> > WW News Service Digest #81 > > 1) Occupation protests Abbott death drug > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 2) Costa Ricans fight privatization of electrical industry > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 3) Workers around the world: 4/27/2000 > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Apr. 27, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >PARIS: OCCUPATION PROTESTS ABBOTT DEATH DRUG > >A group of 70 people from four Paris-based groups occupied >the French headquarters of Abbott Laboratories for almost >four hours on April 13. They were protesting Abbot's >complicity in executing the death penalty. > >Abbott Laboratories, based in Chicago and Toronto, >produces the anesthetic Sodium Thiopental or Penthothal. >This hypnotic is pumped into the veins of death-row >prisoners in the United States as the first stage of >lethal-injection executions. Then two killer drugs--Pavulon >produced by Organon and potassium chloride produced by >Roxane--finish the victim. > >The four groups whose members took the action in France >are the International Concerned Family and Friends for >Mumia Abu-Jamal/France, Scalp-Reflex, ACT-UP/ Paris and the >Leonard Peltier Support Group in France. > >The activists carried out civil disobedience as a warning >to the three labs that they will be held accountable for >their complicity with the death-dealing process. The lab >was also warned that it cannot hide behind the excuse that >it has no means of tracing how its drugs end up in U.S. >execution chambers. > >Julia Wright, coordinator of ICFF for Mumia Abu-Jamal in >France and spokesperson for the groups, held a telephone >conversation with Abbott's public-relations spokesperson, >Vice President Kathy Babbington, in Chicago. The >conversation was broadcast to protesters over a >loudspeaker. Babbington tried to defend Abbott, saying >Penthothal was a "good drug" and the company could not >control its "misuse." Protesters answered by shouting, >"Boycott Abbott" and, "No justice, no peace." > >Wright, who had also introduced herself as African >American writer Richard Wright's daughter, informed >Abbott's representative that the company could be held >accountable by international standards for indirect >participation in the execution process. She insisted Abbott >track and account for how the hypnotic drug is used, and >that it refuse to sell the drug to states that execute >prisoners. > >--John Catalinotto > > - END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service. Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > >Message-ID: <001d01bfaf14$798d66e0$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Costa Ricans fight privatization of electrical industry >Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 20:14:18 -0400 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Apr. 27, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >NO BUSINESS AS USUAL! > >COSTA RICANS FIGHT PRIVATIZATION OF >ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY > >By Rebeca Toledo > >Protests, strikes and blockades gripped Costa Rica the >week of March 20, after the Legislative Assembly passed, in >first debate, the "Law to Transform Costa Rican Electrical >Institute." > >The bill, known as the Energy Combo and opposed by the >majority of the people, is aimed at opening the state-owned >Costa Rican Electrical Institute (ICE) to private >competition. > >President Miguel Angel Rodr�guez was forced to put the >bill on hold for 60 days on April 2 due to the enormous, >sustained pressure from anti-Combo forces. Over 11,000 >workers, organized under the leadership of the Internal >Front of the ICE Workers, went out on strike and occupied >ICE buildings throughout the country. > >Labor unions, student organizations, environmental groups, >dock workers and whole communities shut down the country >off and on for two weeks--culminating in a general strike >on April 3. > >Negotiations between these forces and the government are >now under way. But the opposition continues to demand that >the bill be completely withdrawn. > >The Combo consists of three separate parts. First, the ICE >will be broken up into two companies, ICELEC and ICETEL, >which will focus on energy and telecommunications >respectively. Then, the existing state-monopolized markets >will be opened up for private and foreign competition, >followed by ICELEC and ICETEL seeking joint ventures with >private companies, where they will maintain only 51 percent >ownership. The whole process would take five years. > >The people's opposition contends that once opened up, the >ICE will inevitably fall prey to privatization. As Manuel >Garc�a from the National Association of Public and Private >Employees says, "The privatization we've seen in Chile, >Argentina and El Salvador have shown us that far from being >an improvement, opening the markets has turned out to be a >setback." Costa Rica's ruling class has been trying to open >the ICE up for five years now. > >State labor laws would no longer protect the ICE workers. >Private and foreign companies would be allowed to build in >national parks and preserves and use up natural resources >with very few restrictions. Energy, phone and Internet >prices will be allowed to soar. > >Demonstrations against the Combo took place throughout the >country. On March 22 alone, there were anti-Combo actions >reported in over 40 areas of the country. > >In the port city of Lim�n, dock shutdowns became a daily >occurrence, with a total paralysis on April 3. Lim�n is on >the Caribbean coast and heavily populated by Black Costa >Ricans who have been marginalized by the government. Some >of the most militant actions, as well as some of the >heaviest repression, took place there. > >In southern Costa Rica, as far as Golfito and San Isidro >de El General, highway and street blockades stopped >business as usual. The tourist province of Guanacaste was >also hit with protests, as were Heredia and Alajuela. > >And thousands came out in the capital of San Jos� for the >daily protests from the ICE headquarters to the >Presidential House. Protesters blockaded the streets with >burning tires. > >Belying its reputation as a peaceful, army-less >government, the state unleashed the heavily armed Costa >Rican regular and security police against the protesters. >They attacked many demonstrations, arresting, beating, and >even shooting protesters, including children. > >In one instance, in the Pacific province of Puntarenas, >the police fired tear gas at a primary school. > >The government, led by the Social Democratic Unity Party, >launched a media campaign to promote the Combo, trying to >vilify the thousands of people on the streets as violent >outsiders. But this tactic backfired as a survey concluded >that 71 percent of the population supported the >demonstrations. > >The National Liberation Party, the leading ruling-class >opposition party, had been supporting the Combo but finally >called for negotiations as plans for the general strike >were gaining steam. It was during this time that the >biggest demonstrations took place. > >The Internal Front of the ICE Workers has been the chosen >representative of the anti-Combo forces by the other >participating organizations. They insisted that the bill be >withdrawn before any talks could begin. It was only after >the 60-day holding period was set that they agreed to >talks. > >Coordinator Jorge Arguedas said they would not abandon >tactics that will pressure the government if it does not >negotiate in good faith. They are aware that negotiations >are limited, especially since they have no official vote in >the special commission, but only in the streets. > > - END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service. Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > >Message-ID: <001e01bfaf14$799e2fc0$[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Workers around the world: 4/27/2000 >Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 20:14:55 -0400 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Apr. 27, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > > WORKERS AROUND THE WORLD > >BOLIVIA: PRIVATIZATION, GOV'T REPRESSIONPROTESTS > >After a week of massive protests by workers and peasants, >the Bolivian government backed off its plan to raise water >prices. But unions, students and rural workers are keeping >up their protests against President Hugo Banzer's >declaration of a state of emergency. > >Protests began April 2 in Bolivia's third-biggest city, >Cochabamba. They targeted plans to turn over water >distribution in the region to an international business >group, including U.S.-based Bechtel Enterprise Holdings. >The sell-off would send water prices soaring by as much as >35 percent. > >By April 8, a broad popular coalition had emerged to fight >the government's pro-International Monetary Fund economic >policies. Workers joined the movement alongside peasants >fighting against crop-eradication programs. On April 8, >Banzer declared a state of emergency, arresting at least 50 >workers' and peasants' leaders. > >On April 10, facing growing social instability and with >the memory of January's upheaval in Ecuador fresh in mind, >the government backed away from the water privatization. >Officials said local communities would have a say in water >policy. Aguas de Tunari, the international group that >includes Bechtel, pulled out of the contract. > >But the protests did not end. On April 12, the Bolivian >Workers' Federation called a strike against the state of >emergency. Thousands of workers and students clashed with >riot police in the capital, La Paz. Ten thousand peasants >mobilized around the country to march on the capital. > >Strikes and protests continued on April 14. The teachers' >union, health-care workers and postal workers walked off >the job in La Paz. Scores of students were arrested in >street battles with riot police. That day the government, >on the defensive, announced that it could be "flexible" >about the emergency decree. > >Protests show no sign of abating. Peasant organizations >threatened to set up roadblocks again after the government >refused to release arrested peasant leader Felipe Quispe. >Peasant roadblocks immobilized national commerce during the >water protests, causing food shortages in the urban >centers. > >At the same time, low-ranking army troops threatened to >strike for a pay hike, raising the prospect of instability >within the ruling class's organs of repression. > >MEXICO: MORE PROTESTS AT THE UNAM > >After students and professors waged a 10-month strike at >the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the >government used police to break the student action in >February. Over 1,000 students and their supporters were >arrested when the government took the campus. > >On March 28, some 300 members of the General Strike >Council (CGH), which led the strike, took over the offices >of the School of Sciences and Humanities. They demanded >that the remaining 28 arrested student leaders be released. >They also announced that their struggle for a democratic >university system was not over. > >Four hundred international academics, including U.S. >linguist Noam Chomsky, Spanish singer Joan Manuel Serrat, >and Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff, published an open >letter supporting the CGH's demand that their imprisoned >comrades be released. > >Although the building takeover ended peacefully, the UNAM >administration responded with a heavy hand. On April 14, >some 4,000 police troops entered the campus to guard the >entrances and main buildings. University administrators >justified the massive militarization by claiming they had >evidence of plans for a new attempt to take over buildings. > >The union representing UNAM workers slammed the police >occupation as a violation of the workers' contract. Union >leader Agust�n Granados said it was "a shame that within >the university there are authoritarian activities that >erode academic activities in the institution." > >Granados called for an April 19 mass demonstration in >Mexico City. He also threatened a May 3 strike for >violations of the contract. > >The UNAM protests began in April 1999 against a new >tuition charge, but quickly became a massive protest >against privatization. > >BRAZIL: INDIGENOUS ANTI-COLONIAL PROTEST > >Two thousand representatives of Indigenous groups in >Brazil embarked on a national march from the capital, >Brasilia, on April 14. The march is scheduled to reach the >port city of Porto Seguro in Bahia on April 22, the 500th >anniversary of the arrival of Portuguese ships in Brazil. > >The Brazilian government is celebrating the anniversary >over the protests of the Indigenous groups, which charge >that the arrival of Europeans began the destruction of >Indigenous culture in Brazil. > >The protest, called the Indigenous March 2000, also >demands that the government carry out several measures >aimed at protecting Indigenous groups, including protecting >traditional land claims and recognizing Indigenous rights >in the law. > >SOUTH AFRICA: 100,000 MARCH IN JOHANNESBURG > >The Congress of South African Trade Unions brought 100,000 >workers into the streets of Johannesburg on April 13 to >protest the business sector's refusal to create jobs. The >demonstration was one of the biggest union actions since >the African National Congress took power in South Africa in >1994. > >COSATU President Willie Madisha called for an end to the >private sector's "investment strike," where capital is >invested in international stock exchanges instead of local >production. The demonstration was a prelude to a massive >COSATU general strike scheduled for May 10. > >The union demanded that the government scrap section 189 >of the Labor Relations Act, which allows bosses to >"consult" with unions about layoffs instead of negotiating. >It also called for measures to protect victims of layoffs, >including funds for unemployed workers. > >Madisha warned South African capitalists, "You have until >May 1 to respond, or else you will face an unprecedented >general strike on May 10." > >COSATU is a member of the tripartite alliance that >includes the ANC and the South African Communist Party. But >COSATU has taken an increasingly independent position as >the ANC has had to make concessions to the predominantly >white capitalist class. > >SOUTH KOREA: AUTO WORKERS STRIKE > >Some 73,000 workers paralyzed south Korea's auto industry >for a week beginning on April 6. Workers from Hyundai >Motors and Kia Motors joined their sisters and brothers at >Daewoo/Ssangyong Motors on strike to fight the sale of >Daewoo to foreign capital. > >The strikes turned to battles with riot police on April >11, when cops tried to shut down a union protest in Seoul. >Hundreds of cars carrying workers from all over the country >were towed away as they approached the capital. Nearly >1,000 workers were arrested. > >Daewoo is one of south Korea's biggest auto manufacturers. >But the company collapsed under debts after the 1998-99 >financial crisis. Now auto giants in the imperialist >centers are maneuvering to take hold of south Korean >production. A joint Ford-General Motors bid is viewed as >the frontrunner for the takeover. > >Hyundai and Kia workers, members of the militant Korean >Metal Workers Federation, returned to work on April 13. But >the KMWF is threatening another mass strike if talks fail >to stop the sale. > >LEBANON: TEACHERS STRIKE FOR HIGHER PAY > >Public-school classrooms in Lebanon were empty April 14 as >teachers went on strike for higher pay. About 5,000 >teachers marched in Beirut to press their demands for >raises of 22-29 percent. > >Striking teachers shouted slogans against Education >Minister Mohammed Beydoun. They charged that Beydoun had >refused to grant the same raises to primary and >intermediate schoolteachers as he had to high-school >teachers. > >Public-service workers have been without a contract since >December 1998. The PSA said that not only has the >government made a stingy wage offer, but it already owes >workers about $320 million in back pay. > >Baptiste warned that if the workers do not get a >satisfactory wage offer, the union would launch a protest >"that's going to be crippling to the government." > >FINLAND: PAPER WORKERS FIGHT OUTSOURCING > >Thirty thousand members of the Paperiliitto paper workers' >union in Finland walked off the job April 11 after contract >negotiations broke down. Bosses had been pushing to ease >restrictions on outsourcing--subcontracting jobs to >outside, non-union firms. > >The strike threatened to bring the paper industry to a >standstill. Paper iliitto represents all the paper workers >in the industry--and all of them walked. Paper is one of >Finland's main exports. > >Although bosses threatened to send production out of the >country to neighboring Sweden, the Swedish paper workers' >union Pappers vowed to block any move in that direction. >Both Paperiliitto and Pappers are affliliates of the Inter >national Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General >Workers' Union. > >The ICEM issued a call to international paper unions to >resist the Finnish paper bosses' efforts to send production >out of the country. > >TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: PUBLIC-SECTOR WORKERS MARCH FOR RAISE > >Thousands of Trinidad public-sector workers marched >through the streets of Port-of-Spain on April 15 to protest >the government's latest offer of raises. The proposed 2-3 >percent increases is "insulting," said Public Services >Asso ciation President Jennifer Baptiste. > > - END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service. Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message >to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
