May Day 17 In SF And Brazil General Strike Shuts Country

WW5-2-17 May Day 17 In SF And Brazil General Strike Shuts Country

WorkWeek radio hears from immigrants and workers who joined May Day 2017 rallies and marches in San Francisco. Thousands of workers and youth joined the rallies and marches. The day started with a protest at the ICE office in San Francisco. Next was a rally at ILWU Local 10. The ILWU had stopped work at all bay area ports for May Day.

Immigrants, workers and youth including a large contingent of UESF teachers with their students joined the rally and talked about the attack on their students and families. They also face an upcoming contract fight.

Next WorkWeek goes to Sao Paulo where we interview Herbert Claros da Silva who is with a metal worker with GM Embraer Mechanic, Vice-presidente do Sindicato dos Metalúrgicos de São Jose dos and with Conlutas about what caused the general strike on April 28, 2017 and how the working class is being affected by the Termer government and the capitalists. He talks about the privatization and on going postal workers strike against privatization.

Additional media:
https://youtu.be/3Hr1QH2DP98
https://soundcloud.com/workweek-radio/may-day-2017-ilwu-local-10-rally-speakers

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Brazil Post Office Starts National Strike Against Privatization

http://www.caribflame.com/2017/04/brazil-post-office-starts-national-strike/

Postal workers in Brazil will begin a national strike today to protest against the reforms carried out by the government of Michel Temer and the threat of privatization of this old institution

The strike, which will start this Wednesday at 22:00 (local time), will also serve to express dissatisfaction with the closure of agencies during the last year, compulsory holiday suspension and to demand the resignation of the president of the institution, Guilherme Campos, Brazil Workers Confederation reported.

Founded in 1663, the Brazilian Postal and Telegraph Company, one of the oldest in the country, lives under the government of coup president Michel Temer, the worst period in its history, according to the newspaper Brasil de Fato, which reports that thousands of officials were canceled and 250 units closed.

According to the Minister of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications, Gilberto Kassab, Brazil Post Office will have to make radical cuts in its expenses to avoid privatization, because the executive will not bring any resource to the company, he stated.

The strike, decided by the Interstate Federation of Postal Workers, precedes the national general strike called for next Friday by the main trade union centers of the country and the fronts Popular Brazil and Fearless People against labor and pension reforms driven by Temer.

Also in the last days, the Catholic and Evangelical churches joined the strike, which criticizes the policy of rights violation that the current government is carrying out.

Source/Prensa Latina
CF/IC