"Our priority is workers unity"
Remember that the mass organization of Christian Democracy, the UPD, signed a social pact with
Duarte just before 1984. Duarte has never made good the promises made in this pact, and MARIO PALENCIA is the financial secretary of the National Trade a considerable section Union Federation of Salvadorean Workers (FENASTRAS), one of has joined our struggle. Some secret- the strongest trade-union organizations in El Salvador. It has played, agriculture and officials of the agricultural credit and continues to play, a big role in the current recomposition of the system have resigned and have broken with the Christian Democratic party Mario was interviewed by Arnold Berthu in San Salvador in August, to join the left opposition.
On February 8, the UNTS held its first big public meeting. government tried to prevent it by us of our headquarters, immediately organizing a massive protest demondevelopments in the peasants. any Have ganizations?
Alo Yes, in a significant way, but in the form of cooperative associations.
Q. What has been happening in the students movement?
A. The students are very militant. They have just held a large demonstration for the tenth anniversary of the murder of thirty students. Their main association is taking part actively in the UNTS, even if, normally, the latter would only include workers' organizations.
Q. Can we come on now to the question of the negotiations between Duarte and the FMLN?
A. Whether it is ANDES, UNTS or still some union organizations who continue to support Duarte in principle, everyone demands that real negotiations be held with the FMLN, a dialogue which the whole population must participate in. In the ten years that Duarte has now been in power, he has done nothing to find a political solution to the social and military conflict that is shaking the country.
The government is trying to prevent debate from taking place in the country, and that shows that it is afraid of the people. We ourselves want a public discussion, but every time the government puts off the meetings. They demand that the 14
1986.
In the past year, a first step forward has been made toward workers' unity with the creation of the May 1 Committee, which essenbrought together the vanguard unions. Today, with the UNTS, unity has been broadened to those unions and mass organizations that a short while ago constituted a base of sup port for President Duarte. How is it that the UPD, which supported the government, today makes up a part of
The UPD is divided. One part continues to support the government and another to oppose it. It is an organization that was taken in by Duarte's promises. It signed pact with the government before the elections. Many honest people in the UPD have realised that they were manipulated.
Q. Has there been a growth of struggles recently?
A. Overall, there is an upturn of struggles. Certain organizations have backed off after seeing the terror caused by Duarte's repressive of action: But overall, the scale actions has very clearly increased this year. The founding of the UNTS in February is one of the main causes of this. On February 21, 80,000 workers demonstrated after a call put out by UNTS. On May Day, there were 110,000 demonstrators.
Have you drafted a plan of action to win your demands? Last year, the May 1 Committee presented your list of demands to the National Assembly, allowing a delay so as to obtain a satisfactory response. Did this tactic pay off?
A. We have drawn a negative balance sheet of this tactic because the Assembly ignored our list of demands. We reckoned that it was more useful to wage the economic battle in the workplaces.
Is a direct struggle against the government possible given the present state of the movement?
A. A general plan of struggle is necessary, but we are at the stage of reinforcing workers' unity. We give absolute priority to this unity, including on the organizational level, that is, the creation of a single union. Afterwards, we will adopt a plan of action.
• Does the existence of the UNTS mean the end of various trade-union federations like the FUS or FENASTRAS?
A. No, those continue to exist. But as we are giving priority to achieving trade-union unity, these different federations are less active than previously. Concerning our federation, FENASTRAS, it is presented as the most active in the May 1 Committee and in the UNTS. But for ourselves, we do not consider it as the most important federation. We appreciate that we must contribute to strengthening workers' unity with other trade-union and peasants' organizations, cooperatives and so on.
Q What is the position of the UNTS in relation to the governmentFMLN negotiations?
A. We think that we must take a political position to force the government to hold genuine and frank negotiations with the FMIN. International Viewpoint 13 October 1986