Comradely Struggle Defeats Bosses’ Divisive Tactics here ♦ Communism Will Prevail Over All Difficulties here ♦
“Destroy capitalism and construct communism — ICWP”
Comradely Struggle Defeats Bosses’ Divisive Tactics
EL SALVADOR, October 25—To speed up production and make workers put pressure on each other, the maquila (sweatshop) bosses use the “modules” method to finish a piece, and there is a quota of pieces that each module must finish each day.
I work in a module that is made up of fourteen people: thirteen machine operators and one inspector.
They recently hired a new person to complete the module. She has a lot of experience on the job, as she previously worked in another factory. There they did not demand quantity but quality in the product.
As I have been working in the maquilas for more than twenty years, I know that they test new workers to see how fast they make the product.
I took it upon myself to explain to the new worker what the job was like. Then my machine broke down and I had to go in earlier to be able to do the accumulated work. That meant she had double work to do, and she got angry.
So she called the team leader of another area to tell him that I was giving her a lot of work and that she wanted to go with him instead. This team leader is part of the party collective, so he told her that he was going to talk to me, and he did.
He began a political and comradely struggle with me, making me see that it is in this type of situation that we must put the party’s line into practice.
He stressed to me a lot that as an ICWP member, I had to act like one: leading a comradely relationship with co-workers. We have enough to deal with that the bosses screw us. He suggested that I talk with her so we could develop a good working relationship.
This is how this comrade struggled with me to come to my senses and understand that our co-workers are also our class sisters and brothers, that we must struggle against all the attitudes that the bosses instill in us to keep us divided.
I spoke with my new fellow-worker. Things cleared up, leaving an open door for future talks with her.
Only in this way, by putting the party line into practice, will we be able to mobilize the masses for communism.
—Comrade in the maquilas
Communism Will Prevail Over All Difficulties
SOUTH AFRICA, October 23—We live in a society which follows the capitalist economic and political structure. We, here in South Africa, face all the problems of capitalism. In some instances, we have it more severe than others, given South Africa’s historical record.
We live in a society full of inequality, joblessness, exploitation, crime, poverty, corruption, and other violence experienced by the masses in general. South Africa has the highest unemployment rate in the world. Youth unemployment stands at approximately 50%.
The ones who work are super exploited. More than 60% of them earn less than R4 000 (US$217) per month. Most must support their families with these salaries, and on average they spend 60% of it on transportation and food.
Most of our comrades are young Black males who grew up and reside in townships. They face this brutality head on every day.
This grim reality of capitalism is not unique to South Africa. Everywhere in the capitalist world the masses face the same atrocities. In El Salvador, USA, India, Mexico, and all other corners of the world, the masses are suffering and looking for a way out.
In El Salvador they face a neo-military dictatorship at the hands of capitalist lackeys. Despite intimidation and threats, comrades there are organizing factory workers for communism, distributing our literature, and holding communist meetings to grow our party and our line. We are inspired by their work and take great lessons.
The fascist Modi government in India is not deterring our comrades’ efforts in organizing for communism.
Despite the difficulties, challenges and internal contradictions facing the comrades in South Africa, we are still recruiting and organizing workers for communism in industrial areas.
We fight for a world without exploitation and private ownership of means of production to make profit for capitalist bosses. We mobilize the masses against racism and sexism. We particularly focus on recruiting female comrades to take leadership in the party and put our fight against sexism into practice.
A female industrial comrade in South Africa has been working to recruit five female co-workers into the party. The plan is for them to lead the industrial work of the party and recruit tens, hundreds, and eventually thousands of workers to the International Communist Workers’ Party.
Despite shortcomings and internal contradictions, we continue to strive to build the mass communist party under the banner of mobilizing for communism. Comrades overcome contradictions and challenges by having comradely criticism and self-criticism of their work and behaviour.
Accepting criticism and offering it where necessary allows comrades to overcome weaknesses individually as well as collectively. This enables us to combat liberalism and put the collective and the party first. Doing this ensures that the communist work continues whatever external or internal challenge that comrades face.
One struggle we have is for all comrades to do party work out of commitment to the collective, not for personal gain. That is the core of communism now and in the future.
Our weekly meetings discuss the Red Flag and problems affecting the comrades and the collective. We find solutions and carry on the work of the party with confidence and dedication.
Solidarity with our comrades around the world reassures us that communism will prevail with dedication, commitment and the correct attitude and party’s line.
The workers are rejecting the political bosses, seeing that they will not solve their problems. Dismantling capitalism through a communist revolution and ushering in a world free of exploitation and money will eliminate most of the problems the masses face.
This is our message to all the workers we recruit; to all the workers who get the Red Flag. We will face challenges big and small. However, if we collectively struggle to overcome those challenges and contradictions, communism will prevail.