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February 8, 2012 - No. 14 Ontario Mourn the Deaths of Eleven WorkersOntario Ontario Mourn the Deaths of Eleven WorkersAn horrific vehicle crash near the town of Hampstead in southwest Ontario has resulted in the death of 11 workers and life-threatening injuries to two others. The names of the killed and injured have not been released. The ages of the workers is between 19 and 55 years old. According to press reports, 10 of the workers were from Peru, working in Canada as temporary agricultural workers, some for only a few days. The eleventh worker was the driver of one the two trucks that collided. The Canadian working class deeply mourns these deaths and injuries. The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) and the Workers' Centre of CPC(M-L) deeply mourn the deaths and injuries of these workers and express the deepest sympathy for the families and friends of the killed and injured workers. According to press reports, the workers were employed by a contractor to carry out work assignments at third party chicken farms. Thirteen workers were travelling in a 15 passenger van at the end of a long work day when the van was hit by another truck. Similar incidents involving vans travelling between farms resulted in the deaths of farm workers in Quebec and British Columbia in 2007. A statement issued by the United Food and Commericial Workers Union and the Agricultural Workers Alliance, which has 10,000 members among Canada's 35,000 migrant farms workers, expressed condolences to the families of the killed and injured workers. It also called for a thorough investigation of these workplace deaths and injuries saying, "The safe transportation of agriculture workers has always been a critical issue, and we must expect a relentless investigation into how and why such a tragedy occurred."
Nova Scotia Halifax Transit Workers Strike  Halifax, February 2, 2012 (Media Coop) Metro Transit workers employed by the Halifax Regional Municipality walked off the job in the early hours of February 2 resisting demands for concessions in their collective agreement. The 763 unionized employees are represented by Amalgamated Transit Union Local (ATU) 508 and they provide and maintain bus and ferry service to some 50,000 commuters daily. They have been without a collective agreement since September 2011. On January 12, the union membership rejected the contract proposed by the transit authority by a resounding 98.4 per cent. Wages are not the issue. The union was willing to recommend a very modest 0.5 and 3.5 per cent increase to its membership over the two-year contract sought by management. Contract negotiations broke off with more than 70 outstanding items still on the table after months of negotiations. The main issue is that the city is demanding concessions on contract language that in some cases has been in effect for forty years. Currently all mechanics and drivers are full-time employees. Management is demanding the union agree to the introduction of part-time work and contracting out of work. According to Ken Wilson, President of ATU Local 508, city officials had requested that the conciliator file his report with the aim of forcing a strike or lockout. It is clear, he said, that the municipality is trying to force them to accept these concessions and destroy the union. The Union points out that management is already moving in that direction. For instance, rather than replace vacant "interior wash" positions, management has outsourced the work to a local auto detailing company, The Shine Factory. Based on statements by city spokesperson Shaune MacKinlay, that deal is actually more expensive than simply filling the vacant cleaner positions. The city is paying $281.57 to clean a standard sized bus -- which Metro Transit drivers deliver for cleaning -- while it would cost the city only $220 if unionized transit workers did the job. Clearly, contracting out is not about cost savings for the city! Another issue on the table is shift scheduling. For forty years drivers have decided their shifts based on seniority. Management wants to scrap that and assign either fixed eight-hour shifts starting at 5:00 am or split shifts. The overwhelming strike vote shows how serious the Halifax transit workers consider this fight. The concessions management is demanding of the union and its members were raised in an earlier contract negotiation and soundly rejected by transit workers then as well. They are determined to defend their jobs and working conditions against contracting out of their work to private, for profit, service providers.
Latin American and Caribbean Alliance Holds 11th Summit  From February 4-5, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) held its 11th summit in Caracas, Venezuela. Beginning as a bilateral agreement between Cuba and Venezuela in December 2004, the group now comprises eight member states: Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela. During the course of the proceedings, the various heads of state expressed enthusiasm about the work of ALBA, while speaking to the issues facing individual member nations as matters of collective concern to the region.
President Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica congratulated the countries entering the ALBA membership process, Surinam and St. Lucia, and paid tribute to the leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro for his vision in creating the organization. He also noted that the blockade of Cuba is not only against the country itself, but against humanity, for which reason the ALBA countries should express their solidarity and condemn this unjust and criminal policy to which the Cuban people are being subjected. Alluding to the fact that the Summit sessions were being broadcast live by the Venezuelan state channel, President Skerrit noted, "This is an organization where we can discuss publicly and openly before our peoples, because there are no secrets, or hidden agendas." He added that ALBA constitutes the most transparent body currently in existence, where nobody has veto powers and all points of view are respected. "We are like one sole nation seeking to address the historical problems which we inherited and which we are trying to resolve together," he stated. President Evo Morales of the Plurinational State of Bolivia urged leaders to unify their political positions to defend themselves against imperialist media attacks. "Today, we are members of more regional bodies. As
presidents, we should always have a position so that we know what to do
in the face of media attacks from capitalism and can plan how to act
and express our position to these authorities." He emphasized the joint solidarity work of ALBA to the benefit of the peoples, which is already bearing its first fruits with the reduction of poverty and illiteracy. He added that the presidents of this alliance are putting other politicians to shame. Being a politician today does not mean obtaining personal benefit, but sacrifice, making every effort and being committed to the people. Politics is the science of serving the people, and not serving oneself through them, he noted.
He called on the presidents to continue working together and in solidarity, "as that is the great advantage in the hands of the ALBA countries." Also discussed in the 11th Summit were the working documents of meetings held by representatives of social movements, political parties and the media in the ALBA member countries. Cuban President Raúl Castro in his speech to the proceedings expressed satisfaction in the achievements of the summit and the ongoing developments. He remarked that ALBA has established itself as a true alliance of independent nations committed to an integration of a new type, inspired by the solidarity of social justice. He summed up the meeting saying, "It has been a grand Summit!" Expansion of the AllianceOne of the agenda items for the summit was the entry of new countries into ALBA with the aim of consolidating the organization's aim of regional integration. Surinam and St. Lucia were incorporated as special invitees, as set out in the approved resolution which allows them to initiate the process of their full membership in ALBA. The presence of the Republic of Haiti as a permanent special invitee was also ratified. In related news, it is reported that other proposals that ALBA will pursue include the creation of regional schools for social movements and the establishment of a communications secretary general; as well as the proposal to create a "defence council" for the bloc, which was submitted by Bolivian President Evo Morales. Bank of ALBAAt the end of the summit's first day, Venezuelan President Chávez announced that member countries had agreed to contribute 1 per cent of their international reserves towards the bloc's main bank in order to create a reserve fund. The Bank of ALBA was established in 2008 with the intention of providing economic support to people-centred regional projects and to contribute to sustainable social and economic development across the region, Venezuela Analysis reports, adding that the Bank also aims to be a continental alternative to the International Monetary Fund. At the summit, ALBA member countries agreed that the financial reinforcement of the bank would be pivotal to the development of the bloc. Regional CurrencyThe heads of state also discussed the possibility of increasing the commercial use of the sucre, the bloc's virtual currency. The sucre is currently used for direct trading between the ALBA countries, allowing them to circumvent the U.S dollar and minimise the foreign-exchange risk, Venezuela Analysis writes. According to Ricardo Menendez, Venezuelan Vice-minister of Production and Economy, 431 financial transactions using the sucre were carried out between ALBA countries last year, amounting to over U.S.$216 million worth of trade. Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa called for the use of the currency to be increased. "Those free trade agreements, free markets, [with]...zero indemnity, annihilating the weak, that's suicide for our countries...We should encourage fair trade; unite our reserves and financial capacity in the Bank of ALBA and avoid using foreign currencies," he urged. President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega also expressed his desire to boost the use of the bloc's currency. Ortega said that he hoped to begin using the sucre within the next few weeks, subject to approval from Nicaragua's national assembly. Development of Orinoco Oil BeltPresident Chávez highlighted the importance of the development of the petroleum reserves of the Orinoco Oil Belt, both to Venezuela and the region. The Orinoco Oil Belt is integral to Venezuela's development, and also the economic independence of ALBA and Latin America, he noted. "There is oil for 200 years in the Belt," he stated, adding that Venezuela has plans this year to increase oil production there from three million to 3.5 million barrels a day, which will facilitate greater flexibility in meeting commitments to ALBA and other programs. Assistance to HaitiThe summit agreed to step up ALBA's humanitarian assistance to Haiti through the formation of an ALBA-Haiti work plan. Venezuela Analysis reports that the project will be aimed at providing emergency relief and facilitating reconstruction efforts in the Caribbean nation, which is still suffering the effects of the earthquake of January 2010. Member countries also agreed to establish a Haiti fund in order to execute the projects and provide the country's energy plants with fuel. Details will be finalized at a foreign ministers meeting in Haiti at the beginning of March. Venezuela and Haiti also signed an independent bilateral
agreement to increase cooperation between the two countries.
Role of MediaALBA's work spans a number of different fields, including that of journalism. In one of his interventions, President Chávez highlighted the role of the network Telesur which serves the region. He recalled the major task of accurately portraying the developments in Libya last year, where the network's news reporters even received death threats in the course of carrying out their work. He pointed out that while the international media was reporting that Libyan leader Muammar al Gahdafi was bombing the civilian population in Tripoli Plaza, Telesur transmitted images from the plaza demonstrating the falsity of that information. In the context of media attacks on governments not to the liking of the big powers, Chávez compared the case of Libya to the current situation in Syria, commenting that the international right-wing media had reported that same morning a government-supported massacre in Syria, which in fact was a terrorist attack. This was in order to have the Syrian government condemned at the UN Security Council, he noted. He called for those present to pay attention to these types of action organized by the imperialists, describing this disinformation as one of the greatest current risks to peace because it is part of the strategy used to justify invasion. Opposition to Colonialism and Proposal for Regional Defence CouncilSeveral of the declarations issued by the 11th Summit of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA) strongly criticize the neo-colonialist policies of the Western powers that try to tarnish regional sovereignty, Prensa Latina reports. The anti-colonial initiatives taken included a special statement on the inalienable right of the Puerto Rican people to self-determination and full independence. The ALBA also issued a declaration in support of Argentina's legitimate sovereign rights over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich and the surrounding maritime areas. On the basis of opposing colonial actions and interference by the European and U.S. governments, the ALBA leaders proposed the creation of a joint Defence Council, whose operation will be discussed at future meetings. According to Chávez, the military leaders of the member nations need to hold meetings in which they could exchange views on projects and execute manoeuvres, defence drills and other joint training. Cuban President Raul Castro suggested that such a meeting should include not only Defence Ministers but all officials concerned with regional security. President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua urged that the new council should have as a priority the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime. The Summit also issued a Special Declaration in honour of the five Cuban heroes, Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González. They were unjustly incarcerated 13 years ago in the United States for combating terrorism. The document calls for their release as an act of social and humanitarian justice. It similarly condemns the fact that their sentences were the result of serious legal irregularities motivated by political revenge. Shortly before the conclusion of the Summit, President Chávez read an official communiqué in which the ALBA member countries reiterated their condemnation of the policy of intervention and destabilization against the Arab Republic of Syria. (Granma International, Venezuela Analysis, Prensa Latina, CubaDebate) Guatemala Former Dictator Faces Trial  January 2008 protest in Guatemala City demands former military dictator Efraín Ríos Montt be brought to justice for genocide. (Mimondo) In Guatemala, former military dictator Efraín Ríos Montt has been ordered to stand trial on accusations of genocide and other crimes during his 17-month rule. Montt seized power in 1982 in a military coup and has been accused of overseeing the murders of 17,000 political opponents and dissidents. On February 2, a Guatemalan judge ruled that there is sufficient evidence for Montt to face charges for a single massacre of indigenous peasants. Outside the courtroom, protesters demanded that Montt be tried for all his crimes. Juana Alicia Tiquira explained the position of the protestors as follows: "We want justice, because these cases cannot remain unpunished. There are thousands and thousands of brothers, children, men and women who were massacred during the internal armed conflict, and what we are asking now is justice. We are all present here. It doesn't matter if it's hot or cold. We want justice." Montt has been placed under house arrest until a preliminary hearing in March. (Agencies) Panel Reveals New Details of
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Wilson dismissed the city's
claim that contracting out
had been taken off the table. The city said it would not contract out
work that's on the "schedule run guide." If the local were to sign such
an agreement, Wilson said, maintenance work could be sub-contracted,
Access-A-Bus could be sub-contracted,
and ferry service could be sub-contracted. The city's demands are
unacceptable.
Don Berna also corroborated
allegations made by the DAS'
former ICT director Alvaro Garcia, who has testified that the DAS was
involved in drug trafficking and the paramilitary killings of activists.
Fifty years after it was
first imposed, the U.S.
government's economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba
generates almost unanimous condemnation by the international community,
said the Cuban Foreign Affairs Ministry in Havana on February 6.