The International Executive Committee of the International Workers’ Unity-Fourth International (IWU-FI) issued the following call:
Peoples’ strikes and rebellions go through the world. Demanding fair wages, health care, public free education, in defence of the environment and the life of entire populations hit by multinationals, decent housing, among others.
These millions fight confronting the hard austerity plans the imperialism and the bourgeoisie in each country applied over the shoulders of the oppressed people. The present chief of the yanki imperialism, the ultra-reactionary Donald Trump, heads this counter-offensive of the capital.
The crisis of the capitalist-imperialist system is leading to an inexorably social collapse to thousands of millions in the planet. The multinationals plunder the natural resources and advance in the depredation of nature, polluting the environment. They pretend the humble people, the workers, the popular sectors, the oppressed women, the youth, the peasants and the middle classes, increasingly impoverished, to be the ones who pay for the crisis they have caused.
But the peoples of the world do not give up. They mobilise and resist these austerity and plundering plans. Strikes in France, Germany, Greece, Turkey. In different countries in Latin America, China and South Africa. Hundreds of thousands marching for the independence of Catalonia. The 8 March was a clear proof of the world rebellion women are carrying out, for their rights, adopting the fighting method of the working class: the strike. Palestinian people do not give in to their historical fight against the Zionist State of Israel. 2018 started with demonstrations in Tunisia, cradle of the revolutions that were initiated in 2011, in Northern Africa and the Middle East.
In this situation, the crisis and absence of a revolutionary leadership is still the biggest problem for the working and popular classes. The mass mobilisations are betrayed by the political neo-reformist leaders that make a pact with the bourgeoisie and their plans. One of the clearest examples is Syriza in Greece that, under the label of “anti-capitalismâ€, reached power to betray and negotiate with the IMF and the multinationals. That same path is Podemos in the Spanish State taking. In the same way, the “progressive†projects in Latin America failed, with the class conciliation governments of Chavism-Maduro, Lula-PT, Kirchnerist Peronism or Evo Morales.
The social downfall in Venezuela has revealed the hypocrisy of the “Socialism of the 21st Centuryâ€, proclaimed by Hugo Chavez. It has been demonstrated again, that there will be neither progress nor socialism for working people if these governments negotiate with multinationals, capitalists and the financial sector. We must break with these capitalist structures.
We witness the tragic isolation of the Syrian revolutionary process initiated in 2011. The great majority of the world left turned their backs to them, defending, in fact, the butcher Bashar al Assad. They even regard as “progressive†the reactionary support of Putin or the Iranian theocratic regime. We support the uprising and revolutionary processes that have convulsed Northern Africa and the Middle East. We witness the permanent betrayal of the union bureaucracies, tied to those political bourgeois and reformist apparatuses.
In front of this, there are thousands and thousands of worker and popular fighters in the world, looking for a leadership alternative. We, the revolutionary socialists in the IWU-FI, believe that the way out to the capitalist exploitation is still the fight to bring workers governments to power and a socialist society. We still believe in the old slogan of the First International: “The emancipation of the working classes must be conquered by the working classes themselvesâ€. For that, it is necessary to build revolutionary parties.
As the example was handed down to us by the glorious Russian Revolution in 1917. We know there are left organisations that have capitulated to the system and have abandoned those ideas. We also know there are militants and organisations in the world that vindicate the relentless fight for the power of the workers and the socialist revolution. We address to them.
All of us who constitute the IWU-FI are convinced that the solution to the leadership crisis will not come from a unique organisation. We reject any form of self-proclamation. For this reason, we look for minimum revolutionary agreements that can draw us closer and join with currents, groups and revolutionary sectors from different experiences and traditions. It is indispensable the building of a revolutionary international that can contribute to solving the leadership crisis, in this complex and rich world situation.
In this sense, we are open to explore any kind of political exchange and conduct a common intervention in the class struggle towards a regrouping of revolutionary socialist forces based on a minimum revolutionary programme that we submit for consideration. To start a process of debates and experiences in the class struggle, as it will be the way to verify agreements and disagreements.
Proposal of a minimum revolutionary programme
Support to struggles against capitalist austerity plans! Support to all workers, peasants, native, students and popular struggles against imperialism and its governments. Against massive layoffs, wages and pensions cuts. In defence of education and health public services against privatisations and cuts. The crisis must be paid by the capitalists. No to the payment of the debt. Expropriation of the multinationals, the banks and the strategic companies.
No to imperialist aggression in the world! Â We support the struggles of all the peoples in the Middle East and Northern Africa against dictatorships. A special Solidarity to the struggle of the Palestinian people against the Zionist State of Israel!
For the peoples’ rights to self-determination (Catalan, Kurds, Saharawis and others)
Against criminalisation of the protest, for union independence from governments and the state. Down with union bureaucracy! For new anti-bureaucratic union leaders and for workers’ democracy!
All the support to women’s struggles around the world!
We fight for the political emancipation of the working class; no to the support to bourgeois governments. For workers’ governments with complete popular and workers’ democracy. To move forward to Socialism.
For a revolutionary International and for revolutionary parties in each country.
International Executive Committee of the International Workers’ Unity-Fourth International (IWU-FI), March 2018.Â
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