A RECENT International Workers Aid meeting in Berlin, attended by representatives of TWA groups from across Europe, discussed the new situation created by the imposed carve-up of Bosnia.
The meeting agreed that the Dayton agreement, when legitimisco cinn cleansing, was a victory for Milosevic. for Tudjman, and for US policy in the region. The presence of NATO troops on the ground was no contribution to the nigat or scit-acterination IWA was originally established in 1993 in order to campaign for the rights of Bosnian refugees. The pressing needs of Bosnian workers led to the IWA conference to launch the Dundee to Tuzla convoy.
Since then. IWA convoys have carried several hundreds of tons of aid to Tuzla, as well smaller amounts to Sarajevo. Mostar, Binac other towns. Other groups, including Workers' Aid for Bosnia, have also provided signiticant aid to boss nian workers.
The Berlin meeting beard that inese 10od were longer essential, since Mossies Were available in Bosnia, or could be bought in Cromia. Allowan some airect maic rial aid - such as work clothes and educational materials • was still needed, the most urgent concern was the reconstruction of Bosnian society.
wAs key task was the moolisa tion of international solidarity for the rebailding of the workers' movement in Rosnia. It was also important • as well as campaigning for the right of refugees to a safe return to their former homes - to support their right to remain in their country of asylum.
IWA has therefore decided to focus its work on support for the work of trade unions in Bosnia, especially in Tuzla. where close links have ac veloped over the past two-and-a-half Before the war, Tuzla - a town built on coal and salt mines • was a major centre of the Bosnian working class. Although, as a result of the Yugoslav system of'self management", the union leaderships were closely integrated with the management structures of the mining and other industries, there were several - mainty spontancoos • suikch The war has disrupted much of this. Hundreds of miners have been killed fighting against ethnic cleansing, while thousands more are still in the army. The struggle for survival and the growth of Bosnian (not necessarily Islamic nationalism have weakened support for the unions. At the same time, there is growing pressure for the ryausation of pusically.owned in dustries and utilities in The Dayton in former Yugoslavia. agreement, which These issues pose a legitimised ethnic huge challenge for the Bosnian workers' cleansing, was a BUTCHERIS victory for IWA agreed to support the new indeMilosevic, for penacat taoc union Tudjman, and for journal, Sindikalna informacija. The first isUS policy in the SUCA published in region. IWA has mid-December, cartherefore decided ried articles on demo. to focus its work on Miners' Day, on on support for the demands, and other iswork of trade SUCH unions in Bosnia IWA will help to tur the paper into a monthly, and hopes to raise 12,000 Deutschmarks (£6000) for the next six issues. Copies of the paper, with a translation, are available from IWAprice El - at the address below, 10 which all donations should be sent (cheques, payable to IWA. should be marked "TU paper' on the rear). IW A also agreed to sponsor a major conference of Bosnian and European trade unions in Tuzia in September. A working group will shortly present proposals; further information will be available from IWA soon. • All donations or requests for fur• ther information should be sent to International Workers' Aid, do PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU.