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Issue No 2February 2012

Helliniki Halivourgia

3 month strike

We Coordinate!International Meeting

EuropeanTrade Unions

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Dear comrades,The second issue of WORKERS COUNTERATTACK is a fact. We

move on steadily to the strengthening of communication with the workers of Europe and the world. We thank the comrades who read the 1st Issue and sent us observations and comments. We hope that they will continue, and become more. Improving the magazine, we start a new column, COMMENTS, which will comment on issues about the positions and the stand of organizations and trade unionists, on which workers must be informed and make conclusions. Under this perspective, we comment here and also on the tribute to the struggle of the steelworkers, the issue of the 2 lines in the trade union movement of Greece, an issue that was expressed intensely, again, because of the participation of the governmental and employers’ trade unionism(GSEE) in the so called “social dialogue”.

Class collaboration or class strugglethose are the two options in front of each step, the labour

movement takes. The creation of PAME was based, specifically, on the necessity to express the class perception in the trade union movement. This was when the leadership of GSEE in Greece used the label of “workers’ representative”, in order to sacrifice the lives of the workers, under the idea of “class collaboration”. Even during the period of capitalist growth, the so called “social dialogue” between GSEE and the industrialists lead to subjugation of the workers’ needs, in the logic of “competitiveness”, of “the profitability and growth” of the capitalists.

Today, within the framework of the crisis, they use the method of “social dialogue” to disarm the labour movement. On one hand, by presenting the workers as aligned with the wage cuts and the butchering of their rights. On the other hand, by growing among the workers, the idea that workers and capitalists have common interests. The “social dialogue” is class collaboration, between the exploiters and the exploited, so as to drag workers into negotiating, how much will lose.

The case of FranceIn the “social dialogue”, that took part in January 18th, it was

decided, in the name of competitiveness, to strongly promote “job

rotation”-artificial unemployment- and the “training” of 225.000 unemployed, a gist to the capitalists. Also, it was established the “social VAT”, that is a partial relief for the enterprises from the “non-wage cost”, which will be paid by the workers through the VAT’s raise. There, were also decided measures, in order to sell public property.

The case of ItalyThere, the “social dialogue” started on the 23rd of January. The

president of Confidustria-industrialists Union- highlighted that “it is necessary a debate without ideologies”, demanding further flexibility of the working relations and “cheaper” dismissals. The 3 bigger trade union confederations CGIL, CISL and UIL showed under a common document.“The steel is tempered into the strong fire and the great cold. That was how and our generation was

tempered, and learned not to surrender”N.Ostrowski

The 400 steelworkers, the class oriented line in the labour movement, teach to all workers how the working class must stand, today, against the capitalists, that workers have the strength and the determination for hard, class struggle. They teach that the workers are the producers of the wealth and they should enjoy it. We do not surrender!

Organization-Counter Attack!By escalation of the struggle, every work place to become a castle of resistance, a school of class struggle. By massification of the trade unions and strengthening of the class orientation in Greece and in Europe.Next stop, the new general strike, all over Greece, PAME has called.

Class collaborationor class struggle

PAME had warned on the capitalists’ new antilabour plans. PAME’s mobilization on January 18th, blocked the process of the “social dialogue” and revealed a document of the “social partners”(GSEE and the union of the Industrialists), through which they would abolish Collective Agreements.

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General Strike-December 1st Massive Labour reply to anti- popular taxes- Continuance and Escalation of the Struggle Pier-Paolo Leonardi, from USB trade union of Italy greeted the demonstration of PAME in Athens

The strike on December 1st met great success. The strike was to reject the new budget which massacres the working class. The continuous head fines and the new taxes, the cuts of the wages and social spending, the attack against our rights is supplemented by new tax exemptions and privileges for the capital. To all these, our response must be to organize the struggle everywhere. Movement of rupture and overthrow against the anti-popular policy. The capital must pay.

The demonstrations of PAME all over Greece were massive in contrast to the governmental and employers’ trade unionism, with its subversive and strikebreaking attitude. Thousands of workers trusted PAME. The class-oriented unions fight alongside with PAME on a united front of resistance everywhere, in factories, in every workplace and neighbourhood, schools and villages against the escalation of the war of the employers,the government, the E.U.The Executive Secretariat called for continuation and escalation of the struggle, based on the initiatives agreed at the strike demonstrations. At the same time the Executive Secretariat highlighted that the primary duty is to organise the working people’s struggle, to organise action and solidarity in order to deter and reverse the predatory measures of the black-font, coalition government (PASOK, social democrats -Nea Dimokratia, conservatives- LAOS, nationalists) and the consequences of the crisis.

More info

Demonstrations Outside IRS Offices in dozens of cities around the country, to cancel the head fines for the houses

With protests in dozens of cities outside the IRS offices the forces of PAME, PASEVE, PASY, OGE and MAS continued their struggle against the hike and tax robbery. They gave a clear message of resistance and disobedience, a response to the financial draining of the people, which is forced by the “black front” coalition government in favour of the plutocracy. In the same asternoon demonstrations took place at the neighbourhoods.

Government and parastate organisations monitor the action of PAME Because of reports in the media the Executive Secretariat of PAME denounced the government and para-state organisations that monitor the activity of PAME.

In the announcement it is stated: “We call the government, the minister or other head of such

services controlling all these, keep them a short lease.The political activity of PAME is crystal clear. No threat, no

suppressive mechanism, whatever they may design at the expense of the class movement, the unions, they will not prevent us, we will not stop organising the struggle of the workers, the struggle against the anti- popular policy, the struggle against monopolies, EU, the plutocracy.

Safeguard and shield of PAME is the working class with its mass participation in militant, strike activities using all forms of struggle which help the working class, the popular strata.

We call the working class to be in in constant alert.We call the working class to have eyes and ears open. To

support its strength, its conquest. Το support PAME. More info

Attempt of the Mayor of Athens to ban

demonstrations from the city centreThe Executive Secretariat of PAME denounced the initiative,

announced by the Mayor of Athens (elected with the support of PASOK, social- democrats and the forces of SYN-member of the European Lest Party) on the voting of the bill that will ban demonstrations in the city centre. The complaint states: “With the excuse and pretext that such a bill is necessary because the protests supposedly reduce shopping, they want to acquit these anti- popular policies of all the previous governments,either conservatives or social- democrats, and of the current government (PASOK, social democtrats -Nea Dimokratia, conservatives- LAOS, nationalists), which led and are still leading hundreds of thousands of workers to unemployment, which drastically cut wages and pensions and lead the working class and all workers to absolute impoverishment ... However, not only the instigators of such anti-popular monstrosities, but also their patrons in the Government, should know that the class union movement is not going to fold away and they will quickly find out that workers will tear this bill to pieces. “

More info

Class collaborationor class struggle

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International Migrant Day On the occasion of the International Migrant Day PAME issued

a statement which notes: “We, PAME, have repeatedly highlighted and reported to

the working class the causes of modern mass migration and refugees. We oppose to all the anti-migrant policy and legislation of EU and Greek governments, who selectively seek immigrants for the needs of the capital, as cheap and manipulated labour force, pushing the others to wretchedness. The anti-popular, anti- immigrant policies of the previous governments and the present black front government towards immigrants and refugees strikes equally hard the Greek workers, too.

At the same time, we struggle every day against the employers’ and state terrorism, against the exclusions from education and health, against the exclusions from the participation in trade union and political action, against the circuits and the gangs exploiting the immigrants, against racist attacks. For the class oriented labour movement, the vast majority of immigrants are part of the working class, the most exploited part of it, it produces wealth. We do not differentiate immigrants from the rest of the working class we do not accept the dividing lines between “le-gitimate” and “illegal”, set by the capital and its politi-cal staff in Greece and EU “

More info

Struggle for immediate relief measures and support for the unemployed

On December 20th PAME held, in dozens of Greek cities, mass demonstrations demanding immediate protective measures for the unemployed. The number of unemployed appears increased in August 2011 compared with last year’s by 295,000. A total of 908,000, which as a percentage of the total workforce in the

country amounts to 18.4% from 12.2% in August 2010. The struggle for the protection of the unemployed must

be one of the key issues for the class trade unions. It doesn’t concern only the unemployed. It is a matter of the workers as a whole, since the attack the workers face on their employment and pension rights, on the family income with daily increases in prices, the taxes, with the reduction of the already inadequate government spending on education and health, make the survival of their families, even more difficult. Unemployment is an incurable wound of the capitalist development and it grows in times of crisis, this is why PAME, the class-oriented unions, link in practice the struggle for a different path of development of the society, with the struggle for immediate relief mea-sures and support for the unemployed and their families.

More infoThe steps made for the better organisation of the action

of the class-oriented unions and the People’s Committees in this crucial area for the working class, were also ex-pressed with the creation of the Coordinating Committee of the Unemployed Committees of the Trade Unions of the Workers in Commerce, of the workers in Telecommunica-tions, of Accountants and of People’s Committees.

More info

Youth Secretariat of PAME : Workers’ football tournament 2012

The Youth Secretariat of PAME announced the organisation of the Workers’ Football Tournament 2012. In the statement it is said:

The Youth Secretariat of PAME invites all young workers, unemployed, students and immigrants who met on the safeguarding of strikes, who met for the first time in demonstrations under the banners and flags of PAME, to work on this year’s workers’ football tournament.

This year’s championship should involve every workplace, school, should be known to every labour, popular neighbourhood, where new workers live and breathe. It should be a response to the anti- popular policies of the black front coalition government that crash our lives.” It should constitute an extra form of struggle against the mechanisms that prevent and divert the sport from the social mission they should hold. “

More info

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Factories, TV stations,workplaces

in mass mobilisationsThe motto that all Greece, all workplaces should be the new

steel industries is put into practice. The same anti-workers changes, and also the militant example of the steel workers, the action of PAME lead to minor or major struggles in dozens of workplaces.

TV Station ALTERThe employees of ALTER TV station, who have not been paid

for a long time, hold multi-day rallies. The workers are being attacked by the owners who have been trying to terrorize them in different ways. The workers organise their struggle against the plans of the employers.

PAME called trade unions, people’s committees, workers to express their solidarity and support to this difficult struggle also, like the one of the steel workers.

More info

Workers of the “3E Printing Industry”The employees’ in the 3e Printing Industry continue their

militant mobilisations, demanding the payment of the accrued wages of at least six months, and also the extra Christmas and holiday benefits from the employers, who remain vanished from mid December. The employees decided to participate in the strike in Attica Area on January 17, with PAME and they organize demonstrations for the claiming of their accrued wages.

Aluminum Industry “Loukisa” In the aluminum industry “Loukisa”, in Peristeri a

municipality of Athens, employees participating massively, in work retention, demand the immediate payment of accrued

wages, for approximately one year. From the first moment, the Metal Workers’ Trade Union “The Prometheus” has been on the workers’ side, while the people’s committee of the neighbourhood expressed solidarity.

The employers, escalating their aggressiveness, called the police, continuing their lawsuits against employees on retention and members of the trade union, which is on their side, reaching a total of 38 indictments.

Workers in NOTOS (shopping mall), COCA-COLA (food and sost drinks), Intracom Defense (Telecommunications and IT), ARIADNE (supermarkets), Sarantis (food), ALAPIS (medicine) and in dozens more workplaces in Greece were on strike during this period.

Creation of Blood Bank of PAME We strengthen our Solidarity in every field Among all the struggles PAME gives for all our rights, to meet

our modern needs, PAME integrates also the creation of a blood bank. It is stated:

“We give our blood for the needs of our class” We create a blood bank. We know the needs. We struggle for

full and free of all charge health care coverage of the needs of the working class and the popular strata. We repudiate the logic of all the goods being transformed into commodities and of the reduction of the non-wage costs, which are promoted by the staff of the government of the EU and the capital.

” We give our blood, of the working class, for the needs of our colleagues whenever and wherever required, we do not give it away for the profits of capital. “

More info

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For the rights and the life of the Working Class

3 month strikeAgainst dismissals-Wage cuts

Gates of HELLINIKI HALIVOURGIA

The beginningOn October of 2011, the owner of Greek Steelworks/Helliniki

Halivourgia puts the workers under the blackmailing dilemma “5hour workday, in addition to wage cuts, or dismissal of 180 workers out of the 400”. The steelworkers in their General As-sembly proudly refuse. No dismissals-No wage cuts. The em-ployer responds by realizing the first dismissals. The steelwork-ers do not back down. The follow the decision of their general assembly: in case of a dismissal, stop production, STRIKE! The beginning takes place on 31st of October, 2011.

Slaughtering workers’ rights, one way for the capitalists

The owner of the steel industry, certainly, did not expect this kind of answer. He was used to, to terrorize with dismissals and to win. However, he does not retreat, because, he has the support of all the capitalists, who also want to cut the wages, to be relieved by workers’ rights. This was proven also, by the position of the Minister of Labour, who defended the employer in every way possible. The employer, who uses all possible means to break the strike. Like “visits” to the steelworkers’ houses, the media, the police. The most disgusting slander, the most insidious accusations. Under suspicious anonymous articles, in addition to reactionary announcements of MPs and organi-zations saying that the struggle of the steelworkers is a “blind

conflict”, or that this unbroken struggle will “shut down the fac-tory”. Those are arguments targeting to break the decisiveness and the class oriented stand of the strikers. At the same time, the steelworkers have to face, day-by-day the financial difficul-

ties that such a long lasting struggle results.

Workers’ weapon is class solidaritySince the first day, PAME stands on the steelworkers’ side

and supports all the decisions and the efforts of the steelwork-ers union. PAME makes their struggle known in the area, and highlights that at this moment, they are the vanguard of defense for the whole working class against the capitalists’ attack. Turn-ing point was PAME’s call to every worker, to the trade unions and people’s organization for immediate material and moral support of the steelworkers’ struggle, at the end of their 3rd week of unbreakable struggle. The response is heartbreak-ing…unemployed, dismissed workers give financial aid, schools from the area organize solidarity demonstrations, farmers send food, actors from PAME give performance inside the factory, in the trade unions, the forces of PAME organize lectures to inform and express solidarity. The support escalates with strikes in the area, as well as in Athens on the 17th of January and also 2 strikes at the other factory of the owner that goes on strike for

first time aster 24 years!

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And the exposure of the enemiesthe steelworkers exposed, through their action and

strength, those forces within the trade union movement that associate their interests with those of the capitalists. Like the leaderships of GSEE and Workers’ Federation in Metal, who for a very long time, and while the strike of the steelworkers was developing and the solidarity was growing constantly, they said not a word of solidarity. The refused the calls of PAME and the steelworkers for soli-darity strikes.

Organization of the struggle in every sector, factory, company

In the strike of January 17th, the president of the steelworkers’ trade union transferred the experience from their struggle:

“We came this far because from the start, we took our struggle outside the gates of the steel industry, we made the decisions we were taking, a matter for the whole working class. Through our 8 general assemblies, that we did, we called the workers to make their work places into steel industries…we went and spoke to dozens of workplaces, workers’ meetings and other people’s meetings…we organ-ized meetings, concerts at the factory’s gates. Dem-onstrations. We organized a series of events inside the factory, concerts, and events for the women, for our children, book’s presentations, movies. All these contributed in order our struggle to become known, a matter of all workers. These helped us to hold on and to continue…because, as always we have on our side the organized, class trade union movement, PAME, that supports all our decisions and efforts, that has the most important part in the day-by-day organiza-tion of solidarity”

Solidarity from workers from all over the world

A special element for the steelworkers was the soli-darity from workers, all around the globe. Through WFTU their struggle becomes known globally. Hundreds soli-darity messages arrive, proving the importance of the steelworkers’ strike in international level. The steelwork-ers were very moved by the visits, at the factory’s gates, of delegations of foreign trade unions, invited by WFTU or PAME. Also the many initiatives to express solidarity, like protests at embassies of Greece, concerts, financial aid and more.

The 400 steelworkers have already wonTheir greatest victory is their class unity, their class

solidarity that transcends the borders of Greece. Their greatest achievement is that they overcame the capi-tal’s lackeys, they cleared friends from enemies and they move forward with their heads held high, having made crystal clear that they are ready for the strong-est class struggle.

Steelworkers’ women’s committee

Visit of foreign militants to the factory

PAME brings food supplies to the strikers

Solidarity demonstration at Canary Islands

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Athens, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon,...the same anti labour situation. Wage cuts, attacks against Collective Agreements, increased taxation, degradation and privatization of social services and public infrastructure. The origin is common: the strategy of the EU and national governments, political parties of both neoliber-als and socialdemocrats, who alongside IMF attack against the workers and people’s rights, in order to serve the interests of the capital. Those conclusions were highlighted by trade un-ionists from Italy, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus who participated in the meet-ing that PAME organized on Decem-ber 15th, at Athens, on the issue of the capitalist crisis, the development of class struggle and the exchange of experience from the trade unions’ struggles.

In the meeting took part members of the Executive Secre-tariat of PAME, led by Giorgos Perros, the PEO, from Cyprus, represented by Pierris Pierri, the USB, from Italy, represented by Pier Paolo Leonardi and Paola Palmieri, the CGTP/IN by Au-gusto Praca and the trade union executive Juan Manuel Fern-andes Martin, from Spain.

On behalf of PAME, comrade Giorgos Perros aster present-ing the attack on the workers of Greece, he highlighted, that in order to develop the struggles in the EU, it is very important to strengthen the relationships of the militant forces, the infor-mation sharing on the developments in each country, but also

on specific sectors of the economy. Furthermore, the formation of a framework for common struggles and coordination, espe-cially on the aspect of unemployment. He also outlined the role of the reformist and opportunist forces, within the Trade Union movement, that support the plans of the capital.

We fight against the forces of intergationHe said: “They have huge responsibilities because they disori-entate workers, leading the labour movement to incorporation. They lest workers unprepared to deal with the crisis. A conclu-sion like this has value today.

The consistent , class-oriented, labour trade union move-ment must reveal and reject the deliberately misleading views of these leaderships on the subject “national production goals and problems of productivity, competitiveness”, “consent to exit the crisis”, searching for “settings for improve-ment, humanization of capitalism” in order to be saved.Huge responsibilities have also the subjugated trade union leaderships of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and

Coordination! Against the antilabour

attack of the Capital

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of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) for the ag-gravation of the life of the working class in Europe. They declare class cooperation, they support the line of competitiveness, submission to employers, they spread illusions and disorientate the workers’ struggle. Furthermore, the several mobilizations like these of “indignants” are not a solution, but they defuse mil-itant spirits and are hostile to the class-oriented organization. They use the indignation of the popular forces trying to entrap this indignation into a struggle without perspective….

We must strengthen the debate about what kind of movement we needWe have a solemn duty to contribute to this line of struggle in order for massive class struggles across Europe to be devel-oped and coordinated. In this direction we have to organize the struggle for daily problems, to reveal their causes.

The experience gained from the struggles during this peri-od, from their organizing, from the positive conclusions of our work, but also from the difficulties and obstacles, our failures and weaknesses, showed us that:•We must target and guide our forces, our trade unions, where we are the majority as well as where we are the minority, to contact with wider masses of workers, who suffer from the capitalist barbarism…•Unions must become centers of mass struggle and to form a massive movement of resistance, of blocking the implementation of antipopular measures…•We must become more adept at including new masses that approach us in the class struggle.•We must have coordination at sectoral and business lev-el, coordination according to monopoly groups.•We must strengthen the organization inside the work-places. •We need to strengthen the debate about what kind of movement we need, what kind of alliance we need, what kind of perspective we need. This is necessary to prevent, as much as it depends on us, the frustration that comes from the difficulties of the struggles. We need a movement against capitalist employers, laws, its state. We need a movement free from governmental and employers´ trade unionism. We need a movement that fights not only for partial improvements, but for all the needs of the working class, for the overthrow and abolition of exploitative rela-tions. We need a movement organized and with deep roots within workplaces, first of within all production sites, fac-tories. We need a movement that will be supported and will build the coalition of workers, self employed profes-

sionals and traders with small and medium- scale farm-ers, with students, with women. Such a movement will be able to repel effectively the attack of monopolies and their political representatives, such a movement could play a leading role in the struggle for the overthrow of the present power, for people´s power, which will lay the foundations for the satisfaction of the popular needs. We need an internationalist movement that fights for a single purpose in each and every country.

Proposals for the coordinationOf our struggle in the next period:Firstly, we believe that we must strengthen our relations.•To have constant exchange of information concerning the de-velopments in our countries, for the developments in each sec-tor, for the situation in total. How in each country we face the aggressiveness of the capital, its governments, the EU.•We can form a common list of demands to coordinate our struggles. This to be signed by European, base, first level, trade unions. Aster it has been signed, to announce it by press confer-ence.•To form common position on unemployment and to prepare mobilization.•Sectors where we can have coordination for common strug-gles.•To discuss on the situation in Italy and to proceed in demon-stration in spesific date, and this to be a proposal to regional office of Europe of WFTU.

Coordination! Against the antilabour

attack of the Capital

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General strike in Portugal on 24/11On the occasion of the General Strike in Portugal on 24/11,a

delegation of PAME held a protest outside the Portuguese Em-bassy in Athens, where a resolution was delivered, in which our solidarity and support to the workers of Portugal is expressed.

More info

Message of the general strike of PAME in December 1st from Greece to the working class of all Europe.

At the strike demonstrations of PAME, everywhere in Greece, workers sent a message to the peoples of Europe to organise and escalate the struggle.

“Against the antilabour alliance of capital, the awakening of the working popular forces is imperative today; the immediate organization of their struggle in every workplace, every sector, every working popular neighbourhood is necessary; the coordi-

nation at a national and international level is needed in more el-evated forms of struggle; the release of the working class from the supporters of capital is also imperative.”

More infoThe responses to this call and the first steps have been taken,

by the international meeting organized by PAME on December 15 (see page 8)

December 1 to 10 tour of PAME in AustraliaDelegation of PAME, at the invitation of the Federation of In-

dustrial Associations in Australia, toured throughout Australia, met with unions and gave a series of interviews and speeches in Sidney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

The delegation of PAME has received the solidarity and sup-port of colleagues, which was expressed in solidarity messages by Greek migrants and by workers at the port of Sidney.

Solidarityto the working classof Portugal

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Criminal attack of the government of Kazakhstan against striking workers

PAME denounced the new criminal attack of the government of Kazakhstan against the strikers in the city Zhanaozen which resulted in the death of many workers and the injury of hun-dreds workers.

PAME has expressed its solidarity with the workers of the oil company who are on strike the last 7 months and has organized an international campaign against the criminalization of trade union struggles.

Demanding the demands of the strikers to be accepted and also demanding the release of all the imprisoned trade union-ists, PAME called the trade unions of our country to express their solidarity with the heroic strikers of Kazakhstan. The call of PAME has had an immediate major impact on trade unions, federations and labour centres.

Furthermore, on 21/12, a protest was held by PAME in the Kazakh Embassy in Athens.

More info

Solidarity with the people of Nigeria who started a long-term general strike

PAME denounced the decision of the Government of Nigeria to stop subsidizing fuel for the people, resulting in a barrage of frightening price increases in commodities and services.

Nigeria is one of the largest oil-producing countries in Africa. But multinationals and monopolies exploit the natural resources of the country and capitalists earn huge profits, while the people of Nigeria live in hunger and poverty.

PAME, participating in the campaign of solidarity WFTU has launched, demanded from the government of Nigeria to take

back immediately this anti-labour decision and called the un-ions of our country to express their internationalist solidarity with the working class in Nigeria.

More info

Visit of POPQRU Delegation from South Africa to PAME

PAME on January 24, welcomed a delegation of the trade un-ion POPQRU, from South Africa. The delegation of POPQRU had a meeting with the Executive Secretariat of PAME, and then gave a speech at a meeting of trade union officials.

General Strike in Italy on January 27Solidarity with the Working Class of Italy and USB

On the occasion of the General Strike in Italy, PAME sent a message of solidarity to the USB and to the workers of Italy highlighting that their struggle is also ours.

More info

to the working classof Portugal

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On ETUC’s participation in the “social dialogue” on working time

The supporters of “social peace” and of “competitiveness”, this mechanism of the employers that present themselves as workers´ representatives, the leaders of ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation), organize together with the employers a “social dialogue” on the subject “working time” on December 8, 2011. And this, only a few days aster ETUC´s official participation to the conference of the European Socialist Party, where along with the butchers of workers´ rights, they proposed “in the face of the crisis”, “reformation of the economic model and of the financial system” identifying themselves, once again, with the bankers.

Workers of Europe, we have gained bitter experience from such initiatives. Capitalists utilizing ETUC and its forces in every country, such as GSEE in Greece, launched the current brutal attack against workers rights. Flexible forms of employment, the slavemarkets- outsourcing companies, the thousands dismissals and wage-cuts, all over Europe, have the seal of ETUC.

More info

In response to an interview of deputy general secretary of ETUC

In response to an interview of Pathrick Itschert, deputy general secretary of ETUC and head of ETUC on the European Social Dialogue, that reveals once again the position of governmental and employers’ trade unionism, both in international and national level.

For ETUC there is no question of doubt against capitalism, as according to deputy GS “Let there be no mistake: the ETUC is in favour of economic governance, which is a necessary complement to monetary union, but not that dictated to us by the European right.” The future of society, according to ETUC, is “to oppose the “imposed austerity” through ““solidarity” and “fairness.””

Their anxiety, in each case, is how to cleanse the social democratic management within capitalism, leaving intact the exploitive relationships that are the heart of this system. That is why their members in Greece, GSEE and ADEDY, as constant praisers of “competitiveness” of the economy and of the social democratic management, are worried when they hear from more and more voices of workers and youth the slogan:

“Without you no cog can turn, worker you can be without bosses”

More info

UNI Europa’s common initiatives with the employers and the EU for the expansion of temporary work

UNI is anxious for the expansion of temporary work and organizes a research, with Eurociett(European Confederation of Private Employment Agencies). Promoting temporary work is what matters for UNI, when workers of Europe lose everything and they are, day-by-day, sunk deeper into wretchedness. UNI fully agreeing with the anxieties of the big corporate groups will organize with Eurociett (that represents the biggest companies of outsourcing like ADECCO, GI GROUP HUDSON, KELLY SERVICES, RANDSTAD, MANPOWER, USG PEOPLE) and EU a research on the subject: “The role of temporary work agencies in facilitating transitions”.

Furthermore, in UNI’s website is said that the research is part of the common activities of the social partners of the EU. It is obvious that for the European employers’ trade unionism, the temporarily employed workers are “partners” with the European monopolies that richer because of flexible jobs and these global “slave’s” agencies. This is clear also, by the goals of this research, which is to give data on:

“The possible role of the temporary agency work sector in facilitating transitions in the labour market (from education to work, from unemployment to work, from one job to another, etc.).The flux of temporary agency workers, looking at their situation before and aster temporary agency work, the evolution of their careers, etc.The role of social partners in facilitating access to training and improve overall the quality of transitions, etc.”

On the event of the capitalist crisis, the employers’ and governmental trade unionism is unmasked, as a precious and genuine tool for the profits and competitiveness. It is the workers’ of Europe turn, to leave them behind and organize our

counterattack

For ETUC there are no classes, there is no class struggle, there are no capital and workers. The main contradiction is not between capital-labor, but between social democracy and right wing. However, it is common knowledge, to all workers of Europe that together (social democracy and right wing) impose measures that burden the working class and the popular strata.

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The trade unionists of the Party of European Lest (EL) promote the butchering of young workers’ rights

At the meeting of the party “European Lest”, which took place in Athens, last November, its trade unionists in their various resolutions(where there are so many findings and descriptions , but lack in the smallest hint of the cause that creates the problems, which is capitalism) they finally suggest to the system, expansion of the measures already implemented, which are very beneficiary for its profitability and its competitiveness.

They suggest: “measures to facilitate the transition from school to work for the young…to encourage workers to offer more positions for training or other programs for work experience”. These kinds of measures were adopted in Greece, by the governments of PASOK-socialdemocrats-, and ND-conservatives-, and the people paid a very high price. That is, in reality, measure that feeds the capital with very cheap labour force, so as to grow its profits.

More: “invest in the quality of free education and training and improve the connection with the needs of the labour market.” That is “education” totally in the service of the capital and not of the people.

Furthermore: “to create subsidies for employment, in order to hire young people or to turn the limited time contracts to indefinite”. That is, free money to the capitalists.

Finally they suggest measures “in the direction of reducing working time, aiming at the 35hour working week, or less, with protection of the minimum wage”. This 35hour week, was implemented in France, where the working class was far from being benefited. Unemployment was raised, the wages were reduced, and flexible working relations were expanded. Of course nowhere in the resolution is the demand for steady jobs for all, with steady working hours, 35hours a week-7hours a day-5days a week and insurance rights. Nowhere is any word, for measures of protection for the unemployed.

It is obvious that their proposals, are anything but “alternative” for the people, since they are identified as those, promoted by the capital. And this could not be differently, since their strategy is acceptance and reinforcement of the bourgeois power, and not, of course, its breaking and overthrowing under workers’ power. They want capitalism, that looks humane to the people, so as the people not to react and not to struggle to overthrow it. The EL is an obstacle to the radicalization of the movement, and that is why they must be isolated.

Workers Counter attack:Published by Secretariat of International Relations of PAME

All workers Militant Front (PAME) I Member of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)address: 5b, Ag. Filotheis str., 10556, Athens, Greece

t: (+30) 210 3301842, 210 3301847, 210 3833786f: (+30) 210 3802864 I international@pamehellas.gr