The 2nd meeting of the Executive Council of the Trade Union International – Metal and Mining, or in short, TUI-MM was held in MINSK, the capital city of the Republic of Belarus on 22nd and 23rd September, 2010. The Belarus Trade Union for Workers in Industry (BTUWI) was the host of the meeting. Ardhendu Dakshi, President of TUI-MM and P.K. Das, Secretary (Metallurgy) both representing Steel Workers Federation of India (SWFI) attended the meeting from India. Other members of the Executive Council who attended were Jesus Maria Gete O’larra, General Secretary of TUI-MM from Spain, Fiodaran Vadim from Belarus as Vice-President, Arturo Rodriguez, Deputy General Secretary from Cuba, Dimitris Tsioumpris, Treasurer, from Greece, Pawayiotis Rigas, Secretary of International Relations from Cyprus, Fransisco and Fatima Melo both from Brazil.
The reports suggest that in the European region the crisis of capitalism is fast deepening as almost everywhere unemployment is rising, pension benefits are being curtailed, pensionable age being raised to 65 years, cost of living, prices are increasing every day. Simultaneously several government establishments are being closed down or are being privatized where workers are forced to accept job loss or lower pay. In such a situation many influential trade unions are advocating workers to accept the sufferings. In spite of their betrayal there have been huge demonstrations, strikes almost all over Europe, particularly in Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and elsewhere, led by left trade unions. Cyprus and Belarus have also been affected by the crisis but in both the countries trade union movement is very strong and respective governments have sided with the workers. As a result in Cyprus the workers interests have largely been protected though growth is almost zero, in Belarus there is some growth and the workers’ standard of living has actually improved unemployment in Belarus in 2-3% only. But problems of privatization and attack on trade unions are increasing.
In Latin America the workers movement has converged with the peoples’ movement of breaking away from the domination of United States, though global economic crisis has affected all the economies is varying degrees. Respective governments in Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay are trying to protect the workers interests by different measurers. Yet women workers are worst sufferers almost everywhere. Cuba is trying to overcome this crisis and the US blockade through a series of measures through dialogue with the workers and other professionals, trying to introduce workers’ co-operatives to run industries and other measures to create more employment while maintaining the social and cultural structures they have build so far. P.K. Das narrated in Indian scenario and presented a booklet that gave detailed account of manifestations of capitalist globalization and the growing crisis as well.
Gete O’larra, General Secretary, narrated his experience in his tour to different countries and international meetings. He emphasized on fund generation and greater participation by all the members.
Dakshi, in his presidential speech highlighted that big economies are trying to hide it but actually the world economy is in the phase of contraction, thereby putting the working class to more severe attacks in future, any time from now. He observed that the growth scenario in India, China or Brazil have portents of crisis because declining consumption in Western World is sure to impact these growing economies seriously as the present growth is spurred by external demand and is exports oriented. In such a situation our strategy should be to 1) intensify our local, domestic struggles, 2) win new friends, build relationship with workers in other trade unions and 3) Co-ordinate our movements with world wide workers’ struggles. He hoped that TUI-MM will play and effective role in leading the workers’ movements and become a familiar name and an organization of trust.
The Executive Council members met the leadership of the powerful Belarus Federation of Trade Unions with Leonid Kozik as Chairman. Leonid Kozik, an imposing personality and having great influence on the President of Belarus and the political system described how trade union movement had to be built up after 1991 when all the workers rights, labour laws and distribution of wealth produced were “lost practically all at once”. Their work gravitated round restoring the rights, bring back members who left trade unions and gradually assert themselves in the decision making process of the government. In a small country like Belarus with only about 10 million people, the Federation has 4 million membership. Democratic functioning, fair level of participation by workers have helped the economy to stabilize and their rights restored. No wonder, the sing of affluence all around, the up-beat and confident workers and their leaders hard work and technological innovations, have made Belarus an important independent economy to reckon with. The picture is much different from rest of Europe as it is today.
We visited the ATLANTA factory that produces fridges, washing machines, industrial & domestic A/C systems and other articles, speaks about modern Belarus. Ardhendu Dakshi as President of TUI-MM, was honoured as an “Honorary member” of their union. The Executive Council members met the leadership of all the major trade unions in Belarus which was addressed by Ardhendu Dakshi.
Belarus, particularly Minsk was devastated during World War II as one column of huge German Army with thousands of tanks supported by huge air force entered Soviet Union through Belarus that borders Poland. The Belarus people have a fighting spirit. To-day, as we witnessed, they are fighting against the attacks by capital on the lives and living of the workers valiantly. The Belarus Federation of Trade Unions is firmly supporting the interests of the workers
Source: www.citucentre.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment