To
the Sections and Friends of the IWA
From the IWA-Secretariat, Oslo
Members of the CNT union asked us at the IX CNT-AIT Congress (Perlora)
to reactivize the IWA urgent action in solidarity with the sacked comrade,
so please immediately send protests to the e-mails and faxes mentioned!
Oslo the 12th of November 2002
with anarchosyndicalist greetings
from the IWA-Secretariat
Rolf Petter Larsen
Sven Taiet
Einar Nymoen
The conflict in La Bisbal still continues!
During the last weeks, there has been news in the conflict we have with
the La Bisbal d’Empordà city council and the PSC (Socialist
Party of Catalonia) – PSOE (Socialist Party of Spain) governing team:
The social court nš 1 in Girona, has forced the La Bisbal city council
to comply with the sentence pronounced by this court on the 7/3/2001.
The city council was condemned to cease its discriminatory behaviour,
contrary to the art. 14 of the Spanish Constitution, with our comrade
Roberto Paneque, who is also the delegate of the workplace union, and
to indemnify him and give him back his pay, since he was suffering a salary
discrimination, (he was denied a productivity wage that was accorded to
the rest of workers) as far as we understand, although the sentence does
not specify this, for his activity for the interests of the working class.
The city council attorney, and also the staff manager intended, until
the last minute, to agree a halfway amount, but we did not give in to
their attempt of pact. The city council will have to pay, for this wage,
between 90 and 270 Euro plus interests.
On the 22nd July, we received the sentence from the Supreme Court in Catalonia,
where they rejected our appeal against the “legal dismissal”
sentenced by the social court in Girona, supporting the city council in
the disciplinary dismissal to our comrade that took place on the 24/8/2001.
Following this sentence, the workplace union and its delegate do not have
any right at all, since they do not belong to the majority unions and
because the company does not have a minimum of 250 workers. They find
the propaganda edited and distributed by the union offensive and harmful
to the mayor’s honour and they say it is beyond the limits of the
freedom of expression, making the comrade co-responsible and justifying
the dismissal.
Face to such an injustice, we are considering to present to the supreme
court a cessation appeal, or even to the constitutional court, since they
break the fundamental rights that their own laws dictate and that they
only comply with when it is in their interests...
On the 14th August and during the announcement - made by the mayor, the
local boss Ramon Romaguera- of the main festivities of the village, we
made a concentration denouncing the problem. We printed some posters and
leaflets specially for the event. You can send support faxes, letters...
demanding the readmission of our comrade, the respect to union freedom,
the cease of the harassment to our union comrades and for a full freedom
of expression, to the following numbers:
Ayuntamiento de La Bisbal (La Bisbal city council) to the attention of
Ramon Romaguera and the PSC-PSOE governing team: Fax.: +34.972 643186,
e-mail: ajuntabisbal@ctv.es,
address: Plaça del Castell s/n 17100 La Bisbal (Girona), Spain.
Site of the PSC-PSOE in Girona, to the attention of Marina Geli, deputy
of the Parliament of Catalonia and secretary to the PSC-PSOE of the Girona
province: registered mail to the address: calle Juli Garreta nš 27 Girona.
Manifest:
The CNT-AIT informs all workers, and people in general, that this union
continues the conflict with the La Bisbal city council. The struggle against
the anti-worker and anti-union politics of the PSC-PSOE and the mayor,
the despot Ramon Romaguera, continues.
We demand the readmission of the worker, tinsmith in the municipal brigade
and delegate of the CNT workplace union in this public company, who was
unfairly sacked for the union activity for the workers rights that he
developped in this workplace union, one year ago now, within a frame of
precarious relationship and abuse on the side of the city council.
We denounce this “socialist” council prosecution to the union
and the damage to the worker’s fundamental rights.
The CNT will appeal to the constitutional court, if necessary, against
a dismissal that cancels all the fundamental rights gathered in their
sacred constitution, such as the union freedom and all its consequences.
If they want to show off a “democratic” society in which freedom
is enjoyed (very arguable), they cannot sack nor retaliate a unionist
–just because they dislike the vindications and the organisation
structure of the union to which he belongs, even if it irritates the mayor
and those so-called “socialists”.
We also want to inform that this union does not rule out to denounce the
mayor Ramon Romaguera’s power abuse, since he has used his public
duty to order reports and police interventions, that he has later on profited
of as an individual, personally denouncing three comrades of this union
of insulting him –the accusation was filed.
This anarcho-syndicalist organisation will not fail to punish such a despotism
and will not stop fighting until we get union freedom, such as it has
been done in other social conquests, with years of effort, struggle and
suffering of the self-organised working class.
Do not wait until they come for you! ¡Workers’ solidarity!
CNT of Figueres