Which Is Better Celeteque Or Cetaphil

Always living on the edge

Portugal's economic crisis, not surprisingly, it has a long history that is closely linked with the history of the country. And it has probably a great future.

Published in: Jungle World, 7.10. 2010
http://jungle-world.com/artikel/2010/40/41810.html

The history of economic development of Portugal can be described as the history of peripheralization. Portugal Europe's remoteness and its concentration on the colonial expansion in South America, Africa and South Asia, while defining the great rivals Spain led to a substantial decoupling of the country from European developments. The demise of the colonial empire, which took place slowly over centuries and in a similar way, Spain will become a land of semi-periphery the capitalist world system, made in Portugal brought an economic dependency on the British Empire, which is also in the 20th Century changed only gradually.

also Salazar contributed to its preservation of the agricultural elites, the power of the Catholic Church and the colonial exploitation regime will help to prevent both economic and political development of the country, while political and military elite tried, against all opposition and anti-colonial movements the remaining power of Portugal in its colonies of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau to hold and Cape Verde. Even Goa, which was already occupied in 1961 by Indian troops, was on Portuguese maps yet still drawn to the Revolution as a colony.

The Carnation Revolution in 1974, a survey initially left the military, were united in the movement of the armed forces, was the starting point for a variety of social demands and movements, which recorded the country. The most famous claim, "A terra a quem trabalha a" (The land to those who work there), was reflected in land occupation and expropriation of the landlords and the establishment of cooperatives down. For a short time, the establishment of a socialist society seemed possible. Communist organizations, especially the underground active and as among the rural workers of the Alentejo strongly anchored PCP, initially had great popularity and influence. With the end of the colonial wars in Angola and Mozambique, which gained with the Portuguese revolution finally its independence, was then completed in Portugal, the chapter of colonialism.

But even with the elections of April 1975 began a counter-revolutionary trend: The Left lost votes and seats to the Social Democratic and conservative parties, the unions were split into two groups, the more communist CGTP-Intersindical and more social-democratic UGT. Among other things, also had the efforts of the German Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the social democratic social democratic and legal organizations supported financially, a not inconsiderable part in it, to strengthen political forces which participated actively in the stalling of the revolution. In the following years through amendments to the Constitution of 1974 abolished many achievements, in 1975, socialized enterprises were re-privatized. Although it was still anchored to 1988, socialism as a national objective in the Portuguese Constitution, but soon was no more than this rhetoric from the rubble of a socialist revolution was built in Portugal, a bourgeois democracy.

The Revolution of 1974 was also the beginning of a comprehensive social Modernization, which manifested itself first in the abolition of misogynist laws. But the economic structure began to change. Portugal, until then mainly an agricultural country, developed an approach favored by foreign direct investment from Germany, France and Great Britain, industrialization, which, however, took place mainly in the north of the country. Agriculture, which was still in the seventies, the most important sector accounts, today only five percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 15 percent of the workforce.

Since EU accession of Portugal and the associated opening of cheaper agricultural imports many farms have given up much of the food consumed in the country is now imported. It first appeared above all the accession to the EU in 1986 and the introduction of the euro, the industrialization of the country to encourage foreign investments and bestowed by above-average growth rates. However, it was at the newly established industrial companies often are those that make their choice of location depends primarily on the available supply of cheap and unskilled labor. In this case, are making that most labor-intensive manufacturing, with which only a small value can be achieved, or manufacture goods, already a more advanced stage of their product cycle have been reached. Their production will be relocated within the international division of labor and for reasons of rationalization and cost reduction in the core areas of industrial production in the EU in the less developed peripheral areas like Portugal.

is designed primarily as the land of cheap labor. In a statutory minimum wage of 475 € is the Portuguese gross average income today is around 1100 € gross. And despite growth rates above the EU average, Portugal, which refers to the average standard of living of the population, along with Greece one of the poorest countries in the euro zone remained. Felt itself does not make this about in the unemployment rate, which lies about ten percent in the EU average, but rather in the large informal sector, a significant proportion of the unemployed and immigrants from the countryside to the cities on the basis of low wages and insecure employment fields.

Since about the turn of the millennium, the economy of Portugal because of the increasing globalization and increasing international competition under pressure. Since then, include the earlier growth rates that have been achieved by the settlement of labor-intensive industries of European companies in the past. While the industrialization of certain sectors and regions have remained limited, has grown significantly, especially the service sector in the past 20 years, due not only to tourism. Services are now responsible for two thirds of gross domestic product.

Foreign trade is conducted at about 80 percent with the EU countries. The great majority of Portuguese exports go to Spain, France, Germany and Great Britain. Exports are mainly clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork, pulp and paper. Imports are machinery, transport equipment, oil and oil products and agricultural products. While Portugal has a huge trade deficit. For the Portuguese industry, the pulp of one of the most important export goods to be planted large areas with fast-growing eucalyptus as raw material, agricultural economic monoculture are the result. This is problematic not only for economic but also for ecological reasons, because eucalyptus depletes the soil, the original forest displaced and promotes the regular outbreak of catastrophic forest fires in summer.

As a direct result of the international economic crisis in 2009 and exports both fell by nearly 20 percent. With her savings program that was adopted this summer, the government has a large-scale attack on the public sector and its employees started at the same time is increased with the increase in VAT, the social pressure on the poorer population further.

Unions have documented with first strike their will to resist, but these have been very limited and operational, such as Francisco Louca, coordinator of the Bloco de Esquerda (BE) and an economics professor at the Technical University of Lisbon, recently admitted in an interview. "Low wages and the fear of the crisis lead to a defensive reaction, as far as work stoppages. But of course, is preparing for a global response "On the agenda, he continued.

There is dissatisfaction, further attacks on living standards of the population could lead to protests. Already the elections last year led to a strengthening of the political left - about 20 percent of voters were almost equally between the two main formations of the Left, the electoral alliance of the Communist Party and the Greens as well as the area formed by Trotskyists and independent left Left Block ( BE), where their voice.

A much more fundamental problem than the national debt, however, is the productive base of economic development. Portugal In recent decades, in the classical manner a dependent capitalist development through a region of the mid-periphery of the European center in the world system and aligned under an imperial division of labor in the production of its economy to European markets at lower wages. Because of European integration and the integration into the capitalist from the centers of Germany, France and Great Britain dominated the development of a major European economic area, it can hardly compete with cheaper imports, and it also stands as a low wage country in competition with Eastern European locations. Such a fragile and dependent economy is to fluctuations of the world market subject in particular.

Sun complain because even now bourgeois economists about the lack of competitiveness of the country. The translates into a foreign trade deficit, which in 2009 stood at over ten percent of economic output. In the past, Portugal's economy was in particularly low-wage sectors such as textile production strong. But globalization and the eastern enlargement of the European Union have challenged this economic model, the Portuguese wages but still higher than the Czech, Romanian or Chinese wages. In the logic of competition for the best investment environment for capital and the lowest wages may lose the Portuguese workers and workers only, but also in the logic of an independent capitalist development, the dependency of Portugal from the economic and political centers of the EU is a problem for which itself is no long-term solution in sight.

Nuruses,digital Playground Streaming

Bangladesh, the strike of textile workers

The announced increase in the minimum wage is not enough to live

Published in Socialist newspaper (SCO), October 2010

In recent years, discovered a number of international textile companies of Bangladesh as a low-wage country, since the textile workers in China and other South and East Asian countries have achieved successful wage struggles in significant pay increases. Then they sat down this summer in Bangladesh for the military.

This summer it was in the textile industry in Bangladesh violent conflicts. In an unprecedented mass coveted the textile workers strike against low wages and exorbitant price increases, and shook the country that is recognized for some time of internal unrest. Start of the strike action was a massive general strike in mid-July in the garment industry, the capital of Dhaka completely paralyzed.

immediate reason was price increases for staple foods and other daily needs. Given the pitiful wages that were not raised since 2006 (and this increase was made only after a strike), the survival of women workers and workers was hardly yet saved. The average wage of a textile worker was at the beginning of the strikes of 1887 taka per month, slightly more than 21 €, and most economists expect that at least 8,000 taka for their survival needs.

Although the police, the strikers massive attack, the strike ended by force and forced the workers back to work, was the signal that emanated from the general strike, strong enough to cause the ruling Awami League, the end of July, a higher Minimum wage in the textile industry of 3000 Taka (about 34 €) per month to advertise.

This meant that the government remains well below the demand of the strikers and their unions of 5,000 taka per month and well below a salary from which the workers could earn their daily living. The workers so continued their actions. They went on strike, building barricades and road blocks, set fire to cars and demonstrated, though there have been serious clashes with the police.

representing expected, the media fully the position of the government and the textile manufacturer and denounced the workers as "rioters." About the violent excesses of the police, they reported only in passing. The cynical attitude of the textile manufacturers, who called for a postponement of the announcement by the wage increase by four months - and these were approved - and even threatened with a shift of their production to other countries, was discussed in public opinion hardly.

factory closures

The textile factory closed 250 factories and demanded the assistance of the police powers to prevent occupation of the factories and put down the strike. In the ensuing clashes, the police went to great hardship against the strikers in front. Here more than 100 workers were injured, the police violence directed against children and young people.

declared the same time, the two major business organizations, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufactures and Exporters Association (BKMEA), they would agree to a month in any case wage increases above the guaranteed by the Government of 3000 Taka addition, and it is the responsibility of the government, peace, order and discipline had to be restored.

finally accepted in August 42 of a total of 60 trade unions of textile workers by the government announced pay increases. Including, mainly pro-government and moderate trade unions, but so far as radical and syndicalist current National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) were. Some more radical labor organizations opposed the modest concession from continued and continued their protests continued until the end of August, despite the increased repression and the division caused by the tactics of the government weakened the movement.

arrests

During the clashes were taken more than 4,000 workers and workers in police custody. After the police had tried using pictures to identify the "ringleaders" more were arrested. We took the opportunity to also order a hard line against leading activists of trade unions and the Bengal Left tackle, several cadres of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and connected to the CPB Garment Trade Union Center (GTUC) were among the arrested, members of the Socialist Party and the Bangladesh conducted by that Garments Sramik Sangram Parishad (GSSP) were victims of house searches and police investigations. The Interior Ministry sent out to the workers the "Rapid Action Battalion," an elite unit that is commonly used against organized crime, terrorist groups and guerrilla movements.

The crackdown led to protest demonstrations in which participated alongside the textile workers' unions and the wider Bengali left strong. On August 14, occupied about 4,000 workers for four hours, the highway between Dhaka and Sylhet, until they were finally driven out by the security forces.

included the minimum demands of the protesters instead of the introduction of the announcement by the minimum wage in August from November, the 8-hour day (instead of the current 11-hour day), the immediate end to arrests and violent measures of the state, the withdrawal of the thugs of the textile manufacturers and the release of the detained workers. Their Action was supported by a large human chain that was of laborers, teachers, artists and intellectuals organized in the central square Shahbagh in Dhaka.

The government however were unimpressed and the interior minister of Bangladesh, Sahara Khatun, announced to want to take action against all participants in illegal demonstrations and violent riots of the summer with all the force of the law.

dual strategy

Strikes and Demonstrations were established in Bangladesh textile companies hard under pressure. Their interest in violent repression of the strike was great, because had another two weeks the mobilizations of the workers no longer stood. The workers had over the actions factories directly attacked and destroyed several plants.

greater, however, were the losses of the business by the stoppage of production, they speak of the equivalent of 113 million U.S. dollars. Operators now face with the withdrawal of productive capacity in other countries, the government is trying to make peace before the unrest may develop into a conflagration.

Given the sharp deterioration in the economic situation and living conditions of the population in recent years, the pent-up resentment at any time discharged in violent protests. This leaves the government a dual strategy: on the one hand to grasp it with great severity radical trade unions and leftist organizations - whose activists are often ill-treated in police stations. At the same time it seeks to strengthen pro-government unions.

The 3.5 million people in the textile industry, mainly women, are organized in more than 60 unions. Most of these unions are illegal and must work under clandestine conditions. At the same time, the view of the state depends on the activities of NGOs in recent years with the support of trade unions and solidarity groups in Western countries were constructed. They are a source of financial support and information exchange and lead international campaigns to improve wages and working conditions of Bangladeshi workers.

the past five months, the state's NGO Affairs Bureau closed 334 NGOs. The government provides them with a supporting role in the militant protests and the organizing efforts of the more radical unions. Among other things, and the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity (BCWS) is closed, which has organized in recent years with British and U.S. unions important campaigns to the west public pressure on the large retail groups has played and exercise textile company, and a coordinating role in the recent strike.

The global textile groups

The textile industry is the most important industries in 1971 split off from Pakistan, Bangladesh. Its export share is 80%, with 3.5 million and it recorded the highest proportion of employees. The textile industry has a long tradition in Bengal, which goes back well into the pre-colonial period.

discovered in recent years, the global textile and clothing companies, always looking for new low-wage countries, Bangladesh as a production site, it has, in countries such as China, the Philippines and Indonesia were more exposed to trade union resistance to extremely low wages and poor working conditions. Have long since retail giants like Wal-Mart, but Lidl and KiK in Bangladesh produce by resident companies on its own without the need for the working conditions of Bangladeshi garment workers in the widespread attention in North America and Europe play a role. Pierced

this wall of silence and indifference was in August when the news of street battles between police and strikers also went by the media and a report in an ARD magazine revealed the murderous conditions let under which KiK and other Western companies produce there. Although there had also been similar reports in recent years, the company was headed by KiK, part of the Tengelmann group, only now through the startled public correctly under pressure.

As the economy of Bangladesh strongly dependent on the textile industry and its global market position, has yet each of the last few years by the government in power contending political parties - both the ruling populist Awami League, as well as the opposition conservative National Party - high energy it used to protect the conditions of exploitation in the textile industry.

The only option for the textile workers and their unions, therefore, is through direct action, strikes and protests paralyze public life. The production power of the workers in the textile industry itself is small, only by extending the combat terrain and a wide solidarity from other sectors of the working class they are successes possible. It is important for this exercise, the international pressure, the unions and campaign groups in Western countries to retailers and textile companies.

Against the backdrop of increased repression and the attempt by the state to cut this particular bond of solidarity that requires the development of class struggle and political events in Bangladesh increased attention.