<html><body><P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>Please see article below about the recent strike on Irish Ferries (which has involved crew barricading themselves in the control room on two of the ships.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>There will be mobilisation of support for the strikers (it is a matter of over 500 jobs), on December 9th</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080><A href="http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=73173">http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=73173</A></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>From the stuff I've seen there is a lot about people objecting to slave ships, but I have not found any efforts to relate this struggle to the position of the Latvian workers.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>Do people have contacts in Latvia, and does anyone have resources to translate and distribute material in Latvian?</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>As long as the struggle goes on without involving Latvian workers, then the defense of workers conditions will be marred by chauvinist attitudes against Latvians and other Eastern Europeans, and calls to protect Western European workers privileges rather than workers rights.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>Historically this is what happened amongst some sections of the US anti-slavery movement - who wanted to abolish slavery and deport African Americans, the racist attitudes and vuiolence expressed against Chinese people in Cardiff during the 1911 Seaman's strike, and the Rand Miners strike against the use of cheap African labour.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>This is a situation where the left-right synthesis leaves the quagmire of small sects and threatens to be taken up by significant sections of workers in struggle. In previous situations it is appeals to the class solidarity of imported scab labour - who often are unaware of or have not reflected on their situation - which has overcome these management technique. On the other hand, to expect Latvian workers to express solidarity for workers in a stronger situation than themselves without a clear way in which solidarity to support them in their struggkle against poverty, unemployment and discrimination, is naive.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>What can we do?</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>from:http://euobserver.com/9/20438</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>Irish ferries sail into EU social dumping row<BR>29.11.2005 - 17:44 CET | By Lucia Kubosova EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Workers from Ireland's leading transport company, Irish Ferries, have been on strike over the firm's plans to replace their current staff with workers from Latvia and other eastern European countries.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>The company's management argues the move is necessary as part of a cost-cutting exercise to make the firm more competitive.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>The incident has led to two ferries being kept in Welsh ports for the past five days, with analysts warning the row between the workers' unions and the managers could put the whole company at risk.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>Commenting on the issue, a spokeswoman from the European Commission indicated on Tuesday (29 November) that the bloc's law about minimum wages for foreign workers - known as "posting of workers' directive" - does not apply to ferry transport.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>"We have in the past tried to change this by legislation regarding transport services, but it was rejected by member states", said the commission's spokeswoman.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>She referred to the proposal introduced by the EU executive in 1998, and withdrawn two years later due to opposition in the council, the body representing member states. </FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>Opponents of the commission's view had argued that ferry transport involves operating across borders, and should not be linked to minimum wage and social regulations of the country where a company's headquarters is located.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>However, the European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC) rebuffed this suggestion and urged Brussels to take up the matter again.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>"The commission can't wash its hands of this important issue in such a cowardly fashion," John Monks, ETUC president told the EUobserver.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>"If there are no proper rules introduced soon, the free movement of labour will come under even more challenge", he added.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>Mr Monks argues the case is very similar to previous disputes over lower salaries of Latvians working in Sweden, and Estonians employed by a Finnish company.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2><FONT color=#800080>"It is totally unacceptable to treat workers from new EU member states as second class citizens", said Mr Monks.<BR></FONT><A href="http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=73173"></A></FONT></P><br> <br><hr>Get email for your site ---> http://www.everyone.net<br></body></html>