SIGTUR CONGRATULATES INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FEDERATION PRESIDENT

SIGTUR leaders in Western Australia organized a function to congratulate Paddy Crumlin,the National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) on his being elected President of the ITF. Crumlin argued that SIGTUR had inpired his vision of labour internationalism.

'We have to broaden our vision of labour internationalism. We have to develop an alternative perspective, a class perspective. The struggle is intense because the removal of the trade union movement is essential to the politics of the free market. There are powerful interests underpinning this politics and we have to confront this with an alternative vision, an alternative class strategy, based on the recognition of organizing within the global production networks, on the docks, the shipping, the road and the rail systems. this is the new fighting agenda - building our power, our capacity, based on these new patterns of organizing and solidarity'

These are the issues being engaged by the SIGTUR leadership when they meet shortly in Seoul. Global networks have to be strengthened; this web site, which has become a tool of struggle needs to be further developed. These systems will form the foundation of effective communication and action. We have to imagine an alternative to the zealous commitment of political parties to the tripple freedoms of trade, investment and finance, regardless of the degree to which these 'freedoms' destroy persons, communities and nature. These consequences are ignored by the powerful political and economic elites.

Paddy Crumlin, SIGTUR Johannesburg 1999 signing solidarity agreement between MUA Australia and TGWU South Africa