UNITE TO WIN THE 35-HOUR WEEK IN 1984
This demonstration...can be a first step in a common struggle of the West European workers against the austerity offensive of the bosses, which is being backed up by the Common Market governments. For the first time since 1923, German and French workers by the thousands are demonstrating shoulder to shoulder for the same objective, and it is an objective that is in the interests of the working class as a whole — a common European-wide struggle against the curse of unemployment....
It is the capitalist system that produces unemployment and economic crises. These are only inevitable if you think that capitalism is the only possible or desirable economic system.
In the long run, it is possible to avoid unemployment and crises only by breaking with the logic of profit, by orienting firmly toward a democratically planned self-managed economy that can satisfy the social needs of the population....
UNEMPLOYMENT CAN BE FOUGHT AND BEATEN
The fight against unemployment can be won if we do not let ourselves be diverted by false arguments along the lines of: "The employers' profits today are the investments and jobs of tomorrow," or "Let's divide up the total paid in wages among all."....
There is only one immediate way of fighting unemployment - the immediate and general reduction of the workweek to 35 hours, without any cut in weekly wages, without any speedup, and without any worsening of working conditions, and with new hiring to match the reduction of workhours.
All forces that identify with the workers movement must unite their efforts to achieve this result as soon as possible, to force the bosses to give in.
The parliamentary representatives of parties that claim to represent the working class should introduce motions in the European parliament as well as bills in their respective national parliaments calling for setting the legal workweek at 35 hours immediately. This would extend this acquisition to the weaker as well as the stronger sections of the working class.
TOWARD A EUROPEAN-WIDE STRIKE FOR THE 35-HOUR WEEK
The unions of the ten Common Market countries, if not all countries in capitalist Europe, should call a workers conference. It should meet in conditions of full trade-union freedom - without any discrimination against any confederation. It should bring together delegations from all the confederations and federations. It should have as many representatives of the rank and file as possible. And this conference should draw up a plan of action for winning the 35-hour week in 1984.
Such a conference, a real European workers parliament, could also consider other actions such as the following:
— A European-wide rally for the 35-hour week, which in addition to German and French workers, would bring together British, Belgian, Dutch, Luxemburgian, Danish, Irish, and Greek workers.
— A European-wide strike for the 35-hour week, which in the final analysis, is the only way to strike a powerful blow against unemployment.
We can be sure that if we European workers set the example, the workers in North America, Japan, and other countries will follow. No capitalist class in any country is going to be able to take competitive advantage of the introduction of the 35-hour week in another one if the workers in all countries unite in the fight against unemployment.
Let us all fight together against this evil!
Let us all fight together to win the 35-hour week now!
The year 1984 must go down in history as the year the 35-hour week was won!
The Fourth International and sections in Common Market countries, LCR-France, GIM-West Germany, SL-Great Britain, LCR-Italy, LRT/RAL-Belgium, IKB-Netherlands, LCR-Luxembourg, SAP-Denmark Stuttgart, June 4, 1983.