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1st of May 2001 International Workers Day Message from the Executive Committee of the Marxist Workers
School
Comrades, today we celebrate the 1st of May. The International Workers Day is celebrated worldwide. It is the day to remember men and women of the revolutionary working class, who have sacrificed their lives in the struggle against capitalism, to end exploitation, oppression and poverty.
Their struggle lives on in the hearts and minds of millions of working class people in the world and is continuing in the day-to-day struggle of our people.
60 million young people world wide between 15 and 24 years of age are struggling world wide to find work. In South Africa this year we have about 350 000 young people leaving school and looking for jobs, the majority will be seeking without any success. Youth unemployment is expected to rise to 60%, even up to 70% in the near future. It is one of the biggest crises our country is facing. The Bosses are pressing for privatisation of our state assets and to reduce government's responsibility for our people. Therefore we say: Unemployment, poverty and exploitation can never be solved under capitalism! South Africa needs a socialist education and health system under the control of the working class!
The contradictions between the two main classes in our society, the bourgeoisie and the working class, are sharpening by the day. South Africa is - next to Brazil - second in the whole world of having the biggest gap between rich and poor. It is time that our working class organizations, our workers in the streets, at demonstrations and at strikes raise the property question in all areas of our struggle.
International pharmaceutical companies have been exposed that they don't care about people dying of Aids without having access to medication. Under capitalism profits are put above human life. We need a health service in South Africa, which is based on the same principles and human value system as the people experience in Cuba. We will only be able to achieve such basic human conditions through the mass mobilisation of the working class in our country. The working class and its organisations have to lead the struggle in the transition! The working class and its organisations have to lead the country into a socialist future!
Comrades, to on the 1st of May we extend our solidarity to our brothers and sisters around the world: - to the Palestinian People and their just struggle for national liberation and for their own state with Jerusalem as their capital. - to the Columbian People under the leadership of FALK who have liberated more than half of their country. Their struggle is the pride and hope of millions of oppressed people in Latin America. - to the People in Cuba under the leadership of the great Revolutionary Fidel Castro and the Communist Party of Cuba, who successfully withstood 40 years of barbaric blockade and military intimidation by US Imperialism. - To the People of the Democratic Republic of Congo who are defending their country against the military invasion of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. The invasion is organised and financed by the former Belgium colonial master and US Imperialism.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the other Socialist countries in Europe (end of the 80's beginning of the 90's) we have seen a growing aggressiveness of Imperialism. The barbaric bombardment of Iraq and the destruction of the former Yugoslavia including the cruel and ruthless bombardment of Serbia. The latest developments are signs of worse things to come. Only a strong and principled alliance of all anti-imperialist forces can defeat imperialism.
The struggle of workers in every country and the struggle of the oppressed people are also our struggles! Long live Proletarian Internationalism!
Down with Imperialism! Forward to Socialism!
Contact Telephone of the Marxist Workers School
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