I´ve been thinking about the title of the present text and finally I arrived to the conclusion – after carefully reading the latest documents issued by CSI and CES - that these words are the best summary of what´s going on at this organizations
Just a few data to start the reflection: 1) both CSI and CES accept the primacy of bourgeoisie over the working class in the ideological struggle, thus placing themselves inside capitalism while denying the class struggle. 2) CSI and CES work as NGO, that is to say that they are mainly financed through donations, and not though its member´s fees. 3) CIS and CES are inbreeding organizations and structures that reproduce themselves as the Catholic Church does, so their leaders appoint their successors without consulting their militant bases (those affiliated to trade unions, from whom 99% don´t know what their hideous and fake leaders decide or do).
This mentioned and undeniable features are among the main elements of the CSI´s reality that started its actual pattern in 1949 (it was named CIOSL in those days, but its manners were the same) when it departed from the WTUF (World Trade Union Federation) in order to deny the anti imperialist an anti colonialist positions of the latter, the first and sole world federation of class trade unions.
CSI and CES don´t have – as they don´t want to have it – any capacity to change society. They adapt themselves to the realities of capitalism given up the struggle to achieve a real alternative to the exploitation of man by man as defined by Karl Marx. Plainly, CSI and CES pretend to give proposals in order to end with poverty and injustice, but without fighting their real cause: capitalism. Any rational person fairly knows that without fighting against the causes it is not possible to make the effects disappear.
Their latest proposals, “compromises for a fair globalization”, were presented in Germany on May 17th by the CSI´s leadership through the invention of a L20 as an alternative to the G20´s meeting to be held next July. An invention full of marketing possibilities (they know a lot about marketing strategies at the CSI, as they are used to pay high salaries to high profile professionals adept to capitalism). Fairy words with a beautiful sound that only deceived those workers lacking a proper ideological education.
Sharan Burrows, CSI´s General Secretary, claimed in the mentioned meeting: “inequalities and lack of security are features of the current model of globalization”. As the intelligent person she is, a intelligent as those class enemies of the workers, Burrows can´t accept the fact that the economic system may be branded as a failure. Just the opposite, the system has fulfilled what the world decision-makers expected from it. That is demonstrated by the evidences that shows how multinationals are gaining more and more while merging in new, bigger companies in order to complete the construction of oligopolies. Wealth is more and more distributed under a pattern of great inequality that means the suffering of the world´s population majority.
Following the instructions issued by CSI, to which it belongs and obey, CES has just release in Rome (May 29th to 31th, 2017) its report on the past two years. At the same time they have contributed to the celebrations (they must be happy about it) of the sixtieth anniversary of the Treaty of Rome that gave way to the EU, that structure aimed to the destruction of the worker´s rights. CES did put an end to this meeting saying that working conditions are currently on a positive way, as “progressive changes can be foreseen in the next ten years”.
On the other hand, and as part of the thankfulness from the capitalist leaders in order to recognize CES and CSI main task of denying the class struggle, the multinational´s CEOS (those decision makers at the EU, the G20, the NATO, Davos and any other capitalist structure) greatly support the CSI+CES´s activities with generous and varied grants fuelled (without any kind of financial control) through several organizations. This is how CSI+CES survive in spite of its acknowledged bankruptcy in terms of affiliation. A clear example of this is what´s currently happening in Italy, where the bases of the old CGIL are being giving up to their former organization to massively adhere to the ranks of the new USB (a class union affiliated to the WTUF), thus leaving behind inter-class positions to arrive a position connected to the class struggle.
In reality, the capitalist leaders that are those who ruled over platforms as the OIT are interested in turning the old trade unions into NGO organizations. That´s why they treat the union confederations as NGO during its general assemblies, where they try to make disappear (or at least to hide) this that will never disappear: the class struggle.
Finally, and as it happens in every sclerotized organization, CSI and CES reproduces themselves on an endogamic basis, as they are unable to make their affiliates participate. They are afraid of them, as they fear that their leaders rot may be disclosed, so they only offer their bases travels (almost as tourists) to some meeting in which to take part in fake demonstrations that include transportation and hotels. However, these affiliates don´t participate in the changing of leaders, they don´t know and they are not duly informed on what their leaders do, and when they know about it they discovered how they have being cheated. Clear evidences of this are the Social Pacts subscribed by the leaders of those unions adhered to CSI and CES. Agreements signed with the entrepreneurs and agreements with the capitalist governments that have allowed the company owners to pay different salaries for the same job, to enhanced the difficulties to enjoy proper care when a worker is ill, to increase extra time and labor precariousness; and have allowed to the governments the denying of the right to get a decent subside when unemployed, to delay retirement age, to make substantial cuts on pensions, to make new cuts on health public services and so on…
As a NGO that is its present condition, CSI and CES could go on, but there will be more and more workers ready to denounce them as instruments in the hands of the owners, an instrument, as the whole of the yellow trade unionism, whose aim is no other than the weakening of the worker´s capacities for the class struggle.
Mankind history shows that nothing can stop the revolutionary process of fighting unfairness, of fighting for the constructions of new societies able to end with the rot of previous eras. That is why, no matter how much money will be invested on the CSI and CES by the big multinational companies in order to help them in its trying to stop the end of capitalism, socialism will open its way day by day, year by year in the whole world.
Quim Boix
General Secretary of the International of Trade Unions of Pensioners and Retirees adhered to the WTUF.
WTUF´s responsible for Spain (except for the Basque country).
