International Day of Environmental Struggle 2020: Workers' and environmental movement together against the destruction of the natural environment !

The corona pandemic, which has intensified the world economic and financial crisis, dominates world events. This has not at all weakened the transition to a worldwide environmental catastrophe. On the contrary, the CO² content of the atmosphere continues to rise, the clearing of the rain forests was also even accelerated by the proto-fascist Bolsonaro government in Brazil. Due to the melting of Antarctic ice shields and the Greenland ice, the sea level is expected to rise by one meter in 2100. In March, the largest ozone hole ever developed over the Arctic. Littering of the oceans, extinction of species and the time bomb of nuclear power plants are further factors. Millions of people worldwide are affected by floods, forest fires and catastrophic droughts. The destruction of livelihoods has become a major factor in the rise of the global refugee movement to over 80 million people.

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In recent months, the workers', environmental and youth movements have shown that protest actions can be carried out effectively, while respecting health protection, in the struggle against sometimes extensive restrictions of democratic rights by governments. For example, there were demonstrations and rallies worldwide for protection against Covid-19 and on May 1. Millions of people took part in the "Black lives matter" movement; the Fridays for Future Movement again conducted a "global climate strike day" on September 25, 2020; and last but not least, auto workers at Nissan in Spain, Renault in Brazil, Smart in France, Daimler in Germany and many others are fighting against mass layoffs, plant closures and increased exploitation.

The unity of the workers' and environmental movement is also a central question at this year's Day of Environmental Struggle to strengthen the assertiveness of the militant environmental movement. Our program of struggle, which was adopted by the 2nd International Automotive Workers' Conference in South Africa in February 2020, states: "We do not want to decide between jobs or protection of the environment – we demand both! It is not the protection of the environment that is responsible for the destruction of jobs, but the striving for profits by multinational corporations!" and further: "We need to get away from the burning of fossil fuel, both in engine production as well as in the production and recycling of raw materials, (....) Struggle for a transportation system which is 100 % free of emissions, for a sustainable and environment friendly mobility of the future. For electromobility on the basis of renewable energies, knowing well that these technologies also have disadvantages and are not the solution. For free public transportation that meets people’s mobility needs with electric and hydrogen mobility based mainly on regional renewable energies! In this way equivalent substitute jobs can be created. Private transport must be reduced.“

With this in mind, we promote demonstrations, actions, company and union activities to strengthen the international environmental and workers' movement against the capitalist profit economy that undermines all social progress. We therefore resolved in the Program of Struggle: "We need a strategy debate in the auto workers' movement on anti-capitalist, societal and socialist alternatives-against all anti-communist, anti-revolutionary and anti-anti-capitalist propaganda! The deteriorating living conditions of the mass of workers are contrasted by the growing prosperity of a few capitalists and international monopolies. Crises and wars lead to chaos, increasing misery and also the destruction of our natural resources.”

Workers' and environmental movement together against the environmentally destructive profit economy!

For the protection of the natural environment and the preservation of human health!

Together against the worldwide thousandfold destruction of jobs!

For the 30 hour week with full wage compensation!

Long live international solidarity!

 

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