Portugal - General Strike Against Austerity - Solidarity Between EU Workers Needed

[C. Flower]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1124/portugal.html

Portugal's two main unions have called a General Strike today against austerity measures aimed at meeting EU debt ratio targets. Portugal is a relatively poor country and already has unemployment of over 10%.

The cuts and austerity measures are being carried out by a so-called Socialist Government as they are in Greece and several other states in the EU.

On Saturday, many of us will demonstrate against the same measures here.

While we are facing cuts in the minimum wage, increases in VAT and in student charges, along with other attacks on living standards, profit rates in some companies and banker wages and bonuses are still in the stratosphere. For all the cuts and extra taxes proposed, there isn't a hope that this will work and bring about a turn "around the corner". More likely, under the present regime we face into a collapse in the bankrupt banking sector and unemployment of unprecendent levels.

The EFSF and IMF may prove to be a house of cards. The EFSF fund is only agreed to 2013 after which the German Courts and voters may well say "no more".

The one thing that the IMF, EU Commission and compliant governments does not expect is a concerted action by workers across Europe to bin their solution that puts private profits above the basic needs of people. Organisations that have European affiliations can take the lead in bringing on co-ordinated action to protect jobs and services and to replace "market driven" Governments.

Anyone know any Portuguese :D ?

http://daylife.sky.com/imageserve/0enuh1J6Si0Yb/340x.jpg

[ang]

We need an EU wide movement of EU citizens to stop the madness.

Maybe we have Portugese, French, Spanish Unions etc. that we can contact via twitter.

We need a "Peoples Union of Europe" to put these EU bullies back in their box.

A Group of unelected "elites" exposing generations of Europeans to mass austerity has got to be stopped. The only people who can do that are the EU citizens.

[Fraxinus]

The socialist parties of Greece, Spain and Portugal have turned on their people.

Our unions are impotent at the moment. How can this change? Any union for the unemplyed?

[C. Flower]

The socialist parties of Greece, Spain and Portugal have turned on their people.

Our unions are impotent at the moment. How can this change? Any union for the unemployed?

The one in Ireland seems to be a quango/ funded NGO.

The Kerry Workers Group, who have a member here, seem to me to be going right at the Trade Union problem- how to get rid of the leadership.

I think that people should get into the party nearest to their own beliefs and press for whatever change they think is needed.

[C. Flower]

Europe in ferment -

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/europe-seethes-as-economies-wilt/article1811843/



Anger and fear about Europe's seemingly unstoppable debt crisis coursed through the continent Wednesday. Striking workers shut down much of Portugal, Ireland proposed its deepest budget cuts in history and seething Italian and British students clashed with police over education cuts.

Amid it all, analysts were deeply skeptical about the future — saying even the desperate efforts of governments, the European Union and the International Monetary might not be enough to prevent countries from defaulting or banks from going under.

[C. Flower]

We need an EU wide movement of EU citizens to stop the madness.

Maybe we have Portugese, French, Spanish Unions etc. that we can contact via twitter.

We need a "Peoples Union of Europe" to put these EU bullies back in their box.

A Group of unelected "elites" exposing generations of Europeans to mass austerity has got to be stopped. The only people who can do that are the EU citizens.

I agree, but I think it needs a grouping of parties to lead it. We've seen the United Left Alliance form here in Ireland - perhaps similar can be done across Europe, based on a willingness to put people before markets.

There was a Europe-wide demonstration organised that took place on the first day of our Dáil term - ICTU leadership in Ireland strangled it at birth here, by turning it into a press opportunity, instead of a demonstration, with a few people with T-shirts and balloons. They should have turned it into a mass demonstration to support EU workers and to demand a GE in Ireland.

The Trade Union membership has to replace this fat cat leadership before the Unions here can do anything serious.

There was a good face-book page for that demonstration - the Admin didn't answer any questions, but people contributed from all over Europe. If its still alive it would be a good place to start making some contacts, as well as via the political parties.

[whydontwe]

At the moment....no 'union' of unemployed....but a great notion...why not??
450,000 votes+ ! getting organised ....how to??

[C. Flower]

http://www.anarkismo.net/article/18156

The anarchists of France are marching in support of Ireland tomorrow -


Soutien au peuple irlandais

Paris, Samedi 27 novembre : Rassemblement de soutien.

Après le peuple grec, c’est au peuple irlandais de subir les exigences antisociales de l’Union européenne et de Fonds monétaire international. Allocations familiales, salaire minimum, protection sociale, emplois et services publics sont attaqués une nouvelle fois par un plan d’austérité drastique. C’est le prix à payer pour sauver les banques et laisser les spéculateurs faire leur travail de sape ! Les peuples ne doivent pas payer la crise. L’Europe n’a de sens que si elle est sociale et solidaire.
Samedi 27 novembre, les Irlandais seront dans la rue. Nous appelons toutes les organisations qui le souhaitent à marquer leur solidarité et à refuser les plans d’austérité pour aujourd’hui et pour demain.

Rendez vous ce samedi à 15 heures, devant la Représentation permanente de l’Union européenne à Paris 288 bld Saint Germain (75007 Paris, Métro Assemblée nationale).

A l’appel des organisations suivantes : AC !, Attac, Fondation Copernic, FSU, Marches européennes, No Vox, Union syndicale Solidaires, Utopia.

[matt]

Not much of a historian, but wasn't there a big, pan-european Union alliance just prior to WWI ? Huge support and were going to call a general strike when war was declared. It would have completley prevented the war which all the corporate forces and Royal Cousins' Network had been planning and had invested so much in for so long - it's leader was assassinated by a Lithuanian Nationalist, allegedly.

[C. Flower]

Not much of a historian, but wasn't there a big, pan-european Union alliance just prior to WWI ? Huge support and were going to call a general strike when war was declared. It would have completley prevented the war which all the corporate forces and Royal Cousins' Network had been planning and had invested so much in for so long - it's leader was assassinated by a Lithuanian Naionalist, allegedly.

The Social Democratic movement, which was a revolutionary movement at the time, sold out and sent its members to murder each other.

It has consistently done the same in every war since.

[morticia]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/mar/19/portuguese-death-rate-rise-austerity-programme

As I understand this, the Portuguese government is charging people on the minimum wage to use the public health system

Funnily enough, the death rate appears to have gone up. Minimum wage quoted as about E430 per month there. Yeowch. The charges seem small by Irish standards, but we have to remember that 40% here (those on medical cards) aren't paying them.

I'm too depressed to start a "poverty of the Portuguese people" thread right now, but maybe we'll have to.

Europe is going to have to face the challenge of cutting costs while maintaining basic essential services in health and trying to keep education moving forward (not necessarily in that order). You would think that could be done; there are enough quangos and other regulatory agencies that are less essential in every jurisdiction. But it appears not.

[Baron von Biffo]

Anyone know any Portuguese :D ?

Obrigado.

Courtesy of - http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Goshawk-Squadron-Derek-Robinson/9780786715954

;)