----- Original Message -----
From: Downwithcapitalism <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2001 6:33 AM
Subject: [downwithcapitalism] FW: Strikes around the World
WSWS. 24 April 2001. Workers Struggles: The Americas. Excerpts.
Latin America.
Rural workers protest in Brazil.
On April 17 the movement of landless rural workers (MST) held rallies in
Sao Paulo and 22 other cities to commemorate the massacre of 18 of their
own in Eldorado dos Carajas five years ago.
MST sources reported that the Sao Paulo protest of 500 people included
members of the MST and of local unions. In Sao Paulo, many MST women
remained over the weekend to lobby politicians. The men marched on to
other parts of the state where land occupations are taking place.
Bolivian protests continue.
A march of peasants, rural workers, public employees, health workers and
teachersfrom Cochabamba to La Paz, Boliviacontinues under intense
government harassment. The support for the march has aggravated the
crisis facing the regime of Hugo Banzer.
In La Paz, on April 20 there was a massive protest of factory workers
organized by the Bolivian Workers Confederation (COB). The protest was
both a sign of support for the Cochabamba marchers and to petition the
government to respond to economic demands from the industries
represented. The COB reported that workers from 70 factories took part
in the demonstration.
Health services paralyzed in Colombian city.
On April 20, 400 health workers from various health services walked out
in the city of Sincelejo in North Central Colombia, an oil producing
region near the Caribbean Sea. The workers are demanding 1,200 million
pesos (about US$1 million) in back wages.
Carmen Covo, representative of the National Health and Social Security
Workers Union (SINDESS), explained that the walkout resulted from the
refusal of the municipal government to pay the workers as agreed in
January. Covo indicated that workers have not been paid at all this
year. Some workers are owed up to seven months back pay. She indicated
that the strike would only end when the city paid its debt in full.
Mexican protests against the Value Added Tax.
On April 15 and 16 Mexico City was paralyzed by unions and citizens
groups protesting against the imposition of the Value Added Tax (VAT) on
food and medicine. Streets were barricaded and rallies took place in
opposition to the new tax.
University students from UNAM have joined in the protests as have
several Mexican unions. Up until now food and medicine had been exempt
from taxation. A government official justified the new measure,
declaring that in order to increase benefits for the poor the Fox
administration needed to tax them more heavily, effectively making them
pay for their own relief.
On April 24, several of Mexico's truck drivers unions plan a 24-hour
strike against the VAT. Last week the truck drivers leaders denounced
the new measure as a betrayal of the interests of Mexicans and an
aggression against the working class.
Since the 1970s the purchasing power of workers in Mexico has been
steadily declining. It is now 20 percent lower than in 1974. Many
families are barely able to make ends meet.
........................
United States.
Washington state workers conduct rolling strikes.
Members of the Washington State Federation of State Employees struck
selected state agencies last week to pressure the legislature for higher
salaries and a cap on employee-paid health costs. It was the first ever
strike by the 19,000-member union.
Washington's Democratic governor, Gary Locke, called the walkouts
illegal and said he would seek a court injunction if state services were
affected. The governor has proposed raises of 2.2 percent for the first
year and 2.5 percent the next year. State workers are demanding wage
increases of 3.7 percent starting in July and another 3.1 percent next
yearequivalent to raises granted in last fall's teacher contracts. The
state legislature adjourned April 22 without acting on the union's
demands.
American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees President
Gerald McEntee addressed a rally of 1,500 state workers Sunday in front
of the state capitol in Olympia. Following the rally the union announced
that the rolling strikes were being suspended.
Hawaii college faculty settle, while public school strike continues.
Striking faculty at the University of Hawaii accepted a two-year
contract April 18. The agreement contains across-the-board pay increases
for professors and a 3 percent increase for lecturers, who were
initially excluded from receiving a raise. The agreement also includes a
2 percent merit-increase clause.
Three thousand University of Hawaii faculty struck April 5 alongside the
state's 12,000 public school teachers. Negotiations are continuing in
the teachers walkout under the auspices of a federal mediator. The
strike has affected 180,000 students. A US district court judge has
threatened to intervene against the striking teachers if the walkout
continues through the week.
..........................
Canada.
Strike forces closure of Toronto schools.
All 565 public schools in Toronto are being closed as a result of the
three-week-old strike by support staff. While many schools had
unofficially shut down over the course of the strike, the Toronto
District School board had until now insisted that schools stay open. But
by last Wednesday, conditions in the schools had become so intolerable
they were compelled to take an emergency vote to close all schools
affected by the strike.
The strike by 13,000 support staff began on April 1 and includes
janitors, secretaries and some teachers. The strikers, who are
represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), are
seeking a wage increase of 8 percent over two years and guarantees
against contracting out of jobs. The board is offering only 6.2 percent
over three years. Negotiations with the school board bogged down last
week and there is no indication that the strike will be settled soon.
Hydro workers wildcat in British Columbia.
A number of wildcat strikes by electrical workers broke out last week at
locations across the province of British Columbia against B.C. Hydro.
Workers are upset by a tentative contract reached two weeks ago between
their union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW),
and the utility, which they say falls far short in wage provisions. B.C.
Hydro has appealed to the Labour Relations Board to force the strikers
back on the job.
SPAM TO FOLLOW
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
