The city of São Paulo, in Brazil, woke up this Tuesday paralyzed in some of its transportation services due to the strike that began at midnight by workers on all subway lines, railways, and teachers, among others. who oppose the privatization plan, budget cuts and layoffs of right-wing governor Tarcísio de Freitas.
Despite threats from the government, which promised sanctions of different types and mobilized 4,000 military police to try to intimidate the workers, the strike began on time as agreed, and defying attempts to make it illegal.
This is the third strike of this type in recent months that includes different sectors carrying out a unified strike on the same day between the metro, one of the main means of transportation, the Metropolitan Train Company (CPTM), the sanitation company and sewerage (Sabesp) and education workers, who also have the sympathy of other sectors.
The workers are mobilizing and stopping in defense of their jobs and also the services in which they work against permanent cuts since it is the population that suffers from privatizations, adjustments, increased rates and poor services, that are the product of privatizations.
Governor Tarcísio de Freitas has been advancing a plan to divest from public service companies that only protects the interests and profits of the companies that control them, as demonstrated by the fact that privatized lines receive 4 times more money for each ticket sold, carrying less than half of the passengers, while state lines lack funds.
The previous unified strike on October 3 had already been an example of how to combat the attacks of this extreme right-wing government, and had social support and support from different sectors. That is why Tarcísio sought to sanction the strikers by firing a group of subway workers who were on the front line of this fight.
Despite these attacks and the attempts to declare the action illegal and to militarize the streets, this Tuesday the unified action is once again strongly felt in the streets of São Paulo, as a new example of strength in the face of the privatization attempt and cuts.
As Esquerda Diario points out, which is covering the day of strike, “The fight against privatization is urgent and a fight of the entire population. Today’s unified strike needs active support, the unity of all unions and within each category “to strengthen the self-organization and unity of the ranks of the workers. It is essential that the Trade Union Centers effectively support the strike, with active solidarity, in defense of the reinstatement of all dismissed combatants and the intransigence of public services.”
You can follow all the details of the unified strike on the Esquerda Diário page
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
