Portugal
Click here for pdf version of leaflet distributed by CWI members in Portugese. English translation posted below.
socialistworld.net
Public sector workers demonstrate against the government
Workers and young people take to the streets against the background of deepening crisis
Jonas Raposeiro reports from Lisbon
On Friday 5 February, Portuguese public sector workers took to the streets in Lisbon, in opposition to the new attacks planned by the PS (“Socialist Party”) government. According to the CGTP union, who had called the demonstration, 50,000 workers participated in the protest. Workers from the municipal departments turned out in large numbers, as well as teachers, ministry workers and nurses, who recently organised a militant 3-day strike for better wages.
A national day of action by school students, with about 30,000 students demonstrating all over the country against the reforms in the education sector, the undermining of democratic rights in public schools and the rising cost of education, took place the day before the trade union demonstration.
Growing resistance of Portugese working class
No easy way out for the capitalists
Portugal was one of the countries most vulnerable, when the world economic crisis hit, due to the fact that the economy and society were already plagued by high unemployment, low wages and anemic growth, before the beginning of the ‘great recession’. Anti-capitalist attitudes have therefore grown in recent years, and the current protest actions clearly show that Portuguese workers are not prepared to pay for the bosses’ crisis.
A certain fear has developed among the capitalist class regarding this growing resistance, which was illustrated by the recent large decline in the stock exchange. Indeed, the capitalists fear that the government will not be able easily implement its austerity measures and solve its debt problems. The success of the nursing staff action last week and the public sector day of action on Friday give the capitalists good reasons to think that their way out of the crisis will not be a ‘painless’, from their point of view.
Like Greece, Ireland and Spain, Portugal is now facing greater pressure from the rest of the Eurozone to reduce, as soon as possible, its public deficit. By 2012, Portugal must meet the requirements of the Stability Pact, with a maximum deficit of 3% of GDP. The current budgetary deficit is partly the result of the rescue package implemented by the government to avoid economic collapse, by giving billions to the banking sector. This deficit is now so big that the country could possibly reach the stage of bankruptcy. This money is now supposedly to be repaid by the entire population through new ‘sacrifices’. They plan for public sector workers to among the first victims.
The plans of the Government include a freeze on all public sector wages. In real terms, this represents a wage cut. Portuguese wages are already the lowest in Europe) with a minimum wage of €450 a month. In addition, the government is also planning an embargo on recruitment in the public sector (one job in three would not be renewed), the tightening of retirement conditions and the changing of contracts to make workers more easier to sack.
Protests during day of action by school students
Social struggles on the rise
It is against this background that the CGTP, the largest Portuguese union – an umbrella organization of various unions - called for a national day of action on 5 February. This followed a three-day national strike by the nurses last week. The nurses (SEP union), who ended their strike with a march of 15,000 through the streets of Lisbon, also joined the national demonstration, along with the teachers (FENPROF) and municipal service workers (STAL & STML).
The CGTP is also calling for "decentralised actions" in the public and private sectors throughout this month, with strikes and demonstrations taking place in several cities and workplaces.
The demonstration on Friday was a success according to the unions. What was noticeable, however, was the lack of a political response being proposed on the demonstration. The CWI was the only political organisation which intervened with a leaflet. Even the PCP (Communist Party), which has a very strong position in the unions did not use its position to attempt to politicise the resistance against the government and channel it into a political alternative to capitalism and to the Socrates PS government.
Socialismo Revolucionário (CWI in Portugal) leaflet
For a workers’ government based on real socialist policies
Socialismo Revolucionário (CWI in Portugal) intervened in the demonstration with our own political material. Our leaflet, the only one distributed on the demonstration, was openly and enthusiastically received. Despite our limited forces, a few thousand leaflets were handed out. We also developed contact with young workers, who wanted to distribute material in their workplaces. Discussions afterwards, with some union activists from Lisbon, showed great the receptiveness which exists for our ideas.
In our material, we called for the parliamentary Left Parties (the Communist Party and the Left Bloc), as well other Left groups and the unions, to work together to fight for a political, governmental alternative with a socialist program, a government based upon and serving the interests of the Portuguese workers, and not the interest of the international or Portuguese capitalist class. The forces of the left are strong enough in Portugal to bring the effective power of the capitalists to an end. The situation shows tremendous potential but lacks a political program and perspective to concretise this struggle. The politicisation of the struggle and the putting forward of a genuine socialist program in the struggles of the Portuguese working class will be the main task of the CWI in Portugal, in building its forces in the next period.
It is their crisis, it is our struggle!
We won't pay for the capitalist crisis!
English translation of leaflet distributed by CWI members in Lisbon
Socialismo Revolucionário (Committe for a Workers International in Portugal) greets the public sector workers and their unions going onto the streets in revolt against a new attempt by big business and its representatives in government to make the working class pay for the crisis the capitalists have created.
As was said by the Common Front of the Trade Unions, the intention to freeze wages and the attacks on pension rights - in this last case, by breaking the deal with the unions - and the reduction of jobs in the sector are a clear evidence of the government's attempts to impose on workers the burden of the crisis caused by big financial and speculative capitalism.
This attack on civil servants, at a time when the level of unemployment is already much higher than half a million people, while lay-offs, factories closures and fraudulent bankruptcies are multiplying, is also a signal to the employers to increase their attacks and policies of low wages, and undermining of the rights of private sector workers.
The "socialism for the bosses" of the current government is giving billions to the banks and speculators (4.2 billion for the BPN-bank); is pushing further the Public-Private Partnerships -consisting of the State giving money and the private sector taking the profits-; and is preparing the re-privatisation of BPN and privatisation of EDP, Águas de Portugal, TAP, REN. On the other hand, it demands from the workers an understanding of these "difficult times", with declining living and working conditions, widespread impoverishment and rocketing unemployment. More ‘radical’ sections of the bosses are already demanding wage cuts from 10 to 15%!
The only way is to fight
The collective experience of workers shows that only struggle can stop the current offensive from the bosses and from this government which works in their interests. There was a powerful strike by the workers from the Urban Cleaning House in Lisbon, which prevented the attempt to privatise this sector in the capital. There were persistent and organised actions from the teachers, who defeated the arrogance of the former Education Minister, forcing the government to concede to important demands of the teachers. There is a willingness to fight, as was illustrated by the recent 3-day strike of the nurses, with a national demonstration bringing together more than 15,000 workers. Surely, the decentralised protest actions organized by the CGTP will mobilise many thousands of workers, unemployed and young people.
A socialist alternative is urgent and necessary
We live in a deep crisis of global capitalism. Similar processes of struggles to those taking place in our country are developing throughout Europe and around the world. The crisis has not happened by chance - it is the result of the nature and development of capitalism, the imperative necessity to generate profits and accumulate wealth in the hands of an ever-more powerful minority. It follows from the absolute anarchy of production, and the irrationality of financial speculation. The same policies that triggered the crisis are now being proposed again, to get out of it.
This is not possible, nor will it be possible. That is why the workers must take steps to build an alternative to capitalism that puts the needs and aspirations of society, not private profit, as its main goal. This is the basic programme of genuine socialism. It is for this basic socialist program that the working class fought for in the April Revolution and will need to fight for again in the future, because capitalism has nothing to offer except poverty, unemployment and the rampant exploitation of humanity and earth's resources.
The resistance of workers and of their class organisations against the attempts to make us pay for the crisis is absolutely crucial. But it is also imperative and urgent that a socialist alternative be built. That's why Socialismo Revolucionário is arguing that the trade unions and the Left parties should move in this direction, and establish a programme of action that might break the bosses' blackmail and intimidation, win large new layers of people to the struggle and provide a socialist governmental alternative for workers.
By making demands and through mass action, each measure of "bosses' socialism" must be countered with a genuinely socialist proposal.
The Government and the capitalists want us to pay for their crisis. They're saying there is no money. But this is false! If the banks would be nationalised under the democratic control of workers and society, we would have the necessary funds for salaries, pensions, to combat poverty and for productive economic recovery. This is a small example of the potential of socialism. The Left parties and trade unions should seek to build a socialist alternative the workers to combat the crisis and fight for a fairer society.
- We did not create the crisis! We will not pay for it!
- No to a wage freeze in the public and private sector!
- Unemployment benefits for all unemployed!
- Stop attacks on pensions and retirement rights!
- For an effective programme of public works and investment in the creation of socially useful work, with working conditions and wages negotiated with the unions
- The repeal of the Labour Code and the "Public Administration Reform" laws!
- Fight against unemployment! Nationalisation, under the control of workers and their organisations, of industries and companies that threaten to lay off workers. For a 35 hour working week without loss of pay as a form of redistribution of work;
- Full funding of the National Health Service and of Public Education. An end to Public-Private Partnerships where the state gives the money and the private sector takes the profits, reducing and worsening the quality of services;
- Collective ownership of banking and financial services under the control of workers and their organisations, to mobilise the wealth for the recovery of the economy with a view to meeting the needs of the population and not for the private profits of a minority;
- Nationalisation of the key sectors of the economy with compensation paid to shareholders only on the basis of proven need;
- End the dictatorship of stock exchanges and banks! For a genuinely socialist and democratic society with a planned economy to meet the needs of all and not for the profits of the rich!