From: Joseph Catron (joseph@mutualaid.org)
Date: Tue Oct 08 2002 - 20:45:55 EDT
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: ALERT: Immediate calls needed to prevent firing of hundreds of
striking health care workers and doctors in El Salvador
From: "CISPES Nat'l Office" <cispes@cispes.org>
Date: Tue, October 8, 2002 6:41 pm
To: Recipient List Suppressed:;
CISPES ACTION ALERT
October 8, 2002
SALVADORAN GOVERNMENT USING PHONY "HEALTH EMERGENCY" TO BREAK
ANTI-PRIVATIZATION STRIKE--441 WORKERS THREATENED WITH IMMEDIATE FIRING
"EXTERMINATION COMMAND" DEATH SQUAD SURFACES;
THREATENS STRIKING DOCTORS -MORE REPRESSION FEARED
WORKERS RESPOND -- DEMONSTRATION PLANNED FOR OCTOBER 9
PRESSURE CALLS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY
Faced with a spreading strike against privatization, the Flores
government escalated the crisis by threatening 341 doctors and 10
members of the Health care union STISSS with firing if they do not
return to work by 11:00 AM tomorrow October 9. In response, the
Colegio Medico (national Salvadoran doctors professional association)
has called for a one-day strike of all hospitals in the San Salvador
area and a demonstration at the headquarters of the ISSS
(administration of the public health system).
Since STISSS began its strike on September 16, government attempts to
break it have failed and public support is growing. Together doctors
and workers have shut down 12 hospitals, and many sectors of the
public have denounced the government's privatization plan. Along with
the Colegio, influential figures in the church, including the
Archbishop of San Salvador have called on the government to
negotiate. ARENA's attempts to turn the public against the strike by
blaming the unions for lack of patient care have backfired as
well-their own human rights office stated publicly that health care was
the government's responsibility, not the strikers'. Finally, the
opposition FMLN dealt Flores' plan a severe blow by orchestrating a
bill in the Legislative Assembly that prohibited any further
"concessioning" (outsourcing or privatizing) of public services
without a vote by the Legislature. Flores faces two distasteful
alternatives: veto the bill and clearly flout the will of the
Assembly (with legislative elections scheduled for March 2003) or sign
it and see control of the process pass out of his hands.
However, today October 8, a Labor Court Judge declared the strike
illegal despite Constitutional guarantees of the right to strike in El
Salvador. He used a two-month-old state of emergency over Dengue fever
as the pretext. The Pan American Health Organization disputes the
existence of a true emergency in El Salvador but Flores has
refused to declare the emergency over. Instead, he has extended the
emergency in order to shore up his rapidly weakening position.
In addition to the firing threat, a new death squad, calling itself the
"Extermination Command" announced its existence publicly,
threatening over 30 striking doctors and health workers as well as
their families. In the past, death squads have carried out
repression that the government wished to distance itself from-but death
squad ties to the ARENA party and security forces are widely known.
Clearly, the health workers' struggle is growing and as a result,
ARENA's response is increasingly desperate. Violent repression is a
distinct possibility-- death squads have not voiced open threats
against unionists since the end of the war! In the 1980's, the
Salvadoran right attempted to drown popular organization in
blood-precisely because those organizations were so strong.
Thousands of North Americans responded then and we must do no less now.
As a result of our pressure, Andrea Rodriguez, the El Salvador Desk
Officer at the US State Department, is travelling to El Salvador next
week to investigate the situation. Let's keep the pressure on, and make
sure she knows what's really happening!
Hold the US and Salvadoran governments accountable!
Take Action:
Call Andrea Rodriguez, the El Salvador Desk Officer at the US State
Department, at (202) 647-3505, and demand that she convey the
following demands to President Flores!
… Don't fire any workers or doctors, and rehire all fired union
activists! … Do not allow state sponsored repression or death squad
attacks!
… Sign into law the legislative decree ending concession of public
services! … No privatization of health care, including the outsourcing
of services! … Negotiate in good faith with the STISSS union!
… Do not open official CAFTA negotiations!
Let her know that we will hold the US and Salvadoran governments
responsible for any acts of violence against the workers.
-- CISPES - Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador 130 W. 29th Street, 9th floor New York, NY 10001 212-465-8115 phone 212-465-8998 fax cispes@cispes.org www.cispes.org------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Sell a Home with Ease! http://us.click.yahoo.com/SrPZMC/kTmEAA/MVfIAA/BGfwlB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~->
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