Dear comrades,
On behalf of the Federation of Workers in Food-Drinks Industries of Greece, member of PAME, we thank the comrades of CGTP In for the organization of the meeting. In addition, we greetour comrades of the Federation FESAHT of Portugal for their constant solidarity towards the workers’ struggles in Greece.
Moreover we salute FNAF and comrade Huck in person, for his work and help for the realization meeting and for his action for the work of the UIS Agroalimentary all the previous period. Furhermore, we want to thank comrade Freddy Huck, who we had the pleasure to host at the 4th National Congress of PAME last October, and we want to thank him for his participation.
Dear comrades, like the meeting’s documents states, we are in a period of important developments, which we do not believe we have to repeat. But, taking into account that document, let me make a few remarks concerning not only the positive points of the document, but also some thoughts we have about it.
We believe it is correct that the TUI Agroalimentary of WFTU has presented important activity with successful international meetings. With seminars, messages of internationalist solidarity etc. Also, it correctly reported in the document that in Europe, many countries have developed many struggles.
We agree with the criticism against ETUC, since today we all know that ETUC is the servant of the European capitalists inside the trade unions. It is a bureaucratic elite which defends the policies of the European Commission, it supports imperialist wars of NATO and USA. It supported the war in Iraq, in Libya and today supports the war against Syria.
The ETUC isn’t just a reformist trade union. It is a tool in the service of the capital and of the imperialists. And it is our duty to reveal the role of this group of Brussels.
Our activity in Greece
In Greece, PAME was in the vanguard for the organization of great strikes, demonstrations, sitting-ins of governmental buildings, ministries against the antipeople’s policy of the governments, against memorandums, the EU, IMF, NATO.
At the same time, our Federations have developed numerous struggles concerning general and specific workplace issues, for layoffs, industries closures, unpaid work, uninsured work, for the signing of Collective Contracts etc. Great solidarity has developed among the workers in the sector, among the unions and also between different sectors.
At ZOURAS Industry (chicken-poultry goods), the trade union made a 53-days strike demanding the payment of owed salaries. The union used all forms of struggle, such as sitting-in the factories, all over the country (in the cities of Chalkida, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupoli, Gianenna). The Greek Government of SYRIZA ordered for suppression of the struggle and 29 strikers were arrested in Thessaloniki. They also arrested me personally. But after the intervention of PAME and other regional and national trade unions, which denounced the authoritarianism, the government was forced to release us.
At EVGA (Ice cream Industry), where I also work, the federation and the trade-union broke the attempt of the employer to impose lock-out. We did this with organizing sitting-in the factory with all the workers against payment delays. At the HITOS Factory (bottled water) in Giannena, after the federation intervened, the employer withdrew the wage cuts he had announced. At the milk industry RODOPI in Xanthi, the trade union went on strike, and thus, the employers ceased the procedure of laying off 20 workers. At the fish factory of Lamia the trade union called for strike against the phenomenon of owed wages of many months. Finally, the workers were paid. At COCACOLA in Greece, where the struggle lasts for years we demand for reopening the factory in Thessaloniki, and we held 24hours strike on every COCACOLA factory in Greece with PAME and National Federation of Workers at Bottled Drinks (POEEP). That is a rough and long fight against the policy of the monopoly of COCACOLA.
At the same time, we face the impact from the 2 years of SYRIZA government. It is a dangerous government. By using a “left” mask, it fooled many people; it cultivated illusions and aspirations for abolishing the memoranda, restoring workers’ cut salaries and losses, in other words illusions that the European Union can be beneficial for the people and the workers. But, in reality, it imposed the 3rd more devastating memorandum til now, imposed new taxation, new cuts on wages and pensions, privatization of Health Care and Education. And, it prepares with the EU and IMF, a new attack against the workers, with the liberalization of massive layoffs, the legalization of lock-out, the attack against trade union rights and freedom, and the right to strike. This situation has led many workers to disappointment, to resignation, to quit struggle.
On this basis, our TUI must discuss on how we can efficiently intervene and support the development of workers’ struggles in every country. Not only, by messages and international meetings, seminars which are undoubtedly beneficial and helpful. But today’s needs, the attack against the working class, demand that we become better, more demanding and more effective in the development of class struggle in every country, and first of all within our own country, against the multinational companies and the capital. Also, in how we organize the working class of our respective countries against the governments and pro-capital political parties, against imperialist organizations like the EU and NATO. Against the dirty role of ITUC and ETUC which have supported and still support the imperialist interventions and support Israel against the heroic Palestinian people.
In this direction the unions, federations, labor centers that rally with PAME, we have developed rich activity of solidarity with the peoples of Syria and Palestine, especially on the occasion of the Campaign of the WFTU on 30 March.
Now we move on May 1st under the slogan “With the workers of all countries for a world without exploitation, wars, refugees!”. On May 1st throughout Greece and in coordination with other countries of the Balkans and the Mediterranean we will have a joint resolution against the plans of the imperialists in the region. On June 24-25 we will organize a Balkan anti-war and anti-imperialist Trade Union Action in Thessaloniki, with a big demonstration at NATO headquarters in Thessaloniki on June 24. We want this action to raise solidarity, internationalism, readiness of the working class against imperialist plans. At the same time, it is an initiative to support the WFTU, coordinate and develop its forces in the region.
As a Federation, member of PAME, of the class union movement in Greece, despite all our weaknesses, agaisnt our shortcomings and difficulties, we will give all our efforts for the case of our movement. We, as members of PAME, believe it is our obligation that the militant unions meet, coordinate, first and foremost in each sector, to create a distinctive, a militant, trade union pole in Europe. A union force that will provide a basis for the strengthening of the class line, of the line of WFTU.
Dear comrades and friends, before I finish, allow me to make a question and express a disagreement.
The question:
Reading the introductory document a question arose, and i would like it to be answered to me. In a document of so many pages, I haven’t seen the word WFTU mentioned not even once. I read over all the pages carefully and if I’m not mistaken I did not see a word about our great international trade union organization, of which our sectoral organization is a member. I think this is an omission and I would appreciate it if such omissions are avoided in the meetings to come. WFTU held a successful World Trade Union Congress in October 2016. All TUIs which we are affiliates of the WFTU should promote the 17th World Trade Union Congress in South Africa, in which all the militant and class trade unions from around the world participated. The decisions and the documents of this Congress are useful for all organizations and it is an omission by the leadership of the TUI not to include a few lines in the document to inform about the Congress of the WFTU. It is important to project WFTU and its role within our countries and within our sector.
The disagreement:
A year ago, big workers’ struggles took place in France, which is a large country, with an important role in the European and international trade union movement, but great struggle was also developed for content of the struggle, its direction. There was a conflict between the line supporting escalation of the class struggle and the line of compromise, retreat, “social dialogue” and class collaboration.
Specifically, in France we had the heroic four-week strike at Oil Industries and nuclear power plants, organized by FNIC and supported by the WFTU and trade unions all over the world with multiform actions. We would like to remind you that, together, in our countries we organized solidarity campaigns for the heroic struggle of FNIC.
And on the other hand, we have against us, the anti-worker dirty role of the Government of the French social democracy, the dirty role of the ETUC, but also the undermining role of the compromised trade union leaderships of the CFDT, F.O and unfortunately the leadership of CGT. The leadership of the CGT did not go on general strike, it left the FNIC alone. Instead of coordinating nationwide strike, it confined its action to some demonstrations. The leadership elite of the CGT is now expressing the line of class collaboration in France. My personal opinion is that they take advantage of the glorious militant past CGT had when it was active and a leading member of WFTU, to mask its reformist current role.
We are optimistic that despite the difficulties and the dirty waters Eurocommunism has left inside several trade unions in Europe, we will regroup and strengthen the class perception in Europe. All of us who are here are a solid basis that we will move forward. All of us can strengthen, step by step, our class unity and coordination between our unions. Our Federation is committed to this common effort.
Thank you.
