The Dutch strikes were in defence of the continued indexation of wage Increases. crom y/l waces were tied to a cost of living index which automanic pay every six months. However, from 1974 the gains of this svstem were eaten away by the introduction of laws cruang wares by une social Democratic Government of Joop den Uyl.
The stronghold of the strike was the port of Rotterdam, the world's busiest, which was brought to an almost total halt. The strike rapidly gained support in over 300 companies, including the massive ICI and Ford factories.
A demand for a two per cent increase was added to the defence of indexation. Ironically, it was the percentage increase which was te prove the sticking point in negotiaTHE WEEK which has seen a virtual end to the Dutch strike wave has also seen the struggle against falling living standards taken up by workers in neighbouring Belgium.
tions with the employers The workers could expect little help from the leaders of the two main union federations. The Christian CNV was the first to backpedal, calling its members in the Rottercam cocks back to work henNy the major union body, linked to the social Democraner arty, continued to give official support but insisted on lactory-ov-actory neronanons instead of pursuing the entire claim oll anauolalcycl.
ANGRY Wim Spit, vice-president of the try, summed up us atttude: we don't like strikes .... now isnow to get ine sinkers back to work. They are very angry'. They Belgian workers demonstrate for a reduction in the working week with no loss of pay. were very angry. missing was a national policy on wages. alviding up ine claims has mean! that different sectors have settled -usually TavouraD y back to work separately. Those facWHICH are dangerously isolated.
The defence of thresholds is an important part of the resistance to the attacks of the bosses and the Government. But the leadership of the FNV and CNV failed to tackle the crucial problem of wage indexawhicn ine wage increases are based.
Workers in Italy, who have a similar system of thresholds, have recently faced a similar problem. The latest austerity measures increased prices of items not included the problem in the "basket' on which the pay rises are calculated. Government legislation in the Netherlands has achieved But what was the threshold system FNV's insistence on and gone STUE out are LAST to unemplovmens who controls the index on thisslogan additional increase.
STAGGERED action belearnt.
which have thresholds sation for inflation.
60p 57.50 The Popular Fronts of the MONTY JOHNSTON Marxists in the Second PALE national, a similar effect without scrapping * Spain In Belgium the Christian Demo cratic Government of Leo Tindemans has tried the same trick. Its latest budget is designed to in- week crease prices without triggering the occupiec ations, the FTB and CSC, have no answer to tnis, but tne covern ment measures forced even them week a wave of strikes charge. started, demanding a 36-hour week with no loss of pay as an alternative pressure from the rank and file of the unions links with the Christian Democratic МОЛи Party. has been torced to take up reTuSed The Belgian workers are raising a sions in the number of other demands. The public sector workers, tor example see the indexed wage increases as again, macquate and are gaung tor di But, as in the Netherlands, the union leaders are refusing to coor- 'historic' grouplet dinate these demands in nationa strike action, preferring a series of staggered strikes which will mini mise the impact of the workers' In Britain workers are beginning to raise the demand of the indexation of wages, giving automatic rises to keep pace with inflation. They can take heart from the effectiveness of the campaign of the Dutch workers, buttnere are also lessons to In all those European countries govern. ments and emplovers have been able to dodge the effects because they control the cost ofliving index. That is why only workers control of the index through their own elected organisations can provide a real guarantee of living standards. That is the way to automatic compentrade union . Spring 1977 such d.
Trotsky's Marxism PART 2 passions affront The Growth and hoe tire aes Menta TASKS IN SPAINLCR-ETA(VI) RESOLUTION Jane editon post Subscriptions [four issues]:
E3 Britain/ overseas surfacel.
Borders to: InterCaledonian Road A graphic illustration of the accuracy or med weenys exosurE ine spanisntar nont was civen last into when Spanish police dis covered an arms factor leader of the Guerrilleros de Cristo known defence of democratic free ine hey. sancnez covisa was arrested. but he is probably not too worried as he has been detained a numberof times before and released without In case the arrest sows any illusions in me spanisn Govemment. i was also announced last week that Amid ballot-rigging and the arrest the emergency police have used to clamp down or the left have DOCH CALCHOGU OF C ine Government nas aise WInG SIne Communisi [PCE] application for legal status PCE, it has decided to STOW neconating Team win me covemament once so as not to cause the unnecessary inconPSOE has also withdrawn from the negotiations for reasons wich are even more bainetc. ine Government has legalised PSOE,, which used to be eacersno or me sany our som When it was ousted ov ine oresen leadership a few years ago. We have 'historic , but isn't it a little strange exemoiar democias o suppression class come 10 on? friends of Jack Jones and Michael sition parties Toretront or ine struggle to legalise the PCE and the far left either.
* Greece On 14 February two comrades of the oG (Greek section of the Fourth mernatonal were arresto burne a meeune or ne trade unions ex: pelled from the General Confedera. tion of Workers of Greece he security groups of ESAK, the them.
attacked the * Egypt Communist rary. comrades wno were distributing charges in January under a number of reactionary laws excurement or pontica The Stalinists are presenting themselves as the most resolute opponents of the Karamanlis Government in preparation for next over 2,000 arrests were made years eections workers demonstrates again that the workers movement can place no trust in The two comrades arrested are democratic one-time militanis wno boin soent many years in jail under the military Repression in the Middle East has Sofranis Papadopou os is a construction worker Giannis Felekis an offset printer Ergatiki Pall, the paper of the ICOG Jorge Ribeiro ed in January, the dismissals came only weeks after a meeting of the DIOCK decided that the BBC an German radio should be brought Socialist Party This is another in the long list of Govemments Well doms.
* Latin America of opponents election EI Salvador WU! aeneral baros hum oert Party's Romero. Massive demonstrations CARLOS HUMBERTO ROMERO the general strike to overturn Romero i colombia tour demonstrators were kies when oolice ooeneo Tire anti-government demonstra in different country. A curfew has been im Pose H Sonie areds anu some unions nave caree sinkes acains repression Several dozen revolutionar militants have been arrested by th Banzer dictatorship in Bolivia. beneve ind comrades boliviar SECTIOn International may have been among whilst successful their immediate aims, were accom panied by harsh repression. Offi cial tigures claimed 75 killed and dUU WoUnded. estimates of three times as much are probably more accurate, anc This follows the repression of democracy previous moblisations and the use or detention witnout trial, usuall for periods longer than two years. I Is to protest the • latest attacks rights by Sadal regime mar me commitee acaus called a picket of the Egyptian embassy from 12 noon to 3pm or 4 March. This action has already been sentatives or me general union o Palestinian students. Middle cas Research and Action Group, anc the International Marxist Group * China
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