LETTER FROM BRAZIL

XI International Congress of the Trade Union International of Public and Allied Employees

Letter from Brazil

The XI International Congress of the Trade Union International of Public and Allied Employees – TUI-Public Service, held in Brasilia at the Educational Training Centre of the National Confederation of Industry Workers, which counted with the presence of 160 delegates from more than 30 countries, highlights a historical moment since it was the first time an event of this nature were set in Brazil.

In exactly 20 years ago, the representatives of the global financial system gathered in Washington decided, in response to the crisis that hit the socialist system, to establish the rules of the global economic order and to impose a “financial consensus” to nations and people worldwide, especially to emerging and underdeveloped countries.

These rules were marked by the imposition of social and economic deregulation, privatisation of companies and public services, opening the market to products and services provided by transnational companies, the adoption of high tax policy, floating rate and primary surplus in order to encourage the production and reproduction of financial capital valuing mostly the market and disregarding social interest.

These measures adopted widely since the 90’s, especially by countries whose governments were politically and ideologically linked to the North American Empire, were responsible for the mass unemployment and the dissemination of hunger and misery; for the criminal destruction of national natural resources; for the unprecedented concentration of income and wealth on the hands of few; for the destruction of great part of the national industry and national economy, and the mediocre growth of these economies; for the remittance of high pay offs obtained by exploratory action taken by the major international monopolies for its head offices; and also for the sterilization of billions and billions of dollars on financial speculation which were totally put aside of the real economy.

Those times announced the end of the social system of production and the triumph of monopoly capitalism and market.

However, twelve years were enough for the world to see the collapse of this system based on market dictatorship and destruction of the national state and the public services.

This crisis the world is going through is the most severe of all times and busted in the heart of capitalism tearing apart all neoliberal principles. With the collapse of the north-American financial system, the bankers were obliged to rely once again on the State.

The public services and, consequently, the public employees from all sectors, were the most harmed by the neoliberal politics since they resulted in mass unemployment, low work conditions and also lead to an extensively disseminated outsourcing policy.

Nevertheless, as of lately we are living a new moment. Many countries from all continents, in face of the collapse of the Washington Consensus, trough great popular mobilization and revolutionary activities were able to get rid of puppeteer imperialist governments, opening up to new possibilities struggling to retake economic and social development and achieve income equality in these countries. In every country, the role of the State is of main importance to permit the democratic exchange and discussion between institutions aiming to ensure basic services to the population. Thus, in this current crisis, it is the “invisible hand” of the State that is preventing the system from falling apart.

The crisis put public employees in front of a challenge and a possibility. The challenge is to resist the monopoly policy imposed worldwide trough pressure and threats to reduce wages and subtract rights, under the pretext of safeguarding jobs. The International Organization forecast charts estimates that, ever since the crisis started, at least 20 million workers have already lost their jobs, and other 30 million are on the verge of losing theirs as well until the end of 2009.The possibility is to resist these pressures, overcome these policies and retake the part of the National State as a vital instrument on the income distribution, and guarantee to all better living conditions and full access to public services of quality, including education, security and entertainment.

Secure the role of State to ensure social justice. That is the word of order as it also means to recognise the importance of the role of the public employees, without whom these policies are not capable of attending the people in its real and increasing needs and demands. It means, at last, to value public employees whose organizations must fight in all countries for better wages and working conditions, for the right to unionise and to go on strike, for collective negotiation to recover the rights that were ripped off from them by the criminal hands of neoliberal governments.

This is the compromise that TUI-Public Services assumed on its XI Congress that took place in Brazil, in Latin America, continent which meets great neoliberal policies resistance, where people victoriously struggle against them in electing, by democratic and popular vote, their national governments. However, the advances to rescue the role of the State and defeat monopoly politics will only succeed and only be effective if it counts with the increasing and irreplaceable workers unity and mobilization, in which public employees plays a strategic part.

Therefore, we present to every public employees around the world this great task: the State must be at people service and work for the national interest and not at the service of the greedy and selfish great monopoly.

The crisis opened a historical possibility to introduce throughout the world a new economic world order, based on nation progress, social justice and international solidarity.

Public employees, united we win!


Brasilia (DF-Brazil), June 28 and 29, 2009