German protest surprisingly large
European workers fight cutbacks
By John Catalinotto
In a coordinated action, over a million
retirees and workers marched in Europe on April 3 to protest
planned future cuts to pension plans, unemployment insurance
and health care benefits.
These marches included the largest workers' protests seen in
Germany in half a century--a dramatic new development.
The largest demonstrations were in Italy, where as many as a
million people--mostly retirees--came to Rome. About half the
total of 11.2 million Italian union members are retired.
In Germany, up to 250,000 people marched in Berlin, many of
them workers from formerly socialist eastern Germany. More than
100,000 protested in Cologne and another 120,000 in Stuttgart
in the west.
In both Italy and Germany, most demon strators marched under
the banners of the major trade unions, but anti-globalization
organizations and left political parties also participated.
Another 75,000 marched in 60 cities in France. Trade unions
also called demon stra tions in Belgium, Slovenia and
Slovakia.
The European ruling classes have stepped up their offensive
against the workers since the fall of the Soviet Union. Using
the excuse that they have to improve their competitive
position, the bosses have attempted to cut not only wages but
the significant benefits programs that workers won throughout
much of Europe. These include medical care, unemployment
benefits and retirement benefits that are far better than those
in the United States--where benefits have been under attack
since the Carter administration.
In France and Italy, rightist governments have been leading
the attack on the workers. In Germany, it is the Social
Democratic Party under the leadership of Chancellor Helmut
Schroeder that has introduced "Agenda 2010," a program of heavy
social cutbacks. In addition, the German bosses are demanding a
longer work week, even though unemployment has reached almost
11 percent.
The French and Italian workers have been battling cutbacks
for years with demon strations and one-day general strikes.
Most recently, Italian public workers walked out for a day on
March 26. But the outbreak of struggle among the relatively
conservative German trade unions marks a new development. Most
of the German trade union leaders are tied tightly to the
Social Democratic Party. It is rare they mobilize a mass
demonstration.
Nearly everyone in the German protests wore buttons reading
"Aufstehen" or "Stand up." The protests demonstrated clearly
that the rank-and-file workers are demanding a more
confrontational approach to the Schroeder government.
So far Schroeder has refused to give in. The question now
before the trade union leaders in Germany is whether they are
up to the escalation in struggle necessary to win concessions,
and whether they are willing to break with the Social Demo
cratic leadership to represent their union members.
Reprinted from the April 15, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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