Stop the repression against the Refugee Protest Movement in Austria!

This week, hundreds of socialists from all over the world came together for a week of discussion and exchange. They are members of the Committee for a Workers International, an international socialist organisation that fights capitalism, racism and exploitation in over 40 countries. Many sections of the CWI are involved in the struggle for refugee rights and against deportations.

When they heard about the recent attacks on the refugee movement in Austria, they formulated this declaration:
"Since November 2012, there is a refugee protest movement in Austria. In this movement, it's the refugees themselves who highlight their situation and develop their own demands. Many Austrians are active as supporters of this protest movement. Thousands have come out in support, amongst them celebrities and fighting trade unionists. In the past weeks, contacts and cooperation of the refugee movement and the trade unions intensified significantly.

After a hunger strike in the Votiv Church, the refugees moved to a former monastery. The refugees who live there now are the core of the movement.

On July 23rd, 25 of these refugees received a letter by the police with the order to report to local police stations every day at 9AM. In the austrian context of deportations this means, that the danger of immediate deportation is evident. Apparently the government wants to take advantage of the summer break and the upcoming elections in order to destroy the movement. In case of a deportation, the affected refugees would face torture and death in their home countries."

We demand from the Austrian government:

1. Immediate withdrawal of the order to report to the police on a daily basis!
2. No deportations of any refugee activists!
3. Immediate talks of the government with delegates of the refugee movement about the fulfilling of their demands!
4. The right to work and to live legally in Austria!

We call for the austrian trade unions and fighting trade unionists to intensify the cooperation with the refugee movement. We should take the chance to fight together against deportations, cuts, racism and the race to the bottom which is accellerated by illegal work. The cooperation of the refugee movement with more than 1 Million trade union members in Austria could mean a breakthrough for the movement!

Supported by the whole Auditorium, including:

• Heidrun Dittrich – Member of the German Parliament, Die Linke
• Joe Higgins – Member of the Irish Parliament, Socialist Party
• Paul Murphy – Member of the EU-Parliament, Socialist Party
• Mametlwe Sebei – Spokesperson for the Workers And Socialist Party, South Africa
• Mick Barry – City Councillor in Cork, Ireland
• Mattias Bernhardsson – City-Councillor in Haninge, South-Stockholm, Sweden

Trade Unionists and Shop Stewards in personal capacity:

• Alexandra Arnsburg – Member of the executive committee of the union Verdi in Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany
• Jo Coulier – Chief Shop Steward for the Union ABVV in the University VUB, Chairman of the Union ACOD Onderwijs Brussels, Belgium
• Nicola Crawford – Equalities Officer for the Union Unison, Scotland
• Brian Debus – President of the Hackney Trades Council, Membership Officer for the Union Unison Hackney, England
• Tina De Greef – Secretary of the Union LBC-BHV, Belgium
• Tracy Edwards – Industrial Officer for the union HMRC PCS, England
• Ricardo Barros Filho – member of the executive committee of the teachers union SEPE, Rio De Janeiro, Brasil
• Wouter Gysen – Member of the excecutive committee of the union ACOD Spoor Antwerp, Belgium
• Tim Joossen – Shop Steward for the Union ABVV UG, Belgium
• Amalia Loizidou – President of the British branch of the Union POED, Cyprus
• Terry Murphy – Member of the Civil and Public Service Union, England
• Kevin Parslow – Secretary of the union Unite LE1228 Waltham Forest Council Branch, England
• Anna Pavlova – Chairwoman of Moscow region branch of healthcare union „Deistvije“, Russia
• Martin Powell-Davies – National Executive of the National Union of Teachers, England.
• Jon Sneyers – Shop steward for the Union LBC- KUL, Belgium
• Levi Sollie – Shop steward and Spokesperson for the union ABVV Bayer Antwerp, Belgium
• Roger Thomas – Vice Chairman of the Union PCS South West Regional and Chairman of the PCS branch (PINS CLG), England
• Bart Van der Biest – Shop Steward ST Maria Ziekenhuis Halle, Regional Executive of the Union BBTK BHV
• Elena Volkova – Chairwoman of Moscow region branch of the teachers union „Uchitel“, Russia
• Mike Whale – Secretary Hull National Union of teachers, England