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May Day, for today's martyrs

category italy / switzerland | workplace struggles | press release author Monday April 30, 2007 18:25author by Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici - FdCAauthor email internazionale at fdca dot it Report this post to the editors

FdCA statement

If we are no longer to die from work, but live from it, heartfelt appeals and crocodile tears are not enough. Nor is hoping that rules and regulations are observed or that the bosses will act honestly. In every workplace we have to win back our dignity and the awareness that it is up to us to defend our rights. The workers themselves must struggle and be united in that struggle.


May Day, for today's martyrs

When work kills...
...death becomes a number and life becomes a sacrifice on the altar of capitalism and exploitation


For capitalism, workers are nothing more than living numbers - production numbers, redundant numbers, mobile numbers, numbers to be cut down through job losses. And they are still just numbers even when they die at work. Exploited lives and broken lives are only a cost. A number. Now, Italy's national agency for insurance against workplace injuries, INAIL, has announced that in 2006 there were a total of 1,280 workplace deaths, with a sharp rise in the figures for women and non-EU citizens. These numbers tell us that in 2006 a total of 1,115 people died in the industrial sector (280 in construction alone), 114 in agriculture and 11 civil servants. The number of women dying at work has increased: 103 in 2006 as against 88 the previous year. And the numbers of non-EU citizens dying at work in Italy has also been increasing over the past 4 years.

Numbers. Statistics. The statistics tell us that on average 4 people die at work every day as a result of accidents, but they do not tell us about the deaths which go unreported because the workers involved, be they men or women, Italians or immigrants, are moonlighting in undeclared, illegal, clandestine jobs, part of the hidden economy. Or about the workers who are involved in road accidents because they are so tired due to driving or working long hours. Or the victims of exposure to carcinogens or toxic elements, whose illnesses are rarely - if ever - linked to their work.

When the culprit is work, a loophole in Article 2087 of the Civil Code or in Law 626 [1)] can always be found to protect this serial killer. But it is plain for all to see: the culprit is the organization of labour and its de-regulation; the intensification of the exploitation of labour and blackmail on the part of those who would like the laws designed to protect workers' safety to be relaxed or repealed, even depenalised. This killer also maims: there are hundreds of thousands of workplace injuries every year (INAIL reported 938,613 in the year 2004).

In Italy, as in the rest of the world, behind these workplace deaths and accidents there lie greater interests which tend to dump the cost of the consequences of these deaths, injuries and work-related illnesses onto the collectivity. They are of course human costs, but also enormous economic costs: every year 4% of the world's GNP is lost die to costs deriving from accidents, deaths and illnesses linked to the workplace - a figure which is 20 times that of what is spent on development aid.

The human cost, however, is incalculable! It is a slaughter on a worldwide scale. The International Labour Organization (ILO) registered around 2.2 million work-related deaths for the year 2005, of which "only" 350,000 were the result of accidents (of these, as many as 60,000 were in the construction sector). All the others - that's 1,700,000 people - were victims of work-related illnesses (asbestos alone still counts for about 100,000 deaths a year). And most of the mortal injuries estimated by the ILO occur in China (around 90,000), other Asian countries (76,866) and India (40,133). Over the next 15 years there will be an increase both in the number of young people (15-24) and older people (the over-60s) joining the workforce and it is these groups which tend to suffer the greatest incidence of workplace accidents.

Prevention, protection, safety and health in the workplace are costs which cannot be offloaded onto the national labour contracts for the various categories. They must be borne by employers. Workplace Safety Monitors must be introduced into every workplace - if necessary in an autonomous, self-managed way by the workers themselves. These Monitors must be protected and safeguarded from blackmail by the bosses and be in direct contact with local health officers. Local health officers must be charged with recognizing workplace injuries and work-related diseases and set up an observatory of workplace accidents which includes every local authority area and every workplace.

But above all we need to continue our criticism of capitalism as a system of production, and systematically denounce exploitation and its lethal effects on the health and lives of the proletariat of Italy and the whole world. We must organize specific struggles on the theme of safety in order to fight the various processes that lie at the root of the rise in risk factors - from privatization to outsourcing, from de-qualification of duties to increases in the workrates in production units.

If we are no longer to die from work, but live from it, heartfelt appeals and crocodile tears are not enough. Nor is hoping that rules and regulations are observed or that the bosses will act honestly. In every workplace we have to win back our dignity and the awareness that it is up to us to defend our rights. The workers themselves must struggle and be united in that struggle.

Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici

27th April 2007


[1] The article of the Italian Civil Code and corresponding law which oblige employers to provide a safe working environment for workers.

Verwandter Link: http://www.fdca.it/fdcaen
author by NY-NJ WSApublication date Mon Apr 30, 2007 21:12author email wsany at hotmail dot comauthor address author phone Report this post to the editors

This May Day, let the anarchist tradition of the Haymarket Matyrs once again be known and an anarchist inspired revolutionary workers movement be built.

In the spirit of the Haymarket Martyrs,the Workers Solidarity Alliance (WSA) continues the tradition of workers solidarity in the struggle for a better world today and a future self-managed world.

No War But Class War!

Yours in solidarity and internationalism

W.S.A. 339 Lafayette Street-Room 202 New York, NY 10012
tel. (212) 979-8353

Verwandter Link: http://www.workersolidarity.org
 
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Thu 28 Mar, 23:14

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cgtcntso.png imageCGT-CNT-SO: May Day, our struggle continues 17:38 Fri 27 Apr by Organizaciones sindicales combativas 0 comments

The CGT, CNT and SO call on all workers, employed or unemployed, students, pensioners and citizens in general to participate in the mobilizations that we have called for May Day, a day that should give continuity to the dynamic of struggle which has been set out on. [Castellano]

pin_27_gennaio.jpg imageGrassroots syndicalist general strike on 27 January 19:37 Thu 26 Jan by Commissione Sindacale FdCA 0 comments

We recognize that the strike on 27 January called by the USB, Unicobas, Orsa, SICobas, Snater and USI unions is an opportunity for this renewal of the ability to mobilize of the workers' movement in Italy and as anarchist communists, we declare our solidarity with the workers of all kinds and with all those who join the strike and participate in the demonstration in Rome on Friday 27 January. [Italian]

27gen.jpg image27 January 2012: General Strike and national demonstration in Rome 21:11 Wed 25 Jan by USB - Orsa - SlaiCobas - Unicobas - Snater - SiCobas - USI 0 comments

On 27 January, we'll all be taking to the streets and demonstrating that workers, pensioners, precarious workers, the unemployed, migrants and students - united and determined - are able to demand and point the way towards a strong, concrete change in the management and government of the Country in social terms and in terms of more rights and more democracy. [Italiano]

fiatdux.jpg imageFIAT DUX - a new model for "collective bargaining" 19:34 Wed 25 Jan by FdCA Labour Commission 0 comments

The new FIAT agreement came into effect on 1 January 2012 in all FIAT plants. It cancels the national collective bargaining agreement and all other existing agreements. It was accompanied by a specific contract for the car sector and the cancellation of the 2008 national collective agreement for the metalworkers section, which now goes down in history as being the last voted for by the workers themselves. [Italian]

textFIAT - the final solution 00:02 Fri 25 Nov by FdCA Labour Commission 0 comments

A fine baptism for the new Monti government, and as had been widely forecast by any right-thinking person, FIAT has announced it is applying its new single contract - first introduced at the Pomigliano, Mirafiori and Grugliasco plants - in every part of its automobile sector (FIAT S.p.A.), to be shortly followed by its industrial sector (FIAT Industrial). [Italiano]

ancgil.jpg imageFinal motion of the Conference of anarchist and libertarian communists in the CGIL 18:15 Fri 15 Apr by Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici 0 comments

The 79th Council of Delegates of the FdCA held at Fano on 10 April 2011 wishes to make known the text of the concluding motion passed by the "Conference of anarchist communists and libertarians active in the CGIL" which took place in Livorno on 2 April 2011 and where it was decided to set up a network of anarchist and libertarian communist activists within the CGIL, as a way of encouraging debate, improving our analysis and exchaning views and information. [Italiano] [Ελληνικά]

srb.jpg imageFactories like barracks: FIAT chooses the path of sackings and repression 20:15 Mon 26 Jul by FdCA Labour Commission 0 comments

Following the high percentage of NO votes, abstentions and blank votes at Pomigliano against the agreement signed by the CISL, UIL, UGL and FISMIC, FIAT has begun what can only be described as reprisals against FIOM and SLAI-Cobas members and activists in factories throughout the country. [Italiano]

manifestazionefiom.jpg imageFIAT, Telecom... the strategy of the vampire! 19:00 Sun 18 Jul by FdCA Labour Commission 0 comments

If the sort of agreement made at Pomigliano should spread to other companies and areas, there will need to an equally widespread response of the sort seen at FIAT, as an indicator for the hundreds of labour disputes currently taking place, to combat redundancies with the ri-appropriation and self-management of labour in those companies who are firing. The courage shown by the 40% of Pomigliano workers who voted NO reveals not the dissent within the unions but also a potential for social rebellion that continues thanks to the current strikes in FIAT's various plants. [Italiano]

textReject the separate contract for metalworkers 23:35 Wed 21 Oct by FdCA Labour Commission 0 comments

The future of labour democracy is at stake. The very existence of an autonomous working class, with its designs for a freer, more equal, more solid and more partipatory society, is in danger. [Italiano]

textCapitalism takes our lives and reduces us to merchandise 18:21 Wed 16 Sep by Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici 0 comments

Capitalism has turned us into merchandise, buying our labour and transforming our existence into a life that only has value if one has an income, if one works. So when our labour is no longer required because profits can be made elsewhere or in some other way, they take it off us, thus taking value from our lives. Because they know that if we are no longer human merchandise, we are no longer worth anything. [Italiano]

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textILVA: Nationalization as a solution? Sep 26 by Commissione Sindacale FdCA 0 comments

With the continuing tragedy that is the ILVA [1] affair, there are more and more frequent calls for nationalization as an answer to the arrogance and imperiousness of the Riva [2] family, a radical, class-struggle response whereby expropriation would save the day and, literally, both production and the environment. Just like when there used to be talk of nationalizing the banks. Pity it's not actually like that. [Italiano]

textFascism in the workplace Apr 22 by Commissione Sindacale FdCA 0 comments

It was struggle by the workers which created the social bonds we have enjoyed to date, including the welfare state, through collective bargaining and rights which could be enforced. But today's deterioration in democracy is becoming all too plain to see - authoritarianism is spreading throughout society. [Italiano]

textA Great Success: the self-organized railworkers Feb 26 by nestor 0 comments

FdCA Labour Commission statement on the success of the 24-hour rail strike called by the workers in self-organized assembly

imageCGT-CNT-SO: May Day, our struggle continues Apr 27 0 comments

The CGT, CNT and SO call on all workers, employed or unemployed, students, pensioners and citizens in general to participate in the mobilizations that we have called for May Day, a day that should give continuity to the dynamic of struggle which has been set out on. [Castellano]

imageGrassroots syndicalist general strike on 27 January Jan 26 Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici 0 comments

We recognize that the strike on 27 January called by the USB, Unicobas, Orsa, SICobas, Snater and USI unions is an opportunity for this renewal of the ability to mobilize of the workers' movement in Italy and as anarchist communists, we declare our solidarity with the workers of all kinds and with all those who join the strike and participate in the demonstration in Rome on Friday 27 January. [Italian]

image27 January 2012: General Strike and national demonstration in Rome Jan 25 0 comments

On 27 January, we'll all be taking to the streets and demonstrating that workers, pensioners, precarious workers, the unemployed, migrants and students - united and determined - are able to demand and point the way towards a strong, concrete change in the management and government of the Country in social terms and in terms of more rights and more democracy. [Italiano]

imageFIAT DUX - a new model for "collective bargaining" Jan 25 Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici 0 comments

The new FIAT agreement came into effect on 1 January 2012 in all FIAT plants. It cancels the national collective bargaining agreement and all other existing agreements. It was accompanied by a specific contract for the car sector and the cancellation of the 2008 national collective agreement for the metalworkers section, which now goes down in history as being the last voted for by the workers themselves. [Italian]

textFIAT - the final solution Nov 25 Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici 0 comments

A fine baptism for the new Monti government, and as had been widely forecast by any right-thinking person, FIAT has announced it is applying its new single contract - first introduced at the Pomigliano, Mirafiori and Grugliasco plants - in every part of its automobile sector (FIAT S.p.A.), to be shortly followed by its industrial sector (FIAT Industrial). [Italiano]

more >>
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