May
Sister Cities
May Day Marchers Demand Minimum Wage Increase & Say no Privatization Law
US Unions Join May Day March in El Salvador to Reject US Privatization Push
www.Cispes.org
SAN SALVADOR – An estimated 80,000 Salvadorans representing a wide array of labor organizations, university students, women’s organizations and anti-mining activists, among others, as well as the leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) political party, took to the streets Wednesday for the largest May 1st march since the election of President Funes in 2009.
“We’re really happy to have had such a diverse and strong showing of the working class on May 1st,” said Vilma Vásquez, one of the leaders of the Salvadoran Union Front (Frente Sindical Salvadoreño, FSS). “It takes a lot of work to mobilize that many people but the working class and the popular movement in El Salvador have always carried out our struggle with love.”
A main theme of the march was opposition to a bill before the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly that could lead to the privatization of a broad array of economic sectors, including ports and airports, healthcare, education, and other government services. The Public-Private Partnership Law (Ley de Asocio Público Privado) was written with the assistance of the US Treasury Department under the framework of the US State Department’s Partnership for Growth initiative in El Salvador. The proposal, which creates lucrative incentives for large corporations to exploit the country’s resources, is widely recognized among Salvadoran social movements as a threat to wages and working conditions, as well as to the government’s ability to provide essential public services.
Fourteen members of a recent labor delegation led by the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) marched with fellow workers from the Salvadoran Union Front. “Privatization and subcontracting are damaging to people’s rights wherever they’re imposed,” said Socrates Bravo, who works at Sea-Tac International Airport in Seattle. “I have seen hundreds of fellow workers work in horrible conditions and have pay that barely covers the cost of living, while the airlines and companies are making billions of dollars in profit. Meanwhile, the state earns nothing.”
Social Organizations Ask to Protect and Improve the Rights of Workers
The Alameda Juan Pablo II Road was crowded with thousands of people from dozens of social organizations ready to speak out for the working class on this May Day.
The organizations present, whose mobilization filled the street between the Puerto Bus station all the way down to the City Hall of San Salvador, carried banners, t-shirts and posters with messages about labor rights and direct requests to the Salvadoran State. There were also demonstrations of support for the government of change, as well as support for the possibility of a 10% increase in the minimum wage, a proposed law currently under consideration.
Workers, youth, students and whole families were joined in the march by the presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the FMLN party, the Political Committee of the party, and FMLN legislators.To the leftist party, the date is part of its historical identity, according to the FMLN’s Deputy Minister of Communications, Roberto Lorenzana. “We feel compelled to participate every year. It is our commitment,” Lorenzana said.
Oscar Ortiz, mayor of Santa Tecla and Vice-Presidential candidate for the FMLN, said he accompanied the march, along with his running mate for president, Salvador Sanchez Ceren, current Vice-President, in order to reaffirm their commitment to improving labor rights and job opportunities for young people.“The country needs to unite to grow economically, to generate conditions to add value to the economy,” he said, adding that a government is needed “to continue the task of creating confidence, enthusiasm and hope to keep advancing. “
Workers from the programs Alba Foods and Alba Fertilizers also joined the march, walking alongside tractors waving flags of the socially oriented company.
Teachers also were present at the march and formed a large block. “The teachers in their struggle are also teaching” were among the slogans chanted by members and representatives of the teacher´s union, ANDES June 21.
Feminist organizations also joined the commemorative march and said that, in the case of women, the struggle for labor rights is often more complex, so women “cannot rest in the fight.”
Young students and workers joined various groups and organizations that participated in the march. “Labor Day is an opportunity to celebrate the unions and how they can achieve stability and better working conditions for workers’ said Abner Garcia, who marched with the Union of the Electricity Industry (SIES).
“No to Public Private Partnership Law”
One of the recurring themes of the demonstration was the negative attitude of marchers towards the proposed bill on Public-Private Partnerships. According to social justice organizations, this project will only benefit big business and “trample worker’s rights.”
Given this, Roberto Lorenzana of the FMLN said he supported this position since the the bill that has been presented in the Legislative Assembly does not guarantee a real benefit to the Salvadoran people.“The Public Private Partnerships, at their roots are joint ventures between private business and the state, and they exist in Cuba, in China, in Uruguay. But the model that is being proposed is a model of privatization and that the FMLN does support,” he said.
The FMLN Presidential Ticket Commemorates Labor Day
Starting early in the morning, the Plaza of the Americas, known as the Salvador del Mundo Square was filled with color: venfors setting up their food and juice stands, some youth sold hats and flags. In the center of the square, there was a stage set-up where bands invited people to join the celebration.It was here that the presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the FMLN came to speak.
Along Alameda Roosevelt Road, on every corner people under canopies gave out water to those marching by. There were also radio stations which reported the development of the march. The feminist organizations and organizations of wounded veterans joined the march with unions and social organizations, with the aim of reaching the Plaza Las Americas, where FMLN candidates spoke to the huge crowd.
At press time, neither the candidates nor all of the thousands of protesters had arrived at their destination at the Plaza Las Americas.
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