In face of the growing impact of the energy crisis on working people, the socialist campaign demands immediate government action to open the books of the energy monopolies to inspection by workers and farmers. Only such a step can bring before public view the contrived shortages, price-gouging, and true financial situation of these corporations.

The labor movement can take the lead in this by fighting to allow workers and their unions in the oil and electrical generation industries to find out and let the world know the truth about what is going on in the industry. We demand: end the secrets!

Workers and farmers in the state face power blackouts, demands by the utilities to "conserve" power, rate hikes, and layoffs due to the profit drive by the energy companies. The power companies even refuse to tell people when a blackout will occur, even though they plan in advance where and when they will turn off the power. Rising prices for gas, electricity, and heating oil are eating up a larger part of budgets of working people across the country.

Moves under discussion in the California legislature, such as the proposal by Gov. Gray Davis for the state to buy the electricity and sell it to the power utilities, all head in one direction: workers and farmers in the state paying for a massive bailout of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Edison. The move would also guarantee massive profits to companies that supply natural gas, coal, and other fuels used to generate electricity.

Instead of bailouts and schemes to guarantee continued corporate profits at the expense of the basic needs of working people, our campaign urges the labor movement to demand the government expropriate the energy monopolies and run the industry as a public utility in the interests of the majority. The nationalized utility should be overseen by a publicly elected board, independent of the government, with workers having control over job conditions and production. I am convinced that working people here and elsewhere would respond massively to calls by the labor movement for such a campaign.

The socialist campaign also demands that immediate relief be provided to all who need it, so that not a single person will go without heat, electricity, or fuel. Small farmers and businesses must also be protected from ruination by price-gouging and energy shortages caused by the criminal actions of the energy trusts.
 
 
Related articles:
Workers, farmers face brunt of energy crisis
Nationalization as a response to energy crisis
 
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home