International

World Conference At Mumbai (India) Against War, Exploitation And Precarious Labour

17/09/2016

World Conference At Mumbai (India) Against War, Exploitation And Precarious Labour on November 18-19-20, 2016

The appeal for a World Conference in Mumbai

Mumbai, December 5, 2015

Dear Comrades!

In India, on September 2nd this year, we witnessed another general strike, involving 150 million people – workers in the organised industries, in the unorganised sector and in agriculture – demonstrating the will of the toiling masses to fight.

This strike, which was in continuation of the general strikes that began in 1991, demanded that every worker should get at least a minimum wage of Rs.15,000 per month (US 250 dollars), health coverage, pension and an end to the contract labour system. The strike was against privatisation, against labour law changes in favour of capitalists etc.

30 years of structural adjustment programmes in India and 25 years of WTO controlled trade related policies have ruined the life of the common man, leading to 300,000 farmer’s suicides in the past 25 years.

The condition of the workers’ is relentlessly deteriorating in all countries.

American workers are demanding $15/hour as minimum wage. Workers in the US and Europe are opposing lowering labour codes and reduction in social security in the name of austerity measures. The global agenda of the exploiters in the name of development and structural adjustment has created incredible inequality, resulting in 85 individuals cornering one third of world’s wealth, where most of the production and capital is in the hands of the multinational corporations.

Some of us from India, have had the fortune of attending the Open World Conferences organised by the International Liaison Committee for Workers and People at Barcelona, Paris, San Francisco, Madrid and Berlin. The last such conference in which ILC was involved was in Algiers in 2010, on the theme of War and Exploitation. Such conferences brought workers together and exchanging experiences provided new vigour and inspiration. One of the purposes of those conferences was to strive for the building of an international labour movement on the lines of the First International, the International Workingmen’s Association embracing all working class political tendencies.

Events have proved that the theme of War and Exploitation espoused by the Open World Conference in Algiers has become more relevant now than ever before. The multiplication of imperialist military aggressions, have led to grave tragedy for the peoples in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia. At the same time, the murderous policies of the European Union have created the Greek crisis. All continents are drawn into the world crisis – see what is happening in Syria, Brazil, Ukraine, China…

War and destruction are going on the world over, in fact, the system of private ownership of the means of production is fighting for its survival and in the process driving humanity towards a barbaric disaster.

* 25 years ago, we were at the eve of the first war against Iraq. War never ceased since. After September 11th, 2001, imperialist countries took a giant step forward in the offensive against all peoples. The then American President George Bush announced, that, there would be “total war, economic, social and political as well as military.”

* 25 years ago, the regime of the Soviet Union, collapsed. Endorsers of this appeal for the World Conference, may, of course, have various analyses of the reasons for that event. The ruling classes, as well as many among leaders claiming to defend the workers, have made speeches stating that the capitalist system and private ownership of the means of production, have become an “unsurpassable horizon” and that, we have reached the “end of history”. That, the only task of labour organisations now, was to turn into NGOs and integrate into the system and at best, to provide a “human face” for it!

In the name of there being, “no alternate future” to capitalist savagery, the organisations built by workers to defend their interests, were everywhere, summoned to take charge in the structural adjustment plans and its counter-reforms that are trying to tear to shreds, the gains of 150 years of the democratic and labour movements.

But facts have belied these 25 years old assertions on the “End of History”. They have shown that class struggle remains the driving force of history.

Class struggle requires that the workers defend what regroups them as a class: their gains and organisations and to begin with, the most elementary organisation of the working class – the trade unions.

The need of the exploiters, everywhere, is that, the cost of labour must be reduced, in the name of competitiveness. In other words, the very foundation of collective agreements for collective rights is threatened through the generalisation of precarious jobs, contract labour, and dismantlement of labour laws.

* These past decades, we have fought together at the international level through the ILC conferences and other initiatives and asserted again and again that it is the labour movement’s own duty to fight against war, for peace. We asserted that the struggle to maintain the political independence of labour in defence of its rights and gains was the way in which the workers movement could now fight for the defence of civilisation.

The year 2015 is ending, and war extends its grip throughout the world, in Libya, Iraq, occupied Afghanistan and Syria, while the Palestinian people remain subjugated to occupation and oppression. People in these war torn countries are being forced to leave their homelands in thousands and become refugees in the most terrible conditions in the other countries.

Throughout Africa and the world over, wars are dismembering countries. War, now confronts imperialist countries themselves, where the civilians are time and again suffering bomb attacks. In all countries, jobs are ruthlessly being deregulated to deprive the working class of its collective rights. The number of people unemployed is rising ceaselessly.

But, the working and toiling People are standing up against these attacks:

There are mass workers’ mobilisations in Greece and all over Europe, huge general strikes in India, mass mobilisation of miners and youth in South Africa, labour strikes in China..
Everywhere, the question on the agenda is the struggle for the working class organisations’ class independence, as a need to fight exploitation.
More than ever, the struggle against war, for peace, for the defence of the nations is in the hands of the working class.

In the face of rising barbarism, it is more than ever the duty of the working class to assume its historic role and take the leadership of youth, peasants and all oppressed people. To that end, it has to defend and keep its class independence from states/ruling class/international capitalist institutions at the international as well as national levels.

The International struggle against the onslaughts on labour in general, marginalisation of trade unions and trade union rights, ever growing unemployment and employment of precarious labour, and the dispensing with all pro-labour laws, calls for a world wide labour response.

Presently, India has become a laboratory for labour cost reduction experiments and intensification of exploitation.

That is why; we strongly feel an International Conference against War, Exploitation and Precarious Labour should be held in India. Such a conference would provide immense impetus to the struggling Indian masses in developing international solidarity of the working class. We suggest that the conference be held in Mumbai, India, by the end November 2016.

For the preparation of the conference it is essential to constitute a preparatory committee of all those who would be ready to get involved in this task.

A final decision regarding the date of the conference would be taken depending upon the extent of endorsement our appeal receives from trade unions, worker activists, working class political organisations and concerned individuals from the world over.

We earnestly request you to endorse the appeal and also secure support for the conference from your friends in the trade union movement wherever they may be.

With Greetings,

Vasudevan/Franklyn D’Souza, Joint Convenors, Trade Union Solidarity Committee (TUSC), Mumbai
A. Patil, President; Sarva Shramik Sangh President; New Trade Union Initiative Maharashtra State, Mumbai

Milind Ranade, General Secretary Kachra Vahatuk Shramik Sangh (KVSS), Mumbai

Deepti Gopinath, General Secretary Indian Airports’ Employees’ Union, Mumbai

THEY SUPPORT THE MUMBAI CONFERENCE AGAINST WAR,

EXPLOITATION AND PRECARIOUS LABOUR;(NOVEMBER 18-19-20, 2016)

AFGHANISTAN

LOYAND Nasir, Left Radical of Afghanistan (LRA).

AUSTRALIA

MORO Piergiorgio, (Australia Asia Workers Link) AAWL secretary.

BANGLADESH

FAIZA Khandaker, BJSF member, Sumaia; HARUNUR Rashid, BJSF President (Comilla); KHANDAKER Saydul, BJSF Islam Secretary (Comilla); MASUD Rana, BJSF Member; MOJIBOR Rahman, BJSF Secretary (Dinajpur); RAFIQUJJAMAN, President BJSF Bangladesh Jatiyo Sramik Federation; SANZEED Hossain, BJSF Joint Secretary; SHAMIMARA, BJSF Secretary; SHARIAT Ullah, BJSF Secretary (Chittagong Port); SUBAL Sarka, BJSF Secretary (Landless Peasant); TAHER Mian, BJSF Office Secretary; ZAKIR Hossain, BJSF Member.

BENIN

ASSOGBA Mahoussi Innocent, Deputy General Secretary Teachers Trade Union (SYNAPES); IKO ESSE Paul, Deputy Secretary Benin Workers Confederation.

BIELORUSSIA

ILYOUSHENKO Youli, Poet.

BRAZIL

HELCIA, Trade unionist Local Civil Servant Brasilia; HESSMAN Dayane, leader of the workers trade union APP Curitiba; NIKOSKA Marcio, leader of the banks trade union CUT Curitiba; ALVES Milton, Popular Movement member; BATTISTI Antonio Luiz, leader of the PT, Sao José; BORTOT Eyrimar Fabiano, trade union advisor SIPOL (Parana); BRANCO MACHADO André C., leader of the banks trade union CUT Curitiba; BUSATO Ana, leader of the banks trade union CUT Curitiba; GODOY Daniel, lawyer, member of the commission “The truth on the crimes of the dictatorship” (OAB-PR); GREGORIO Luiz, former leader of the SINASEFE; HOMEM Anisio G., editorialist, member of Leadership, Curitiba; HOMEM Johnson G., lawyer; JANSEN Ney, educator, delegate to the APP 13th Convention; LUVIZON Elecy Maria, leader of the local civil servants trade union Araucaria (SISMAR); NODARI Daniel, educator, leader of the APP trade union (Curitiba); PERES Lino, Town councillor, PT Florianopolis; RIBEIRO Claudio, labour lawyer, former leader o the savings bank workers, founding member of the PT; ZANETTE David, Leader of the savings bank worker (PR, FETEC), founding member of the PT.

CHINA (HONG KONG)

LEONG Apo.

FRANCE

ALBERT Patrick, trade unionist, 92; ARGENTIERI Silvano, trade unionist, metal worker, 17; AUBERY Christine, trade unionist; AURIGNY Jacques, trade unionist, 75; AYACHE Patrice, trade unionist, 13; BARTHEZ Bénédicte, trade unionist, 03; BITAUD Christophe, trade unionist, teacher, 75; BONNET Marc, trade unionist, 94; BONUS Thierry, trade unionist, 93; BROUARD-LAMINE Corinne, trade unionist, air transport, 93; BULTEZ Sylvie, trade unionist, civil servant, 35; CANDELIER Rémi, trade unionist, teacher, 76; CHOCUN Guislain, trade unionist, 35; COLIMARD Christian, activist, Movement for Peace, 29; CORDIVAL Gilles, town councillor,02; CRIQUET Fabrice, trade unionist, air transports, 93; DAUPHINE Quentin, trade unionist, teacher 83; DELAYE Jean-Michel, trade unionist, Local civil servant, 67; DEMONGEOT Claudie, trade unionist, hospital, 84; DEPARIS Christophe, trade unionist, Local civil servant, 75; DRUEZ Pascal, Dockers’ trade union 75; DUHOO Stéphane, Dockers’ trade union, 35; DUVERGER Laurence, trade unionist, school teacher, 34; FOURCADE Fabienne, trade unionist, teacher, 66; FREMAUX Didier, trade unionist, 93; GARCIA Michel, trade unionist, metal worker, 93; GARRET Olivier, trade unionist, Local civil servant, 75; GENY Jacky, trade unionist, Local civil servant, 54; GEOFFROY Arnaud, trade unionist, 57; GERBER Serge, trade unionist, 92; GERIN MONTBRUN Yves, Free thinker (Libre pensée), 38; GLUCKSTEIN Daniel, National Secretary of the POiD; HAMANI Noëlle, trade unionist, teacher; HATTAB Ridha, trade unionist, glass industry, 77; JARRY Martine, trade unionist, teacher, 38; JARRY Eric, trade unionist, chemical industry, 28; JOLYS Fabrice, trade unionist, Orange, 35; JOZWIAK Vincent, trade unionist, 59; KARMAN Jean-Jacques, French CP National Committee, Communist Left, 93; LASNE Olivier, trade unionist, public finances, 28; LAURENT Thierry, trade unionist, 77; LE COURTOIS Eric, trade unionist, social sector, 22; LE MOGUEN Claude, Communist activist; LECROQ Françoise; LEFRANCOIS Laurent, trade unionist, labour inspectorate, 28; LOPERA François, trade unionist, Arcelor Mittal, 57; MARCHAND Quentin, Left Party (PG) 29; MARKUN Jean, National Secretary of the POiD; MENET Charles, trade unionist, metal worker, 93; MICHAUD Isabelle, town councillor,02; MILLER Hugues, trade unionist, Local civil servants, 57; MINNI Marc, trade unionist, docker, 35; MULLER Alexia, trade unionist, National Education ministry, 94; NABE Baba, trade unionist, National Education ministry, 75; NEFF Franck, trade unionist, teacher, 13; NICOL José, trade unionist, Post office, 28; OLLIVIER Christophe, Aucaleuc village mayor; PAINCHAN Rezza, trade unionist, 93; PANERI Armel, trade unionist, 40; PAUL Josette; PERRIN Laurent, trade unionist, Local civil servant, 57; PETREQUIN Michel, trade unionist, teacher, 34; RABEL Jean-Michel, trade unionist, 93; ROBEL Paul, physician, 56; SAAS Bernard, trade unionist, chemical industry, 71; SCHIVARDI Gérard, National Secretary of the POiD; SCHMITT Arsène, president of the committee for the defence of workers across France borders, 57; SOUDAIN Aliette, trade unionist, 93; VAN BALLAER Catherine, trade unionist, National Education employee, 75; VIGNEZ Alain, activist, Movement for Peace, 29; VINCENT Bertrand, trade unionist, 75; VINCENT Jean, Free thinker (Libre pensée), 38; VINSOT Bernard, trade unionist, retired railway worker, 28; YAZID Aamar, trade unionist, Local civil servant, 92.

(the French labour tradition base on the Amiens Charter is that activists don’t publish their responsabilities).

GERMANY

KAISER Werner, ver.di AfA; KLAPDOR Wilfried, ver.di AfA-district Düsseldorf; KREUTLER Peter, Labour commission AfA Düsseldorf ver.di Düsseldorf; MARKS Stefan, ver.di AfA-district Düsseldorf; MATZKE Cornelia, ver.di former MP land of Saxe 1989; MILLER Hans-Jörg, ver.di AfA-district Düsseldorf; MÜLLER Norbert, ver.di AfA Frankfurt/M; PICARD Gregor, IG Metall AfA; RISTAU Gerfried, SPD/AfA; SAALMÜLLER Peter, ver.di SPD; SCHUSTER HW, Mumbai conference preparatory committee, D.S. Ver.di, CO (AfA) de Düsseldorf; SCHUSTER Anna Helena, ver.di-women commission; SCHUTZ Birgit, NGG trade union, Betriebsrätin AfA-district Düsseldorf; SEIDEL Karl-Heinz, IG Metall AfA; SIEWEKE Beate, ver.di member of AfA-Nordrhei n-Westfalen Land.

(titles for idenfication only).

GREAT BRITAIN

BAHADUR Najak, University of Durham UCU; BHATIA Zarina, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC); BOBER Ed, Unison; BULL Gideon, Cllr, Labour Councillor Haringey; CALDERBANK Michael, Islington Unison; CALVERT Mike, Deputy Secretary Islington Unison; CHANDWANI Seema, Secretary Tottenham CLP; COTTON Richard, Labour Councillor Camden; COWLEY Mike, Editor, The Citizen, Edinburgh North and Leith Labour Party and National Executive Committee EIS FELA (in a personal capacity); DIAKIDES Isidoros, Labour Councillor Haringey; DOOLAN Jane, Secretary Islington Unison; DRAPER Ronnie, General Secretary on behalf of BFAWU; EMINE Ibrahim, Labour Councillor Haringey; FILBY Paul, Secretary Construction Safety Campaign; FISCHMAN Rajmil, University of Keele University and College Union – UCU; FLYNN Paul, Labour MP for Newport West; FOX Sean, Secretary Haringey Unison; German Lindsey on behalf of the Stop the War Coalition; HADDOCK Bobby, UCATT Works Convenor Islington; HODSON Ian, National President on behalf of BFAWU; HOLLINRAKE Mark, PCS Health and Safety rep; KENNETH Gill, Cllr, Independent, Hull; LUKE Terry, Islington Unison; M. QUEEN Nat, University of Birmingham University and College Union UCU; MILNE Alan, Regional officer BFAWU Region 5; MOTT Henry, Unite Southwark; NAJAK Bahadur, University of Durham UCU; PHILLIPS Nick, Secretary Southwark Trades Council; PLAIN Sue, Secretary Southwark Unison Branch; RUST Joann, Secretary Kings Lynn Trades Council, Secretary North West Norfolk CLP; SILVERMAN Roger, Newham NUT; SWEENEY John, Labour Leave Trade union Officer; WAKEFIELD Heather, Unison National Secretary for Local Government.

HAITI

PIERRE Gérard, On behalf of the CGT of Haiti.

INDIA

D’SOUZA Franklyn, Joint convenor, Trade Union Solidarity Committee (TUSC), Mumbai; GOPINATH Deepti, General Secretary, Indian Airports’ Employees’ Union, Mumbai; PATIL M. A., President Sarva Shramik Sangh – President, New Trade Union Initiative Maharashtra State, Mumbai; RANADE Milind, General Secretary Kachra Vahatuk Shramik Sangh (KVSS), Mumbai.

ITALY

BRANDELLERO Luigi, worker, Tribuna Libera; BUSICCHIA Valeria, teacher, trade unionist UIL; CIGNA Alessandra, school trade union delegate CGIL*;CROCE Ugo, worker, Tribuna Libera;GOGLIO Kristian, teacher, leadership member CGIL*; GRANAGLIA Dario, worker, trade union delegate UIL-TEC* ; GRILLI Monica, teacher, trade union delegate CGIL*; GUGLIERI Gianni, worker, trade union delegate UIL-TEC* ; MONASTEROLO Andrea, worker, FILTCEM-CGI leadership member* ; PIAN Alberto, teacher; RAINERI Elisabetta, teacher trade union delegate CISL* ; VARALDO Lorenzo, school director ; UIl leadership member* ; VENTRE Vanna, teacher, Tribuna Libera.

PAKISTAN

AHMED Khursheed, General Secretary, WapdaHydro Electric Union, GS APWC; ARIF Muhammad, National secretary; ASHRAF Khalida, Secretary APTUF Women Wing; DITTA Allah, General Secretary APFUTU; GUJJAR Anwer, President APTUF, Chief Organizer Railway Workers Union; GULZAR Yasir, Secretary Information APTUF; GULZAR Tasneem, Secretary, Punjab Teachers Association; HASAN Rana, General Secretary, Pakistan Telecommunication Employees Union; ILYAS Muhammad, Joint Secretary APTUFC; JAMIL Rubina, General Secretary APTUF/President APWC; KHAN Akbar, General Secretary, National Union of Bank Employees; KHURSHEED Ahmed, General Secretary, WapdaHydro Electric Union, GS APWC; LODHI Rashid, President, People’s Lawyers Association; MIAN KHALID Muhammad, President, Railway Workers Union; NASIM Rao, General Secretary Railway Workers Union; RAHMAN Taimur, Dr, Assistant Professor Political Science Lahore University of Management Sciences; REHMAN Rashid, Editor Daily Times intellectual and activist; SAGHEER Kamran, Workers Union Nisar Art Press APTUF; SALADIN Muhammad, Former delegate to International Affairs of the GS APWC; SHAH Shabbir, Gen Sec HBM Oil & Ghee Mill Workers Union; WAHEED Muhammad, President Pakistan Spring Sheikhupura.

PERU

OLIVENCIA BALDASSARI Luis Francisco, Lima Bank workers trade union member.

RUSSIA

KOTOVA Natalia, ethnology and anthropology researcher, Moscow; VASILIEV Mark, Russian activist and historian.

SERBIA

BRANISLAV Markus.

SLOVENIA

ANAKIEV Dimitar, ZID.

UNITED STATES

AL ROJAS, President, Front of Mexicans Abroad*; BECHLER Don, Chair, Single Payer Now*; BENJAMIN Alan, The Organizer*; BRUSKIN Gene, founder, US Labor Against the War*; DEWITT Donna, Steering Committee member, Labor Fightback Network*; GORDON Jerry, secretary,; Labor Fightback Network *; HALDON Sutton, SW Florida UAW retired Workers Council*; Saladin MUHAMMAD, retired international representative of the Electrical Workers Union; ROSARIO Eduardo, Co-convenor Open World Conference*; SERRETTE Dennis, Past Education Director, Communication Workers of America (CWA)* ; TAYLOR Larsene, President North Carolina Public Sector Workers Union BE-UE Local 150* ; VELASQUEZ Baldemar, President, Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) AFL CIO *; WOHLFORTH Nancy, Secretary-treasurer Emerita, OPEIU*.