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L-I: Re: How it is done: Taking over the Trepca mines - Plans and Propaganda
[email protected] quotes:
> How it is done -
> TAKING OVER THE TREPCA MINES: PLANS AND PROPAGANDA
> by Diana Johnstone (2-28-00)
> The manipulative hypocrisy of the ICG policy designers is even more
blatant
> concerning the Serbs. The ICG urges UNMIK to hurry up with the game plan
for
> taking over the valuable mining complex _before_ Serbian elections so that
a
> new government more to the West's liking cannot be accused of "losing
> Trepca". All Serbian leaders, including opposition leaders, the ICG
observes,
> will have to protest when UNMIK takes over Trepca and the Zvecan smelter.
> "However they could exploit the argument that the `loss' was due to the
> pariah status of Milosevic himself, so that once again Serbia has lost
assets
> due to his presence in office. So provided action were taken before any
> elections in Serbia it need not upset, and might contribute to, any
strategy
> for unseating Milosevic." In short, the international community is going
to
> take over Trepca whoever is in charge in Belgrade; better do it while
> Milosevic is there, so that the Western-backed "progressive, democratic"
> opposition can pretend it was the fault of Milosevic!
Actually the main problem for the NATO occupation force is the question who
is the owner of the Trepca complex. This is due to the way how the
privatisation of formerly socially owned propperty occured in Yugoslavia. In
1989 the miners occupied the mine to protest against the planned
privatisation. This strike was broken violently and the striking miners were
locked out to clear the way for privatization.
Thus today four capitalist venture are claiming private ownership of Trepca:
The French SCMM, the Greek Mytilinos, the Yugoslav Jugo-Bank and Branoslaw
Milanovic. For the NATO administration the respect of private ownership is
the highest aim. So the UNIMIK and the Yugoslav government agree in one
point: the mine is not owned by the workers.
Excactly this position is challenged by the miner union. In a letter they
write:
"The biggest company in Kosova is the 'Trepca' company based upon the rich
mineral mines in Kosova. Under the constitution of ex- Yugoslavia this
company was 'social property' - ie it belonged to its workers. However all
Albanian employees were locked out of their jobs in 1990.
Throughout these last years our trade union has tried to protect miners'
property and assert the right of miners to return to work. For several
years this protest was directed at the Milosevic regime, now we have a new
problem: French KFOR (Kosova Force) troops have occupied our mines and
metal processing plants and refuse to allow us access. (...)
Despite our protests we remain locked out. So we want to step up our
protests and for this we need international support and solidarity. We are
planning more protests marches and if we are not successful we are prepared,
eventually, to start a hunger strike outside the mine gates.
Our campaign to demand the rights of miners and other workers is not just
for Albanians but for all Trepca employees with the exception of those who
have committed war crimes."
This position differs considerably from the Soros think-tank ICG. Socialists
disagree on the question of Kosovo independence, but the Trepca miners
should be supported by all socialists, because they are demanding a work
place, wages, workers democracy regradless of nationality. In Trepca workers
are confronting capital directly. Against workers resitance the NATO
occupation forces as well as the Yugoslav state are on the side of private
capitalists.
The only allies of the struggling miners can be the international workers
movement. Thats why German union militants are calling for support of the
Trepca miners.
The solidarity appeal can be found at:
http://www.labournet.de/kosovo/trepcaaufruf.html
Johannes
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