To the officials of the ETUC member organisations in charge of mobilisation for the Euro-demonstration

Transcription

1 Brussels, 9 December 2008 AM/bc To the officials of the ETUC member organisations in charge of mobilisation for the Euro-demonstration Re: ETUC Euro-demonstration in Strasbourg on 16 December 2008 Dear Colleagues, We all certainly still have in mind the resounding success of the Euro-demonstration organised by the ETUC on 14 February 2006 in Strasbourg, where more than 50,000 trade union activists took to the streets to express in a totally peaceful way their opposition to the Bolkestein directive. We will be back in Strasbourg on 16 December to demonstrate massively and peacefully against the weakening of working time standards in Europe. As you know, the following day, 17 December, the European Parliament will vote in plenary on the revision of the Working Time Directive. That is why the ETUC is calling on all its member organisations to be present on 16 December in Strasbourg, to support the following demand: Priority to workers rights, not longer working hours Our goal is to see 10,000 workers from across Europe converge in the streets of Strasbourg on that day. Outlined below is the latest practical information that you have certainly been eagerly awaiting: the day's programme the demonstration route means of transport team of stewards sound-system cars in the procession mobile sanitary facilities medical service emergency telephone numbers catering composition of the procession composition of the lead formation close of the demonstration safety instructions. John Monks, General Secretary Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 5 B 1210 Bruxelles Tel: Fax: / 55 etuc@etuc.org

2 1- Programme for Tuesday 16 December in Strasbourg Arrival of demonstrators (by coach, train or air) Meeting of trade union leaders with the press (Room 5 on ground floor) Maison des Syndicats rue Sédillot 1, Strasbourg Formation of the procession Departure of the demonstration Arrival of the demonstration Podium with music and speeches End of the demonstration 2- Your arrival in Strasbourg If you arrive by coach Coaches will drop off demonstrators at the starting point, more specifically at Rond- Point Pierre Mendez France. The empty coaches will then be escorted by the police to the Tivoli car park where the demonstration will end. Another parking area, Wacken car park, is also reserved strictly for French coaches, at the break-up point of the demonstration. You will have to return by foot to the coaches that will be waiting in car parks at the break-up point of the demonstration. To facilitate the organisers' job, it is imperative that you display the attached poster very visibly on the front of each coach. If you arrive by train at Strasbourg central station An ETUC orientation service will be on hand to guide you: its members will be wearing a fluorescent yellow waistcoat with the ETUC logo. They will show you the tramway stop within walking distance where you can take the A or D line, getting off at the Porte de l Hôpital stop; see attached map (about a 15-minute ride). When the demonstration breaks up, to return to the central station you will have to walk to the Wacken tramway stop and take line B or D, getting off at the central station; see attached map (about a 15-minute ride). If you arrive by air An ETUC orientation service will greet you at the airport: its members will be wearing a fluorescent yellow waistcoat with the ETUC logo. You will be guided to the buses that will be waiting outside the airport and which will drop off demonstrators at the demonstration starting point. A first bus shuttle will leave the airport at 9.30 and a second shuttle will leave the airport at At the end of the demonstration, to return to the airport, you will have to walk to the buses waiting in rue Richard Strauss, which will leave at

3 See attached map of the demonstration route with the arrival of the buses at the starting point of the demonstration and the car parks at the demonstration's break-up point. 3- General team of stewards for the demonstration The team of stewards can be recognised by their fluorescent yellow waistcoats with the ETUC logo. Stewards will be present at the following strategic points: Inside the central train station At the airport At the entrance to the room where the union leaders will meet the press At the arrival point for demonstrators' coaches Around the lead formation At the demonstration's formation point At the demonstration's break-up point In front of the podium At the coach parking area 4- Sound-system cars in the procession If you have made plans for a sound-system car to accompany your delegation in the procession, please remember to affix the attached poster on the front of each vehicle as a pass! These cars must be in place between and 12.30, for security reasons. The organisers accept no responsibility in case of accident within the procession involving one or more of these cars. For security reasons, all the cars concerned must absolutely exit the procession before the end of the demonstration, for example at Place de Bordeaux. 5- Mobile sanitary facilities We have made plans for the installation of public sanitary facilities at the demonstration starting point and break-up point. We urge you to comply strictly with Strasbourg's environmental protection and cleanliness rules. 6- A medical service will be available during the demonstration In an emergency, you can use the following number: Emergency telephone numbers Police Fire brigade: 17 Ambulance: 15 3

4 8- Catering There will also be a snack-bar catering service at the demonstration starting point and break-up point (beverages, hamburgers, hot-dogs, etc.) organised by our French trade union member organisations, at very reasonable prices. 9- Composition of the procession (see attached map) The general procession will be composed as follows: Lead formation Small international delegations Large international delegations French trade union organisations (CGT/CFDT/FO/UNSA/CFTC) Non-ETUC trade union organisations To facilitate the formation of the procession, we have divided up the space where it will form into three zones of demonstrators corresponding to the following letters: Zone A Zone B Zone C These letters will be very visibly posted on large panels at the place where the procession will form (rue de Zurich and rue des Orphelins): you need only look for the zone corresponding to your delegation, while respecting the procession order with the aid of the attached map. 10- Access to the head of the demonstration It will be reserved to demonstrators wearing a specific badge that we will distribute on the day of the demonstration. Access to the lead formation is restricted to three representatives per organisation. We ask each organisation to appoint at least one woman among these three representatives. Please be creative! Within your delegation, try to give an original expression to our trade union demands, using creative slogans and illustrations, and keep in mind that the media are eager to film this type of image. For example: Ring the alarms of the different clocks (TIC-TAC) in the procession as a symbol of working time. 4

5 TIC-TAC, 25 hours of work a day: NO 11- Close of the demonstration: trade union rally At the demonstration's arrival point, near the European Parliament, we will set up a podium with a sound system. The programme will include speeches by ETUC General Secretary John Monks, the leaders of the five French trade union organisations (CGT/CFDT/FO/UNSA/CFTC) and other union leaders, as well as a concert by a French rock group. 12- Reminder of other safety instructions We are counting on the presence of 10,000 European demonstrators in the streets of Strasbourg. We want this trade union event to illustrate our determination but also our capacity to demonstrate calmly and good-humouredly. That is why we urge you: to respect the safety instructions given by the teams of stewards for the demonstration; not to use bangers (formally prohibited); not to include large vehicles such as coaches or trucks in the procession. We also remind you: that it is very important for the officials in charge of safety within each delegation to be on location early to orientate demonstrators; that it would be useful for a few members of your delegation to occupy your place in the procession on Tuesday morning. This would be especially useful for big delegations; to observe fair play and not to encroach upon the area reserved for another delegation to respect the procession order; to remember to keep in your possession the cell phone number of your coach driver(s); not to leave Strasbourg without counting your troops. It would not be very nice to leave a demonstrator behind in Strasbourg; to plan for your coach(es) to reach Strasbourg no later than to on Tuesday morning. We are counting on you to ensure that your national delegation also represents women and young people. 5

6 Tuesday 16 December will be another day of mobilisation for the ETUC, but it should also be a day of action and celebration for European trade unionism. To be sure this day will remain a good memory for all of us, be careful on the motorway and respect the traffic regulations and all safety instructions that we have put in place to facilitate your participation in the Strasbourg demonstration. Let's demonstrate together on Tuesday 16 December at in Strasbourg, to ask the European Parliament to respect and support the ETUC's demands during its plenary session vote on the Working Time Directive! With the economic and social crisis that we are experiencing today, we are convinced that Strasbourg will certainly represent for the ETUC a first step "on the offensive" among other large-scale steps that will take place in early Have a safe trip to Strasbourg. The weather promises to be sunny but cold on 16 December! Best regards, Antonio Moreira Adviser Tel: 032(0) Mobile: 0032 (0) amoreira@etuc.org Attachments: 1. Map of the demonstration route 2. Demonstration tract 3. Map of the tramway route from the train station and return 4. Small posters for demonstrators' buses 5. Demonstration lead banner 6. Small posters for sound-system cars 7. Composition of the procession 8. Picture: waistcoats of stewards 6