The CWI in Belgium
| name | Linkse Socialistiche Partij(LSP)/
Mouvement pour une Alternative Socialiste(MAS) |
| address | LSP/MAS, PO Box 10, 1190 Vorst 3, Belgium |
| phone | ++ 32 2 345 6181 |
| lspmas@skynet.be | |
| web site | http://www.lsp-mas.be |
Linkse Socialistiche Partij(LSP)/Mouvement pour une Alternative Militant Links(MAS) is the Belgian section of the CWI. We are organised in the Dutch-speaking north, Brussels and the French-speaking south. We publish two monthly papers, one in French and one in Dutch.
The present coalition of social-democrats, greens and rightwing liberals offers only more poverty and a growing gap between the rich and poor. The rightwing policy in which all traditional parties are involved makes it easy for the Vlaams Blok to grow on the basis of discontent. We want to organise the discontent against the rightwing policy by building a leftwing opposition. This will be the only way to stop the Vlaams Blok.
Members of Linkse Socialistiche Partij(LSP)/Mouvement pour une Alternative Militant Links(MAS) are involved in a whole number of struggles and campaigns. Some of our most important fields of work are:
Youth campaigns
Amongst youth we play a crucial role in the antifascist Blokbuster-campaign we launched in 1991. Through Blokbuster and the YRE we organised a 40,000 strong European demo against racism in 1992. In 1993 we co-organised a 7,000 strong "March for Jobs and against Racism" together with the union youth. Blokbuster has also been involved in campaigns against fascist violence. Amongst students we play a leading role in the 'Active Leftwing Students' which is organised at several universities and colleges. With our youth work we will very actively campaign against the EU-top in Brussels in December 2001.
-Union struggle: We are active in the struggle of the shop stewards of the steel company Forges de Clabecq who were all sacked after a long dispute. These shopstewards, led by Roberto D'Orazio, are being sued before court because they defended the interests of the workers. We campaign against this trial and we also appeal to the national trade union to re-integrate the shopstewards of Clabecq in the union. Our members have been involved in a lot of important industrial struggles and campaigns. Several members are shopstewards.
Community work
In 1998 we organised a big campaign against the increase of the price of bin bags after these were privatised by the city council of Gent. We organised several demos in the poorest neighboorhoods. This was important to re-organise solidarity amongst some of the poorest layers of society, where the Vlaams Blok is very strong.
Electoral work
In the previous two years we have started to get involved in electoral work. In the 1999 elections we stood a candidate for the European Parliament on a leftwing unity list in the Walloon area led by Roberto D'Orazio (this list obtained 2% of the votes). In Gent, Brussels, Liege and Oostende we stood candidates in national and/or local elections.
