(Solidarity Appeal) - Seville, Spain AUSSA Strike 90 Days Old and Counting. . .
Submitted on Tue, 08/16/2005 - 1:53pm
After three months on Strike it is hugely important any kind of support so please, resend this comunicate asking for solidarity with the AUSSA workers. The following is translated from Spanish by non-native English speakers.
Request for Solidarity
Information about the AUSSA (Sevilla Municipal Car Crane) conflict and request for national and international solidarity
More than 90 days of indefinite time strike and there is no sign of a solution to the conflict affecting to thirty workers.
All the Municipal Car Crane workers began, on the 16th of May, an indefinite time strike after the sacking of 4 workers and a number of work sanctions to all the workers that had followed a previous strike. The indefinite time strike begun because of these reprisals on the side of the company. The sacked workers have also had a 8 day hunger strike while locked at the Seville cathedral.
The offer of the company is to admit only 2 of the 4 sacked workers but under employment and wage suspension for 11 and 25 days, insisting on the other 2 dismissals. This is totally unacceptable to the workers and the CNT. The strike was convoked basically to demand the readmission for all the sacked workers, without counterweight. Otherwise there is no possible solution.
It is not only the future of these four families that is jeopardised, but also the one of the entire staff since the plans of the company in charge of this municipal service and the city council itself, are to substitute the staff progressively with an average of 15 years in the service, the rights acquired with the years and the unlimited time contracts- by new staff with absolutely precarious conditions, half of the salary, split working days, temporary contracts, no social rights at all and, of course, without union organisation.
Many days of strike already, and no solution in sight. Both the city council, ruled by PSOE (socialist) and Izquierda Unida (communist), and the company (AUSSA, with shared capital, public and private) do not want any solution for these workers; they want casual work and them to accept a number of conditions that vulnerate their most fundamental union rights. Meanwhile, these two parties, PSOE and Izquierda Unida (mostly attached to the Communist Party) support the dismissals and the sanctions repeatedly.
The summer is here and the situation to maintain the strike becomes increasingly difficult, given the many days of strike, without incomes, and because the financial impact to the company is smaller in summer and so is the media impact to the city council And as we see that the conflict is rarefying, it could well be prolonged some more months. And there is no way back.
In the 60 days of indefinite time strike, a small amount of money has been given to every worker in order to help them survive; this comes from the resistance fund where there is a lack of money currently. The amount shared was not much since most of the workers have family charges, but it has been enough to maintain the strike in July.
But they also need incomes in August so that the strike can go on. They are completely decided to not go back to work until the sacked and retaliated workers are admitted and the precarious work conditions proposed by the company, Izquierda Unida and PSOE are withdrawn.
With regards actions, every day from Monday to Friday we have demonstrations and concentrations in the city centre, with traffic cuts and a lot of noise. And since the 11th of July, a canopy and tents will be risen at the city council entrance, thus making a permanent vindication and information post, 24 hours per day, until the solution of the conflict. We have also convoked car marches and a big demonstration for the 16th of July, at 11 am to which everybody is invited.
We have to underline the police prosecution suffered by the workers, who are continously retained to be identified by the police, one day after the other, at the daily demonstrations. We know we are being watched and we cannot make mistakes. Despite this, the actions are intensifying.
With regards conflict spread, we are carrying out a big propaganda campaign, as well as daily statements to the burgeois press and alternative media, and a follow up of the conflict in the webs: cnt.es/auusa and cnt.es/sevilla. We have also added a signature book to support the comrades sending support statements through a form we have prepared.
As for the legal aspect, during this month of July, we have had social or penal trials against Crane comrades almost every day; nevertheless we have also presented a criminal accussation against the AUSSA manager for vulnerating the workers strike right.
It is a just strike. It is a supportive strike. And we once again request for solidarity support from all workers, taking this petition to an international level also.
Financial support.- we have the following bank account: 2100-2587-86-0110253165 (La Caixa) For transfers from outside Spain, you need to add the identification prefix ES67
Moral support, sending solidarity statements to the workers and support comments at the webpage of the conflict.
Presence support, if possible, at the programmed actions. (The next big demonstration is programmed for the 16th of July at 11 am, departing from Plaza Nueva)
Send solidarity faxes to the Sevilla City Council and AUSSA with the slogan: SOLIDARITY WITH THE MUNICIPAL CRANE WORKERS THIS IS A STRIKE OF US ALL -AND WE ARE GOING TO WIN FOR THE READMISSION OF THE SACKED WORKERS FOR WORKERS DIGNITY
The faxes can be sent to: - City Council: to the attention of the Mayor and the Tenant-Mayor Government Delegate, to the faxes: 00-34-954 590 163 (Mayor office) and 00-34-954 505 770 (Governor) - AUSSA: fax 00-34-954 277 013
Planification of protest actions or personal interviews at the city councils ruled by PSOE-IU. And at international level, you could address to the Spanish Embassies and Consulates to demand the solution of the strike.
Giving a top circulation to the conflict by any available means.
Sending ideas or comments
If there is someone who can get data and interest facts about the company AZVI, builders, we will appreciate any information since this company is one of the main shareholders in AUSSA together with the municipal company for urban transport, TUSSAM, which has got a 51% of the shares.
We will go on reporting about the conflict development and the new strategies and actions decided by the workers at the union meetings
Further information at, http://www.cnt.es/aussa/home.php , you can find information in different tongues as Italian, Turkish, translations to other languages are wellcome ofcourse so contact with us.
We'll send son e-mails addesses and more information to annoy the company, also future solidarity events outside Iberia.
Chears and anarcosindicalism
Martin
CNT C.N.- 100540
SOV Seville CNT-IWA