Annalucia Vermunt is standing for Auckland mayor in the 2010 local body elections. She provided this statement:
Annalucia Vermunt, Communist League, meat worker, active union member and campaigner for Maori rights.
The Communist League campaign champions the interests of working people.
The worldwide economic crisis continues to unfold. The capitalist's solution is to make working people pay by cutting jobs and wages, forcing speed-up at the cost of life and limb, and cutting our social entitlements - all in the framework of protecting the profitability of big business.
The creation of an Auckland "Super City" has involved cutting jobs, council services, and facilities. Capitalist politicians try to convince us that there is a limited pool of money in the city budget and, as it runs out, everything has to be cut back. But there is plenty of wealth in Auckland - and the world - to provide for what working people need. The real question is, which class rules and for whose benefit.
Workers face the need to act as a class if we are to fight against the attacks on us. We need to defend and extend union organisation on the job. We need to fight unemployment, which increases competition for work and lowers the incomes of all workers. We need to combat race, sex, and other discrimination used to divide us, and strengthen our class unity.
The Communist League campaign explains the need for a revolutionary struggle by working people to conquer political power. Then we can use the wealth that our labour creates to meet our needs - the needs of the majority.
The Communist League campaign presents a series of demands that we organize to fight around today to address the needs of working people in face of this crisis.
Central demands include: Jobs for all! We demand that the available work be shared around. In contrast to the capitalists' demands for wage cuts, workers must be paid a living wage, indexed to the rising cost of living. A programme of public works must be organized to build the public housing, health clinics, public transport, and child care that working people in this city need.
For workers control of line speed and all aspects of health and safety on the job. No forced overtime.
We defend workers' rights, and oppose government and police spying. Repeal the "anti-terror" laws. Drop the charges against those arrested and framed up in the October 15, 2007 "anti-terror" raids.
We demand: No cuts to council services and facilities that working people use. We oppose user charges and indirect taxes like water rates, road taxes, and GST.
The Communist League supports struggles by Maori in defence of land and language. For Maori-elected seats on the city council and boards.
Join the protest called by the Council of Trade Unions for October 20 against the governments' proposed anti-worker legislation.
To get a copy of our campaign platform email: clauck@xtra.co.nz, or ph3691223.
