March to July 2016, COMMUNICATION No. 13
General Secretariat, COMMUNICATION No. 13, March to July, 2016
CONTENT:
Comrades,I give an account of what has been accomplished since the Communication No. 12:
A) WORK OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT (GS).-
1.- First, I regret that due to the accumulation of tasks in the person who assumes the GS of our UIS, this accountability has been delayed. Anyway the members of the leadership of our TUI have kept receiving continuing reports sent by the GS.
2.- The efforts for the realization of the Regional Conferences are still being done.
The one in Africa is already implemented, and will take place in Dakar (Senegal) on 16 November, and the one in Asia, which will be in Kathmandu (Nepal) on 3 December, both within the year 2,016.
3.- The proposal to conduct the Conference of Asia in Pakistan was not successful due to the difficulties that the trade unionists of this country have lived and continue to live with. Nor was it possible to accomplish it in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, although steps were initiated to do so.
4.- The 3 delegates and two observers who will represent our TUI in the 17 Congress of the WFTU (5 to 8 October, Durban, South Africa) were proposed in the month of March and accepted in the month of May: delegates: DimosKoumpouris, Marcos Wolman and Quim Boix; observers-guests: Mohan Bahadur and LazareKimankata.
In this way, as the Secretariat of the WFTU requested, there will be a comrade of each continent. It has not been possible to place a woman between the 5 proposals, given that the activity of our TUI in all continents is currently led by men (it was in led by a woman in America, Martha Hervas, but unfortunately she had to resign due to health reasons).
5.- We have followed daily the dissemination of all information that generates both the direction of the WFTU, such as those of the struggles of the PyJ of various countries, as well as those of various organizations that stand out in their fight against the capitalist oppression.
6.- It is already being prepared the intervention, to be performed as UIS, in the 17 Congress of the WFTU.It will previously be sent to all the members of the collective leadership of our TUI so that they can express their opinion on it and improve its content.
7.- Assistance to the important 11 Conference of the UFR (Union Fédérale des Retraités) of the CGT of Chemicals of France, in early June 2016.See ANNEX 5.
8.- Presence in the 105 Conference of the ILO.Geneva, June 2016.Second speech to claim all of the governments of the planet to comply with their obligations to the PyJ of their country.As the previous year, they do not seem to have listened to and new struggles organized by our TUI will be necessary.See ANNEX 6.
9.- Presence at the annual meeting of friends of the WFTU.Geneva, June 2016.See ANNEX 7.
10.- Participation in the annual meeting of the Presidential Council of the WTUF, conducted in Vietnam at the beginning of March 2016.In it, the 17th Congress of the WFTU was summoned.See ANNEX 8.
11.- I have spread various opinions as a union leader , to provide food for thought to the collective debate that will represent the 17th Congress of the WFTU.See ANNEX 9.
12.- Various activities in both the Spanish state and in other countries, to help spread and popularize the 17th Congress of the WFTU.
B) WORK OF OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DIRECTION.-
1.- It was performed with great success the First European Conference of classist organizations of PyJ, coordinated in the corresponding TUI of the WFTU.
See in ANNEX 1 the minutes of that Conference which detailed how 54 organizations from 42 countries participated.
2.- We the comrades DimosKoumpouris and Quim Boix, as President and SG of our UIS, to the meeting convened by the Secretariat of the WFTU in Athens on 1 April, to put in common the experiences of work for the union of the 10 TUI of the WFTU.See ANNEX 2.
3.- It was held in Athens on April 2, an important meeting of leaders of our UIS, which resulted in a document addressed to all members of the leadership of our UIS, who have adopted the document.See ANNEX 3.
4.- As important activity, mention should be made of the decision to perform, on 1 October of each year, a very important Internationalist Struggle Day of the PyJ of all countries.See ANNEX 4.
5.- It remains a problem for the functioning of our TUI the fact that there are very few organizations that have contributed their statutory annual fee.We hope soon to start the work of the Commission for the Control of Finances (created in February 2,014 and still almost inactive) which should help Finances Secretary José Mª Lucas on this task.
6.- We are still waiting for the response of the comrades of the PEO of Cyprus concerning the proposal that assumed, on 2 April 2016, at the meeting made in Athens, comrade Kostas Skarparis, and which was remembered in Denmark to Comrade PierisPieri.The proposal was to perform in Cyprus the First Conference of PyJ of Arab countries, within the first few months of 2017.
7.- We regret that are still few meetings of PyJ globally in each country, because we need to strengthen the foundation of our organization as UIS, and to improve coordination of existing organizations with own but dispersed activity.
8.- We again ask all the trade unions in the PyJ to send information to the Direction of the TUI about all their activities.Only then will we be able to disseminate them and ensure that, as the comrades of Argentina do, serve as an example to stimulate our struggles in other countries.
ANNEX 1.-
MINUTES OF THE FIRST CONFERENCE
OF ORGANIZATIONS OF CLASS OF P&R OF THE TUI (WFTU)
WITH THE REACHED AGREEMENTS
The conference was held at the school “RantzausmindeEfterskole”, at the town SVENDBORG, Denmark, the 20th July, 2016.
PHOTO of the POSTER of CHAIRMEN.
34 leaders participated of organizations of pensioners of 14 countries:
Danish Syndicates, with four representants.
Danish Cultural associations of P&R, with three representants.
PAME (Greece), with 2 representants.
PEO (Cyprus), with a representant.
MODEPEN (Galicia, Spain), with a representant.
MAREA de Pensionistas (Catalunya, Spain), with a representant.
LAB (Euskadi, Spain), with two representants.
Syndical Left Current (Austria), with a representant.
Pensioners (Ireland), with a representant.
Pensioners (Russia), with 2 representants.
Pensioners (Croatia), with a representant.
UFR-CGT-Chemists (France), with 2 representants.
FSC (France), with 2 representants.
CGTP-IN (Portugal),with a representant.
USB (Italy), with a representant.
CSU (Spain), with 3 representants.
An observer of the European Office of the WFTU.
Management of P&R of WFTU, with 5 representants.
First of all the presentations were made, to get to know everybody.
The Dane syndical leader, JanniMilsted, opened the Conference, welcoming the attendants and wishing success to the collective work.
The President of the TUI and PAME of P&R, DimosKoumpouris, made the opening speech and presented the Document to Debate (annexed).
The Secretary General of the TUI, Quim Boix, read the text prepared and distributed in 6 lenguages (Spanish, French ,Englush, Portuguese, Russian and Danish), annexed.
The Secretary of Finances of the TUI, José Mª Lucas, presented the project of Declaration of Denmark (annexed).
All the attending delegations intervened , explaining their experiences of struggle and providing ideas to improve the documents. These speeches are annexed in the language in which they were handed.
Comrades Koumpouris and Lucas made the respective summary of the contributions, indicating the accepted ammendments. The approved documents will be published.
The documents were voted (counting separately the votes of the organizations affiliated to the WFTU and the two invited organizations). Both documents passed unanimous approval.
The Secretary General of the TUI, Quim Boix, presented the proposal of the European managing team of the TUI. There was a round of interventions and it was voted, with all favorable votes, except an abstention.
The new European managing team was so configured:
Vladimir Kapuralin (Croatia)
Elena Skvortsova (Russia)
Anders Kritersen (Denmark)
Tony Donaghey (UK)
Fabrizia Casalini (Italy)
A P&R from PAME (to be concreted in September)
Un P&R of PEO (to be concreted in September)
And, as invited, Claude Gillet-Colart, (France, CGT-Quim)
Quim Boix, as Secretary General of the TUI of P&R of WFTU, made the closing speech which was handed in 4 languages (Danish, English , French and Spanish), annexed.
The International was sung, everyone in the known language (and the majority with held fists).
FINAL PHOTO
The new leading team held a first reunion at Denmark, where it was accorded that:
1) The First Conference is very positively valued, for its attendance and for its inputs, debates and messages received.
2) When the names of the representants of PAME and PEO are known, between all the members of the Direction it will be decided which person will coordinate them.
3) They will revise the approved documents to leave them as definitive.
4) They will structure their work in 3 zones, based in their differences: a) Mediterranean, b) central (that in a future will be subdivided in Nordic and central countries), and c) ex-socialist countries.
5) They will spread existence of the Conference and the reached agreements.
6) Work will be done to keep and increase the contacts that have made possible this first Conference.
7) They will prepare the action for la October, first, to secure its success.
LIST OF THE 54 ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPANTS, ACTING AT 42 COUNTRIES (ones with documents that show the reality of their pensions, and others only with a salute):
Albania: Pensioners
Austria: GLB-BundessekretärimÖGB, Federal Secretary of the Left Bloc.
Bosnia: Pensioners.
Bulgaria: FPB.
Canarias: FSOC (Frente Sindical Obrero de Canarias-Labor Syndical Front of Canary Is ).
Catalonia: Intersyndical CSC.
Txec Republic: Pensioners.
Cyprus: PEO.
Croatia: Pensionistas.
Denmark : Syndicalist pensioners, Cultural Association of Pensioners, Syndicate of Construction Pensioners, Veterans of International Brigades, Antifascist Commite Second WW , Immigrant pensioners.
Spain: Tide (marea) of Pensioners, CSC (Coordinadora Sindical de Clase-Syndical Class Coordination), CSI of Asturias, CSU of P&R, FSC (Frente Sindical de Clase), Intersindical Valenciana.
Euskadi (Basque Country): LAB.
Finland: Pensioners of Wood (Helsinki Carpenters’ Union).
France: UFR of CGT-Chemistry, FSC (Frente Sindical de Clase), FNAF-UIS Agriculture
Galicia: MODEPEN (Galician Movement in defense of public pensions).
Georgia: Pensioners.
Great Britain: RMT Britain (Transport Syndicate ).
Greece: PAME.
Hungary: Pensioners, Munkaspart.
Ireland: WP Northern Ireland Trade Union Group.
Italy: USB (Unione Sindicale di Base), P. CARC Bérgamo, Liste Disoccupati e Precari de Milano, CARC Milano, Sindacato Lavoratori in Lotta (SLL) di Napoli, direttivo regionale Toscana del Sindacato Pensionati Italiani della CGIL (Confederazione Generale Italiana Lavoratori).
Macedonia: Pensioners.
Malta: Pensioners.
Monaco: Union des Retraités de Monaco (membre de la Direction collective (Comité Fédéral) de l'Union des Syndicats de Monaco).
Norway: Pensioners.
Poland: ŚwiatowaFederacjaZwiązkówZawodowych.
Portugal: CGTP-IN.
Romania: Asociatia Romania Muncitoare (Worker's Romania Association).
Russia: Pensioners.
Serbia: Pensioners.
Switzerland : Pensioners.
Turkey :NakliyatSendika, Commite of Pensioners.
Turkish-Cyprus: KTAMS (Cyprus Turkish Civil Servants Trade Union).
Ukraine: Pensionists of Lugansk.
Greetings from organizations of Pensioners from other continents (with similar realities regarding pensions):
Australia
Canada
USA
Also, we have contacts with:
Belgium, Byelorussia, Iceland and Sweden
COSTS OF THE CONFERENCE:
We consider useful to give this complementary information.
Summary of costs of the European conference at Denmark:
(in euros and Danish crowns).
Air tickets to not included paid by the participants or their organization (the car rent is included for transportation, paid by the CSU and P&R of Spain).
euros DKK
C° 7,078
accommodation 2.700,00 accommodation 14.800,00
divers 60,02 food 2.103,50
paid by companions -715,00 transportation 10.951,98
varied 100,00
paid by companions -4.200,00
Total cost euros 2.045,02 Total cost DKK 23.755,48
value in euros costs in DKK 3.356,09 23.755,48
Total cost € 5.401,11
Contribution CSU to the conference 1.237,66
Real cost for TUI 4.163,45 €
To all the affiliated organizations that will take part on the actions of October 1st, 2016
WORLD´S STRUGGLE DAY OF P&R
The capitalist crisis and its barbarism are underway. Governments and capital are trying to find a temporary way out of the crisis placing its weight on the pensioners, retirees and popular layers.
In order to increase capitalist competitiveness, Pensioners and Retirees all over the world are suffering the worsening of their daily life conditions as well as those of their sons.
Their pensions are being reduced, public Health services are being placed on private hands, social structures are being destroyed, their rights are being greatly limited. In some many places this rights don´t exist.
The capitalist states along with the company owners are reducing its participation in social security putting all the expenses on workers and Retirees, so easing the way to a private social security. In many countries of the world there are not any kind of infrastructure, medical and pharmacy care, public pensions, proper housing or drinkable water.
We appeal to carry all kind of actions (demonstrations, concentrations, the issue of documents to the authorities, assemblies, conferences, etc.) toall our organizations of Pensioners and Retirees for the forthcoming October the first, International Day of Retirees.
We are fighting for:
1) The universal right for a pension.
2) To reduce the retirement age for men and much more for women.
3) Public and free of charges Social Security.
4) Public and free of charge medical and pharmacy assistance for everybody, without limitations and/or restrictions.
5) Public pensions enough to guarantee our current needs in order to have a dignified life (Social support, proper housing, fresh water, medical care, public, free and accessible means of transportation and leisure.
WE DO NOT ACCEPT THE CAPITALIST´S LEFTOVERS
WE FIGHT TO CONQUER A LIFE AND A FUTURE ACCORDING TO THE WEALTH WE PRODUCE
LONG LIFE UNIVERSAL SOLIDARITY!
LONG LIFE TO OCTOBER THE FIRST!
