Forward Union
11th June 2010, 10:13
Appologies for the roughness of this, didn't have time to trim it for revleft...
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Dear comrades,
We write to you with a call for international solidarity. Syndicalist union SAC in Sweden is involved in the biggest blockade struggle for at least the last ten years in Sweden. Hundreds of people have been involved in the picket lines two times a week since 26/2. The company that we are in conflict with is Berns Salonger, owned by the British concern London Regional.
We beg of you to help us in this fight. We wonder if you would like to:
Call or visit London Regional as soon as possible on xxxxxx, say that you have gotten a call for international solidarity and would like to hear the companys opinion about the situation in Stockholm before you decide how to act. Suggest a meeting.
In Sweden we right now face a media offensive by right wing politicians and capitalists roaring out that we are nothing else than a maffia and a mob with the only aim to take money from the companies. Our classic blockades are critized as being nothing else that mafia tactics. Speak to David O'Connell about this, he has been participating in the blockades.
Background
A large and fashionable night club/restaurant/hotel has for ten years systemized using staffing companies for the cleaning of the vast buildings. Newly arrived immigrants, both with and without certificate of residence have been given black wages far below standard, 7 days work week and often 22 hours work shifts. Three times SAC has demanded white wages and that our undocumented memebers get all their wage, that the work hours should be humane etc. The result of each struggle (won by blockades of the night club) has been that Berns bosses have moved the janitors form one staffing company to another. Our members have worked at Berns, supervised by Berns work leaders for up to seven years and for three different companies. All the time, conditions have been criminal. We claim that Berns has a responsibility for these people, from Bolivia, Peru, Mongolia and Chile, since they have moved them from one staffing company to another only to avoid responsibility for their exploitation. Now the lastest of the links in the chain Berns has organized, the staffing company NCA, has fired all janitors at Berns hotel because of economic problems. Berns still needs cleaning. Berns has used the situation to pick out a few janitors and offered them continued work, but all syndicalists have been left without work. Berns has done this even though the syndicalists have worked for a longer time at Berns and the most work hours.
Norway has a law of ”solidarity responsibility” stating that companies have vast responsibility for their subcontractors. This is not so in Sweden. The question about precariat, unsafe labour and expolitation of undocumented comrades is an international question.
We have told the press that we have a dialogue with unions all around the world and think that you might scare London Regional if you ask for a meeting. (And then we can discus what could be said at such a meeting). Do you have any possibility to help us?
In solidarity
Emil Boss
Stockholms LS of SAC Syndikalisterna
Contact <img alt="">details
London & Regional Properties Limited
8th Floor
55 Baker Street
London
W1U 8EW
Tel: +44 (0) 207 563 9000
e-mail: [email protected]
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Dear comrades,
We write to you with a call for international solidarity. Syndicalist union SAC in Sweden is involved in the biggest blockade struggle for at least the last ten years in Sweden. Hundreds of people have been involved in the picket lines two times a week since 26/2. The company that we are in conflict with is Berns Salonger, owned by the British concern London Regional.
We beg of you to help us in this fight. We wonder if you would like to:
Call or visit London Regional as soon as possible on xxxxxx, say that you have gotten a call for international solidarity and would like to hear the companys opinion about the situation in Stockholm before you decide how to act. Suggest a meeting.
In Sweden we right now face a media offensive by right wing politicians and capitalists roaring out that we are nothing else than a maffia and a mob with the only aim to take money from the companies. Our classic blockades are critized as being nothing else that mafia tactics. Speak to David O'Connell about this, he has been participating in the blockades.
Background
A large and fashionable night club/restaurant/hotel has for ten years systemized using staffing companies for the cleaning of the vast buildings. Newly arrived immigrants, both with and without certificate of residence have been given black wages far below standard, 7 days work week and often 22 hours work shifts. Three times SAC has demanded white wages and that our undocumented memebers get all their wage, that the work hours should be humane etc. The result of each struggle (won by blockades of the night club) has been that Berns bosses have moved the janitors form one staffing company to another. Our members have worked at Berns, supervised by Berns work leaders for up to seven years and for three different companies. All the time, conditions have been criminal. We claim that Berns has a responsibility for these people, from Bolivia, Peru, Mongolia and Chile, since they have moved them from one staffing company to another only to avoid responsibility for their exploitation. Now the lastest of the links in the chain Berns has organized, the staffing company NCA, has fired all janitors at Berns hotel because of economic problems. Berns still needs cleaning. Berns has used the situation to pick out a few janitors and offered them continued work, but all syndicalists have been left without work. Berns has done this even though the syndicalists have worked for a longer time at Berns and the most work hours.
Norway has a law of ”solidarity responsibility” stating that companies have vast responsibility for their subcontractors. This is not so in Sweden. The question about precariat, unsafe labour and expolitation of undocumented comrades is an international question.
We have told the press that we have a dialogue with unions all around the world and think that you might scare London Regional if you ask for a meeting. (And then we can discus what could be said at such a meeting). Do you have any possibility to help us?
In solidarity
Emil Boss
Stockholms LS of SAC Syndikalisterna
Contact <img alt="">details
London & Regional Properties Limited
8th Floor
55 Baker Street
London
W1U 8EW
Tel: +44 (0) 207 563 9000
e-mail: [email protected]