Haitian Workers Fighting Rising Prices

Our MOBILIZATION forced the government to move a little, yet despite a few small measures, we haven’t yet seen anything truly undertaken in our interest. Besides, the few measures adopted are merely handouts, charity, they’re paternalistic and not set to solve anything at all really. Worse: these measures, even if they were to take place, won’t last at all, no more than a month or two… So: WE STILL HAVEN’T OBTAINED ANYTHING! The true reason that explains this is the fact that the system of exploitation hasn’t been touched in the slightest. In fact, by accepting the WTO’s diktats and signing the HOPE law, the government has accepted to NEVER TOUCH IMPORTED COMMODITIES’ PRICES. Meaning: they won’t touch the capitalists’ benefits. As we can understand quite clearly: THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION FOR US! THEY CAN’T HAVE SOLUTIONS FOR US! They aren’t US!

Unemployment continues to be on the rise. According to those in power, in order to have jobs, we need to key down, to not “disturb”, in reality, not to demonstrate or claim our rights. But the fact is they want us to quiet down so they can exploit us as much as they want. And then they say that by demonstrating, we’re the ones responsible for the unemployment. The fact is that the ruling classes and their rotten state haven’t yet been able to solve the particulars of the mega-exploitation they are planning. For it to take place, we’d need to “take it easy” (‘poze’- president Preval’s favorite expression and campaign slogan) and accept the exploitation, although we absolutely can’t anymore with this form that’s finishing us off. Here lies the contradiction!

In this way, the highly necessary minimum wage adjustment still hasn’t been decided upon. The bourgeoisie is set on slapping us in the face with its suggestion of a 5 to 10 % adjustment. The Labor Department, after having itself calculated the consumer price index, now suggests as a minimum wage: half the necessary wage it itself had figured out!

STARVATION WAGES, UNEMPLOYMENT, SKYROCKETING FOOD PRICES, are the three fundamentals of exploitation. At present the combination is in a deadlock and that’s the real reason behind the recent explosions.

The UN mission (MINUSTAH) is sent by the bourgeois governments of other pays to defend their class brothers. This explains why they only shoot on us, of the people.

Seeing all of this, we, in Batay Ouvriye, say:

MINUSTAH, GET OUT! DOWN WITH THE OCCUPATION!

A completely different system is needed, to emerge from this total crisis the bourgeoisie and its reactionary state have put us in. For this, WE NEED A DIFFERENT STATE! We need a state that defends our own rights and demands, we the workers, we the people, without demagogy.
Our MOBILIZATION, our BATTLE and no other, can help us to get out of this deadlock.

THE MOBILIZATION MUST CONTINUE! OUR MOBILIZATION HAS JUST BEGUN! UNTIL WE OBTAIN SATISFACTION OF OUR TRUE INTERESTS!

Batay Ouvriye, April 22nd, 2008.