Walter Baier: Strikes, Mobilisations and Dialogue of Political and Social Forces
Channel: Inštitut za delavske študije
Date: 2012-05-04

Walter Baier:
Strikes, Mobilisations and Dialogue of Political and Social Forces

As repeatedly demonstrated, the fiscal package of European states obligates them to introduce a legally binding "debt brake" in their national legislature and sets budget deficits, respectively debts of states, under threat of automatised mechanisms of sanctions. This synchronised austerity politics of member states of the European Union, stipulated by the fiscal package, has recently been questioned even by the IMF-director, Christine Lagarde, as putting the global economy at risk.

On the other side of the coin stand privatisation (i.e., expropriation) pro¬gram¬mes with drastic reductions of living standards, which the "Troika" is pushing through in Greece: a lowering of minimal wages by more than 20 % in the private sector; a reactive cut in pension funds, the destruction of the collective bargaining system; mass layoffs in public services, etc.

In 2011, more than 20 general strikes, strikes in public services and mass demonstrations within a national setting have shown that in all parts of Europe resistance has grown against the destruction of our societies. The first weeks of the new year have seen general strikes in Belgium and again Greece as well as a demonstration of several hundred thousands of people in Portugal. On 29 February the European Trade Union Confederation has called to actions in all of Europe. On 29 March, a big demonstration is planned in Copenhagen on the occasion of the EU-Council. The increasing protest against austerity politics and the authoritarian turnaround in the EU will be expressed in the mobilisation for a spectacular protest action in front of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt planned for May this year.

But this does not sufficiently countervail the offensive of the neoliberal regime. Energetic action of the Left, of Trade Unions, of social movements and of all political forces is needed in order to engage in united struggles at a European scale, and to give voice to existing convergences in the search for alternatives.

Walter Baier is an economist based in Vienna and coordinator of the transform!europe network.

Walter Baier:
Stavke, mobilizacije in dialog političnih in družbenih sil 

Stavke, mobilizacije in dialog političnih in družbenih sil / Strikes, Mobilisations and Dialogue of Political and Social Forces

Kot se je že večkrat izkazalo, evropski fiskalni paket zavezuje evropske države, da v svojo zakonodajo vpeljejo zakonsko zavezujočo »zavoro dolga«, ter podreja proračunske primanjkljaje in s tem državni dolg avtomatiziranim mehanizmom sankcioniranja. V to usklajeno varčevalno politiko držav članic EU, določeno v fiskalnem paketu, je nedavno podvomila celo direktorica Mednarodnega denarnega sklada Christine Lagarde, češ da ogroža globalno ekonomijo.

Na drugi strani pa srečujemo programe privatizacije (ekspropriacije), ki korenito znižujejo življenjski standard, programe, ki jih »trojka« vsiljuje Grčiji: znižanje minimalne mezde za več kot 20 % v zasebnem sektorju, reaktivni rezi pokojninskih skladov, uničenje kolektivnega pogajalskega sistema, množično odpuščanje v javnem sektorju itn.

Leta 2011 je več kot 20 splošnih stavk, stavke v javnem sektorju in množične demonstracije na nacionalni ravni pričalo o vzniku odpora proti uničenju naših družb v različnih delih Evrope. Prve tedne novega leta so pospremile splošne stavke v Belgiji in ponovno v Grčiji ter demonstracije večstotisoč Portugalcev. 29. februarja je Evropska konfederacija sindikatov pozvala k uporu po vsej Evropi. 29. marca so v Köbenhavnu potekale demonstracije zoper tamkajšnji vrh Sveta EU. Vse močnejši protesti proti varčevalni politiki in avtoritarnemu obratu v EU se bodo artikulirali tudi v spektakularni akciji pred Evropsko centralno banko v Frankfurtu, ki je načrtovana v maju.

A to ni zadosten odziv na ofenzivo neoliberalnega režima. Intenzivno delovanje levice, sindikatov, družbenih gibanj in vseh političnih sil bo potrebno, da bomo zmogli skupne boje na evropski ravni in okrepili obstoječe sodelovanje pri iskanju alternativ.

Walter Baier je ekonomist, delujoč na Dunaju, in koordinator mreže transform!europe.


http://www.dpu.mirovni-institut.si/index.php
MSU links/povezave:
http://www.facebook.com/mismouniverza
http://www.mismouniverza.org/