Over the next days and weeks, it will become even more evident the importance of the decision made in common agreement of the trade-union federations –all of them, from CSP-Conlutas, passing through the UGT, Força Sindical, NCTS, CSB, CGTB, CTB and even the CUT- of driving a national day of mobilization on August 16.
By Zé Maria.
The flags, the program around which the demonstrations will occur is the defense of jobs, for shift cut with no salary cut, in rejection of the pension and labour reforms recently announced by Temer’s administration; against the tax adjustment and the economic policy of this government.
It is evident the program has its limitations; it does not express all the changes the country needs, from the workers’ point of view. But it has one feature the overcomes all those limitations: it can unify and demonstrate all the working class against the attacks its been suffering by the companies and the government.
So far, Temer’s government has only threatened about the pension and labour reforms. But as soon as the impeachment process is over, after the Senate’s definitive vote, there are no doubts he will come over the workers with all his strengths. It is a demand of the bankers and the big companies, conditioning their support to the government.
But it is weak government, which can be defeated. To that, it is necessary to make a great demonstration of the working class. This is why this process deflagrating with the demonstrations of August 16 are so important.
We do not know how far the federations are willing to go. But what we must do, it is clear, is to put all our strength in the construction of this national day of mobilization.
To make our part is the first condition for us to claim of the federations to do theirs also. To make the 16th a big day of struggle, a step towards the General Strike, that stops the country and defeats once for all the attacks executed against the working class.
The PSTU is in. It will play its card in the construction of this mobilization process. And respecting and diffusing the unity of action’s program, approved by the federations, it will also take to the workers their proposal of getting out of the crisis we are living.
Let us take to and debate with the workers the necessity for our struggle to expand, and take the task of putting out Temer’s government, and not only him. Let us raise the flags of Out With Temer, Out With All Of Them; General Elections Now!
Let’s make of August 16 a big day of mobilization around the country! The first step towards the General Strike!
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Translation: Sofía Ballack.
