the WFTU greets the XIIIth congress of the transport workers and wishes you a lot of success in your work, your debates and resolutions.
Your congress is held during a period of profound anti-labour offensive on all continents, which capitalism and governments support while trying dump the weight on to the working class., The transport, the strategic sector for capitalism is an integral part of the process of globalization, production and trade and supplies to the exploiters the vital distribution of production by creating a direct link between companies and world markets, strengthens the increasing trade; all this confers on transport a strategic position.
The resources, the products circulate on the planet in a continuous flow, without the same compulsory limitations imposed on people when their immigration is of no use to capitalism
Multinationals, with their subsidiaries, established themselves in several countries:
- to have a direct access to raw materials
- to be able to by-pass certain obstacles in trade
- for the search of the cheapest workforce
Multinationals are a threat for states, creating their own economic space independently of them, they exploit for their selfish profit the disparities of the social or environmental legislations.
Multinationals massively exploit the natural resources of a country or re-locate their most polluting activities towards the least demanding states.
Besides influencing states by an unacceptable lobbying, their power goes as far as controlling governments and even overthrowing a regime which is not in their best interest.
A historic example of this, the multinationals which participated in the military coup d’état against Salvador Allende in the same country where this XIIIth takes place, in Chile in 1973.
Multinationals, and especially those of the transport, deprive the states of means to intervene in their economic evolution, in the standard of employment, the standard of living and the social welfare of the populations; they play a major role in globalization by implementing the financial globalization, the world organization of production, the free circulation of goods. They are the key factors to a growing exploitation of ex colonial countries.
These companies need the transport to forward their products as well as to send their message. The paralysis of transport by a general strike on an international level would totally block the economy; this explains the strategic importance of the TUI of transport to coordinate the struggles on an international level.
Concerning the social problems of the transport sector, we have to remember that this sector undergoes unprecedented attacks of various governments who want to destroy all public services with consequences:
massive deletions of jobs in all public sectors of transport be able to transport in the lowest possible price towards consumer markets products made in the countries which practise social, fiscal and environmental dumping.
The consequences of these policies confront the workers with a global offensive which has the same effects in every country and gives the labour class union big responsibilities and an enormous challenge.
A strong TUI of transport is essential to unite the transport workers of the planet to defend their demands on an international level. And so, from the actual problems of every country, we can develop a large protest movement and fight against the capitalist policies which have as a consequence the grave problems with which the workers and the peoples are confronted today, despite the objective differences which exist in the labour union at a global level.
This congress has to strengthen the WFTU, the only world association of labour unions which fights against the capitalist exploitation, against the imperialism, the only class organization on a global level.
The TUI of the P&R of the WFTU wishes you a big success for your congress, you can count on the solidarity, the collaboration and the support of the union veterans who make up the TUI of the P&R of the WFTU.
LONG LIVE THE XIIIth CONGRESS OF THE TUI OF THE TRANSPORT!
LONG LIVE THE PROLETARIAN INTERNATIONALISM
LONG LIVE THE WFTU!
Quim Boix,
General Secretary of TUI of Pensioners and Retirees (P&R) of WFTU
Barcelona, September, 2014