Transcript Diapositivo 1 - Corporate Europe Observatory

PRESENTATION
Local Administration Workers Trade Union - Portugal
BRUSSELS – 5,6 MAY 2012
BRIEF BACKGROUND
Following the "Memorandum" troika IMF / ECB / EU, signed by PS and the
current ruling parties, PSD and CDS / PP, the country and the people are
subjected to a severe impoverishment program translated into wage cuts,
allowances, pensions reductions, cuts on social benefits, destruction of the
social functions of the state and imposition of a comprehensive program of
privatization of strategic companies and public services, leaving the state
completely devoid of instrumental ability to develop public policy worthy of the
name.
All this is presented and justified in the name of combating debt and public deficit,
a process in which the austerity measures succeed no end in sight, dragging
the country into the vicious cycle of economic stagnation / recession,
jeopardizing any possibility to overcome the crisis.
Largely an obstacle to these policies, the local government (municipalities and
parishes), responsible for many services, are being subjected to intense
pressures and set-oriented neo-liberal measures, such as the following
reduction of financial transfers originating from State Budget, the inability to
hire workers and finally the reduction of their own number.
WHO ARE WE?
STAL represents all the employees that, no matter the type of the
regime/contract/statute, work in the local or regional public administration, in
the public companies, in public services held by private concessionaires, as
well, in generally, in all kinds of public or private entities invested with
administrative powers or performing local, regional, inter-regional public
functions or services.
Employees that, no matter the type of the regime/contract/statute, work for
entities responsible for public services, activities and functions, targeted or
submitted to privatization.
We are affiliated at CGTP-IN.
We are also affiliated at EPSU and PSI.
A mass mobilization, demanding and
solidary unionism
The workers rights history is indissociable linked to emancipatory
struggles.
The struggle is only effective when it is covers the maximum
workers
We are not a island, solidarity is crucial – with general and specific
struggles, with people’s and workers fights all over the world.
The fight for the improvement of life and working conditions
demands a class oriented unionism
The role of the union
Protect and defend individual and collective workers
rights
Improve working and living conditions.
Promote solidarity among workers and trade union and
class conscious.
Defend and improve democratic local government.
Fight for better public services, democratic, universal, for
all, social justice and a fairer society.
Demanding and collective bargaining
Dealing with government, municipalities and companies,
we assume a responsible attitude of negotiation and
collective effort to solve workers’ problems.
But we also know that it is almost impossible to succeed
at the negotiations table if we abandon our right to fight.
Our role and responsability in this time
Under and with the pretext of the crisis the government is destroying
important social and labour rights.
In fact, this right wing government is making a reckoning with the Revolution
25 April.
Privatization received a new impetus. The privatizatiof of water for example,
but also public health, public school, social security.
Municipalities are under a strong offensive (less money, less workers,
liberalization and privatization of local public services)
Local goverment faces the risk of extinction, particularly the
parishes/boroughs – hundreds of them are at risk – municipalities will go next
Half of the municipal companies (nearly 190) may disapear half of the
municipal under the bill the government (more privatization and more
unemployment – 6000/7000 jobs lost).
RESIST AND FIGHT AT THE WORKPLACE
The strength of unions has its roots in the workers united and organized in
local work, mobilized to defend, promote and realize their rights and fight
for their aspirations for better living and working.
Unions reinforce through the ability to represent all workers, whatever their
occupations and work contracts, and to defend and organize the
unemployed in the struggle for employment and social security.
It is in the workplace that strengthens the foundation of organized trade
unions and develops class consciousness of workers. It is there to give,
first, class conflict. Is there that rises and triggers the action of demands
and claims the responsiveness of the union to the practical problems of
workers. It is there that is unionized, to elect delegates unions and staff are
recruited to the governing bodies of various levels of union structure.
March 22/2012 – General strike – 80% of participation in local government.
RESIST AND FIGHT
AT THE WORKPLACE (2)
The union work puts the leaders of the unions need for a permanent
knowledge of the reality experienced at each site work for the definition of the
claims, the priorities of the measures to implement and objectives to meet the
needs felt by workers.
This requirement of knowledge and effectiveness in action, featuring a working
method and trade union action which requires the consideration of the
workplace as the center of action and involves planning, priority setting and
integrated industrial action, in that the reinforcement of the results are closely
linked to the action results of demands and responding to problems
experienced by workers. This method and connection organized intervention of
workers can not be replaced by any other mode of action.
AND AT ALL LEVELS…BUILDING SOLIDARITY
In this context we have strengthen cooperation within the union movement
and with other organizations, building platforms around several issues: public
school, public water – «Água de todos» campaign; against the extinction of
the parishes; peace movement.
In recent times we have witnessed huge mobilizations organized by class
trade union movement, always with strong participation of social movements,
associations, user committes.
We are experiencing new forms of intervention, new actors, and we need to
take this into account to fight neoliberal policies. And we have to work a lot
on this.
We believe the struggle is the key factor for obtaining either for the
immediate or more objectives for social change.
Struggle that needs to be more and more pronounced, particularly at
European level, where it now plays a big part of our future.
There are alternatives
Placing the development and growth in the center of economic policy.
Extending the deadline for reducing the public deficit; renegotiation of the debt with the
extended deadlines, reducing costs, discussion of funding and amounts.
Stop the policy of "devaluation and social regression": - Why are the workers who
suffer most from the impact of a crisis that was not responsible - and economically
counterproductive, because the focus on strengthening competitiveness of the low
costs of labor and not by the quality of products, only accentuate the decline of the
country.
Implement a development program led to investment in the manufacturing sector and
its modernization, called the reduction of costs; facilitating access to credit for micro,
small medium enterprises, the enhancement of public services, as the guarantor of the
social functions of the state, abandoning the privatization process of strategic sectors
for the Portuguese economy.
Defend and promote democratic local government, decentralization.
There are alternatives
Tackling fraud and tax evasion and social security
contributions.
Withdrawal of proposals to amend the labor law to the private
and public and improve collective bargaining.
Promoting stable employment and rights, against precarious
work.
Increased purchasing power of wages, pensions and of the
minimum wage.
Improve social protection.
FIGHTING AGAINST AUSTERITY
THE FIGHT GOES ON!