In Defence of Marxism

The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign Multan held a meeting on April 11 2007 in solidarity with the Airbus workers. Comrade Ishaq of Sui Northern Gas chaired the meeting.

Participants were informed about the struggle of Airbus workers in France and other European countries, and discussed the campaign demanding the nationalisation of the company. Participants of the meeting unanimously adopted and accepted the following declaration:

"We are very much concerned with the situation our brother and sister workers in France face in their respective workplaces. Capitalism has become an absolute bloodsucker for the world working class, especially in the advanced countries after the collapse of Soviet Russia and the fall of the Berlin wall. The ruling class has been trying ruthlessly to role back all the gains won by the working class through struggle.”

The barbaric profiteering of the capitalists has exposed their true face. For a time they tried to paint themselves as progressive, but that is all gone now. Now the capitalists and imperialists are openly and brutally attacking the workers in all countries. Imperialist and capitalist exploitation has crossed every limit and has broken every boundary. It has become an international phenomenon, which is why the struggle against this exploitation must also be international.

We, the workers of Multan, are very anxious about the situation in France. We declare our solidarity and support for the struggle of the Airbus workers. We agree and support their demand for the nationalisation of the company and we firmly believe that with nationalisation under workers’ control the situation will be transformed, enabling the company to continue production and to raise the living standards of the workers, as well as encouraging other workers to stand in struggle. Workers of the world, unite!

1. Ishaq, organiser PTUDC (Sui Northern Gas Multan)

2. Shahawali (President CBA(MDA)

3. Sajad Baloch (President Wapda Hydro Union Multan region)

4. Ishfaq Rajpoot (Sui Northen Gas & People,s Labour Bureau)

5. Iqbal Shad (Railway Workers Union Multan)

6. Salim Shehzad (Wapda, Regional organiser Paigham Union Multan)

7. Malik Saeed (Wapda,Hydro Union Multan)

8. Saif ul Rehman (GS PTCL Workers Union Multan)

9. Javed Iqbal (PTCL Multan)

10. Aslam Ansari (Powerlooms Association Multan)

11. Mohamad Naeem (Labour Counciler Multan)

12. Tariq Chaudhary (Wapda Multan)

13. Mubashar (Professors & Lecturers Association Multan)

14. Mujahid Pasha (Water and Sanitation Authority Union Multan)

15. Asad Pitafi (PTUDC Multan)