[Marxism] Translation of Spanish union position on British strikes.

[David Picón Álvarez <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Now I'm done with my exams for the term, and seeing there's some interest in
the topic, I'll try to translate this out.

MCA-UGT [Metal, Construction and Similar workers section of UGT, one of the
biggest Spanish unions] demands that British unions prevent xenophobic
protests.

The Federation sent a letter to the Secretary General of Unite The Union in
which we request not to give cover to the xenophobic and racist protests
which are taking place and which have affected a group of asturian [region
of Spain] workers posted by two subsidiaries of Duro Felguera in Nottingham
county.

10/02/2009

"The European labour union movement cannot participate in simplistic and
profoundly demagogic actions, which stir up hatred or put blame on the 
weakest
party: the worker, and which, in any case, do not deal with the true origin
of the problem." On a letter sent by the person in charge of the 
international bureau of UGT, Javier Urbina, to the Secretary General of 
Unite The Union, Dereck Simpson, the federation reminds the British union of 
the responsibility we have as social agents to avoid any xenophobic 
demonstration against any worker.

The federation shows this way its preocupation about the attitude in pickets 
and protests which the workers of the two subsidiaries of Duro 
Felguera--Montpressa y Felguera Montajes y Mantenimiento FMM)--suffer since 
weeks, upon their arrival to the works at the combined cycle plant of 
Staythorpe, close to Nottingham.

These asturian workers, some of them members of MCA-UGT, are subject to a 
media campaign, which is to some extent being supported by British unions, 
or which at least is not being properly dealt with by them, and see their 
integrity under threat, and live with preocupation the xenophobic protests 
and painted slogans which British demonstrators have engaged in for weeks.

In spite of understanding the disquiet and worry lived by workers of the 
British metallurgic sector due to the crisis, MCA-UGT considers it 
unacceptable for political and social leaders to exploit this discomfort in 
order to promote racism and xenophobia. The federation finished off the 
letter predicting that protectionist patriotism will have lead to disastrous 
results and asked for unity on the European labour union movement through 
better coordination by the unions.

MCA-UGT reminded the British union that they are both responsible 
representative organizations, with an active participation in the European 
and worldwide labour union movement, and both are aware that their strength 
depends on the defence of democratic values, the exercise of solidarity, the 
development of transnational labour union networks, and the defence of 
collective interests, such that we cannot afford to participate in a certain 
sort of discourse, and in simplistic and
profoundly demagogic actions, which stir up hatred or put blame on the 
weakest
party: the worker, and which, in any case, do not deal with the true origin
of the problem

The Spansh union federation [this is MCA-UGT] reminds the British union that 
within this debate, it is being forgotten that the British government bears 
responsibility for the EU not having a more robust legislation in defence of 
posted workers to another member state, due to their understanding that such 
a directive would confer too many rights to those workers, which would harm 
the British internal market, together with the fact that at the time (1996) 
the main preocupation of unions was to facilitate the posting of British 
workers abroad, more than the arrival of foreign competition.

The xenophobic demonstration spreading over the UK against the hiring of 
foreign workers have as their very background the EU directive on posted 
workers, past in December 1996 with the sole disenting vote of London. The 
UK opposed the directive at the time, regarding it conferred too many rights 
to those workers. In MCA-UGT's view, at the time what was being also sought 
was the foreign posting of British workers.

MCA-UGT considers this directive must be revised in order to assure the 
equality of all workers, but also adds that it was London's position which 
prevented the EU from having a more robust legislation in defence of this 
collective, a preocupation shared by the European labour union movement as a 
whole.

To conclude, UGT insists that the response to the contradictions which may 
arise must be sought through a reinforcement of global-scale political 
institutions, through their greater ability to control and regulate economic 
power, and very particularly through the unity of the labour union movement 
and of workers, by strengthening unified union action through a greater 
coordination of union structures of the unions of different European 
countries.

Bureau of communication of UGT.

My apologies for some clumsy turns of phrase. Some are due to the original 
text, some due to the nature of translation, and some due to my inability to 
do better.

--David.


________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: 
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40archives.econ.utah.edu