Solidarity with the struggling workers in Bosnia-Herzegovina

The struggle of the workers and the entire working population in Bosnia-Herzegovina came to the fore in the media for a short time during the past days with pictures of street battles and burning government buildings. Their struggle is absolutely justified and the ICOR Europe declares its full solidarity with them:

• For months, hundreds of workers have demonstrated in front of the cantonal government in Tuzla against the destruction of 10,000 jobs, mainly in state-owned enterprises. Unemployment has already reached 44%; 58% of the youth are without jobs. The workers demand the payment of wages which have been due for months. One third of the population lives below the poverty line or scarcely above.
• In contrast to this, more than half of the state expenses are for 13 governance systems with altogether 160 ministries. The demonstrators took up a basic idea of the Paris Commune from 1871 and, among other things, demanded in a 5-point-program that politicians should get along with the average wage amounting to 420 €.
• In the meantime the workers' protests have also spread to Serbia. Different work forces demand the payment of due wages. Sections of motorways and railway lines have been blocked.
• The workers demand that the privatizations to corporations from the EU be taken back. Supposedly the EU brings prosperity for the population of all countries. But the dictate of the EU monopolies brings neocolonialist exploitation and oppression to the peoples in Southern and Eastern Europe.

On 6 February there were street battles and assaults on government buildings, when suddenly police attacked the demonstrators with clubs and teargas – leaving many injured. Mass protests in 30 cities with up to 600 000 participants have been the answer to this.

The ICOR – International Coordination of Revolutionary Parties and Organizations – stands for the joint cause of coordinating and revolutionizing class struggles internationally and of mutual support in revolutionary party building. We will use the European elections in May for taking up the joint struggle against the imperialist EU.  Crisis-ridden capitalism can and must be abolished and be replaced by a socialist society.

ICOR Europe calls on its member organizations and revolutionaries in Europe for  solidarity with the struggling workers in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Workers of all countries, unite!

Workers and oppressed peoples – unite!

Long live international workers' solidarity!

The coordinators of ICOR Europe