On “Sri Lanka: An appeal to all workers by the Balmoral Estate Action Committee”
To workers in the Balmoral Estate Action Committee and internationally:
Your all-important step to form an action committee independent of the trade unions is a great step toward political self-determination, unity and social emancipation of the working class internationally.
In September of 1871, from the “Resolutions of the Conference of Delegates of the International Working Men’s Association,” Marx and Engels stated in their resolution on “Political Action of the Working Class,” “the working class cannot act, as a class, except by constituting itself into a political party, distinct from and opposed to all old parties formed by the propertied classes.”
The CWC [Ceylon Workers Congress] is one of these treacherous old parties that, like all unions, bourgeois parties and middle class “radical” groups today, represent a police force defending the political domination of the propertied classes, and attempting to restrain any autonomous and concerted action of workers. If they are allowed to continue to dominate the masses, their bourgeois policies will only result in the barbaric catastrophes of communal genocide, dictatorship and world war.
Only the ICFI tells the harsh truth to workers about who are their real friends and enemies and represents the internationalist principles of genuine Trotskyism as the Marxian socialism of today. Only they fight to spark new forms of organization for the independent political action of the working class, as the precondition for a unified mobilization of all workers against global capital, which is increasingly wracked by division. The SEP/ISSE socialist program, rooted in a scientific, world-historical perspective, reflects the common interests of the 6 billion-strong working class. Your bold initiative will help this former sleeping giant to begin its awakening into class consciousness, and put an end to exploitation, inequality and war.
Sincerely,
Robert L
California, USA
3 October 2009
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As a worker in Australia I would like to send a message of support and congratulate the actions and stand the Balmoral Estate Action Committee have taken, indicating the way other workers must follow. How farsighted to link their struggles with other workers in the international arena today, spurning with contempt, the treacherous trade union officials. And seeing the futility of the trade union perspective that is useless in today’s economic climate. It is impossible to resolve the present and upcoming struggles workers will be thrust into with the trade union perspective. Even more ineffectual, appealing to the case-hardened criminals called politicians.
The recent massive trillion-dollar bailout money (the looting of the economy) now finds its way into the pockets of “big money,” which must exacerbate and deepen the crisis, depleting national reserves or adding to the national debt. Ironic in one aspect that the very people who have created a massive economic crisis through swindling now get rewarded with bailout money. And the politicians and trade union officials will attempt to make workers pay for this crisis—not of their making. But the economic crisis brings in its wake a lever and spring that will set workers on a global scale into motion.
It is just grotesque that plantation workers get $3.50 a day and yet the plantation companies complain that it is too much! And it will not be long before that amount is under attack, as the class struggle is relentless. But how little $3.50 a day is in comparison to the regular reports of CEOs receiving million-dollar end-of-year bonuses, multi-million-dollar retirement payouts, large stock options, cars, petrol, private jets and expense accounts characterized as extravagant to extremes. Moreover, CEOs that have had some 400 pay rises over the last 25 years whilst telling workers “wage rises are out of the question—we have to become more competitive.” Bank executives that recently pocketed 400 percent to 600 percent pay rises in the US so that some yearly wages went from $3 million up to $18 million.
I think the Balmoral Estate Action Committee should be seen in the light of those multi-millions of workers globally who have known life as a precarious existence, dominated by everlasting instability, now being driven further downwards towards distress and exasperation. Multi-millions more workers and students are also on that path—they require leadership. Other workers should link up their own struggles and support with the Balmoral Estate Action Committee towards an end to the exploitive system.
John C
New South Wales, Australia
1 October 2009
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Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Balmoral Estate Action Committee:
For many years I have been a member and steward in my union, SEIU (Service Employees International Union), here in the United States. I have had to deal unpleasantly with the union bureaucracy on behalf of my co-workers and myself in our struggles against management and in our struggles to have our voices heard inside the union.
I understand the frustration of many workers over the actions of the union that harm the interests of workers because it is my frustration as well. The union acts to strangle worker democracy, to impede fair pay rises, and to ally themselves with bosses and owners against the interests of us workers. This is because they are only self-interested and desire to be “respectable” in the eyes of the ruling class. They have become “class collaborators”—betraying the purpose of their existence, which is to fight unstintingly for the interests and well-being of all workers. Because they have betrayed the working class, we are under no obligation to be loyal to them or to engage them as our representatives. They are incapable of representing us any longer. They do not speak for us workers and our families.
Therefore, as I read about your courageous actions to assert your independence from the “labor fakers”’ who claim to represent you, I cannot help but feel greatly inspired. This is what we workers need to do everywhere! What you are doing is right and necessary. We must break from those organizations that betray us and form our own committees—just like you are doing—linking up with co-workers throughout the land and throughout the world. United we are strong. But our greatest strength lies in a political program that unites all of us workers in a common struggle against our oppressors and their collaborators.
I have found, just as you are finding, that the best allies we workers have is the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), a party of the workers, by workers and for workers. There are no class collaborators to be found in its leadership. The SEP provides the kind of political program that we need in order to advance as fighting workers, to improve our lives and to start changing the world so that it will be a better world, a safe and secure world for all of us and our children, a world in which we participate and make the decisions, not the bosses, owners, the military, or other thugs. This is what makes the Socialist Equality Party so different from all the other parties or organizations that claim to fight for us workers.
Wishing you the best of success in your endeavors and political growth, I embrace each of you warmly as brothers and sisters in the struggle.
Eugene P
California, USA
4 October 2009