International News International News International News Danish dockers fight cut in benefits

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6000 workers marched for a picket's funeral ed from Copenhagen to 6,000 people attended -North Jutland. About with around 300 flags from TATTHI Daily Urry We interviewed Kjartan Gudmundsso, a member óf. one of the strike committees running Denmark's current docks strike, on last Thursday, 5 January, At that stage, the docks strike had been running for 3 weeks.

• The strike is about the government's decision to cut unemployment benefit money from 335 Kroners (about £25) to 226 Kroners (£17). This won't just affect dock workers who work short time. It also affects another 200,000 workers in Denmark.

There are about 300,000 dockers in Denmark, but the new law will affect everyone who has not a full 40 hour week.

•The fight has been bitter. Just before the New Year, a picket was killed at a port in North Jutland, when he was run over by a scab truck.

•There was a picket, and a ship was being unloaded by seamen from the ship, under police protection. A ship's officer signalled for a truck to break the picket line. The picketers jumped in front and one was crushed underneath.

"The dead worker's funeral was a very big demonstration. There were special aeropianes charterbe Daily different workers' clubs and unions. In some

socialist Fight (Australia) in Copenhagen

parts of the country, work was stopped for an hour, in respect.

"We're getting a lot of support, from over Denmark - from unions, workers' parties and indivThe Swedish dock also send us money.

'British dock unions are also willing to help us, if we ask them.

"Other support : has come from Spain - including from Tenerife, a very big container depot - and other Spanish harbours.

"In West Germany, there has been a go-slow on handling or unloading Danish goods.

"We've had no support from East European countries.

•'The strike is run from below. We have strike committees which were elected at the start of the strike. These meet every morning with all our members, who have the right to immediately recall any member of the strike committees.

'The committees run every aspect of the strike - including contacting workers in other countries. But every new or major decision is voted on at the morning meetings. And, at least every week, delegates from strike committees all over Denmark meet..

"Maybe the government will fall as a result of this strike. it is a coalition of four capitalist parties, with two other capitalist parties supporting them.

"Because it is made up of so many parties, it's very unstable. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

"If the new law is abolished for dock workers, but applies to other workers, we'll have to decide what to do. Maybe, if other unions decide to strike, then we'll continue also.

"We will organise a central meeting of all dock workers, in the middle of Denmark, such decision.

'We are going to win, because everyone on strike knows how important it is. Firstly, because we know that if we lose many of us will have to give up our homes and so on.

"Secondly, we're not fighting only for ourselves, but for all Danish workers. So we're not going to give up.

'If the Dockworkers Union was a horse in a race, I'd say: "Put your money on it, because it will be the winning horse!"

LAST week Brazi siged its

letter of intent to the DEF. and Zambia suspeaded payment of principal on It external debts.

In • both • countries the workers and peasants strad to bear the brunt of the debe Brazil's agreement includes cuts in price sabsid ies on basic goods devalua dion of the carrency (strict means higher prices of ma. ports). and drastic cuts in state sector investment - 23 well as a reduction in the tax on profits sent back home by foreign companies.

Measures to bring wages down are also planned, but details have not yet been announced.

In Zambia, the suspension of payments went together with a devaluation which is expected to pave the way for an agreement with the IMF. Zambia has already introduced a number of measures demanded by the IMF, including cuts in price subsidies and lifting of price controls.

The background to the crisis is different in the two countries, but both show how the workers and peasants of the weaker. poorer countries are suffering most of all from the world capitalist slump.

Brazil borrowed enormously in the '70s to finance rapid industrial expansion. Its manufacturing industry has grown, now accounting for over 40% of its exports But when growth faltered because of the world slump. the debts caught up with it Now the military dominated government is cutting back industry drastically in orde to reduce imports and improve the balance of pay. ments.

In Zambia, far from rapid growth, there has been according to one estimate a halving of the real gros domestic product per head since 1965.

The economy, seriousty damaged during the period of UDI in neighbouring Zimbabwe, has been further devastated over the last yea by a sharp fall in world prices of copper and cobalt on which it relies for 98% of its export earnings.

But whatever the cost the banks will still get thei profits...

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