Dutch Workers Mobilize to Defend Health Benefits
From Klassenstrijd
(From the February 27 issue of the weekly paper of the Dutch section of the Fourth International.)
Klassenstrijd's correspondents report work stoppages, marches, and rallies throughout the country. On Friday, February 12, the Amsterdam and Rotterdam harbors were shut down after the lunch break. In Rotterdam, 20, 000 workers struck for a couple of hours. During the day, there were actions in forty plants. In the following days, work stoppages took place even as far south as Kerkrade.
Roermond, February 13... thousand people listened to a speech by Hans Postwinkel. He explained in detail the bad effects the cutbacks in health insurance would bring. For example, he pointed out that all payments not covered by the law would stop. We had already fought for and earned that right in the past. These plans in particular hit the most disadvantaged.
He went into the actions that were held against the wages law in 1980, criticizing the unions for calling off actions after the passage of antilabor laws.
"We do not wage any political struggles, only trade-union struggles. Standing up for trade-union rights is compatible with parliamentary democracy."
Once the laws are passed, then the fight shifts back to the individual factories.
Workers from Rank Xerox shouted: "Hands off our sick pay!" and "action! action!" In the discussion, among other things, a guarantee was demanded that the unions would carry the fight through to the end. A question was raised about how to reach people in factories where it is hard to get the workers aroused.
The speakers had no answer for that. There is a scenario for further actions. But that was not up for discussion.
Nijmegen, February 13. After small actions at Honig, Nijma, and later at Lenstein, about 400 people gathered in the demonstration in Arnhem. Here also, people spoke out against any calling off the actions as happened in 1980. A group of shop stewards from Arnhem proposed a week-long strike. But no discussion was possible at the rally.
Vlissingen. "While billions of florins are being slipped out of our country, our social benefits are being attacked to increase the profits of the bosses." Wil Waumans, district chairman of the FNV in Zeeland said that during the march of 2, 000 workers from
On February 12, the workers staged a two-hour work stoppage and marched through the Scheide area of Vlissingen. that in the FNV demonstration in Goes, Tiny Hofman and David de Leeuw from Scheide called for setting up an action committee.
The chairman tried to table that question for consideration of the full-time leadership, didn't work. It was decided on the spot to set up such a commitmade for ABVA-KABO to play more of a role in the actions. FNV demonstration, five hundred people decided to join "anybody" who went on strike.
Amsterdam, February 15. An assembly of union activists in Krasnapolski. The district team came in with the following
"We should go out to organize unlimited strike actions." The companies got notice of new contract negotiations for the
At the same time, they were informed that they would have to continue to pay sick benefits 100 percent, and that this was not negotiable.
The ultimatum runs out on March 5, and the first strikes could begin on March 8.
For the engineering industry, there is a discussion on March 3 in the ROM. If the response is negative, this ultimatum also runs out on March 5. Then strikes could begin in March 8 in factories such as Honig, Batco, Forbo Krommenie, Hertel, ADM NSM, Jonker du Croo Ficon, Stork, Tevema, and Groenpol.
On February 24, there is an assembly for union activists from sixteen factories. The discussion will focus on the following points: The need for setting up a district action leadership made up of shop stewards and the district leader-
This proposal was put forward previously in assemblies, at rallies, and in a letter to the district leadership. But such an action leadership still does not exist.
What is more, in various quarters the need was talked about for organizing a nationwide wenty-four hour strike, involving all the member unions of the FNV. Among others, the activists group at Fokker came out for such a strike.
Utrecht, February 13. About 400 people were present at a protest rally by the Utrecht FNV
The mood of those present was very militant. A lot of speakers argued for central actions. Along with this, there were demands for guarantees that the actions would not be called off the way they were in
There was also a lot of applause for the proposal that action committees be formed in each union and for the whole dis-
It did become clear that the extent of militancy was uneven. Chrit van Ewij of the ABVA/KABO argued that this was another argument for central actions. A proposal for setting a regional day of action was swept under the table by the chairman.
The Hague, February 12. A protest was held at the SER building. The result was disappointing. But groups of workers from a number of plants were present.
At the February 13 rally, an amendment to the resolutions was presented stating that a nationwide strike was needed to coincide with the debate in parliament. On the other hand, the mood was not very militant. A lot of people doubted that it was a good idea to get into a confrontation with the PvdA.
Rotterdam. Four hundred to five hundred union members came to the FNV demonstration at De Doelen. After a weak introduction by Herman Bode, the speakers came out of the crowd to raise the question of the concrete strategy for action. They spoke against delaying the confrontation until the contract negotiations, for hard actions before the parliamentary debate, for a twenty-four hour strike by the entire FNV, and against any calling off of the struggles as happened in 1980. They tried to sharpen up the FNV resolution in these respects, but the formulation that finally emerged was ambiguous.