Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 00:47:16 -0400 From: malecki-AT-algonet.se (Robert Malecki) Subject: M-TH: Danish strike day 8 (fwd) > >---------- Forwarded message ---------- >Date: 05 May 1998 05:36:04 >From: socappeal-AT-easynet.co.uk >To: Recipients of conference <labr.party-AT-conf.igc.apc.org> >Subject: Danish strike day 8 > >May 4th, 1998 > >The May Day rally in Copenhaghen was a massive event which marked day 5 >of the all-out strike by 500,000 private sector workers demanding a week >extra holidays and the 35 hour week amongst other demands. > >Between 350 and 500,000 workers participated in the rally in Copenhaghen, >and there were even people who had to leave without being able to enter >the park where the rally took place. > >The strike remain solid and is still spreading to sections of the public >sector although very slowly. Parts of the public sector are being shut >down for health and safety issues, as cleansing services are privatised. > >Public sector unions issued posters in solidarity with the strike and >supporting the demands for the "three six": six weeks of paid holdays a >year, six hour working day for shift workers and 6% wage increase. These >demands, according to the posters would mean "more sex for all" (in >Danish six is spelled seks, thus the joke). > >The strike has also received support from airport workers in Sweden who >have partly paralysed flights to and from Denmark being bused and ferried >to Swedish airports. > >The support for the strike and opposition to government intervention to >stop it has been growing. In an opinion poll published on May Day, more >than 50% of the population declared their support for the strike >(including 2/3 of Socialdemocratic voters). The Socialdemocratic >government has tried to adopt a "neutral" stand saying this is an issue >to be solved between bosses and unions. > >The employers have threatened with a shut down of the retail sector from >tomorrow if the strike continues, adding to the scare campaign about >shortage of food, medicines, etc. > >In the meantime the union leaders are busy in negotiations with the >employers. These take place in a secret location so that the workers >cannot put direct pressure on them. Nevertheless the national meeting of >shop stewards which took place last week in Odense decided to call for a >national day of action for tomorrow (May 5th) with a demonstration in >Copenhaghen in front of the employers federation building. > >The union leaders are trying to spread the message that "we cannot get >the whole of the extra week holidays now (they forget about other >demands), maybe we will have to settle for two days extra this time". > >The problem is that the CP leaders who gave the 1985 movement some sort >of direction through their influence in the shop stewards movement, are >now weaker and too afraid to raise anything. At the May Day rally they >even asked people not to raise the slogan of the need for a general >strike. > >(Based on phone conversations with trade union activists in Denmark) > > >socappeal-AT-easynet.co.uk >http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~socappeal/IDOM.html >PO Box 2626 >London N1 7SQ >Britain > > >-- >The lefty.techsi.com server is not operated by the owners of the >techsi.com domain. Views expressed in this email do not reflect the >opinions of TSI, its officers, customers, or minions. > >For automated help, email listname-AT-lefty.techsi.com > Subject: help >(Replace "listname" with the name of this mailing list.) > > > --- from list marxism-thaxis-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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