We express our total solidarity with the hunger strikers of COBAS, fighting for the democratic rights of workers in the private sector to hold meetings in work time and to join the trade union of their choice.
To add injury to insult, the police have brutally assaulted one of the hunger strikers, Nicola Gina, seriously threatening his health, if not his life. In addition they have forcibly arrested Piero Bernocchi and other members of the national executive of Confederation Cobras.
This is an outrage and should be immediately protested by trade unionists and activists of the anticapitalist/anti-globalisation movement not only in Italy but also across Europe and beyond. We send our warmest solidarity and best wishes to all the hunger strikers and those arrested for supporting them.
It is a scandal that the government of Romano Prodi, which claims to be “of the Left.” should refuse to grant their demands, immediately and unconditionally. It reveals in the sharpest manner that this government is, in fact, a servant of big capital. This latest crime follows on from its servility to Bush by agreeing to the expansion of the huge USAF base near Vicenza, the sending of troops to Lebanon, and the continued involvement in the occupation of Afghanistan.
We wholeheartedly support the demonstration called on 9 June in Rome against the visit of the arch-war criminal Bush. The struggle against the neoliberal attacks on public and social services, on democratic and trade unions rights, on immigrants and other minorities, is linked indissolubly to that of opposition to imperialist war. It is a common fight, both in Europe and worldwide.
The mass mobilisations against the G8 criminals, from Genoa in 2001 to Rostock just yesterday, show that there is a tremendous potential for coordinated resistance across national boundaries and that to beat the capitalist globalisers we must forge powerful links of solidarity. We appreciate that Cobas has always been in the front ranks of those striving to achieve this.
Victory to Cobas in its struggle for workers rights!
Victory to all those fighting against Italy’s involvement in the bombings, occupations and invasions of the G8 and their allies!
League for the Fifth International