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Year 2002 No. 87, May 8, 2002 ARCHIVE HOME SEARCH SUBSCRIBE

Tyne & Wear May Day 2002

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Tyne & Wear May Day 2002

German Workers Launch First Big Strike since 1995

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Tyne & Wear May Day 2002

On Saturday, May 4, the Tyne & Wear May Day, 2002, took place. At 11am several hundred people marched from Times Square through the streets of Newcastle to Exhibition Park for a Rally and celebration. At the head of the march was a traditional brass band with a youth samba band half way along combining the traditions of workers and the various movements among the people in Newcastle. A large banner at the front of the march declared "Tyne and Wear May Day and Peace! Jobs! Homes! Health!" The banners on the march, in order of appearance, were: North East Pensioners Association, Newcastle Trades Union Council, Transport & General WU Retired members, Newcastle University Association of University Teachers, the Communist Party of Britain Northern District, Socialist Labour Party Tyneside, Revolutionary Communist of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) North, Youth Against Racism in Europe, Darlington Unison Local Government, Unison Local Government South Tyneside and many more banners followed.

May Day March passes the University The rally began at Exhibition Park in bright sunshine. Kevin Flynn, chairing the rally on behalf of the Tyne & Wear May Day Committee, started by saying that it was important that we should build on the success of the day’s event by getting people involved in the planning for next year’s May Day. He introduced the first speaker for the campaign for Public Services Alliance, Kenny Bell.

Kenny Bell in his contribution said that people need to be aware of the crisis that is still evolving in local government with privatisation and that there would be an increasing privatisation of public services in Newcastle over the next twelve months. He said it is at the heart of Tony Blair’s and the Labour government’s agenda, who are seen as ambassadors of promoting this agenda of the global corporations, through the World Trade Organisation and the IMF and through the EU. He said that representative politics, party politics, may be in a crisis but there is a rebirth of politics taking place in this country. In his view it would be based on alliances and coalitions.

Jill Blight, speaking on behalf of the Newcastle school support assistants, then addressed the rally to cheers from these workers taking part in the rally. Jill pointed out that she was a special needs assistant at a primary school in Newcastle and that she had been asked to speak on behalf of the Learning Support Assistants Working Party, which is looking at the implications of the single status agreement as interpreted by Newcastle City Council.

Speaking about the death of Barbara Castle and the equal pay legislation that she introduced, she said that who would believe that almost 30 years later, under a Labour government and a Labour council, women are still no nearer equal pay than they were back then. She remarked on how council employees are so poorly paid, they have to rely on family credit, and therefore imagine how much worse is the pay of their female counterparts.

She went on to say that Newcastle City Council have to introduce single status to stop them breaching the Sex Discrimination Act. Jill said they are supposed to be righting a wrong that they have committed against their female workers. But she explained that it has taken them five years to work out the first phase of this single status agreement and it has resulted in them implementing a 25-30% pay cut for women! Jill Blight said that, with the rest of Britain looking on, why don’t we stop this fiasco in its tracks and she called for the struggle to be taken into industrial tribunals and launch equal value pay claims.

The chair then introduced Aliewi to speak on behalf of the Palestinian people. He said he was speaking on the escalation of violence that has resulted in appalling bloodshed at the hands of the Israeli forces and that has been committed against the Palestinian people. Aliewi said that serious human rights abuses are being committed while the international community watches in silence. He said that we are appalled at the Israeli action in refugee camps, areas which are afforded the highest protection in international law. Yet they are killing men, women and children as well as engaging in the destruction of their homes and property. After speaking about the history of the occupation and how Palestine territories had been divided into zones by the Israelis, he said that even this peace treaty was torn up by Ariel Sharon, who occupied the Palestinian cities, again killing at least 2,000 Palestinians and destroying at least 1,000 houses. This is something that is happening these days. He pointed out that Israel’s army has destroyed the old city of Nablus and its ancient culture and environment. Ariel Sharon has destroyed the refugee camp at Jenin killing people under the building and yet Israel still refuses to receive the UN facts finding committee. He said that the occupation should end and that nobody needs peace more than the Palestinians. Aliewi declared that Israel should end its occupation, its humiliation of the Palestinians. "Peace should prevail, right will win over might and the killers should be brought to justice for international war crimes." He said in conclusion that a "sick mind is respected by America and a sick mind is respected unfortunately by this government".

"This government should stop supporting Israel and stop supporting the killing of innocent people," he said at the end to loud applause

Kevin Flynn then sent a message of solidarity from the rally to the people of Palestine and gave comrade Aliewi best wishes on behalf of the people of Tyneside. Kevin Flynn then introduced Derek Simpson, AEEU, who is standing against Ken Jackson in the election for General Secretary.

Derek Simpson said he was speaking in a personal capacity, that his remarks did not represent his union’s policy even though he thought that they should. He spoke about a previous comment made by Tony Benn that the trade union and labour movement was re-discovering solidarity, re-discovering the need to work together to solve the problems facing working people. This, he said, is striking a chord within the movement and the best guarantee workers can have of having solidarity and turning to the interests of working people is a string-free democratic trade union movement controlled by its members and that is the thing that he believed was sadly lacking in the trade union movement in recent times. The speaker then went on to speak about the William Cook Foundry who have been on an official strike in Sheffield for over one year but the union does not mention it even in its own journal. He used this as an example to oppose the whole conception of "partnership", sweetheart deals and the support given by the union to New Labour's privatisation of public services. He said in conclusion that his union would be back.

After applause for Derek Simpson, Kevin Flynn introduced June Holmes speaking on behalf of a campaign to keep the sex industry out of the city.

June Holmes started speaking about the campaign they had been conducting against the city being changed into a place for rich men and becoming ghettoised so that there are areas where women do not feel safe. She said there are plenty of places for rich people to go in the city but they wanted more. The people wanted community space, she said, where everybody can go, where it doesn’t matter whether they are rich or poor and where everyone feels welcome. This is why they have continued to oppose the first lap dancing club in Newcastle and other sleazy clubs, which have a negative impact on the lives of women who live in Newcastle. Already women face sexual abuse and one in five will experience sexual assault at some point in their lives. June Holmes said that the issue is not censorship, as women have the right to do what they want with their own bodies, but that they have a responsibility to the well being of other women who should be involved in deciding whether such clubs should exist. She called on everyone to sign a letter to the council who are considering the licence for the lap dancing club.

Kevin Flynn thanked June Holmes, pointing out that this is the second year that they have given solidarity to that struggle. Last year, when people got to know what was happening, the premises were occupied and opened up to make a public space. He stated that what kind of city the people want, as opposed to a city of speculators and the rich and powerful, is a whole tradition of the May Day Rally in Newcastle.

Kevin then introduced the final speaker, Michael Rix, General Secretary of the train drivers’ union ASLEF.

Mick Rix began by wishing everyone a happy May Day, and reaffirmed the importance of the spirit of internationalism. He said that September 11 has changed the world. Since then, in Afghanistan, we have seen as many civilians die in retribution as in the attack on the twin towers. "Who’s next for this great world power?" he asked, referring to the US. Probably Iraq, he answered, a country ravaged for 10 years both militarily and by sanctions that have killed many men, women and children. As everyone is aware, over the last few weeks terrible atrocities have been committed by the State of Israel in Palestine. He is sure, he said, that many people must be wondering what this "New World Order" is supposed to be about. There have been many injustices against the Palestinians, and if you don’t have justice then you don’t get peace. He said that the government’s alleged "ethical foreign policy" should be based upon internationalism, the rule of law, justice and peace.

Later, Mick Rix went on to say that he does not believe that everything is hopeless. On Wednesday, he had participated in the London May Day rally. After the media hysteria that there would be thousands of wreckers and destroyers of services, the demonstrations were extremely peaceful.

Over 20,000 trade unionists took part in the march, making it the biggest May Day demonstration in London for 50 years, and many people on that march were young people. "So I see real hope for people, taking notice of every resurgence within our movement again," he said. "I see real hope that perhaps the bubble of New Labour is beginning to burst."

He mentioned that last weekend over 20 unions were present at a meeting calling for a charter of workers’ rights to repeal anti-trade-union legislation. He said that, in his view, people are openly talking about need to implement a socialist economy.

Mick Rix concluded, "There are many changes that are taking place within the trade union movement. People are reawakening. We are coming out of the slumber of those barren hopeless 20 years where they nearly smashed our movement and we’re still here."

Kevin Flynn picked up on this theme, saying that the feeling reflected by this particular rally is that "things are very much on the up". He went on to pay tribute to Ron Taylor, the chief steward of the Newcastle May Day march, who died earlier this year, saying that it was with some sadness that we marched without Ron leading us.

He finished by giving a call for people to get involved in organising next year’s May Day rally, saying, "Every single one of you has done a great job. Let’s build on it, because Blair and company will never bear down on us. We’ll always keep that fighting tradition in Tyneside. Well done comrades, keep together, keep on fighting, socialism will come! Victory to all! Victory comrades!"

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German Workers Launch First Big Strike since 1995

Engineering workers launched Germany's first major strike in seven years on Monday, May 6. Germany's last major strike was in 1995 when IG Metall workers in the southern state of Bavaria downed tools, eventually securing a four percent pay rise for two years.

More than 50,000 workers in about 20 factories in the south-western region of Baden-Wuerttemberg have taken action, hitting big firms like carmakers DaimlerChrysler AG, Porsche AG and Audi.

Workers are expected to strike at a total of about 70 plants in Baden-Wuerttemberg this week and are likely to be followed next week by union workers in the capital Berlin and the eastern state of Brandenburg that surrounds it. Workers in other regions are also expected to stage demonstrations to support the strikers.

IG Metall, Germany's biggest industrial union, is pressing a demand for a wage increase of 6.5 percent for the sector's 3.6 million workers, saying they deserve significantly more than inflation because a moderate deal reached two years ago was eroded by higher prices. Wage talks broke down last month after the union rejected an offer from employers of a 3.3 percent pay rise over 15 months plus a one-time payment of 190 euros. The union had lowered its demand to about four percent during talks. IG Metall has 2.8 million members and another 800,000 engineering workers would benefit from any deal it secures with employers.

Outside the Porsche plant in the Stuttgart suburb of Zuffenhausen, several hundred workers waved red-and-yellow IG Metall flags and placards. This was the first strike at Porsche since 1984. "Porsche is a symbol for the good work that is being done in Germany. We want to ensure fair wages and safe jobs," Berthold Huber, IG Metall leader in Baden-Wuerttemberg, told a rally. "What we're doing is not war. It's a strike for economic progress... The employers have to stop making workers beg."

Uwe Huck, head of the works council at the Porsche plant, said the firm could afford a generous deal given high margins. "We're very proud that we've scored three record years, one after another, but we are very angry that only one side has benefited," he said. "I'd like somebody to explain how it can be that there's no money there."

IG Metall leader Klaus Zwickel told Porsche workers: "We're not striking against Schroeder or against anybody else, but to get a fair result and we'll keep it going as long as we need."

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, of the Social Democrats, has urged a speedy resumption of talks. "I hope one can return to the negotiating table quickly and that one can reach a result there that is reasonable for the economy but takes into consideration the expectations of the employees, who have a stake in the overall economy," Schroeder told the Monday edition of the Leipziger Volkszeitung newspaper.

Ottmar Zwiebelhofer, chief negotiator for engineering employers in the south-western region, noted the wage negotiations were for the whole sector not just Porsche workers and said the 3.3 percent pay offer would not be increased. "We are at the upper limit of what we can afford," he said.

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