Resignation of
Communist Euro-MP collective bargaining, short-term con-
International Viewpoint #179 • February 26, 1990
GREECE THE crisis of the Greek Communist Party has worsened since the establishment on November 21, 1989 of Zolotas' national unity government, in which the CP finds itself in a strange alliance with Greece's main right-wing party. A recent sign of the crisis is the resignation of the Euro-MP Dimitris Desyllas. We publish below his resignation of letter, which is also a denunciaion of the EEC. DOCUMENT
T HE MAIN reason which led me to
the decision to withdraw from the (CPG) and the Coalition of the Left and Progress and to dissociate myself from their policies are, briefly, as follows:
I agreed with the formation of the Coalition and did everything in my power to assure its success in the June and November elections because I believed in the commitments and declarations of the a) That it would be a broad sociopolitical coalition to defend the interests of the people, to fight for national independence and to advance the democratic and socialist rebirth of Greece.
b) That it aimed to promote the independent role of the Left with respect to the bankrupt two-party system.
c) That within the Coalition, the ideological, political and organizational independence of each political force, including of course the CPG, would be assured.
Unfortunately, the hard reality of recent political developments has proved the a) The Coalition has essentially been restricted to a coalition at the top, and is closed processes and decisions by the leadership and some public figures from the political world of the 22 b) The Coalition has become a supplementary and reinforcing the policy of the ruling class and the two poles of the twoparty system, whitewashing the image of the New Democracy party after the June elections and that of the PASOK party the c) The CP leadership has abolished in practice the ideological and independence of the Party, while at the same time it has carried out mass expulsions, removal from office and slander against thousands of cadres and members
Thus, with the government of Mr. Zolotas, we have today reached the point where there is full and unprecedented consensus and unanimity between the leaderships of the New Democracy, PASOK and the Coalition regarding the basic options and instructions of the EEC and the more general neo-conservative offensive against the interests of the people and the aims of the popular move-
Government agrees to European military integration
Specifically, the leadership of the CPG, within the framework of the Coalition,
1. Agreed to the military integration of the EEC. It did not even demand withdrawal of the application made by A. Papandreou (with the consent of Mr. Mitsotakis) for Greece to join the cold-war Western European Union (which imposes the maintenance and updating of nuclear weapons), despite the international and European climate which favours the promotion of our national independence and the withdrawal of the US bases.
2. Agreed to the monetary integration of the EEC. This implies a long-term or permanent austerity programme for working people, placing the economy on the EEC "automatic pilot" and the reduction or abolition of any national sovereignty in charting economic, incomes, credit or monetary policy. It is not at all accidental that Delors stated publicly (and no one denied it) that all three Greek parties agreed to the economic and monetary union of the EEC.
3. Instead of informing the working people and organizing their struggle against the new, broader forms of exploitation being introduced by the multinationals and the EEC with the single internal market (that is, restriction of free tracts, flexible working hours and wages, and reduced social security, retirement benefits and rights and so on) all it did was put forward slogans about the "unified social field" of demanding a "social dimension" in the single internal market and finally the so-called EEC "charter of social rights" which is merely a declaration of vague wishes with no practical value.
4. Instead of opposing the directives and instructions of the EEC with respect to the closing or selling off of problematic businesses, it has, with the Zolotas government, gone ahead to carry them out, along with all the repercussions which they have on the people working in these firms.
5. It has downgraded in practice the struggles of the farmers' trade union and cooperative movement and underrated the role of working small and medium-sized farm owners in the formation of social alliances. Mandate to fight against 1992
6. The workers, farmers, people in trades and small businesses, and the working people in general, voted for us in the elections for the European parliament so would fight against the neoconservative instructions and policies of the EEC and 1992 and not end up saying "yes" to everything Mr. Delors proposed.
This is why I decided to dissociate myself from this policy, Which is being discredited every day in practice, become an independent. While remaining loyal to the meaning and commitment implicit in the popular vote, I will, as an Independent Left Member of the European Parliament, do everything in my power, together with the workers, farmers, working people, activists of the Left and the grassroots of PASOK and all the social movements, to promote the formation and development of a militant popular movement against the effects of 1992 and against the EEC itself.
If this movement exists as a vital reality with 20% of the vote and four Euro MPs in
Denmark (a country with a high living standard) I am certain that in Greece, which is already in last place (no.12) in the
EEC, this movement is even more necessary and realizable. *
AROUND
THE
WORLD
MEXICO Advances for Ford workers IN THE JANUARY 29 ISSUE of International Viewpoint we reported on a conflict between the workers at the Ford subsidiary in Mexico and their corrupt leaders and the transnational company, which was trying to violate a series of rights and gains won by the Mexican workers. Although this conflict has not been resolved, in this issue we can report a series of advances. If they continue and deepen, they can very well lead the Ford workers to a great victory. It would be an unprecented one in the recent hard-fought struggles of the Mexican working class to drive back the offensive of the bosses and the government, who are trying to solve the economic crisis on the backs of the workers.
In recent days, the following gains have been made — the removal of Héctor Uriarte as general secretary of the union; the jailing of Guadalupe Uribe and nine of his gunmen for the brutal attack that left compañero Benigno Cleto dead and Il other compañeros wounded; recognition by the Mexican Workers' Confederation (CTM) of the committee of the workers involved in the struggle as a body with full powers to negotiate and win a favorable agree-
To counter these advances, however, the CTM and the company have resorted to a series of maneuvers designed to block any further gains for the workers. For example, they immediately replaced Héctor Uriarte with his deputy, an individual who will undoubtedly do everything in his power to prevent new
In this new situation, on Saturday, February 10, the workers held a general assembly in which they made a general balance sheet of their struggle. At the same time, to prevent the company and the CTM from finding new pretexts to claim that legal relations had been broken off, they decided to go back to But the return to work did not take place in a vacuum or unconditionaly. The workers managed to get an agreement on guarantees from the management, which while minimal, enabled them to ward off the threat of a ruling that legal labor relations had broken down and resume work with some favorable conditions.
Unfortunately, the outcome remains uncertain. The limitations of the guarantees are shown by the fact that the company has refused to reinstate those compañeros most deeply involved in the movement and by the strong police presence that is still being maintained in the factory. Thinking that they might face this sort of pressure, the workers agreed to hold another assembly on February 17. We hope that we will be able to report its results in the next issue of IV.
In the present conditions in Mexico (a sharp offensive from the government and the bosses trying to reorganize the economy, a working class on the defensive that has not been able to mount a general fightback against this offensive), the struggle of the Ford workers, without any exaggeration, is a historic and heroic one. A victory for these workers will break the starvation course of official policy and could well lay the bases for a broad and pluralistic social movement that could find a people's democratic solution to a crisis that has gone on for several years. Therefore, it is urgent to maintain and
AROUND THE WORLD redouble the campaign of publicity and solidarity with the Ford-Mexico workers.
Protests must be organized in every country in front of Ford factories, and messages demanding respect for the rights of Mexican workers sent to Ford Motor
Company, Mexico at Paseo de la Reforma #333, Mexico, DF. Messages should also be sent to the official residence of Mexico's president, Carlos Salinas de Gortari, at Los Pinos; to the labour secretary, Arsenio Farrel Cubillas at Periferico Sur #4271, Zona Postal 20. Messages in sup port of the Ford workers' struggle should be sent to Dr. Lucio #103 Edificio Orion
A-4 Despacho 103, Mexico DF or faxed to 2 86 89 26 or 2 86 89 76 with prior notification to Sr. Raul Escobar, telephone no: 578 15 56. SRILANKA Terror against the left THE Assistant District Committee Secretary of the Sri Lankan Trotskyist organization, the NSSP in Matara, Chandaradasa Ranasinghe, who was a United Socialist candidate in the recent elections, has been missing since December 22, 1989.
While on his way back to his residence from Matara Town, it is suspected that, along with others, he fell into the hands of a joint police-army search for suspected "subversives". Information received at NSSP headquarters reveals that he has been under interrogation by the Matara
Both the army and the police authorities in reply to the inquiries made about him, have denied his arrest. But the information received shows that he was in police custody at Matara between December 22 and 26. Comrade Vasudeva Nanayakkara, the MP for Ratnapura District has been assured of his presence somewhere, but the authorities decline to disclose the source of this information citing security
On December 26, 1989, late in the evening the Party Centre received a telephone message, in which someone claiming to be attached to the Defence Ministry stated that after his arrest Ranasinghe was questioned about the weapons handed over to him by the government.
It is evident that he is continuing to be interrogated, perhaps for the following reasons:
1. At the time of his arrest he had on him some forms from Amnesty International the Red Cross Society.
2. In the 1982 Presidential elections he had campaigned for the election of Rohana Wijeweera, the leader of the [radical Sinhala chauvinist organization] JVP.
3. His youngest brother was a JVP suspect who is a wanted person and is now in hiding. The government authorities, in 23 order to force his parents to hand him
Richard Lenoir, 93108 MONTREUIL, Paris, price $3, £2 or 20FF
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International Viewpoint #179 • February 26, 1990
AROUND THE WORLD over, set their house on fire.
This matter also has been reported to the Matara police by Conrade C. Ranasinghe, who is identified in the area as a consistent anti-government activist.
Comrade Ranasinghe has been an active participant in struggles against terrorism and in defence of basic democratic rights. Because of these activities he has been the subject of death threats.
We appeal to you to express your vehement protests against the abduction of Comrade Ranasinghe, and for his immediate release. It is also necessary to demand that the authorities reveal his exact place of detention.
Copies of protests, petitions and telegrams should be sent to the following addresses:
His Excellency the President - Presidential Secretariat - Colombo.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Defence Ministry -Colombo.
General Cyril Ranatunge — JOC no. 61, Sir Ernest de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 7.
Also notify: Dr. Vickramabahu Karunarathne, General Secretary NSSP, 17 Barrack Lane Colombo 2.
(See IV 170,172,173 for further details of the wave of repression hitting the left in Sri Lanka) *
European railworkers meeting
THE Italian railways want to introduce driver-only trains throughout the network, following the lead of the French railway company, SNCF. In France the tactic of the management was to tie driver-only trains to the introduction of rail radio. In Italy, there is anarchy on the airwaves, and commercial radio prevents any worthwhile radio contact. There will therefore be no such sweetener in Italy. The rank-and-file are getting ready to fight against driver-only. national engineers' coordination" been formed capable of calling out 80% of the workers in this category on strike.
The management and union organizations, who are ready to discuss strike "regulation" do not want to recognize the coordination, which called a new 48 hour strike on January 28. The review Ancora in Marcia, although not the official organ of the coordination represents its backbone, and most politically aware current.
Ancora in Marcia started up in 1908 and is the review of the engineers in the railworkers' union. Banned by the fascists in 1926, it reemerged at the liberation as the organ of the drivers in the CGIL (proCommunist Party union federation). The union leadership suppressed it in 1979, arguing that the measure was a blow against corporatism but in reality aiming to break formally with the traditions of the Italian workers movement. It was resurrected yet again in 1982 as a journal of political and union news. Half of the engineers have subscriptions to the review, which has both a wide influence and a broad coverage.
On January 11, 1990, Ancora in Marcia organized a European conference on safety in Florence. Good organization, including simultaneous translation would have allowed Europe-wide participation. However only two representatives of the German DGB and some 20 from the French railworkers' National Liaison Committee made the trip. The British engineers' union sent a message, as did the French CFDT federation. The French CGT sent some documents. This is not much, two years before 1992 and the single European
The French Liaison Committee' representatives have known Ancora in Marcia since the 1986-87 strikes in France. The two currents have kept in touch. The French explained how the transition to driver-only was imposed region by region starting in 1979 as and when radio lines were put in, and how the union organizations had failed to react in time to organize the struggle against this measure.
The Normandy region was on strike alone for three weeks, and this expe-
INPREKOR anaries care derant decentm č 10
OBSAH
Zít ve svobodě
Úvodnik rience was at the origin of the rank-and-file coordinations that emerged in 1986. The Italian engineers have many ideas for the future and for safety on the European railways. 2
They are proposing 5 to organize a demonstration at Strasburg
Teze levé alternatívy/ hnutí za demokratický a samosprávny
Programové teze klubu Obroda
Petr Uhl - Na okraj programových
David Seppo - Hornické stávky socialismus tezí klubu Obroda v SSSR and hope that other
European railwork-
10 ers will take part.
15
In Florence French and Italian railworkers discussed comproblems
33 mon without difficulty.
Two railworkers
63 from Sotteville les
Rouen, just back from
Bucharest, recounted their expe-
17.12.89
INPREKOR in Czech, no.10 can be obtained from PEC, rue
24 riences on their "train for Romania". The railways are the irrigation channels of Europe, and the railworkers can play a central role in the fight for a workers' Europe. *