FAU Berlin for the Banquet conflict

Berlin 20/10/2010






To whom it may concern,





we, the FAU Berlin - German section of the International Workers'

Association - had to learn about the charges against workers' activists in

the conflict with the Thessaloniki based Banquet restaurant. In a similar

case against our union, German courts had to rule:



a) Freedom of speech is a human right that cannot and must not be excluded

from the workplace.

b) Any laborconflict is yet a conflict, and the right to issue even harsh

criticism on both sides must be possible and covered by the human right to

freedom of speech.

c)The conflicting parts have the possibility to display - at any time -

their respective points of view to the public and the media.

d) All charges against the union must immediately be dropped.



We as a union thus demand that Thessaloniki courts be as repectful of the

basic human right to freedom of speech as Berlin courts. The rights of

workers to express their experiences and views is worth no less than the

owner's right to communicate his views on the conflict to the public (as

already happened in the past). We therefor demand that all charges against

workers and their supporters in the Banquet laborconflict be dropped

immediately.



Yours truely,



Lars Roehm



(General Sectretary FAU Berlin)