Fw: International class struggle

[Les Schaffer <schaffer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

[Subject: BOUNCE marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:    Non-member submission from
 ["Edward Crawford" <tcrawford@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]]


-----Original Message-----
From: Moshe' Machover <moshe.machover@xxxxxxxxx>
To: moshe.machover@xxxxxxxxx <moshe.machover@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: 24 April 2001 12:11
Subject: International class struggle


A further twist to the continuing story of 500 Chinese workers who
have gone on strike in Israel.

The story so far

There are about 5000 Chinese workers in Israel. They are being
super-exploited by their Israeli employers with the complicity of the
Chinese government. Their pay is less than the Israeli legal
minimum. Even these sub-minimal wages have not been paid to
them. Instead, the wages are seized by officials of the Chinese
government contracting agency--in effect a slave-trading firm--that
imports then to Israel, hires them as slaves to Israeli employers, and
supervises them in order to ensure "good behaviour".

About 500 of these workers have gone on strike.

New developments.

1. The striking workers have received a letter from the Chinese
authorities in their home province, threatening them with draconian
punishments, according to Chinese law that forbids strikes. The
authorites demand also that the workers inform on the ring-leaders and
ask the authorities' forgiveness.

2. In consequence of that letter the Kav La'Oved (Worker's Hotline)
association have demanded that the Israeli government grant the
Chinese workers political asylum.

I hope to circulate asap a translation of the Chinese authorities'
threatening letter (really scary!) and of the appeal for political
asylum.

Watch this space.