| Written by The Publisher – Thu, March 14, 2013 21:47 |
| Saturday, 16 March 2013 22:25 |
 Interview with Dirceu Travesso (Didi) on the international meeting Magazine International Mail. This article was originally published in the magazine of IWL, International Mail (Correio Internacional) No. 10. On March 22, 23 and 24, it will be held in Paris the Trade Union International Meeting, convened by trade union centrals such as CSP-Conlutas (Brazil) and Solidaires (France). Held on the continent which is currently the center of the crisis and of the workers’ resistance against the global crisis effects, the Meeting intends to boost the international organization of alternative unionism, sharing experiences of struggle and advancing into coordinated actions. Read the interview with Dirceu Travesso Dirceu (Didi) from the direction of CSP-Conlutas and committed to the organization of the Meeting. What is the context in which this meeting takes place? On the one hand, in order to combat the economic crisis, we have seen the attacks of the capitalist system, through the adjustment plans of governments and economic sectors, such as the case of mining companies or such as the case of General Motors (GM). With some variations, these are the same plans worldwide. On the other hand, contrary to the first moment of crisis (until 2009), currently the workers’ response and resistance are much higher. At this moment there are struggle processes in Greece, Italy, Spain, India … The fights become more radicalized, as is the case of Marikana mine in South Africa. Furthermore, a natural international coordination has started, as seen in Europe in November 14th, 2012, and in the international journey of struggle of several GM factories in several countries. The struggle of the Arab people deserves a separate paragraph, given its huge importance. But the directions do not favor this natural dynamics …? Even if the old bureaucratic leaderships head and influence very important sectors of workers, they are in a crisis, because they do not organize the struggle neither at a national level nor at an internationally level … These old bureaucratic leaderships are accomplices of governments and companies adjustments. When the workers’ struggle process forces them to lead and defend some measure, they do it only formally and in order to restrain the struggle. Therefore it is necessary to move forward through a different route, the most combative activists of labor unions, even though they are minority. It is vital to continue in the same direction of the last European strike (November 14, 2012) and the GM international journey. Who else will attend the meeting? I have aprovisional list of participants, because there remains the registration of several organizations interested in attending. From Germany, the fellows of Labour Net will come, they develop union activities in the auto industry; from Italy it will come The NoAusterity with important representatives of steelworkers activists, of teachers and of immigrant workers; From Britain, it will come representatives of the TUC from Liverpool and representatives of the transportation, teachers and civil construction unions; From Spain it will come the Cobas…… from Latin America, the Workers Classist Central (CTC) from Paraguay, the Batay Ouvriye fromHaiti, miners unions from Peru… . In addition to these, it is almost certain that it will attend also some representatives of the GM international day of struggle organizers (including Detroit), the miners from other countries, etc… I apologize if I forget any organization or delegation that has already confirmed participation. What are the objectives of the meeting? Firstly, to share experiences of trade union organizations with different characteristics although they can all be defined as independent, classist and combative. Secondly, to respond to the immediate reality, to the struggles that take place today and in which we have been intervening, through boosting the active solidarity, the unit in the struggles and the common campaigns. Last, but not least, to start an open discussion on the strategy of struggle against capitalism and the models of organization to build up a union leadership alternative to the old accomplice bureaucracy. |
