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(The following article is from the November 16-30, 2008, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

From the BC Labour Committee, Communist Party of Canada

Greetings to our sisters and brothers attending this convention of the BC Federation of Labour. We wish you all a very productive convention.

     Delegates to the BC Fed meet at a time in the history of our province and country that may well determine the fate of the Canadian working class for many years to come. The current economic crisis, and the panicked scrambling of governments to bail out the wealthy corporate elite at the expense of the working people of the country, is setting the stage for massive class struggle not seen since the "Dirty Thirties" and the post-war strike upsurge.

     Make no mistake - there will be very little suffering experienced by the corporate fat cats sitting safely in their Bay Street and Howe Street towers. They fully intend on "solving" this crisis on the backs of the workers as they did during the Depression, with horrific human and social costs. Even before this crisis broke out, resource-based communities across British Columbia have suffered devastating layoffs, and public sector workers have faced constant attacks from the Campbell government.

     However, this time around the workers of our country are much better organized than at the beginning of the Depression. We have stronger networks and greater resources, which could be utilized to demand that the those whose policies worsened the crisis in the first place are made to bear the full cost. The labour movement of BC and Canada have a responsibility to defend the economic security of all workers. Labour must be prepared work together with other people's organizations in solidarity to defend wages, social programs and jobs, all of which will be targets as the crisis deepens.

     One important element of this struggle will be the fight to defeat the pro-employer Campbell Liberals at the polls on May 12, 2009. But the fightback cannot be restricted to the electoral front alone.

     The Vancouver and District Labour Council deserves applause for adopting a resolution at their October meeting calling for a campaign to educate workers and others about the true causes of the crisis, and to struggle in solidarity with sister and brother trade unionists whose organizations are hit by corporate inspired attacks on wages and jobs. The final point in the VDLC resolution calls for working in solidarity with others to fight back and organize resistance.

     We believe that this convention would be well served to debate and adopt a similar resolution in this emergency situation. The Communist Party pledges its support and active participation in such a campaign.