850 miners working for OCP (a state-owned phosphate extraction company)
have been on strike since the beginning of September in the Khouribga
region. Their action comes after they were fired en masse for refusing to
accept new working conditions in the company.
OCP effectively intends to renege on its social benefit agreements
(permanent employment contracts, wages, social security system). These are
the same benefits that the miners fought tooth and nail for in the past,
often with great hardship. The ideas being reconsidered include the
generalization of temporary work, fixed term contracts and the cutting of
salaries in half.
This industrial action is supported in Morocco by numerous organisations
including AMDH (the Moroccan Human Rights Association) and the UMT trade
union.
As is often the case in the country, which shows that Mohamed VI’s Morocco
hasn’t changed very much from the years of Hassan II and the 80’s, the
only answer comes from the politics of the truncheon. The police forces
systematically attack every support gathering. Trade unions leaders from
the OCP are imprisoned and tortured while four of them will be put on
trial in November accused of attacks on “public order”.
CNT, as an organisation that promotes the class struggle and
internationalism, provides its full support to the OCP miners on strike.
CNT is also part of the International Miners’ Support Committee.
CNT demands:
The reinstatement of the 850 workers who have been made redundant by
force; - The respect of trade union rights in the OCP and its
subsidiaries; - The immediate release of the trade-unionists on trial.
In order to contribute to the success of the miners’ legitimate struggle
against the arrogance of the rich, CNT has been increasing the numbers of
its solidarity activities (posters, leaflets, etc.) in Nimes, Lyon,
Nantes, Marseille, Dijon, Nanterre, Orléans, Limoges, Brest and Grenoble
for the last two weeks.
Pictures of these activities can be seen on :
http://www.cnt-f.org/international/spip.php?article389
A bilingual leaflet (Arabic/French) has been produced and can be
downloaded from:
http://www.cnt-f.org/international/
Our OCP comrades do not stand alone ! CNT is the proof!.
If your organisation wants to participate in the solidarity campaign, your
Moroccan comrades will truly appreciate it. You can join the International
support committee. You can also organise gatherings in front of Moroccan
embassies or consulates. If you do so, tell us what you have decided, and
we will pass it on (support communiqués, pictures of your actions) to Ali
FKIR, the secretary of the support committee.