Appeal
“APTUF call upon for the cancellation of the foreign debt of Pakistan which in fiscal year 2005 rose 23 047 billion dollars (8 times more than the total of new loans and grants which have been decided by the donors conference) the servicing of the debt was up to 2716 billion dollars for the same year (4 times the amount which the United Nations regard as necessary for immediate assistance). Today, in most the earthquake affected areas, cold, hunger, lack of childcare and health facilities, diseases are taking their toll. People are dying.
That’s why the APTUF calls for the cancellation of the foreign debt of Pakistan and for an immediate stop in the servicing of that debt. All the available money, instead of being absorbed by international speculation, should now be used to help the people, to save them, to start rebuilding the destroyed areas.
That campaign we regard as an international campaign concerning all the labour movement.
We specially call upon the trade union organisations in the creditors’ countries, the members of the so-called Paris Club: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Russian federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
In the last year only, Pakistan paid back 563 millions worth of the Paris Club loan.
We call upon you to associate with the APTUF to demand:
- The cancellation of the foreign debt which is not the debt of the people of Pakistan
- The immediate halt to the servicing of the debt.
To prevent the earthquake consequences from killing thousands and thousands of people, to save those who have lost their home and jobs, to rebuild the country needs a lot of money. That money exists: it is in the hands of the IMF, the World Bank and the world powers. It must go the people of Pakistan.”
Gulzar Ahmed Chaudhary
General Secretary
All Pakistan Trade Union Federation
14-N, Industrial Area, Gulberg, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92-42-5755078/5755079
Fax: 92-42-6686382/6686519
1 comment:
Good post. There is no end to the greed of the capitalist system.
Too bad such a cataclysmic event, is what exposes the corruption. Your post from the workers federation, shows independant working class action is humanity's savior.
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