Vereeniging has never experienced anything like this - colourful, loud and combative. Automotive workers from 19 countries demonstrated through the city
At the end of the 3rd day of the meeting yesterday Friday, the demonstration took place through the city centre. Dancing, singing South African colleagues from Scraw Metal, a local steel company where colleagues have been fighting for weeks, came to the hall. They are currently facing a strike. The mayor of the city spoke personally at the beginning of the demonstration. Fighting words, expression of women's power were felt by all participants in her speech. She welcomed the event in the city and wished success in achieving the goals of the working class. After further speeches the participants marched through the city. One could feel the power of international solidarity. At three points in the city there were short rallies with 20 speeches from all over the world. We experienced an atmosphere that we had never experienced before. People in the streets waved at us, danced and waved. Flyers were distributed and invited to the conference. There were no incidents or special occurrences. There was a sense of optimism among participants and people on the street.
On this Saturday the delegates' meeting continued. The accountability of the ICOG as the first item on the agenda was appreciated by the delegates with full respect for the work and the preparation of the conference. The adoption of the ICOG report and the financial report follows, as well as the election of the worldwide coordination ( ICOG ). The discussion on the combat program and its adoption will follow. In the last days there was a controversial discussion about differences of content in the topics as for example unity or direction unions, the fight against anticommunism, political differences about anarchism / Trotskyism, nevertheless the way goes to the 1st World Program of Struggle of the automobile workers. Especially the colleagues from countries with unified trade unions emphasized the necessity for the development of trade unions into fighting organizations. The defense of its thoughts and against the modern anticommunism, against exclusions of Marxists - Leninists and militant colleagues. Anti-communism is to keep all car workers from thinking and fighting about the alternative to capitalism.
The development of the increase in struggles was discussed intensively at the delegates' meeting, as well as the growing awareness and willingness to fight of the workers in general. But also the increasing penetration of fascist / fascist thoughts and groups - a serious topic and challenge at the same time. In the further reporting and publication of the documents we will deal with it. Worldwide, and all participants agreed that the fight against the legal developments in many countries, against fascistoid or even fascist governments and regimes is on the agenda. If not us, the car workers, must be at the top. In one front with all militant movements and organizations. Women, youth, miners.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends of the IAC: these are the latest news of today ( Saturday 3 p.m. ), more to come. Have a nice weekend, greetings from South Africa.
(Personal report by Klaus-Jürgen )
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