ALERT: Immediate calls needed to prevent firing of hun

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!