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Fight For Trade Union Rights In Colombia

There are many companies in Colombia who use violence and repression to try and stop trade union activists. 184 trade unionists were assassinated in Colombia last year, more than the rest of the world combined.

Wales ISR

Sinaltrainal (the National Union of Workers in the Colombian Food Industry), has appealed for support from workers around the world and called for a boycott of Coca-Cola from 22 July.

A private army of paramilitaries has terrorised the workforce and tried to smash the union. They have so far assassinated eight workers who were local union leaders and three union members have been forced into exile. Over 60 live under the shadow of death threats and 48 others have been displaced.

Sinaltrainal union president, Javier Correa, describes conditions in Coca-Cola's Colombian bottling plants: "The paramilitaries have graffitied threats and accusations against us on the walls of the bottling plants. These plants have become like concentration camps. The army patrols the buildings. There is so much repression that union workers are even followed into the toilet. One worker killed himself. In his suicide note he blamed Coca-Cola".

And he explains the corporation's attitude:

"Coca-Cola has turned from a time of exploitation to a time of slavery. Because the workers continue to resist this oppression the paramilitaries now try to kidnap family members. They've burnt union headquarters and destroyed whatever evidence they can so we are unable to bring a case against them."

ISR members and supporters held protests on 22 July in support of trade union rights for the Coca-Cola workers and all workers across Colombia who face similar repression.

From 22 July tell your friends to boycott Coca-Cola

If you are a member of a trade union, ask your local branch to sponsor the campaign in solidarity with Sinaltrainal and other Colombian unions attacked by the paramilitaries (contact us for model letters or resolutions to take to trade unions)

Whether you are in a workplace, school or college, ask your friends, people at work etc to sign the petition in support of the Colombian Coca-Cola workers. Send copies to us and we will send all the signatures collected with a letter of support to the Sinaltrainal Coca-Cola workers.

Organise a meeting at your union/college/school in support of Colombian workers with an ISR speaker or contact the Colombian Solidarity Campaign, PO Box 8446, London N17 6NZ

G8 Summit 2003

Protesting Against Imperialism And Its Corporate Agenda

THE SOCIALIST Party took part in the Committee for a Workers' International's intervention in the demonstrations at Evian.

We demanded:

"No to G8 world domination! Not to imperialism and capitalism! Fight for a socialist future!

THE LEADERS of the seven richest countries in the world and Russia, are in the French town of Evian for their annual G8 summit. They aren't in Evian to help find health cures and they are certainly not in Evian for the ordinary people of the world.

Bush and Blair, the people who brought war to Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechnya, have come to meet France's president Jacques Chirac and Germany's chancellor Gerhard Shröder.

Chirac and Shröder, have spoken out publicly against the war. However, they did this out of their own imperialist interests. Now they are snuggling up to Bush and Blair in the hope that the national business interests they represent are not completely left out when the spoils of war are shared.

A vast programme of strategic and commercial negotiations awaits them, from deciding how Iraq and its resources are going to be carved up and which multinationals will get some or all the contracts, to preparations for another round of neo-liberal reforms during the next World Trade Organisation summit. It's business as usual!

A month after George Bush declared the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime, many Iraqi people are living in fear and destitution under a US occupation. US imperialism has taken control of the oil fields, awarded its multinationals contracts for 'reconstruction' and is preparing to plunder the country.

As well as discussing the aftermath of the Iraq war the G8 will also discuss the global economic crisis of capitalism and how to make sure it is workers and young people who pay the price of this crisis.

Savage attacks are being prepared and carried out against our right to a free decent education in France, Portugal and Britain. In Germany, preparations are being made to cut unemployment benefit and social services.

Since Bush took office in the US, two million workers have lost their jobs. The G8 acts as a board of management for global capitalism. The World Bank, IMF and the WTO implement their policies which centre on privatisation and deregulation in the dash for profits.

Global capitalism ruthlessly plunders the whole world, especially Africa, Asia and Latin America. Giant corporations account for 80% of world industrial output. Despite economic growth during the 1990s, 2.8 billion people worldwide survive on less than $2 a day - a greater number than the entire world population in 1950."

To contact any of the CWI’s European sections email:

Austria, Sozialistiche Linkspartie. sov@gmx.net

Belgium, Militant links. militant.links@pandora.be

Czech Republic, Socialisticka Alternativa-Budoucnost; budoucnost@email.cz

France, Gauche Revolutionarre – La Commune; grc@l-egalite.org

Germany, Sozialistische Alternative; savbund@t-online.de

Greece, Xekinima; xekinima@ath.forthnet.gr

Ireland North, Socialist Party; socialist@belfastsp.freeserve.co.uk

Ireland South, Socialist Party; dublinsp@clubi.ie

Portugal, Alternativa Socialista; alternativa_socialista@hotmail.com

Sweden, Rattvisepartiet Socialisterna; rs@socialisterna.org

Netherlands, Offensief; offensief@offensief.demon.nl

C.I.S, CWI; pabgem@glas.apc.org

The CWI also has sections in; Spain, Australia, USA, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, amongst others.

Committee for a Workers’ International; www.socialistworld.net Email; cwi@worldsoc.co.uk

Would you like to find out more about Young Socialist Action? Why not Contact or Join Young Socialist Action?

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What we fight for

Free education for all

We believe that every one should have the right to a decent and well funded education what ever their background. New Labour's abolition of the grant and introduction of fees is a major attack on this right.

The Socialist Party set up Save Free Education in 1997 in order to defend free education in the wake of these attacks. We are building a mass campaign of non-payment and mass action in order to defeat the fees and win the reinstatement of the grant.

Business out of education

We are opposed to the ongoing privatisation of education. This is reflected in New Labour's decision to allow universities as well as individual colleges to impose their own course fees.

End Low Pay. A Decent minimum wage for young people.

New Labour's pitiful minimum wage of £4.10 has left thousands in poverty. However they say even this meagre amount is 'too much' for young people. 18 - 21 year olds are only entitled to £3.00, while if you are under 18 you are not entitled to a minimum wage at all. New Labour has enshrined the exploitation of young people at work in law.

Young Socialist Action calls for the implementation of the trade union demand for a £5 an hour minimum wage as a step towards the European decency threshold of more than £7 an hour. We believe there should be no exemptions for young people.

Young Socialist Action has organised 'outings' of chains of shops that employ young people on poverty wages with national pickets. Our campaign against JJB Sports forced them to increase the wages they paid 16 year olds.

Trade union rights for young people

Many young people work in non-unionised workplaces. These are generally the lowest paying companies with the worst conditions. Young Socialist Action fights for the repeal of the Tories anti-trade unions laws. Their repeal would aid the struggle of young workers for decent wages and conditions.

Scrap the 'New Deal'

Young Socialist Action opposes the 'New Deal' and any attempts to coerce young unemployed people into jobs that they do not want. The government should provide everybody with decent, secure jobs with decent pay, or the choice of proper training. It should not force poverty wages and bad conditions on young people.

End Discrimination

An end to discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, sexuality, disability and any other prejudice.

Youth against Racism in Europe (YRE)
Socialist Party youth and students are involved in the fight against racism and fascism through the YRE.

An end to police harassment.

Youth facilities! - Not youth curfews!

Jack Straw, the New Labour Government's Home Secretary, wants councils to use curfews and 'Anti-Social Behaviour Orders' against young people who they deem a 'nuisance'. Yet many young people face daily harassment from the police because they are forced to find entertainment on the streets.
Instead of using repressive measures against young people, the government and local councils should fund decent youth facilities, so that young people have things to do and places to go outside of school or college.

For an end to environmental destruction for profit

Young Socialist Action opposes the degradation of our environment by big business.

For a socialist society

Young Socialist Action fights against the attacks of New Labour and big business on young people. We also stand for an alternative society, socialism. Only under socialism could a decent future be guaranteed for young people. Only a socialist society run in the interests of the majority of society not the interests of big business can provide a decent education, job, home and environment for young people.