LAST SATURDAY in Ghent, Belgium, over 700 people including the LSP/MAS
(CWI, Belgium) and the anti-fascist youth organisation Blokbuster,
marched to protest against the far-right Valaams Belang (formerly Vlaams
Blok) conference being held in the city.
The VB demagogically talks about its ‘worker friendly’ and ‘family
friendly’ policies. However, in its draft manifesto for the conference,
it supported giving more wealth to the bosses (6 billion euros in tax
reductions), while workers should worker longer and harder.
It is no coincidence the VB says the neo-liberal ‘Lisbon Agenda’ –
which EU leaders agreed to in 2000 – should be carried out. The VB has
also stated that the ‘Generation Pact’ (the government’s measures to end
early retirement schemes) does not go far enough.
The CWI in Belgium (LSP/MAS) and Blokbuster had campaigned for a
demonstration against the Vlaams Belang Ghent conference. We received
support from several organisations, including both the Social Democratic
and Christian democrat trade union federations. During the
demonstration, LSP/MAS, with several hundred, were the biggest
contingent.
The national president of the social democratic metal workers’ union,
Herwig Jorissen was present. A week ago, Jorissen was under intense
pressure, when the bosses’ weekly paper – Trends – revealed how he was
involved in a far-right group of street fighters when he was 17 years
old. The 55-year-old Jorissen replied that he is now on the other side
of the barricades. He made this point clear by going on the
demonstration.
At the start of the march, there were two speeches. First, Mil
Kooyman, Secretary of ABVV-Scheldeland (the regional section of the
Social Democratic ABVV/FGTB federation), spoke for the trade unions. He
warned that VB stands for ‘Vlaams Bedrog’ (Flemish Deceit) instead of
defending workers’ interests. He explained how the unions, therefore,
had decided to support Blokbuster in its appeal for demonstrations
against the VB and its policies. Kooyman was followed by Jo Coulier, a
senior shop steward at the VUB University, in Brussels, and a founding
member of Blokbuster, in 1991. He explained that VB is against unions
and the interests of workers and their families.
Because of the appalling weather the short demonstration was ended
with two speeches; Boris Van Acker spoke for Blokbuster and Bart
Vandersteene spoke for LSP/MAS.
The two comrades explained how the anti-racist movement is in a new
period of struggle. "14 years after the first electoral breakthrough for
Vlaams Blok in the Flemish area of Belgium, we have to be optimistic in
our fight against the Vlaams Belang. This party is not actively involved
in the workers’ movement and is being exposed more and more as defending
the bosses’ system.
"An active opposition against the neo-liberal policies of the Belgian
government will need political representation. The VB has shown that it
is not the political alternative which workers and youth need."
General strike in Italy against Berlusconi’s budget
ON FRIDAY 25 November, a general strike against budget cuts paralysed
Italy, with demonstrations in towns and cities countrywide. Bus, rail
and tram workers struck for four hours. Air traffic controllers grounded
200 Alitalia flights. Post offices, universities and government offices
closed. Hospitals covered only emergencies. Banks closed for four hours
and schools for at least one hour – at the beginning or end of the day.
Clare Doyle reports
This, the sixth general strike organised by the three major trade
union federations in less than five years of Berlusconi’s right-wing
government, was the biggest show so far of opposition to the
anti-working class budget drawn up for 2006 and the government’s failure
to generate any economic growth.
Hostility towards the government was shown in the run-up to next
April’s general election. Throughout Italy, simultaneous renderings of
requiems by Verdi, Mozart and Brahms were played and in the Ducal
Palace, Genoa, a concert included Rossini’s Thieving Magpie!
On Friday, 2 December, there will be all-out action of engineering
workers organised in Fiom, a section of the Cgil trade union federation.
As Italy slides further into economic and social chaos, polls show a
majority in favour of the centre-left coalition replacing Berlusconi’s
government.
But full-blooded socialist policies are needed not a new version of
the last Olive Tree government which, by introducing its own neo-liberal
policies, opened the way for the present hated right-wing government.
