Viva Cuba

May Day in Cuba

Havana Diary by MUA Sth Qld Branch Secretary Mick Carr and Victoria Branch Deputy Secretary Dave Schleibs

The MUA delegation consisting of our MUA Idol competition winners, three rank and file members and two officials were in Cuba as part of the May Day celebrations and the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Fascism.

Viron Papadopolous, Cooper Silk and John Teague used their collective experience to film the visit for historical purposes and fulfilled their obligations and responsibilities as international representatives of our union with pride and commitment. Julie Schleibs, who accompanied Dave, played a valued role in assisting to collate minutes.

Union Meetings

The delegation arrived in Cuba in late April. Our first meeting was with the Maritime Union National Secretary Alberto Merchante Fuentes and officials and a representative from the Pacific Maritime Dockers. Merchante went into some detail regarding the work of the trade union movement and decisions of the 5th Congress of Trade Unions held in Oct 200.

He summed it up with the following: the importance of social emulation, education and political work, the merchant marine and retirees, bureau of fishermen, the Port of Havana and trade union city of Havana economic affairs and social consequences of work related issues.

The Cuban Fleet

One of the biggest issues facing them is the scale of their fleet, particularly in the special period since the collapse of the Soviet Union where much of their aid came from. That meant a huge downturn in their economic position and ability to trade internationally and fund their shipping task from a lowered support base.

Comrade Merchante has sought assistance in advising the ITF of their plight regarding the position of Cuban seafarers working around the world and the fact that their remuneration, while perhaps not meeting the general ITF rates, is commensurate with earnings in their own country, in fact is in line with what a physician would earn, as well there are social benefits that most other seafarers from other countries would never enjoy such as free schooling and medical.

A long discussion took place regarding this matter and it is obviously of great concern to their union.

While Cuban workers are affiliated to the World Federation of Trade Unions they recognise the work of the ITF in campaigning against exploitation of seafarers around the world and they wish to open dialogue to further explain the position they are in and the importance of maritime transport to the country.

Blockade

The ongoing blockade against Cuba and the ramifications of that have made it impossible to accommodate affiliation.

There are four to five ships that trade internationally, mainly in the Asian region, and a coastal fleet.

Invitation

The union has extended an open invitation to National Secretary Paddy Crumlin to visit Cuba in the hope of building better understanding between our unions in the face of growing international pressure against workers and their unions by global capital.

Comrade Merchante is not only a capable, informed and effective trade union leader, but is fiercely proud of his country and its ongoing achievements in the difficult circumstances of the US blockade against Cuba.

Cuban History

He gave us a brief overview from when the country was discovered in 1492. The first boats were built in 1516 and in 1868 civilian organisation by Spain sowed the seeds of the Cuban revolution in the second half of the 19th century.

An uprising in 1895 dispatched Spanish colonialism only to see the US send in an expeditionary force in 1898 to set up a colony.

Beloved Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti travelled within the US to observe the occupiers in their own country. Mark Twain wrote of the US expedition that the stripes of the US flag should be painted over in black and the stars replaced by a skull and crossbones.

Neo Colonialism

Cuba became an economic colony of the USA with the military intervening to crush revolts. US investors had by 1920 acquired most of the arable land, the mafia took over Havana's gambling and tourism business in the 1930's and after the second world war the country became a trans shipment point for French connection heroin into the US, a brothel and casino establishment for American capitalism.

Uprisings

In 1925 the first communist party of Cuba was formed and in 1939 many party members paid with their lives and the government sought to ban the trade union movement.

A revolutionary movement continued to operate underground and in July 1953 Fidel Castro attacked the Moncada Barracks in Santiago only to be captured, with half of his fighters being killed.

During his trial Fidel proved to be a competent advocate and in an attempt to legitimise the trial process Batista released Castro and those of his followers who survived the torture.

Castro & Guevara

Castro travelled to Mexico where he met and befriended the Argentinian Che Guevara. The destiny of Cuba was set on the irreversible course of a peoples revolution.

Port of Havana

The meeting and discussion returned to the issues of the plight of Cuban seafarers' and the delegation extended an invitation to comrade Merchante to visit our union in Australia to continue the discussion. Also at the meeting were representatives of the Pacific Dock Workers of Costa Rica and it was obvious that the effects of globalisation and technology are having the same impact on workers from all parts of the world.

The delegation was invited to visit the Port of Havana where imports include soya bean, corn and flour. The port has 222 metres of quay line, 3 berths with 10 cranes of between 10 and 40 ton capacity and open warehouse capacity of 20,000 tons. The port handled 45% more than in the same period last year and 19% of all cargo handled in Havana last year was from the US, followed by Vietnam and The Netherlands.

Wharfies work in three shifts of 7 hrs and 20 minutes with a 40 minute break and the night shift includes dinner. Double headers can be worked. When there is no shipping, training is carried out at 100% of salary. There are currently 12 gangs, with two more planned, with 18 men per gang and two drivers per crane. Gangs are rotated with workers in conjunction with administration determining the pick up; there are no bull gangs.

The tugs in the Port are manned with between seven and 12 men, depending on the job.

Sabotage & Terrorism

While there, we also visited the berth where the vessel Le Coubre was sabotaged on 4th March 1960 after arriving from Europe. Explosions were detonated simultaneously at the stern, bow and engine room of the ship when passengers were being processed to cause maximum carnage. There were 115 deaths as a result of the blasts, so powerful that the massive cog from a crane was blown hundreds of metres out onto the road.

It was a terrorist act no doubt perpetrated to send a message that while Cuba had been successful in its revolutionary purpose, imperialist pressure would remain.

May Day

On May Day, the MUA contingent along with other delegations mustered for buses to take us to the location where celebrations were to take place. This was no ordinary organisational exercise and until we arrived at Revolution Square no one expected that 1.3 million people would gather within hours.

Speaker systems were two stories high and up to three kilometres away from where Fidel Castro delivered the main address, to not only the people of Cuba, but to workers around the world.

The message was clear and concise in defiance of the war hawks of Washington but was also one of inspiration, leadership and conviction, for which Cuba continues to pay the price of isolation by blockade and tirades of false propaganda.

Fidel was preceded by speakers from the trade union movement and Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega, all sharing the square and the spirit of May Day.

Monday 2nd May - our delegation attended a session on the 60th anniversary of the defeat of fascism, which produced some thought provoking debate. As the West and its allies celebrated the anniversary, so to did the world revolutionary movement; the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany was considered to be the defeat of fascism.

US Blockade

Now the defence of humanity must be the number one objective. The blockade against Cuba has continued for nearly 50 years but the country has many supporters around the world who see Cuba as a beacon and have pledged to continue to promote its culture and values.

While Cuba continues to suffer from the blockade, it remains resolute in opposition to neo-liberalism and the oligarchs who continue to sit in silence as the genocide around the world continues. Thirty million are killed a year through hunger and now US imperialism has Latin America in its sights with the discovery of oil in the Gulf.

73m Perish

The Mexican border is becoming more militarised as Nicaragua and Ecuador are targeted by the US. Imperialism has taken a savage toll throughout history and indigenous people have not been spared with 70 million murdered between the 16th and 18th century in the European conquests.

The 20th century was the bloodiest in the history of mankind. The four major conflicts - the 1st World War, 2nd World War, Korea and Vietnam - saw 73 to 75 million people perish either directly or indirectly.

There were 72 countries involved in the 2nd World War. In the years between 1946 and 1975 the US has used military force 215 times, yet the unrelenting rhetoric against Cuba as a threat to the West continues in an unashamed fashion.

Cold War

In particular, the era of Thatcherism/Reaganism re-ignited the Cold War and led Imperialism, the attacks now focused on Latin America, but particularly Venezuela and Cuba.

While these attacks continue it is the practice in US libraries for the FBI to investigate people taking out certain books and librarians are in breach of Federal Law if they don't report certain material and who takes it out.

Perhaps it is fear that people will access freely the real history rather than just be bombarded with US foreign policy and the accompanying rhetoric against countries such as Cuba.

Revolution

For Cubans, the high cost in human lives of the revolution and the following assassinations, the blockade and ongoing economic hardship has not dented the beliefs and ideals which were realised in 1959 and which they espouse with even more enthusiasm today.

Other speakers related the plans of the US backed Batista regime that in 1955 was planning to allow the US to put a channel through Cuba, cutting it in half. By this time pressure was building within the resistance forces after the failed attack on the Moncada barracks and the release of Fidel Castro from captivity to continue his drive toward the ultimate victory in 1959.

The session was one of the most important features of our time in Cuba, not only in terms of revisiting history to mark the 60th anniversary but of more recent attacks and murders of indigenous people in Columbia, where in the last five years, 3500 trade union leaders have been killed to allow TNC's free unimpeded access to the country.

A recent National Council of the Maritime Union of Australia had trade unions from Columbia in attendance reporting on what is happening. A declaration from this session was made in line with the theme of the Defence of Humanity and read by the Director of the Jose Marti library. This session underlined the broad support that Cuba enjoys from interests around the world in debating the real threats to society.

Port Matanzas

On May 5 we visited the Port of Matanzas, some 80 kilometres from Havana. The port has four berths and two port cranes and employs 288 workers with an average age of 54 years. There are 75 women who figure prominently in the work force.

Only 48 hours after May Day celebrations the port set a record for unloading fertiliser. The port is run in a co- operative way between the Director of the Enterprise, the Union, Supervisor and local party officials.

The city is an industrial one with a port culture that has suffered from the blockade and special period, but a recent agreement with Venezuala and China will assist the Enterprise in reaching its potential. The Port of Matanzas is a good example of the respect that women are held in, reflected in working conditions in the port.

Self solutions have become an essential way of life as a result of the blockade, and research and creativity are rewarded. We were welcomed by each section of the collective including the women's officer, the common theme being the desire for social emulation at all levels of activity.

The warmth of the people of Matanzas was overwhelming. Everywhere we went, including a walk around the wharves, eating the tucker from the canteen or calling in to visit a resident in his home, we were greeted the same, with people eager to engage in conversation and, of course, knock the top off a bottle of local white rum (the count well lost after the first day).

Wharfies

During the visit to the wharf one of our delegation, Viron, decided to chance his back against the locals who were unloading bagged corn meal from a chute and then on to a conveyer up onto trucks to be stacked, the locals taking it in their stride handling 50 kg bags, nearly their own weight, with timing and precision, ton after ton. They stood back to watch the Aussie wharfie show 'em how to do it.

Viron took a deep breath approaching the relentless conveyer feed and charged in to deal with the first bag. It had him staggering as though he'd taken one too many shots to the head. The big bloke, not to be outdone by the locals (who in the meantime had unloaded another eight bags), regained his composure and fell towards the stack of bags, determined to land it with the precision of the gang; after a couple of moments he wrestled it from his shoulder onto the stack and made a tactical withdrawal back to the camera, with the admiration of the locals obvious.

It was another great day and we left the port to be guests of our hosts, as had been the case for most of our stay, with more white rum, friendship and meetings.

Children's Hospital

Thursday May 5 was our last day in Cuba and we had arranged to meet with Dr. E. Selman at the William Soler Hospital early that morning.

The hospital has a great deal of significance for our union in so much as a former national secretary, the late Tas Bull, played a key role advocating long-term support, to ensure the work of the unit could be sustained.

Dr Selman gave us a tour of the hospital and spoke of the respect in which Tas is still held for his efforts with the hospital. A long discussion ensued and it became obvious that certain equipment was vitally essential for the children's section.

With the collapse of Soviet support and the continuing effects of the US blockade, things are tough for everybody, but in particular, social needs such as hospitals have suffered.

The hospital has become highly thought of for its work in the paediatric cardio unit. It was difficult not to ask what were the priorities for the unit. We were advised that an anaesthesia monitoring station was vital to their on-going programme but out of their reach financially.

We advised the doctors and staff who were in attendance at the meeting that we had taken on board their views and would do whatever we could to help. We thanked the doctors and staff for the time they gave us and proceeded to the airport for one last meeting with Merchante prior to departure from Havana.

Cuban Visit to Come

We confirmed the invitation to Merchante's union to visit our union in Australia at a time appropriate to both unions to continue our discussions in more detail.

We could not speak more highly of the hospitality and the way we were received by the unions, officials and people in Cuba at numerous meetings and discussions. It is a mark of the respect that our union is held in internationally that we were able to have such frank and open discussions on important issues, and congratulate our own union on its initiative of sending a delegation to Cuba at such an historic time. It once again confirms our position as being an outward reaching and international union in every sense

of the word.