Friday, May 29, 2009

The APK supports ‘Folkebevægelsen mod EU’, liste N (The People’s Movement against the EU) in the elections June 7th

By the Workers’ Communist Party of Denmark (APK)

The Workers’ Communist Party of Denmark fight for the dissolution of  the European Union as an imperialist tool of the monopolist bourgeoisie and fight against the neoliberal and reactionary policy of the EU, that is applied in all member countries.
Our entire struggle against social cutbacks and police state-tendencies in Denmark is closely connected to our struggle against the EU.

We strongly raise the demand, that Denmark leaves the EU. We cherish no illusions that the EU may evolve into some kind of democratic institution, representing the needs and wishes of the peoples.

The European Union is closely connected to American imperialism and the predatory wars through the NATO and other imperialistic organizations.

The European parliament has not been recognized as a legitimate democratic institution by the peoples of Europe, and not by the Danish people either. When no party or list exist that represents the aspirations of the people the obvious choice would be to boycott the elections.

In Denmark our Party have supported and supports the The People’s Movement against the EU (Folkebevægelsen mod EU) and its participation in the elections. Folkebevægelsen mod EU has long been represented in the so-called European Parliament.
The Peoples Movement Against the EU is a genuine peoples’ movement and a broad coalition struggling with the aim of getting Denmark out of the EU, without any illusions of changing the EU 'from the inside'.
The work of The People’s Movement against the EU in the union parliament has mainly been to show the anti-democratic structures of the EU, and the connection between the neo-liberal cutbacks in Denmark and the policies of the EU.

This movement has been a major factor in the two referendums won by the Danish opponents to the European Union.
The first was in 1992, with the No-vote on the Maastricht Treaty. This made a great impact, but was  followed by a defeat in the referendum the following year, which the Yes-vote won, while Denmark was excluded from full participation in the provisions of the Maastricht Treaty.

These ‘Danish exceptions’ were: the economical unions third phase (The Euro currency), Union citizenship, and parts of the military and legal program of the Union.

The second victory was a referendum in 2000 on the Danish participation in the 3rd phase of the economic union – that is a.o. the replacement of the krone with the euro. The No-vote won.
The Danes had been promised to vote on the European Constitution, but this was annulled after the No-votes in Holland and France. No referendum was allowed about the new version of this constitution, the Lisbon Treaty, which was rejected by the Irish people, the only country where a referendum has been held. The People’s Movement against the EU continues the struggle against this treaty.

Copenhagen May 27th 2009

Arbejderpartiet Kommunisterne (APK)

Website of Folkebevægelsen mod EU

www.folkebevaegelsen.dk

The People’s Movement against the EU

EMEP: We condemn the "fascistic pressure" towards the KESK

We strongly condemn the "fascistic pressure" towards the Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (KESK) and its affiliated trade unions!

29th May 2009

The police operation against the Central Headquarters of KESK during the early hours on Thursday morning, the 28 May, has once again revealed the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government's true face. AKP is continuing to attack the workers and labourers and those forces talking about democracy and freedom with such accusations as separatism and terrorism.

These kinds of attacks that have intensified recently remind us of the "McCarthy period" that took place in the USA during the 1950's. Kurds and the democratic forces are the main target of the "witch hunt" that is being waged. It is at the same time thought provoking that these attacks should come after KESK and other trade unions, professional chambers, labour and democracy forces have undertaken initiatives in terms of a dialogue regarding the Kurdish question.

What, we wonder, will Prime Minister Tayyip Erdo?an, who has termed what has been done in the past towards the minorities as "fascistic pressures" and President Abdullah G�l, who has stated that; "good things will happen regarding the Kurdish question" say about these pressures towards the trade unions that are in essence labour organisations and towards the Kurdish people? Words such as "terror" and "dividing the country" and upon which they have been harping will not be sufficient to save the appearances in relation to this operation targeting KESK. Because this time it is not possible to cover up this farce with "pretty lies".

Following the political parties; central offices of confederations and trade unions are raided fearlessly and almost an environment of terror is being created.

Though they are trying to take refuge in the pretext of struggling against terror and separatists; what is taking place in reality is the onslaught towards the demands for democracy and trade union rights and freedoms.

Beginning with the labour organisations; those who have not put forward an adequate reaction in the face of similar attacks, should think deeply about what is taking place once again in connection with this event. It is crystal clear that these attacks will continue in a prevalent manner and that even the smallest demand for rights will be at the target when a stance is not taken.

We believe that all the labour, professional and democracy forces, beginning with Confederation of Workers' Trade Unions of Turkey (T�RK-?�) and Confederation of Revolutionary Workers' Trade Unions (D?SK), will demonstrate the necessary attitude against this attack. We strongly condemn these "fascistic pressures" directed at KESK and its affiliated trade unions. The trade unionists in police custody must be released immediately.

Levent TUZEL
President

Labour Party (EMEP), Turkey:
Tarlabasi Bulvari, Kamerhatun M. Alhatun Sk.
No:25/1 Beyoglu/ISTANBUL TURKEY

Tel:+90 505 9373757 (Mobile)
+90 212 3612508
Fax:+90 212 3612509

Web: www.emep.org E-Mail: international@emep.org

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Boycott euro-elections – Greece out of the EU

The poster above says:

GREECE OUT OF THE EU
Greece’s participation in the imperialist EU means OCCUPATION.

SUBSTAIN from the Euroelections. Against the policy of hunger, unemployment, dependency, ecfascitation, wars, nationalism-racism and anticommunism there is no  indiscipline…

there is only DENIAL and REVOLUTIONARY CLASS STRUGGLE.

Movement for the REORGANITATION of KKE 1918-55

anasintaxi.awardpace.com

anasintaxi.blogspot.com

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Boycott euro-elections – Greece out of the EU

The Movement for the Reoganisation of the Communist Party of Greece 1918-55 calls the Greek people to boycott the euro-elections with slogans “Boycott euro-elections” – “Greece out of the EU”

The Political Committee of the Movement for the Reoganisation of the Communist Party of Greece 1918-55

May 2009

Monday, May 18, 2009

EMEP: On the May Day Celebrations

The unity of the working class and the labourers has won in the May Day celebrations held in Turkey and around the world.

11th May 2009

The May Day celebrations held all around the world and in Turkey has been a day on which the working class and the labourers have declared that they do not want to pay the cost of the crisis. The massive character as well as the prevalence of the celebrations has stood out and they have also revealed both the periodical weaknesses and the opportunities for improvement and reinforcement within the workers' movement and the trade union struggle.

Both around the world and in our country, the May Day of 2009 has been witnessed to the most prevalent and massive May Day celebrations of the recent years.

The capitalist system is undergoing its most severe crisis after the Second World War. The role of the capitalist system's attacks (such as dismissals from work, wage reductions, all the different forms of leave without pay and flexible work being implemented etc.) channelled by the hands of the states and governments and directed towards the sections forming the main body of the working class has been significant. In many countries, beginning with France,
the trade unions and confederations have put aside the competition between them and have celebrated May Day together against the attacks of the capital.

The economic crisis collectivising the demands, to such a degree, in the celebrations held on an international scale has brought out the international character of the working class movement in the same degree.

More than 300 thousand workers and labourers have participated in the celebrations held around 100 different venues in our country. Another characteristic to stand out in the celebrations has been the Kurdish workers and labourers participating massively and in a widespread manner and claiming the May Day celebrations this year. The Kurdish workers and labourers have expressed their economic and democratic demands together with their class sisters and brothers. This picture gives strength and hope in terms of the future of the common struggle of the Turkish and Kurdish workers and labourers.

However and unfortunately, on the contrary to the tendency around the world, the confederations and trade unions in our country following a "dividing" line of action rather than one respecting the unity of the workers and labourers, has caused participation to remain at the current levels when conditions for different results actually existed. To such an extent that some of the confederations, not content with limiting the division based on "we must go to Taksim Square" to Istanbul, have resorted to dispatching written instructions to the trade union branches in other cities around the country telling them to stay away from joint celebrations.

It is gladdening to see that, despite these negativities the workers, labourers and the trade unionists feeling responsibility towards the labour movement have not paid attention to the "imposing from the top", subjective approaches of the confederations' and trade unions' central administrations disregarding the unity and interests of the labourers and not taking the will of the grassroots into consideration at all and these forces have organised joint celebrations everywhere except for Istanbul and a few other
locations around the country. This situation has demonstrated that the idea of the capital's attacks being only repulsed with a complete struggle has been accepted among the labourers at the grassroots.

This attitude that is pro-unity has shown both that our Party's May Day tactic has been claimed by the working class and the labourers and has, once again, put forward the path that needs to be trodden by the movement of the workers and the trade unions.

At the point reached today, the central administrations of confederations and trade unions should regard the class movement from a position in accordance with this tendency of the grassroots rather than their own positions and should immediately take the steps in order to build a united line of struggle. In addition to this, insistence on the policy of "We must go to Taksim Square" is one of the most fundamental obstacles in front of maintaining class unity. We must know that the discussions currently carried out around "Taksim Square"; beyond being a simple discussion among the working class and the labourers as to whether the "march took place or not in Taksim Square" or whether the "number of participants was reasonable or not", is in fact an ideological problem existing between the working class and the elements outside of the class.

May Day will only correspond to the values it represents both historically and in terms of today as long as it is celebrated as a day on which the widest unity of the workers and labourers is maintained around the most urgent economic, social and political demands. A platform on May Day that does not ensure the unity of the workers and disregards their demands cannot be defended on behalf of the working class; no matter what the pretexts put forward happen to be. This is the reality that those insisting on "Taksim Square" refuse persistently in seeing.

Undoubtedly; celebrating May Day in Taksim, beyond being a wish, is the right of the working class of Turkey. However; a genuinely workers' May Day will have been celebrated in Taksim Square when the workers and labourers have defeated with their own forces the restraints and bans pertaining to this issue imposed by the capital's governments and the state and have rendered sovereign their own platform with their unity and their demands. What has been experienced in Taksim on the May Day of 2009 has nothing to do with this situation.

The subjectivist attitude and understanding put forward by those setting forth the symbols of the past and their own feelings in a manner alienated from the duties of the present day is a typical indication of the position they have been flung to that is outside of the class.

On the other hand, another reality made obvious one again by the events in Taksim is that the government as well as the Governor and the Chief of Police that are "at the head" of Istanbul as the government's representatives, deem running this city with police terror as an accomplishment. The police terror storming around Taksim on May Day cannot be accepted by anybody or any organisation on the side of democracy nor can it be justified. The Governor and Chief of Police of Istanbul should immediately resign as those responsible for these actions.

Taking all of these facts into consideration, our Party will continue to offer all its accumulation and means of struggle to the service of the working class and the trade union struggle.

Long live May Day; the day of international unity, struggle and solidarity of the working class!

Long live the unity of the working class!

International Relations Bureau of the Labour Party (EMEP), Turkey

Friday, May 15, 2009

Condemn the Attacks on May Day Demonstrators in Iran!

Letter from the Party of Labour of Iran (Toufan)

Dear Comrades,
On May 1, 2009, workers were gathering In Laleh Park in Tehran to celebrate the international working class day that the Security and Intelligence forces, along with uniform and plain-clothes police, of the Islamic Republic of Iran brutally attacked them. The repressive security forces tried to disperse 2000 workers who were already in the Park and to shut down the May Day demonstration before it started. Many activists have been savagely beaten and injured by the police. The Security and Intelligence forces have arrested more than 150 labour activists, men and women. This year May Day rally in Tehran was sponsored by several independent labour organisations and workers' right centres. The "Organising Committee" of the May Day rally had carried out extensive agitation and propaganda on this event. Several days prior to the celebration, the Islamic Republic's security forces had threatened the labour activists and had made phone calls to families of the activists in order to prevent the May Day rally. Also, the security forces based on several major companies and factories had brought to the Park to identify the participants. The Police have taken photos of the people gathered in the Park.
Also, May Day demonstration in the city of Sanandaj was attacked by the thugs of the Islamic Republic and six activists were arrested.
Following these attacks on May Day events, the police of the Islamic Republic raided the Consumer and Housing Cooperatives of the Metal Mechanics Workers of Tehran and have arrested several
members of the Cooperatives.
The Party of Labour of Iran (Toufan) strongly condemns the attacks on May Day events in Tehran and Sanandaj. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of recent detainees. We demand the release of all political and labour activists from the dungeons of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Dear Comrades,
In recent years, the worker-activists in Iran were able to establish independent trade unions after many years of hard and continuous struggles against the capitalist regime of the Islamic Republic.
Since 1980, the Islamic regime has harassed, suppressed, beaten, and jailed the workers who tried to organise independent May Day celebrations. The capitalist regime of Iran has illegalised the formation of independent worker-syndicates. The activists who have tried to establish free and independent unions have been tortured, imprisoned, and even lashed publicly. Mansour Ossalou, Mahmoud Salehi, Ali Nejati, Farzad kamangar, … have been imprisoned for such activities.
Several independent trade unions and workers' right centres arranged the May 2009 rally in Tehran.
In response to this new development, the regime of the Islamic Republic has intensified its repression against the labour activists. On May 1st, 2009, police used buttons, electric shocks, and pepper spray on the workers gathered in Laleh Park in Tehran. The detainees from different age groups were taken to notorious Evin prison. The families of the detainees who were contacting the Islamic Revolutionary Court were told that authorities have issued bails of 50-100 million tomans (40-80 thousand Euros) for the temporary release of the each detainee!
The capitalist regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran has never recognised or respected the workers' rights to form their organisations, to assemble, or to strike. On the contrary, following the dictates of the "World Trade Organization", the regime has intensified the violation of even the most basic rights of working men and women of Iran. The statement issued by the "Organising Committee" of the May Day rally addresses some of the violation of the rights and suppression of the workers' activities.
"We celebrate May 1st while the capitalist system is in a deep quagmire of economic crisis,…. shifting the burden of the crisis on the back of the labourers all over the world,…" . " Extreme low wages, mass layoffs and firings, imposition of temporary contracts…., such conditions have continued for many years and their severities have increased each year".
The demands put forwards by the Committee's statement include:
-guaranteed job security, elimination of temporary job contracts, increase in minimum wage, payment
of unpaid wages,
- the right to form independent organisations, to assemble, and to strike
- full equality of men and women in all spheres of life
- prohibition of child labour
- release of all imprisoned worker-activists
- end the expulsion and exploitation of Afghan and other migrant workers in Iran
- to build international solidarity with the working class

Dear Comrades,
The demands put forward by the several workers' organisations in Iran are the demands of millions of working men and women who have been living under very harsh conditions for many years. These demands have the support of all sections of the Iranian society who fight for their long-suppressed
rights. The Party of Labour of Iran (Toufan) calls on all fraternal Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organisations, progressive and revolutionary organisations and individuals to condemn, in any suitable form, the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its attacks on May Day events in Iran. We call on you to demand immediate and unconditional release of the recent detainees in Iran. The attack on May Day demonstrators in Iran is an attack on the entire working men and women of the world. Long Live the International Solidarity of the Working Class!

The Party of Labour of Iran (Toufan)
May 6, 2009
WWW.Toufan.org