Solidarity with the protest movements against racism in the USA and worldwide
Particularly outrageous is Trump's threat to use the military in the USA to suppress the justified protests.
At the same time, most of the demonstrators took great responsibility for health protection due to the threat of Covid-19, used mouth and nose protection and kept their distance as far as possible.
Internationally, a new social movement against racism developed within a few days. We support this movement with all our strength. We fight against racism and oppression not only in the locations of the automobile and supplier companies but in the whole society. But it is about uncovering the causes of division and the racist incitement in order to overcome them.
We know since the internationalisation of production in the 1990s how they play off different corporate workforces in different countries against each other. Nationalism, corporate egotism and social chauvinism are being stirred up. The real causes of poverty and unemployment are being distracted. In reality, it is about an up and a down, about the class struggle between capital and the workers' movement, against the ruling imperialist economic system.
Racism does not only exist in the USA. Racism is an expression of the rightward development and fascisation of governments. It is supposed to divide and thus weaken the workers' movement. Racism serves the capitalist rule, with the exploitation and oppression of the workers by the international corporations. Therefore the fight against racism is the very own interest of the militant labour movement and was also a big topic at our 2nd International Automotive Workers' Conference in February 2020 in South Africa. Colleagues from South Africa reported: "Many of us have fought under Mandela and we have freed ourselves from white rule. But racism is still there, in the workplace and outside. Many whites do not take part in the struggles of the workers. Some organize themselves in their own racist organizations; they do not want to mix with blacks. We want the international community to see this and help us in this fight against racism in South Africa".
In the "International Program of Struggle of the Automotive Workers and their Families", which we unanimously adopted at the conference, it says: "No inch to reactionary and fascist forces in the companies! Ban all fascist organizations, parties and their propaganda! Work together with other movements in the struggle against fascism and against the rightward development of governments. We will not accept discrimination according to gender, sexual orientation, ideology, religion, origin or abilities. We lead a struggle over the mode of thinking among the workers in all of these issues.”
As more and more people justifiably question the whole capitalist system, Trump is now targeting "the Antifa" and so-called "left-wing extremists”. The International Automotive Workers Conference agreed on a clear position against such agitation and points to a broader perspective: "We do not restrict ourselves to the struggle for better wage and working conditions. We want a fulfilled, dignified and healthy life for all people in harmony with nature – a society without exploitation and oppression, because another world is possible.”
The program of struggle concludes this:
"We need a strategy debate among the workforce of the automotive industry about anti-capitalist, societal and socialist alternatives – against all anti-communist, anti-revolutionary and anti-anti-capitalist cheap propaganda!"
In this sense: Black Lives Matter - Fight against Racism, Fascism and Imperialism – Long live International Solidarity!
With solidarity greetings
Ed Cubelo (Philippines), Dieter Schweizer (Germany)
Coordinators of ICOG
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