News from around the world

Hundreds joined today at a rally in Islamabad to protest against the continues detentions and registration of new cases against Labour Party Pakistan leader Baba Jan. The rally started from Aab Para Chouck and went to National Press Club Islamabad was organized by Labour Party Pakistan and was attended by activists from different political parties, groups and trade unions.

The workers at the Pu?iÅ¡?e stone quarry on the Island of Bra? are fighting for the survival of the Jadrankamen company, which has been brought to the verge of bankruptcy by the criminal mismanagement of those in charge. While modernisation and investment in machinery have been neglected, money in the accounts has been constantly removed and directed into private pockets in a close symbiosis between the private relations of capital and the political structures. Thanks to this configuration, the firm, which has just one product – the Vienna parliament building and the White House in Washington are built of Bra? stone – is very close to the edge.

We just learnt that Baba Jan was granted bail and that his four comrades will also be bailed soon. Few days before, the Pakistan Ministry of Human Rights moved on the Hunza Five case (see below). This is a very important encouragement for the ongoing international solidarity campaign to maintain pressure until the cases against them and Faisalabad or Karachi looms workers are withdrawn.

The Movimiento Socialista de los Trabajadores [Socialist Workers’ Movement] of Argentina repudiates the “institutional coup” in Paraguay that through a farce of impeachment has dismissed President Fernando Lugo, who has been replaced by Vice President Franco of the Colorado Party, complicit with this illegitimate manoeuvre. We also reject the brutal repression unleashed on the thousands of demonstrators who opposed this fraudulent removal of the President.

Workers at the Alexandria Tire Company (Pirelli) in Egypt are on strike against management’s arbitrary refusal to implement agreements that were concluded with workers in the presence of representatives of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), as well as their refusal to comply with workers’ legal rights. Situated on the Cairo-Alexandria desert road, Pirelli has branches in numerous countries, including Turkey, Greece, Italy, Romania and Brazil.

This press statement on the outcome of the Irish referendum on the European fiscal treaty was issued by the Campaign Against the Austerity Treaty on the 1st of June 2012.

From the Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions website.

La Via Campesina calls on all the peasant organizations of the world and their allies to organize actions in the month of June

While protests in different cities of Pakistan is going on, we received a bad news from Hunza valley. Six activists of Labour Party led by comrade Nasir are arrested in Karim Abad, the main city of Hunza, while flyposting the posters for the release of Baba Jan.

An important petition has been launched in defence of Baba Jan and his comrades. It includes a very useful summary of the case. It was initiated by Tariq Ali, Noam Chomsky, Quanader Bux Memon, Vijay Prashad, Farooq Tariq, atc. Have it signed and use it as a reference for other initiatives.