On 9 November, 17 workers lost their lives in the explosion at the HABAŞ steelworks in Aliağa, İzmir. PAME and the trade unions of Greece extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of our fellow workers whose lives were cut short. We wish the injured a speedy recovery and stand with the workers at the plant and the trade unions of Türkiye.

The pursuit of profit lies behind every such crime. In factories on both sides of the Aegean, employers treat maintenance and health and safety measures as costs. As industry increasingly turns to weapons production, workers face more exploitation and greater pressure to produce more in less time, working long hours and exhausting shifts.

On one side stand capital and the governments that serve its profits and seek to drag us into their wars. On the other side stand we, the workers of Greece and Türkiye. Every time we or our loved ones leave for a shift, we share the same worry about whether we will all make it home.

We know how strong we are when we stand and fight together. We showed it on 30 October, when dockworkers in Greece and Türkiye stood united in an international day of action at ports in 22 countries under the slogan “We don’t work for war!”

We carry this struggle forward in Greece with the nationwide strike across all sectors on 25 November. We are fighting for effective health and safety measures, higher wages and collective agreements. We are fighting to stop our lives and rights from being sacrificed for their wars and the profits of big business.

Their profits or our lives!