TUI-PS&A Statement on 1st of September - Action Day of Trade Unions for Peace



The Trade Union International Public Services and Allied [TUI-PS&A] joins millions of workers around the world to participate in the WFTU call of “DAY OF ACTION FOR PEACE” taking place on this 1st of September.

 September 01, 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland from its western border and the subsequent declaration of war against Germany by the then apex imperial powers, France and Britain, two days later marked the beginning of World War Two (WW2), the second imperialist war. This war was as much about imperialist jealousies and greed as it was about the control of imperialist colonies and the wealth that could be generated from the control of such colonies and other territories. The defeat of Germany after World War One (WW1) did not result in universal peace and prosperity for humanity but instead gave rise to Nazism and Fascism that were to form the axis of evil posing an even greater threat to humanity in WW2 than the evil of colonialism and imperialism posed by dominant capitalist imperial powers such as Britain, France and the United States of America (US).

Millions of workers from different countries and colonial subjects from the colonies of the warring imperialist factions were mobilised and used as cannon fodder, “soldiers”, to determine the outcome of the squabble among the imperialist powers. Millions of innocent people lost their lives as a result of the imperialist greed for control of territories, extraction of wealth from weaker countries and the enslavement of the colonised. The fact that even after the defeat of the Nazis and Fascist in WW2 workers still had to fight for their rights and livelihoods while national liberation movements in imperialist colonies of the victorious capitalist centres had to engage in anti-imperialist liberation struggles for their independence and freedom demonstrate that it was not only Nazism and Fascism that were responsible for human misery and oppression, the root cause stemmed from the inhuman system of capitalism and imperialism.

Since the collapse of the Soviet bloc that brought a balance to geopolitics and played the role of tempering the excesses of the USA and its European underlings in the NATO camp, the US led camp has increasingly become a law unto itself placing itself above multilateral institutions such as the UN and the WTO among others. This new dispensation manifest in the continuous expansion of NATO to “contain” perceived US rivals, illegal trade wars meant to stunt the technological development of US competitors in the global market and regime change wars and sponsor of terrorism against countries perceived to be “threatening” US interests. All these provocations and violations of the US led  imperialist camp  are being done in the name of upholding “international law”, “human rights” and “universal values” while those countries at the receiving end of such hypocrisy and injustice are labelled “autocracies” and “Human rights violators” in a vain attempt to conceals the US-led West’s destructive role.

The transgressions of the NATO camp at present have brought many tensions in the world, undermined the statehood of countries such as Afghanistan, Libya, Syria etc. through destabilising wars. The tensions in Asia and the war in Ukraine all stem from US expansionist policies and strategy of “containment” aimed at achieving a unipolar world order under the leadership of the US-led western camp at the expense of the sovereignty of countries outside of this camp that believe in a multipolar world order and respect the multilateral institutions set up to prevent wars and conflicts. All this evils have a direct impact on the quality of life of workers and the working class as they bring death, raise the cost of living, destroy infrastructure needed for jobs and lowers the standard of living for the working class while the wealthy elite remain insulated.

As the TUI-PS&A, we call on all our affiliates and their members to heed the call of WFTU for an “Action Day of Trade Unions for Peace” on September 01, 2022. Capitalist greed and imperialist competition is the source of the major conflicts and wars that define the epoch humanity is living through, to ensure world peace, the working class and its organisations must intensify the struggle to destroy capitalism and imperialism and bring about a more humane system that respects human life and values universal peace for all. Peace is not only the absence of war, it is a just world order in which all the people thrive and prosper in a world free of oppression, discrimination and exploitation by one country over another or by one men over another.

 

No More Workers’ Blood for Monopoly Competition!!!

Stop the Illegal Imperialist Embargoes and Sanctions!!!

Dissolve NATO and Dismantle All Nuclear Weapons!!!

We Fight for Peace of the People!!!

 

Issued by Zola Saphetha General Secretary TUI-PS&A

 For media enquiries: Clever Banganayi (Information & Publicity officer +27721426625), clever@nehawu.org.za