Italians shame blood stained Shannon Workers who aid the US war machine

by HS - SP/CWI italy Tue Feb 25, 2003 21:53

Loads happening now the unions are getting seriously involved.
FIOM the metalworkers union have called for a general strike against the war, they're still in massive struggle in FIAT.
The blockades are popular and many are protesting even if only hanging peace flags out their windows.
And CGIL federation workers are pushing. CGIL already oppose the war.
Heres the latest from us:
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A week of strikes and blockades against war in Italy. February 15 - 22, 2003.

Last week-end saw dramatic scenes of direct action in Italy to stop the movement of US military supplies in the country. One major convoy was forced to stop and to re-route in a number of different places by hundreds of demonstrators occupying the tracks. The biggest US military base in Europe at Camp Darby, near Pisa, was under siege for seven hours overnight from Friday to Saturday.

Representatives of the biggest trade union federation, the Cgil, have been forced by the pressure of dockers in Livorno and Genoa to declare, “No worker will put arms on ships”. Representatives of railwayworkers, already involved in their own strikes over cuts in jobs and pay, have been forced to demand that Italian Railway staff and resources are not used to transport arms, which are “being sent to cause destruction and death”.

Strike action, if war breaks out, is now widely under discussion, with the ‘unions of the base’ like Cobas and Rdb, the country’s social forums and the Party of Re-foundation (Rc) all pressing for Europe-wide action on the day after the first bombs fall on Iraq.

This idea must be coordinated and argued for by activists in every workplace. Assemblies or mass meetings need to be called to discuss the issues. ‘Stop the War’ committees need to be set up to prepare and produce explanatory leaflets, posters for rallies etc. Indeed, in Italy, such committees could link up the need to campaign against war with the on-going class struggle against the policies of the hated Berlusconi government.

The three million strong anti-war protest demonstration in Rome on February 15 was indeed a magnificent landmark in Italy’s proud history of struggle. But less than a week later, on February 21, came a 4-hour general strike of industry and small workshops called by the Cgil and accompanied by mass demonstrations in all the main cities across the country.

“In the Florence area,” writes Fabrizio Cucchi, a carpenter in a small workshop, “ this strike was a success, especially in the industrial sector. At the regional demonstration, there were about 15,000 strikers, including some with banners from Empoli and also Fucecchio. The mood was combative and determined for pursuing the struggle”.

The Cgil-called strike was mainly over wages and job security and was widely supported. However, it is becoming clearer by the day that a more energetic and concerted campaign is required from the union leaders in order to defeat the reactionary Berlusconi government. The metal-workers’ section of the Cgil, Fiom, which is at the sharp end of the crisis in Italy’s manufacturing industry - symbolised by the special crisis at Fiat - decided to go for eight hours of strike action last Friday and will continue to push the Cgil to step up the strike campaign, drawing in, if possible, the other union organisations in Italy.

Coming as they did on the eve of war, and so soon after the massive Rome protest, the demonstrations during last Friday’s strike inevitably saw many slogans against the US attack on Iraq, combining the social and economic struggles directly with the fight against war. On the same day, 21 February, Tony Blair was visiting Rome to discuss the US’ military plans with his Italian counter-part, Berlusconi, and also with the head of the Catholic Church, who has recently come out against this war. As the hostility to war and to the Berlusconi government continue to build up, it will take more than a blessing from the Pope to save prime ministers from the wrath of their opponents!

by silo Tue Feb 25, 2003 14:05

The title on this article ('Italians shame blood stained Shannon Workers who aid the US war machine') is unhelpful and divisive; many workers in Shannon do not have the option of simply refusing to aid the US war machine without simultaneously committing economic suicide.

To imply that the workers of Shannon are somehow complicit in (or even supportive of) the military build-up is not only insulting and inaccurate but also unhelpful in efforts to oppose any coming war in Iraq. Focus your attention on raising the costs of state violence and terror, not on making ludicrous scapegoats.

by dataflow Sun Feb 23, 2003 22:29

http://italy.indymedia.org/features/multilanguage/#509

by dataflow Sun Feb 23, 2003 22:26

Sunday evening from 20h50 onwards, a group of peace activists, supported by the Forum for Peace Action (Forum voor Vredesactie), blocked a train with US military equipment in Antwerp harbour. This train is part of US military transports towards the Persian Gulf and Turkey, which get shipped in Antwerp. With this action the peace activists want to resist the upcoming war against Iraq and the silent support given to the US military build-up by the Belgian government.

Since january military equipment from US troops based in Germany is shipped in Antwerp on a massive scale. The past week more than 5000 US soldiers based in Germany got their deployment order for the Persian Gulf. Another 2000 soldiers from Engineer Brigades are sent to Turkey to prepare the arrival of other troops. Part of their material gets shipped in Antwerp. These transports will continue till March, according to the US V Corps.

With this action the activists want to resist the upcoming war against Iraq and the silent support given to the US military build-up by the Belgian government. The Belgian government hides itself behind secret NATO-agreements and sticks to the position that these are standard transports. These massive transports stand in sharp contrast with the Belgian position in NATO and raises questions about its value. The Belgian position can be praised but seems only to be a political position without any consequence for the US military build-up, since the US can continue to use all Belgian logistical facilities. In practice the US gains the same result and the Belgian government stays a silent partner. Which opinion one has about NATO, it is clear that the US uses NATO for its own unilateral intervention policy. Membership of NATO means in practice the logistical support of unilateral US military policy. The Belgian governmant makes the choice to let this happen, she can also make another choice.

by hs - cwi/sp Sun Feb 23, 2003 21:10

In Sicily in Sigonella Naval Base plans are being laid for protests on the 1st 8th and possibly the 15th of march. At the moment these are proposals, the first should be in Catania Sicilys second city and nearest to the navy base. There are also proposals for a national protest inviting people from all over italy. The locals here have been very impressed by the actions in shannon and are in full support of it, and nobody is shaming anyone!!!! When the details are confirmed I'll post.