Little before midnight, after the last shift also massively joined the strike, the Union addressed strikers and people who had rallied in solidarity stating

“We Won, We succeeded“

The speech with ENG Subtitles here

In the morning of Monday, February 7, the workers of COSCO reached the docks of Piraeus Port, ready to form picket lines during their 24hr strike for the signing of Collective Contract.

Earlier COSCO multinational had demanded for legal measures against the workers strike, which the courts declared illegal 5 days before. In response to this tactic the Regional Trade Union Center of Piraeus in solidarity with the workers declared Strike to the docks of COSCO. Again the multinational filled motion to declare also this strike illegal, which happened later during the day of the strike.

In these conditions the striking workers of COSCO reached the docks to find them blocked and surrounded by Forces of Riot Police, police armored trucks, even Coast Guard Special Forces which prohibited any unionist, any workers in favor of the strike, to enter the docks.

The state clearly and openly was put in the service of the multinational to intimidate and threat the workers not to strike. The workers of COSCO, with their Union ENEDEP, denounced the hypocrisy of the state, which during the floods, snowstorms, earthquakes or wildfires they let the people unprotected, unsupported and helpless, while for the multinationals they respond immediately showing the true face of the state as a servant of the capitalists.

Armored truck and police forces arriving at the gates of COSCO

Police forces surrounding the gates

In solidarity with the strike of COSCO workers and in response to the intimidating tactics of the state the whole Piraeus port stopped! Also, hundreds of workers and unions from the region went to the port to support the strikers. Important was also the international solidarity of WFTU EUROF and unions from various countries, which were read during the strike

For 24 hours the gates of COSCO were the center of the great struggle between workers who fought for their rights and collective Contract and the mechanisms of a big multinational, which pressured and used the state as its bodyguard against the workers.

As an example the Coast Guard acted openly as doorman of COSCO trying to push workers inside

Against the tactics of the multinational and the state the workers gave a great response with their massive support to the strike. Of a total of 2200 workers only around 50 went for work.

On the other hand one after the other, the workers with their orange jackets turned left to the gates and joined the strike under songs and applauding of the hundreds of strikers