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| Socialist
Party
USA:
Statements |
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Statement in Solidarity With Alberto Durango
by Zelig
Stern, SPUSA Labor Commission Chair March 1, 2010
The firing of Alberto Durango, a union organizer and leader of Latin
American Workers Association, by Lancaster (a company contracted by the
Swiss bank UBS to do cleaning work) is a clear example of big business's
willingness to do anything in its power to maintain high profits by
preventing workers from organizing for their rights.
Alberto Durango worked at a London branch of UBS as a cleaner. Using
the economic crisis as an excuse, UBS and Mitie, the company contracted
to do cleaning, began attacking the working conditions of cleaners at
the bank.
The workers were then informed that UBS had switched contractors and
the new contractor, Lancaster, would press for further concessions.
“This was the spark which lit the fuse of the workers, who could not
put up with this any longer. Workers joined the union [UNITE] and
elected me their representative,” said Durango. The workers met with
the company and informed them they would not back down. Lancaster
promptly fired Durango.
This was not the first time Lancaster has fired Durango. Durango worked
for Lancaster at another location for over a decade. After ten years of
working for the company, Durango began organizing a union. Shortly
thereafter,
Lancaster began targeting him. First, they trumped up false allegations
that led to his arrest. He was promptly released due to lack of
evidence. Then, the company fired him, claiming he had worked for them
using a false
identity. After a union appeal, they were forced to admit that he had,
in fact, used his true identity. They instead claimed he had been fired
for 'dishonesty'. They justified the recent firing on the basis that he
had previously worked for the company and been fired. This is a clear
case of targeting workers for union organizing.
As democratic socialists, we call for the immediate re-hiring of
Alberto Durango. We also stand behind the unions efforts to win better
working conditions at UBS. We condemn UBS and Lancaster for their poor
treatment of
workers and their ruthless tactics to defend their profits at the
expense of working people, and especially for their targeting of
workers fighting back. As long as workers are forced to work for wages,
businesses will attempt to
increase their profits by paying workers less and forcing them to work
harder. Instead of such exploitation, we call for an economic system
where workers have democratic control over their own workplaces.
Solidarity with Alberto Durango!
Solidarity with the workers at UBS fighting for their rights!
Solidarity with all workers everywhere fighting for just
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