Socialist Party - What we stand for

After New Labour - for a new mass workers' party

International

Czech Republic

Czech Mine Occupation For over a week more than 50 miners have been staging an underground protest in the coal pit Kohinoor, in Marianske Radcice, North Bohemia. The mine's owner is Mostecka Uhelna (MUS). The miners, supported by wives, families and other workers, are fighting to stop the job losses. A solidarity strike took place on 6 April, involving over 900 workers who staged a sit-in at the coal firm's buildings above ground. CWI comrades in the Czech Republic are campaigning for a regional demonstration, and for the coal industry to be taken into public ownership, with the introduction of a 35 hour week, without loss of pay. Comrades plan to meet with the chair of the Association of Independent Trade Unions, and the CP leadership, and to raise the need for support for the demonstration. The miners Strike Committee needs urgent messages of support. Please mention the Czech group, Socialisticka Alternativa Budoucnost, as the source of information. Fax to: Strike Committee, Dul Kohinoor 00420 35 6209545 (Note: they have the same phone and fax line so if the phone is answered just ask for the fax to be switched on). Send copies of support messages to the comrades' email address: budoucnost@email.cz

Portugal

Sintra Councils' cleaning workers are involved in all-out strike against privatisation. the staff workers' union,, the STAL, have been indispute with Sintra council since January. President Edite Estrela, from the so-called Socialist Party, the pro-cpitalist party in Portugal, has tried to break the strike by seending police and using a private company to remove refuse. Twice workers were assauled by police and the national guard as they tried to stop the private company. A striker was arrested and will be tried with 'disobeying authority'. However the determination of the strikers and working-class solidarity stopped this attempt to break the strike.

• Solidarity messages to: francisrap@hotmail.com, STAL ( Union ), staldn@esoterica.pt, Protest messages to: Camara Municipal de Sintra Presidente Edite Estrela, cm.sintra@mail.telepac.pt

Israel

Lawyers representing port users delivered a letter to Shlomo Shioni, trade union leader at Ashdod port, Israel, threatening to sue him personally for all the losses they incurred as a result of the ongoing dispute in Haifa and Asdod. The dispute is against government plans to build a private port north of Ashdod which will be staffed by non-union labour. The dockers are demanding that the new port become part of the adjoining Ashdod port and is staffed by organised workers on union rates.

• Messages of support to: Shlomo Shimoni, The Workers' Committee, Ashdod. Fax + 972 8 851 7826. Copies to Maavak Socialisti email: info@maavak.org.il(dockers have resumed full-time work pending a three-week arbitration process.)

Young People

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