----- Original Message ----- From: Kurt Lhotzky <k.lhotzky at xpoint.at> To: <marxism at lists.panix.com> Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2000 5:26 PM Subject: News from Vienna: The restistance continues
> Dear Comrades
>
> due to server problems and a lot of [political] work there was a longer
> delay in my postings. Now, a short report - tomorrow I will post a more
> comprehensive update.
>
> On February 19th, about 300.000 people demonstrated here in Vienna against
> the government.
>
> Since then, the thursdays are the central days of action. In spite of the
> prognosis of chancellor Schuessel that the 19. february was the "end of
the
> street riots" [sic], between 7.000 to 15.000 people are in the streets the
> thursdays (in spite of rathe chily temperatures here in Austria - it is
> still slightly snowing].
>
> The Trade Unions try to calm down the situation, but the workers are
getting
> upset. The partial nationalized enterbrises (oil, steel, tobacco, air
> transport, post-services, railroads] saw a decline of their stock-value at
> the Viennese Stock Exchange up to 20 percent in the last weeks, due to the
> governments plans of a stampede privatization. Last week, some 3.700
> shop-stewards from all this enterprises gathered (under the tutelage of
the
> Trade Union bureaucracy, of course), but the mood was rather combative.
>
> Since yesterday, 15.00 CET, the auditorium maximum of the Viennese
> Universita is occupied. Some 1.5000 students gathered their and decided a
> strike-week up from the 23rd of march. In the meantime, the audimax rests
> occupied and is turned in the heart and brains of the resistance at the
> Viennes university. Today, a delegation of the resisting students tried to
> speak at a meeting of the employees of the Postal Bank of Austria (which
is
> heavily threatend by the plans of privatization) but was blocked of
> participating by the trad union bureaucrtas. Nevertheless, their message
of
> solidarity was read to the employees and well acclaimed.
>
> Some action committees were formed this morning at a plenum of the
> occupants, one is responislbe for organizing contacts to critical shop
> stewards and the agitation in front of and in factories! Tomorrow we
expect
> other universities in Vienna (Technical University, University of Economic
> Sciences) to join the movement. Delegeations are on the way to the other
> Austrian universities!
>
> So much for the moment.
>
> URGENT REQUEST: IF YOU ARE ACTIVE IN TRADE UNIONS OR AT UNIVERSITIES AND
> YOU COULD GET SOLIDARITY MESSAGES - PLEASE POST THEM TO ME, I WILL PASS
> THEM TO THE PLENUM AT THE AUDIMAX!!!!
>
>
> Thanks for Your solidarity!!!
>
>
> Resistance - we will will!
>
>
> Kurt Lhotzky
>