Vol. 72/No. 41      October 20, 2008

One consequence of this crisis and rising unemployment is deepening competition among individual workers, which is inherent under capitalism. That’s why we need solidarity among our class today.

When workers complain about speedup on the job, unsafe working conditions, and declining wages, the bosses openly say: “If you don’t like it, there’s a thousand people waiting to take your job.”

This division between employed and unemployed is the biggest division working people face. To combat it we need to demand: Cut the workweek with no cut in pay to spread around the available work. In addition, millions should be put to work on a massive public works program at union-scale wages.

There are other ways the bosses seek to divide us. Last hired, first fired has been the reality for workers who are Black in the United States.

That’s why affirmative action is a class and union question. By fighting for affirmative action both in hiring and in any layoffs, we can strengthen the unions and block the capitalists from forcing the brunt of layoffs onto Blacks, Latinos, and other oppressed nationalities on the job.

The U.S. government will try to scapegoat immigrant workers for the economic crisis. We need to stand together and demand an immediate end to immigration raids and deportations. Legalize immigrants now!

Unemployment in much of Africa, Asia, and Latin America is even higher than in the United States. We need to reach out to workers the world over. We can start by demanding: Cancel the foreign debt, which accelerates the plunder of the semicolonial world.

The capitalists want us to believe that our future is tied to saving capitalism. But our future is tied to fighting to unite working people internationally to take power out of the hands of the ruling rich.
 
 
Related articles:
World financial crisis rocks European banks
Highest U.S. monthly job loss in 5 years  
 
 
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