May 2002 Nº 13 ELAELASolidarity of Basque newsletternewsletter workers O Curbing theneo-LiberalEurope many hourstotakepartinthelargeEuro- Over 1,500ELAmilitantstravelledbycoachfor the largecompanies. citizens, andnotofthosesharecapital the socialneedsofmajority,ordinary demanding thatgreaterattentionbepaidto Catalonia filledwithdifferentpeopleandvoices current neo-Liberalglobalisation,thecapitalof rous groupsandsocialmovementsagainstthe In responsetothiscallandthatofthenume- Europe basedonsolidarity”. a Euro-demonstrationtherecallingfor‘asocial European TradeUnionConfederationorganised Barcelona. Asonpreviousoccasions,the across theEuropeanUnionwasheldin discontent withtheEuropeanconstructionprocess In Barcelona, over1,500ELAmilitantsexpressedthesocial Above, ELA’sdelegationduringthe Euro-demonstrationonthe14 n the15 the headsofstateandgovernmentfrom th and 16 th March, thesummitof therefore anotherWorld. And wecanallachieveanotherEuropeand colourful demonstrationcalledforthe16 world debt.andthentookpartinthemassive, Porto Alegreandaboutthecancellationofthird conferences abouttheWorldSocialForumof who stayedtotakepartinvariousmeetingsand hundred delegates,mainlytheyoungerones, delegation returnedhome,exceptforarounda Once thedemonstrationwasover,mostof problem thatBasquesocietyissuffering. peoples, andhighlightingthenationalclass demanding aEuropeoftheworkersand tion marchedthroughthestreetsofBarcelona, on the14 demonstration organisedbytheTradeUnions th th . . ELA’scolourfulandlivelydelega- th . Solidarity with the PSE ELA’s secretary general, José Elorrieta, condemned the murder of Juan Priede, the Socialist councillor for Orio, and accused ETA of murdering a worker and a democratic representati- ve of the citizens. Elorrieta stressed the contradiction of those people who invoke the name of the Basque peo- ple, but who act against their desires and their representatives. He also expressed his solidarity with the PSE and the Socialist family, which ETA is attacking in a particularly ELA with the Greens/ European Free Alliance On the 4th April, Laura Gonzalez de Txabarri, ELA’s international represen- tative, took part in a meeting in Brussels with representatives of the European Free Alliance/Greens Parliamentary Group. During the meeting, which was attended by representatives of other European trade unions and NGOs, Gonzalez de Against accidents in the workplace Txabarri stressed that the European To mark the International Occupational Health and Safety Day, various demonstra- construction process has mainly focu- tions were held on the 25th and 26th April, as well as an hour’s stoppage so that sed on commercial and economic meeting could be held to analyse occupational health and safety in general and aspects, and the debate on social that of each company in particular. According to data from ELA’s Occupational equality has been sidelined”. Health Department, increased job insecurity is linked to a notable rise in accidents. Large crowds in Bilbao government against the Basque edu- on the 1st May cational system. Thousands of workers took part in the As far as jobs are concerned, the main 1st May demonstration in Bilbao goals are to recovery the purchasing under the slogan, “This can change. power, bringing the workers in the The trade union, an instrument of private sector in line with those in the change”. public, reducing the teaching day, and getting rid of job insecurity and Equal opportunities for women, non- sub-contracting. discrimination against young people and accidents in the workplace were other issues underlying the May Day The government is messages. After the demands came hounding the the party. Over 6,000 people enjoyed the traditional brotherhood lunch. It unemployed was undoubtedly a day of demands, ELA has criticised the project to but also of solidarity, fraternity and Amaia Aierbe reform unemployment benefit being partying. prepared by the PP government. This reform involves cutting the benefits, ELA is demanding Amaia Aierbe, elected tightening the terms for being enti- secretary general of the tled to them and hounding the unem- 20,000 subsidised flats ployed in order for them to accept a year Teachers’ Federation any job and under any terms. A housing study prepared by ELA’s Amaia Aierbe has been elected secre- ELA is sure that they are no economic research department describes the tary general of the Teachers’ reasons for this savings policy, as Federation during the V Congress situation as a real social scandal and st Spanish unemployment benefits are at demands that the Basque institutions held in Pamplona on the 1 March the bottom end of Europe as far as come up with a housing policy that under the slogan of “The workers coverage is concerned, while it has a ends land speculation and increases have the say in teaching”. notable economic surplus. subsidised housing to 20,000 a year. The congress stressed the difficult According to the same study, housing situation that the sector is facing, with The greater the a neo-Liberal policy where educatio- prices rose by between 25 and 70% pressure, the better between 1996 and 2000. Therefore, nal services are being treated more Basque citizens who are buying a like goods than a public service. It also the agreements house for the first time spend over placed great emphasis on the need to face up to the attacks of the Spanish ELA’s Secretary in charge of bargai- half their salary on paying the mort- ning, Sebas Andreu, has said that gage.

ELA newsletter. May 2002 there is a direct relationship represent their interests and the between using pressure (strikes) sector has gone on strike. ACTUALITY and good collective agree- ments being achieved. Andreu A debate about thus explained that the salaries increased by 4.61% last year, the role of the media while the rise was 5.21% in the Invited by ELA, Aidan White, companies where ELA has an secretary general of the absolute majority and salaries International Federation of rose by an average of 6.31% in Journalists, went to Bilbao to the companies where they had meet with Basque journalists been a conflict. The working and discuss their points of view week had been reduced by about the role of the media, 17.43 hours in the companies after the 11th September. He where ELA holds an absolute also delivered a paper, entitled majority, which was much hig- “Fighting Terrorism?. her than the figure agreed in Defending civil rights? Where the sector agreements, and the media stands”, at the lower than the ones in compa- University of the Basque Unai Romano, before and after being nies where strikes had taken Country. “interrogated” by the Civil Guard. place, where the number was 20.90 hours. White pointed out that “repor- ters live and work in the most On the other hand, Andreu productive communications complained that the practice of environment ever know”. In the CCOO, UGT and LAB to White’s opinion “people in SPAIN TORTURES sign low content agreements in journalism are facing a pro- sectors where they are in a found crisis. That crisis is seen It is a well-known secret that people held minority is becoming more on the pressures currently widespread. The most scanda- under anti-terrorist legislation are often being applied on reporters and maltreated and tortured. Yet, this situation, lous case is that of the Concrete editors from inside media and Companies and Quarries of which is corroborated by international orga- from the political world outsi- nisations such as Amnesty International, is Bizkaia (Hormigones y Canteras de. It is a corrosive process that systematically silenced by all the govern- de Bizkaia), where the three calls into question the traditio- ment authorities and the main members of trade unions together only nal role of journalism to provi- the media. account for 22%, while ELA de high quality news about the represents 78% of the workers. world in which we live with a However, sometimes the ring of silence fails, Luckily, the workers have rejec- rich pluralist mix of informa- as has been the case when some members ted an agreement that does not tion”.cruel way. of the media published the photo that sho- wed the pitiful state in which Unai Romano (24) was taken to the prison hospital on the Israeli aggression must stop night of the 7th September 2001, after having been in the hands of the Civil Guard. Today, this Mercedes worker, arrested for an alleged relationship with ETA, is now LAND, PEACE, STATE FOR PALESTINE free. The most serious aspect is that such events ELA, together with the CC.OO., LAB, UGT and other social and are not accidental, but the result of an anti- trade union organisations, have stated their solidarity with the terrorist law that allows the person arrested Palestinian people regarding the serious upsurge in violence by the to be held for a long period with no contact Israeli Government and have called for a cease-fire and the immedia- with the outside world, and this can be for te withdrawal by the army from the occupied Palestinian territories, as long as necessary for the proof of any the proclamation of an independent, sovereign Palestinian State, wit- possible torture to have disappeared. It is hin safe and recognised significant that not only has Aznar’s govern- frontiers, the recogni- ment maintained this law against the opi- tion of the Palestinian nion of numerous human rights organisa- National Authority as tions, but has also pardoned the police that the only and legitimate are sentenced for torture. representative of the Palestinian family, and Neither is the behaviour of the judges at the immediate renewal the National Court, the special anti-terrorist of the negotiations for court, beyond reproach. It is therefore peace and safety in the incredible that the name of one of them, area. Baltasar Garzón, is being put forward for the Nobel Peace Prize. Even though the way The secretary general of he has pursued the state crimes in Latin ELA, CC.OO., LAB and America is undoubtedly worthy, he has not UGT during the presenta- shown the same zeal regarding the occasio- tion of the joint nal violation of the rights of the people that manifesto in favour of this court orders to be arrested. Palestine.

ELA newsletter. May 2002 ELAELA newsletternewsletter Solidarity of Basque Workers

MIKEL NOVAL, head of social policy Porto Alegre and Barcelona, the same fight no specific undertaking has The Europe that is been reached regarding increased aid to develop- possible ment. However, there has -Faced with all this, ELA, in been in budgetary policy. Barcelona, as it had already They will continue along done in Porto Alegre, said that the same restrictive line: another world, another Europe maximum levels of public is possible. deficit or public debt, inte- rest rates, inflations rates, -Another Europe is needed and is which are to the detriment possible. And the trade union of social rights. Central movement has to play a decisive issues, such as rate of role in this struggle. For example, employment, job insecurity it is not coincidental that one of or level of social protection, ELA’s fundamental messages on have been left to one side. the 1st May was to stress the role of the trade union as a instru- As far as employment is ment for social change. concerned, they conside- red how the collective bar- But we are aware that we cannot gaining is to take place, do it by ourselves, that we need wage restraint, improving the social movements and trade production, on-going trai- unions to come together: we are ning and flexible work all involved in the same struggle. -What does ELA think about organisation. With regard The application of neo-Liberal the Barcelona summit? to social protection, the terms of policies affects all of us in the dif- what was agreed in Barcelona are ferent spheres of our lives: as citi- -The outcome of the summit very clear and demand that zens and as workers. The adver- confirms that the current unemployment benefits and pen- sary that we have to face is very European construction process is sions are cut in the Union. powerful and we give great benefiting large companies and importance to the alliance betwe- capital. It is not working towards Finally, steps were taken in dere- en all of us who are fighting for a constructing a solidarity or social gulating sectors that are funda- fairer society, based on solidarity. Europe, where the rights of the mental for the people who are person and the peoples are res- living in the EU, such as energy, -So, neither as workers or as a pected. transport and communications. people do we approve of this Privatisations are part of an on- Europe that is being built? We are facing a clearly neo- going process. Liberal process. We can therefore -It has still not been defined how say that the European model that the presence of nations, regions they want to apply is perfectly and not only states are going to coherent with current neo-Liberal be regulated in the EU. This globalisation, which was recently debate is not going to solve our approach to self-determination, denounced at the II World Social The trade union Forum at Porto Alegre, which laid the specific problem of the down a starting point and its has to be an Basque Country, but it is an issue own specific features. that has to be tackled, despite instrument of some people’s attempt to remain -The measures adopted are a silent or get nervous when the step closer towards total social social change role of the communities and deregulation. nations in Europe is raised. today more than -That is true. Contrary to what has been publicly acknowledged, ever.

ELA/STV Euskal Langileen Alkartasuna / Solidarity of Basque Workers Barrainkua 13. E-48009 Bilbao (Basque Country) Telf: +34 944 03 77 00. Fax: +34 944 03 77 66. E-mail: [email protected]