World :
Hands off to the Communists and the Working Class
Venezuela
In Venezuela for the past few months there are demonstrations and protests against the neo liberal policies and criminalisation of trade unions by the PSUV Government . In the Capital city of Venezuela , Caracas , protest call was given by the trade union platforms . Mainly the protests were aimed at the instructions given by the National Budget Agency ( ONAPRE ) of the Finance Ministry to cut down on salaries across many public sector organizations . The workers were outraged and came to streets to protest for the repeal of the anti worker instructions in the ONAPRE .
Public sector pensioners , teachers , nurses , university workers , waste management company workers were some of the strong presence at the Protest sites . The Govt . in the name of confronting the US sanctions started taking all liberal measures to improve the country ’ s economy which included tax breaks , Lifting of Forex controls and allowing the private sector participation in the state owned corporations . These are proimperialist and anti people measures being taken by the PSUV government . By implementing the ONAPRE instructions there would be 40-70 % cuts to the actual wages . The workers are completely against it as it seriously affects their day to day life . The health care workers unions are protesting that the government is not providing access to health care for the citizens and the health staff . Even a number of private sector unions also joined the protests which were facing the similar issues by the introduction of ONEPRE directives .
On July 21 st , a massive protest in Caracas by the unitary trade union platform demanding the repeal of the ONEPRE instructions took place . The
August - 2022 government tried to violate the democratic rights of the workers to protest by threatening and physically attacking several workers and the comrades of the CC of Communist party of Venezuela PCV by the state police . After the protest when the PCV comrades were returning many comrades were attacked brutally outside their party office and Com . Angel Castillo , coordinator of the health care workers collective and PCV member was taken hostage by the police . She was released the next day after a mounting pressure and solidarity from the workers and the international community .
These acts are aimed for harassment , intimidation and repression on the workers and the Communists . In the name of antiimperialism the Govt . is actually exercising repression on workers and the people ’ s movements that are rising in the country against the proimperialist and anti worker policies of the Government .
Italy
Italy has many multi-national companies which are dependent on logistics like Amazon , Fedex etc . There are many migrant workers working under brutal exploitation and with systemic violation of human rights . Trade unions have been organizing protests against the exploitation and protection of their jobs . On July 19 th , in the city of Piacenza , Italy , 8 trade union leaders were house arrested by the order of the Piacenza prosecutor ’ s office accusing them of organising strikes in the logistics sector which caters to majority of migrant workers . Many trade unions , Si cobas , USB along with other unions who were organizing struggles against the brutally exploitative conditions in the sector have come together and denouncing the house arrests and demanding the immediate release of the unionists .
In April the police raided the USB union office in search of weapons . This came after the workers protested against the transport of the war amputation and arms from Italian ports and air strips for the imperialist wars . There is a 350 page indictment by the police on the trade unionists of Si cobas and USB trade unions . The charges are associated with protests from 2014 to 2021 by the workers demanding their just rights . The major attack by the state is against growing grass root trade union activity which is a threat to the State and the Imperialists . Many demonstrations were organised in many countries in solidarity to the trade unionists . Communist parties of other countries have also extended their solidarity to the unionists and workers of Italy and Communist party of Greece ( KKE ) has filed a complaint in the European commission against the criminalisation of the trade unions in Italy .
CPI ( ML ) condemns the antipeople policies of the Venezuela Government and repression on the communists and the workers . We stand in solidarity with the Communist Party of Venezuela and the working class of Venezuela who are fighting against the pro-imperialist and anti people policies of the Government which is surrendering the wealth ( mainly Oil ) of the country to the Imperialists . We condemn the attack on trade unionists and stand in solidarity with working class of Italy and progressive platforms participating strongly in the protests undeterred by the repression of the Govt demanding the immediate release of the unionists and fighting against the brutal exploitation and for their just rights . �
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