May 1, 2003: One Cannot be for Peace if One Declares War on the Own People!

Chancellor Schroeder is no longer able to hide himself in the shadow of the war on Iraq. His crisis management program dictated by the employers' associations is just a "social declaration of war" against the masses of people in Germany.

1. The abolishment of the equally financed social security is a plundering raid on the poor in favor of the superrich: admission charge at the doctor, sick pay as private pleasure, reduction of unemployment benefit to the level of income support and many other things - this is a massive wage cut!

Instead of fighting mass unemployment (4.6 million people are registered officially) a modern system of daily labor is being introduced by the Hartz scheme. 110,000 trainee posts are lacking in the enterprises for the youth alone.

Under the banner of the "struggle against international terrorism" Germany is the world champion in spying out millions of people by tapping telephones.

The German Armed Forces is being armed and transformed into an international crisis task force. German troops are already deployed in 14 countries.

People like Westerwelle and Merz are crating a reactionary atmosphere with their attacks on the trade unions as fighting organizations for defending the social achievements. The unholy alliance of the enemies of the trade unions is intent on breaking the organizations of the working class and making the workers the unorganized fair game.

2. In the enterprises and the rank and file of the trade unions people are boiling with rage. Thousands of SPD membership cards are being thrown into the waste paper basket. The trade unions are demanding offensive measures. The fact that the trade union leadership is protesting against the government plans has to be welcomed. However, the slogan of the Federation of German Trade Unions (DGB): "modernizing humanely, organizing justly, that's what we are doing" is the same old story of reformist class collaboration with the government and the monopolies. It is not the task of the trade unions to cooperate in the shaping of the crisis policy of the German government, but to combat it. What the employers' associations and Schroeder are performing is not a "change of system" as the leadership of the Metal Workers' Union calls it ("Yes to reforms - No to a change of system"), but the adaptation of the government policy to the new international reality of the sole dominance of finance capital over the entire society. Stop pursuing this course of collaboration! May Day must become a day of struggle against the Schroeder government. Forward to the working class offensive!

3. On 14 March nearly 20 million blue and white collar workers went on a European-wide strike against the war on Iraq. During the war general strikes took place in Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Morocco, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Bush has won the war on Iraq in his "New War"; but he could not win over the masses for it. People who allow to bomb and pillage hospitals, but secure militarily the oil ministry and the oil fields, show their true imperialist face at the beginning of the 21st century:

international political disorder, the ruthless dominance of the international finance capital, a series of deep, unsolvable crises, criminal wars for the redivision of the world among the big powers. This is the message of an obsolete social system.

4. However, the reorganization of international production has mainly created enormous revolutionary productive forces.

The petty-bourgeois critics of globalization express legitimate criticism, but they are blind to the new phase of socialization of production: the international monopolies with their worldwide network of production and distribution. The 500 biggest industrial, banking, insurance and trade monopolies are dominating the world market. In 2000 they had a turnover that corresponded to about 45 per cent of the gross world product. If the international industrial proletariat is uniting beyond country borders against the division by locational competition and nationalism nothing can stop it.

To create jobs and peace the power of finance capital has to be replaced by the international socialist revolution. Then the united socialist states of the world will take the place of the anachronistic system of exploitation of man by man. Starvation, exploitation and wars will have no place in this new world order.

5. Fellow workers, strengthen your trade unions as fighting organizations for defending and improving the working and living conditions! Ueberparteilich and democratic - with many new members. Overturn the anti communist incompatibility ruling in the Metal Workers Union against the MLPD! The workers need an organization of class struggle for the political struggle against the monopolies and the government. Strengthen the revolutionary working class party, the MLPD, and its youth league REBELL!

• Fight the crisis management program of the Schroeder government! Strikes, demonstrations and march to Berlin against the anti-people policy of the government.
• Fight for higher wages! Full payment of social security contributions by the capitalists! Higher unemployment pay and its unlimited continued payment for the entire period of unemployment!
• Immediate harmonization of wages and weekly hours of work in East Germany with West German collective agreements! 30-hour workweek with full wage compensation as 6-hours workday from Monday till Friday!
• Fight youth unemployment at the expense of the profits! Obligatory 10 per cent quota of trainees of big industry! Give regular and unlimited jobs to young people according to their vocational training!
• Full legal right to strike in all matters! No restriction of political and trade-union activity at work!
• Defend the trade unions as fighting organizations! Strong general labor union! No incompatibility ruling against antifascists and Marxist-Leninists in the trade unions!
• Active resistance against Bush's "New War"! German troops - out of foreign countries!
• Dissolution of NATO, WEU and the intervention forces of the federal army!
• Fight for the liberation of women!
• Take sides now - strengthen the MLPD - join the MLPD!
• International workers' solidarity: equal pay for equal work - worldwide!
• Proletarians of all countries, unite!
• International working class unity - fight for work, peace - genuine socialism!