Resistance to Arrogant Actions of Glencore
A contingent of USW workers from Glencore travelled to Glencore's AGM
in Switzerland, May 9, 2019 to protest attacks on their rights.
Glencore smelter workers gave ample notice that their
strike in defence of their rights was to begin the evening of April 24.
Upon arriving for work in the morning of the strike, the global
monopoly Glencore, without any notice, locked them out. The company
began
blocking workers from entering the plant without any official notice.
This
showed their intent to refuse to negotiate.
Refusing to negotiate and locking out workers when they
refuse to accept the dictate of global monopoly is becoming a frequent
tactic in attacking the rights of the working class. Global private
empires, such as Glencore, use lockouts and state-organized attacks
such
as court injunctions to criminalize and intimidate workers and attempt
to make
them give up the just defence of their rights and well-being at work
and in retirement, and their claim on what they produce which belongs
to
them by right.
 The Belledune smelter
workers, similar to others such as the ABI workers in Quebec, who have
organized a grand solidarity march in Trois-Rivières for May 25,
are facing these private global empires that have state-organized
backing. Workers are finding they are not alone, isolated and without
options in their struggle. They are organizing
joint actions and reaching out to Canadians to find strength in numbers
and to form the public opinion and solidarity they need to confront
these global robber barons and their political representatives in
government.
On May 9, a delegation of Glencore workers is in Zug,
Switzerland on the occasion of the company's annual general meeting.
The delegation is working with representatives of the IndustriALL
Global Union, of which the United Steelworkers is an affiliate.
Together the unions are expressing their opposition to the anti-worker
dictate of the global oligopoly building unity with fellow workers.
They will also participate in the annual general meeting to protest the
company's attacks on their health, safety and rights and press
Glencore's global executives to take a stand in favour of a negotiated
collective agreement acceptable to the workers.
This article was published in
Number 17 - May 9, 2019
Article Link:
Resistance to Arrogant Actions of Glencore
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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