While the EU and IMF travelled to Athens for new talks, thousands of workers protested against mass layoffs, tax increases and cuts in social spending.

More... (http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/11/07/gree-n07.html)

Compare and contrast with the OP:


The strike of the class-oriented forces was mass and dynamic


The strike mobilizations organized by PAME (6/11) in Athens and dozens of cities all over the country were particularly successful and had a mass character. Workers, pensioners, young people, students, school-students, women and unemployed condemned the new anti-worker and anti-people measures which have been passed and state their determination to fight against those that will be introduced in the future.

The mobilization in Athens despite the heavy rain had a mass character and was dynamic. At the head of the march there was a banner with the slogan of PAME “ Hold your head high, strength comes from the organization, hope from the struggle.”

A series of workplaces like big factories, ports, railways, airports came to a standstill. An important battle was waged early in the morning on the picket lines of the strike in conflict with the effort of the government and employers to utilize the recent murderous attack on 2 members of the fascist Golden Dawn, which operates in a provocational way, fostering an atmosphere of intimidation and fear, of non-participation in the labour-people’s struggle.

The working class of the country went on strike in a mass way against the new reductions in the already reduced wages, pensions and severance pay, against the individual labour contracts. They demanded an increase in unemployment benefit, exclusively public and free Health and Education, for all the heavy taxes to stop, as well as every seizure and auctioning of the houses of the working people. They expressed their opposition to the liberalization of the dismissals, the privatizations, the new tax incursions provided for in the new budget, to the liberalization of the working hours, the abolition of Sunday as a holiday. Trade unionists of PAME and cadres from the trade unions in the dairy industry EBGA and the bottling company Coca Cola, who are in conflict with the employers in important strike battles in this period, spoke at the rally.

This picture is in complete contrast to the undermining role of employer and government-led trade unionism. These forces which are the majority in GSEE-ADEDY were silent about the strike, they did nothing for its success. In many instances, they were a support for the employers in the intimidation of the workers and strike-breaking. Their degeneration manifested itself in Athens, where at the rally organized by this majority of GSEE-ADEDY they announced the cancellation of the strike rally (!) with the pretext of the rain. In reality, no one had come to demonstrate with them, the strikers turned their backs on them. This was the picture all over Greece. Their role is confirmed by the fact that major workplaces in the private and public sector did not participate in the strike, despite the particularly sharpened problems.

Earlier, school students from dozens of schools in Athens held a rally. In addition, representatives from the General union of Palestinian Workers, Cuba, Senegal, South Africa attended. A motion for the 4 Cubans that are being imprisoned in the USA was read at the rally in Omonia.

A large delegation of the CC of the KKE attended the strike mobilization headed by the GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, who stated:

“We are struggling for the protection of the unemployed, for the social-security rights and the pensions, for the collective labour agreements, to stop the intimidation in the workplaces, to end the robbery of our people through taxes, for the regroupment of the labour and people’s movement, for the People’s Alliance, with the aim of finally changing the class that is in power.”

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-strike-of-the-class-oriented-forces-was-mass-and-dynamic/

Where are the Trotskyites in the streets of Greece? They talk a big game but just sit on the porch and grouse. They are a drag on socialism.

A large delegation of the CC of the KKE attended the strike mobilization headed by the GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, who stated:

“We are struggling for the protection of the unemployed, for the social-security rights and the pensions, for the collective labour agreements, to stop the intimidation in the workplaces, to end the robbery of our people through taxes, for the regroupment of the labour and people’s movement, for the People’s Alliance, with the aim of finally changing the class that is in power.”

This is the voice of the Greek worker. And with representatives from the working class around the world, this had an international flavor, as well. The Trots got nothing - they all but lie in their reports, as bad as the bourgeois press. They should be ashamed, but can't be - no class consciousness...

Controversial Proposal for Tackling Unemployment

Centre of planning and Economic Research in Greece has proposed a controversial measure in order to deal with the problem of increasing unemployment in the country.

The measure includes unpaid work for the young and unemployed up to 24 years old, so that companies would have a strong motive to hire young employees. Practically, what is proposed is the abolition of the basic salary for a year. At the same time the “export” of young unemployed persons was also proposed to other countries abroad, as Greek businesses do not appear able to hire new personnel.

According to the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce, unemployment especially hits the ages between 15-24. The unemployment rate in Greece stands at 24.6% while 57.2% of young people are without a job. The majority of the unemployed (71%) have had no work for 12 months or more, while 23.3 % of the total have never worked. There were 3,635,905 people employed and 1,345,387 unemployed.

Unemployment in Greece is one of the most pressing issues that the Greek government has to deal with. Its high rate is affecting Greek commerce as the numbers of those who are self-employed is constantly declining.

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/01/24/controversial-proposal-for-tackling-unemployment/

Slavery or exile, are they trying to kill the nation?

Mass mobilization of KNE against super-exploitation and badly paid work

http://inter.kke.gr/export/sites/inter/.content/images/news/kne-kepe.jpg_729740902.jpg

The mobilization organized by the Attica Organization of KNE on Friday Afternoon (31/1) in the centre of Athens, in Omonia Sq. regarding the proposals of the government’s consultative body, the Centre of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE), for the super-exploitation of young people, was mass and dynamic. The abolition of the minimum wage was proposed by the KEPE for young people under the age of 29, for up to a year after their being hired as incentive for the businesses in the name of fighting against unemployment. The mobilization was also the first response to the Prime Minister’s announcements concerning 440,000 jobs via the programmes of super-exploitation and badly paid work.

The mass mobilization of KNE began with the rally at 5 in the afternoon in Omonia and then there was a march to the Ministry of Labour and the offices of KEPE. Speaking at the rally, Petros Markomichalis, Secretary of the Attica Regional Council of KNE, mentioned amongst other things: “What are they proposing? Always of course in the name of development: they say that the young people up to the age of 29 should wander between various programmes that recycle poverty and unemployment for a year without the minimum wage. I.e. they should not have even enough money to pay for their ticket to use public transport or to buy a donut.

These proposals are the continuation of the previous decisions that are being implemented and prepared the terrain. What are these decisions: One day contracts, one-month contracts, so-called “trial periods” at work, the programmes “which are the ticket for young people to find work”, the law which makes a distinction between the salaries of workers above or below the age of 25.

Measures that would allegedly deal with the unemployment of young people, that would facilitate them to enter the job market. However, unemployment, especially amongst young people, has not only not been reduced, but has rapidly increased. Official unemployment is recorded at around 27.8%, while amongst young people under 25 years of age it is much higher, reaching 59%(...)

At the same time the Prime Minister Samaras announced the other day 440,000 “employment opportunities”. Pay attention, he did not announce jobs but “employment opportunities”. “Opportunities” but not one stable job and amongst the things he announced there are old programmes that are being presented as new ones in order to increase the number!”

“The government’s attempt for us to accept that we will work for nothing, so that we learn to live with a little must face the organized response of the young workers, the young unemployed, the young people in the training centres, in the Technical Institutes and the universities, in the schools and neighbourhoods.

Every member and friend of KNE, wherever they are, must play a leading role in the struggle with the trade unions and PAME from tomorrow without wasting any time for the following

•So that there is no young person who will work with a salary of less than 751 euros per month (this is the National Pay Agreement before the outbreak of the crisis).
•No distinctions between workers on the basis of age.
•Abolition of the “slave” offices, the training centres and the NGOs which have undertaken the role to manage such “work” programmes along the lines of “work experience”.
•Free medical cover for all.
•Unemployment benefit for all the unemployed and for as long as they remain unemployed.
•Substantial measures for the protection of the unemployed and their families.
•The workers in the various programmes to be paid every month and to be entitled to unemployment benefit after the end of 5-month contract.”


The cadre of KNE concluded:

“We call on every young person to think. About why the KKE is the only party which is clear and says that there is a way to solve the problem of unemployment. Because only the KKE has a proposal for the overthrow of this rotten exploitative system, which gives rise to unemployment and which can not solve it whatever it does, even if it wants to limit it a little it can only do this in these kinds of ways, so as to feed the capitalists with hot money so that they can then recycle young people without rights to work for them.”

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Mass-mobilization-of-KNE-against-super-exploitation-and-badly-paid-work/

The poor farmers are on the path of struggle

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“So we are back on the roads again. With the tractors of work and struggle, on the roadblocks in order to survive. We are struggling, tooth and nail, in order to keep our fields and our animals, so that we remain in our villages, so that we can sustain our families through our work in a decent way.

This struggle is inevitable for us poor farmers. If we don’t struggle, they will drive us off our land, if we do not resist, they will throw us on the bonfire of unemployment and destitution. It is a just struggle. Indeed, this time we are not asking them to give us anything. We are demanding that they do not take way what little is left to us.

Our accusers emerged the moment we went out onto the roads. Our old acquaintances, each time we carry our mobilizations, “spew bile” against us. They characterize us as “beggars”, “greedy”, “work-shy”, “instigated by political motives”. They have deeply insulted with words like “donkeys” and “terrorists”. (…)

Now they are accusing us of being “freeloaders” and that we are going onto the roads because we do not want to pay taxes. And allegedly they ask us innocently and naively: As you have some income why don’t you pay the taxes, as the workers, self-employed and businessmen do?

We answer them: you are wretched liars and dirty slanderers. What are the poor farmers saying no to? We are saying no to the decision of the coalition government of ND-PASOK to collect, through savage and unjust taxation, money from the poor farmers, the workers, the small businessmen and shopkeepers, in order to channel it into the “deep pockets” of big capital.”

The statement issued by the farmers of Thessaly stressed this amongst other things. Over a thousand tractors have gathered in the “roadblock” in the country’s central motorway, in Nikaia, Larissa. They found the riot police lined up against then from the very first moment, who aim to suppress their struggle with batons and tear gas.

Thousands of farmers in other regions of Greece, like Macedonia, the Peloponnese, Crete etc. are mobilizing.

The poor farmers are being wiped out by the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU, which is being implemented, zealously and consistently, by the coalition government of ND-PASOK, as well as by all the previous governments, which had the direct or indirect support of the parties of the EU one-way street and which will become even worse through its revision for the period 2015-2020, the subsidies and funding will be further cut. Each year about 20,000 small landowners and small producers in our country are being thrown out of the farming profession and the land and production is being concentrated in fewer and fewer hands.

The major agricultural businesses, the multi-nationals, the monopolies-as is happening in other EU countries-are taking agricultural production into their hands, as well as the dietary needs and clothing of the people.

The poor farmers of Greece are going on to the roads in order to resist the political line of the EU and the government which was put in place to deal with them. At the same time they are struggling for a different agricultural development, which will utilize all the productive advantages of our country, will be based on necessary and vitally important infrastructure projects, on the producer cooperatives and the central planning of the economy. This requires the socialization of the country’s basic means of production, so that such an economy can be constructed, which will not operate on the basis of the capitalist’s profit, but will safeguard the satisfaction of the contemporary needs of the people, will provide the workers and farmers with a satisfactory income, cheap and quality products for our people’s dietary needs and raw material for the manufacturing industry. An economy that demands rupture with the inter-state capitalist union, the EU, as well as the corresponding overthrow at the level of power.

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/The-poor-farmers-are-on-the-path-of-struggle/

Greek financial crisis tied to worsening health


LONDON (AP) — Researchers say they have found new evidence that Greece's financial crisis is taking a toll on the health of its citizens, including rising rates of HIV, tuberculosis, depression and even infant deaths.

Since the economic crisis hit several years ago, the government's health spending has been slashed and hundreds of thousands of people have been left without health insurance. As cuts have been made to AIDS prevention programs, rates of HIV and tuberculosis in drug users have spiked.

Previous studies have found suicides in Greece have increased by about 45 percent between 2007 and 2011. The new research found the prevalence of major depression more than doubled from 2008 to 2011, citing economic hardship as a major factor.

Suicides and mental health problems tend to be underreported, so "this is probably just the tip of the iceberg," said Alexander Kentikelenis of Cambridge University, the study's lead author.

The study's findings were based mainly on population surveys and statistics from the government and other sources including the European Commission. Kentikelenis said it would take years to measure the long-term consequences of people being without regular access to health care, particularly those with chronic conditions like heart disease.

Kentikelenis and colleagues also observed a 21 percent rise in stillbirths, according to figures from the Greek National School of Public Health.

"Some pregnant women no longer have access to health care, therefore the complications later on in their pregnancy can be more pronounced," he said. Kentikelenis and colleagues also found infant deaths, which had previously been falling, jumped by more than 40 percent between 2008 and 2010. He said that was likely linked to babies not getting enough to eat and fewer medical check-ups, as families cut off from state health care couldn't afford private treatment. The research was published online Friday in the journal, Lancet.

The medical charity Doctors of the World confirmed the Greek financial crisis has had a devastating impact on health. In response, the group has doubled the number of programs it runs in Greece since the crisis began.

Though the charity originally started its operations in Greece mainly to treat vulnerable foreign populations like refugees, deputy director Nathalie Simonnot said it is increasingly treating ordinary Greek citizens with no other means of getting health care.

Simonnot also said they had seen rising numbers of pregnant women unable to afford hospital visits and diabetics who had to choose between buying food or insulin.

"We see people in conditions I've never seen in my life," she said, referring to patients who have turned up at clinics with chunks of their flesh missing.

Simonnot wasn't very optimistic the Greek government would be able to reverse the situation anytime soon, slamming their 2012 reintroduction of a law that forces drug users, prostitutes and immigrants to be tested for infectious diseases under police supervision.

"That's a complete violation of their human rights," she said. "There is a lot of solidarity among the Greeks but the entire health system is under enormous pressure."

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/greek-financial-crisis-tied-worsening-health-0

Police attacks workers and unemployed in the centre of Athens

Workers and unemployed people who were demonstrating in the centre of Athens against unemployment (6/3/2014) faced the provocative attack of the police forces.

The protesters gathered in the centre of Athens and marched to the Ministry of Labour. They found the doors closed, even though a meeting had been scheduled, as the entire political leadership of the ministry was absent. The unions demanded that the minister must come in order to carry out the meeting. As this did not happen they announced that they would go to the Ministry of Finance to meet a representative of the government.

Nevertheless heavy police forces and police vans had blocked the road in order to prevent the protesters and later on they attacked them with batons and tear gas so that they would not disturb the visit of the German President to Greece, given that the Greek government had provocatively banned demonstrations during his visit.

Even the MEP of the KKE, Babis Angourakis, and photographers and journalists did not escape the provocative assault.



The demonstrators confronted in a militant way the assault they were on the receiving end of and with slogans denounced the state violence which is used against the people and in favour of the monopolies. They decided to meet again at the demonstration on Friday 7/3 for International Women’s Day. Babis Angourakis, MEP of the KKE, denounced the authoritarianism of the government and the provocative behaviour of the ministers against the demonstrators, as the request for a meeting had been rejected both by the Ministry of Labour and by the Ministry of Finance. He called on the people to continue their struggles, stressing that the KKE would be at their side. Dozens of trade unions issued statements condemning the stance of the government against the mobilization of the class-oriented trade unions which were demanding that measures be taken regarding unemployment. They also condemned the police attack, which used tear gas and batons against the demonstrators.

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Police-attacks-workers-and-unemployed-in-the-centre-of-Athens/

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Official figures show the unemployment rate in Greece increased to 27.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013 as the economy struggled to emerge from a protracted recession.

Thursday’s figures from the statistics agency showed the jobless rate increasing from 27 percent in the third quarter of 2013 and from 26 percent in the same three months of 2012.

Greece, a country of about 10 million people, has 1.36 million people out of work, the figures showed. Young people are the most severely affected, with 57 percent of those aged 15-24 jobless.

Greece, which has been affected by a financial crisis since late 2009, depends on rescue loans from the International Monetary Fund and other European countries. In return, it has had to impose deep spending cuts and tax increases.

http://www.salon.com/2014/03/13/greek_unemployment_rises_to_27_5_percent/

(ANSAmed) - ATHENS, MARCH 17 - Greece's international lenders say the country's state-financed labor unions are too powerful and want their powers reduced, including the right to strike.

The government of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, which has been subject to a series of strikes and protests over austerity measures he administered on orders of the troika of the Eu-Imf-Ecb has reportedly consented although it was reported the Labor Ministry will seek the consent of the General Confederation of Greek Labor on the larger issues. The troika wants the practice stopped of unions being allowed to grant workers up to 20 days a month off for union activities after it was said most of them use it to keep second jobs while being paid for their primary jobs from which they were absent but still getting paid, drawing down two checks. Another measure that is being considered is making strikes illegal unless they have been approved by at least 50% of each union's registered members. Employers will also regain the right to stage lockouts, which they lost in 1982 even though it applies in many other countries in Europe. (ANSAmed).


http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/politics/2014/03/17/Crisis-Greece-troika-wants-reduce-unions-powers_10246145.html

Which brings to mind those Ukranian 'unions' Labor Start has been posting who love them some EU. Some union, some solidarity....

Which brings to mind those Ukranian 'unions' Labor Start has been posting who love them some EU. Some union, some solidarity....

No solidarity without class solidarity. Labor aristocracy? I don't know, but if your union sleeps with the bourgeoisie, for all intents and purposes they are bourgeoisie.

Demonstrations of PAME against the anti-people measures


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On Sunday 30th March the All Workers’ Militant Front (PAME) organized demonstrations in Athens, Thessalonica and other cities against the anti-people draft law of the government which was discussed and passed on the same day under an urgent procedure at the plenary session of the Parliament.

The representative of the parliamentary group of the KKE, Nikos Karathanassopoulos, stressed that the savage anti-people measures which are included in the draft law "represent capitalism in its essence, without any decorations, capitalism that seeks to concentrate the wealth in the hands of a small group of capitalists and leads those who produce the wealth to poverty and destitution”.

The draft law of the government provides for new reductions in salaries, delivers a blow against the social security funds of the working people, promotes the dismissals in the public sector, privatizations, undermines various sections of the self-employed etc.

PASEVE, PASY, OGE, MAS also took part in the rallies of PAME, while a delegation of the CC of the KKE, headed by the General Secretary of the CC, cde Dimitris Koutsoumpas, in the rally and march in Athens. The GS of the CC of the KKE stated to the journalists that: “The further the government and official opposition converge on essential and strategic issues regarding the predatory alliance of the EU itself, regarding the assurances to SEV (Hellenic Federation of Enterprises), big capital and monopolies, the more the “stage-managed” confrontation will strengthen inside and outside parliament regarding the various procedural issues, as will the “cockfighting”.

The Greek people, the working class, the poor self-employed, the poor farmers, the youth and women must turn their backs on them. They must organize their own struggle, the genuine people’s struggle in the workplaces, to organize their people’s alliance, all of them together, with unity and struggles and with the strengthening of the KKE in the impending electoral battles, which is the only essential guarantee that will in this way open up a better path for our people, our children, for our country.”

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Demonstrations-of-PAME-against-the-anti-people-measures/

..Mass strike demonstrations of PAME

On Wednesday 9th April thousands of protesters joined the strike demonstrations of PAME that took place in more than 60 cities across the country in the framework of the 24hour general strike.

The Executive Secretariat of PAME saluted the thousands of working people who went on strike, the unemployed, the young people, the women who overcame the difficulties and the threats of the employers, the open undermining of the strike by the employer and the government led trade unionism and joined the battle of the nationwide strike at the gates of the factories, on the ramps of the ships, in all offices and workplaces. It saluted the thousands of protesters who participated in the strike demonstrations of PAME in all cities with the slogans and the demands of the class oriented movement strengthening the struggle for the regroupment of the labour movement. It saluted the poor farmers, the self-employed who participated in the strike demonstrations of PAME. “The message of the general strike today is clear. We continue more resolutely to struggle and resist the ongoing measures that lead the workers’ and people’s families to poverty and destitution” stressed the ES of PAME.

There are forces in the trade union system, i.e. the forces of PAME in the workplaces, that have the ability and the willingness to strengthen the organization, the counterattack of the working class, forces which are militant and determined, forces which have been struggling for 15 years against the employers, against the EU,against the barbarity that the working class is experiencing.

We are doing our utmost for the regroupment of the labour and people’s movement, for its rise. Many fear such a rise and do not want it. Above all the big employers in every sector and then their political personnel and the compromised employer and government led trade unionism, in both its old and new form. These are forces that want the labour movement with a bowed head and unorganized. This is the reason why they undermine the strikes and continually impede the organization of the workers. At the same time, forces from the emerging government and employer led trade unionism are presenting themselves as allegedly new but are created out of the old and damaged materials. They talk about an alleged regroupment of the labour movement, bowing to the values of the EU, the profitability and competitiveness of the business groups.



The just cause of the workers, of all the working people, will be determined in each workplace and on the streets of the escalating-relentless struggle, by the united front of all the workers in the public and private sector, of the unemployed and youth.



The militancy of today’s strike mobilization sends a clear message to the government and the bosses. The next major militant meeting will be the strike on May 1st.



We call on the trade unions, the trade union organizations, all the class-oriented forces to organize and enthusiastically prepare for the success of the strike and the May 1st rally from now, wasting no time, with the aim of impeding the implementation of the anti-people measures. It must be a strike and demonstration which are appropriate for the historical weight of May 1st and which will demonstrate the strength of the workers united on a class basis.”



Statement of the GS of the CC of the KKE



The GS of the CC of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumpas, who was present at PAME’s strike rally in Athens, stated: “The workers, the unemployed, our people must not be misled by the celebrations about going back to the markets to borrow, they must not be misled by whatever possible small recovery may come afterwards, as all this will be based on a raft of antiworker-antipeople laws, will be based on the permanent supervision of the EU, on the permanent memoranda. The only realistic response today is: People’s unity, alliance, struggle, with a strong KKE everywhere, because it is the strength and hope of the people.”

http://inter.kke.gr/en/articles/Mass-strike-demonstrations-of-PAME/