57 Communist and Workers' parties demand "Immediate measures to protect the health and rights of the peoples"

Update: As of April 3 a total of 80 parties have now signed the statement. 

In a joint statement released today 57 Communist and Workers' parties released a set of joint demands that need to be realized to protect workers and people internationally during the capitalist coronavirus crisis. These include calls for strengthening public health systems, ending criminal imperialist sanctions and redirecting public funds from military interventions and exercises to fighting the crisis.

In the preamble the statement notes:

The pre-existing slowdown in world economy is now being...reinforced by the spread of the coronavirus and increasing the risk of a new crisis in the coming period. In spite of the propaganda about "unity", governments in the service of the big capital  focus their financial measures on the support of monopoly groups and will once again seek to throw the burden of the crisis on the workers and the other popular strata. The workers and the peoples cannot and must not pay again!

The statement also salutes "the countries that develop solidarity actions with the most affected countries, such as the sending of protective materials and health professionals from countries such as China, Cuba and Russia, actions that are in stark contrast to the absence of the European Union."

The demands it outlines are:

• Immediate strengthening of public health systems by state funding, recruitment of full-time medical and nursing staff with full labor rights. Meeting all the needs of Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and the infrastructure needed for the full functioning of public healthcare and research services.

• Immediate provision of all necessary means of protection (masks, gloves, antiseptics, etc.) by the state to the people free of charge and fight against profiteering. Provision of all protection measures to all healthcare personnel  giving this battle at the hospitals with sacrifices and at their own cost.

• Protection of the income and rights of the working-popular strata. To put a brake on the unaccountability of capital that under the guise of the CoVID-19 epidemic proceeds to massive redundancies and tries to (further) trample over wage rights, working time, leave from work, and other labor rights. Immediate action to protect workers in the workplace.

• No to any curtailment of the democratic rights of the peoples under the pretext of the coronavirus.

• End all sanctions and measures of economic exclusion, which in this situation are even more unjust and criminal and make the life of the peoples in the countries they turn against to even more difficult. To take all necessary measures to protect the health and life of (all) peoples.

• We say no to imperialist interventions and military exercises, such as those of NATO, and demand that public resources be redirected to support the needs of the peoples, such as the financing of public health and social security systems.

The statement was initiated by the Communist Party of Greece was signed by parties including the Communist Parties of Canada, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Ireland, India, Malta, Poland, Portugal and 47 others.

To read the full statement and see the full list of endorsers go to: https://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Dozens-of-Communist-and-Workers-Parties-demand-immediate-measures-to-protect-the-health-and-rights-of-the-peoples/